The city of Tallinn is the capital and principal seaport of the Republic of Estonia. It is located on Estonia's north coast, along the Baltic Sea. Before 1918, it was primarily known in English by its German name Reval. Other historical names are Koluvan, Lindanise, Lindanisa (Lindanäs), Revalia, Revel and Reveln.
The origin of the name is unclear. It may have been derived from "talu linn", Estonian for "farming town". Alternately, it may have been derived from "Taani-linn", Estonian for "Danish town".
Historically, the city has been attacked, sacked, razed and pillaged on numerous occasions. It was the centre of the medieval salt-trade on which it grew rich and prosperous.
Although extensively bombed during the latter stages of World War II, much of the mediaeval old town still retains its charm. Tallinn Old Town became in 1997 a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site.
Tallinn is the location of Tallinn University of Technology, as well as of several other institutions of higher education and science.
The population is about 400,400 (2000), registered 387 224 (2003).
Several tens daily ferry services taking 1,5-4 hours (depending on the boat type) connects Tallinn to Helsinki in Finland, as does a recently initiated hourly helicopter service, vaunted as being the "fastest capital to capital link in the world" (at 189 Euros one way it certainly is not the cheapest, although more modestly priced advance bookings for less than 50 Euros are available). There are also a ferry services from Tallinn to Stockholm, Sweden; Åland (Ahvenanmaa), Finland; Saint Petersburg, Russia and Rostock, Germany.
