{"id":1542,"date":"2024-02-17T04:38:17","date_gmt":"2024-02-17T03:38:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bestfreetour.com\/?page_id=1542"},"modified":"2024-02-17T05:04:32","modified_gmt":"2024-02-17T04:04:32","slug":"estonia","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/bestfreetour.com\/es\/estonia\/","title":{"rendered":"Estonia"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"828\" src=\"https:\/\/bestfreetour.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/estonia-pexels-paolo-boaretto-16795074-1024x828.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1543\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bestfreetour.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/estonia-pexels-paolo-boaretto-16795074-1024x828.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/bestfreetour.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/estonia-pexels-paolo-boaretto-16795074-300x243.jpg 300w, https:\/\/bestfreetour.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/estonia-pexels-paolo-boaretto-16795074-768x621.jpg 768w, https:\/\/bestfreetour.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/estonia-pexels-paolo-boaretto-16795074-1536x1242.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/bestfreetour.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/estonia-pexels-paolo-boaretto-16795074-2048x1656.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/bestfreetour.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/estonia-pexels-paolo-boaretto-16795074-74x60.jpg 74w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-pale-pink-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-95009f3f1ac9f4b112320765766ea00a wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Estonia Free Tour<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-pale-pink-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-af69db6d7580d72fb0d2d6073f3101d7 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Tallinn Free Tour<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-pale-pink-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-95b72c252c9c4a845060343ac41b094d wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Haapsalu Free Tour<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-pale-pink-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-7f243a9997277eea846175edec0961a7 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Tartu Free Tour<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Information:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Estonia<\/strong>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/nation-state\">country<\/a> in northeastern <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Europe\">Europe<\/a>, the northernmost of the three <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Baltic-states\">Baltic states<\/a>. Estonia\u2019s area includes some 1,500 islands and islets; the two largest of these islands, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Saaremaa\">Saaremaa<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Hiiumaa\">Hiiumaa<\/a>, are off mainland Estonia\u2019s west coast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/37\/183637-050-17EC32FA\/World-Data-Locator-Map-Estonia.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/37\/183637-050-17EC32FA\/World-Data-Locator-Map-Estonia.jpg\" alt=\"Estonia\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/37\/183637-050-17EC32FA\/World-Data-Locator-Map-Estonia.jpg\">Estonia<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Estonia has been dominated by foreign powers through much of its history. In 1940 it was forcibly incorporated into the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Soviet-Union\">U.S.S.R.<\/a> as one of its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/constituent\">constituent<\/a> republics. Estonia remained a Soviet republic until 1991, when, along with the other Baltic states, it declared its independence. The Soviet Union recognized independence for Estonia and the other Baltic states on September 6, 1991, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/United-Nations\">United Nations<\/a> membership followed shortly thereafter. Estonia set about transforming its government into a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/parliamentary-system\">parliamentary democracy<\/a> and reorienting its economy toward <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/money\/market\">market<\/a> capitalism. It sought <a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/integration\">integration<\/a> with greater Europe and in 2004 joined the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/North-Atlantic-Treaty-Organization\">North Atlantic Treaty Organization<\/a> (NATO) and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/European-Union\">European Union<\/a> (EU).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Land<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/56\/6256-050-9796B11C\/Estonia-map-features-locator.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/56\/6256-050-9796B11C\/Estonia-map-features-locator.jpg\" alt=\"map of Estonia\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/56\/6256-050-9796B11C\/Estonia-map-features-locator.jpg\">map of Estonia<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/56\/163556-050-BC1FFA68\/view-Muuga-Bay-Estonia-Tallinn.jpg\">Tallinn, Estonia<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An aerial view of Muuga Bay, near Tallinn, Estonia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Situated in northeastern Europe, Estonia juts out into the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Baltic-Sea\">Baltic Sea<\/a>, which surrounds the country to the north and west. To the east Estonia is bounded by Russia\u2014predominantly by the Narva River and Lakes <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Lake-Peipus\">Peipus<\/a> (Peipsi; Russian: Chudskoye Ozero), Tyoploye, and Pskov\u2014and to the south it is bounded by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Latvia\">Latvia<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Relief and drainage<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Estonian landscape is largely the product of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/glaciation\">glacial<\/a> activity. The south is covered with moraine hills, and the central part of the country abounds in elongated hills with flat tops. Northern Estonia is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/characterized\">characterized<\/a> by long narrow swells consisting of deposits left by glacial rivers that formed during the melting of ice. Extensive sandy areas mark what was once the glacier\u2019s edge. Estonia\u2019s relief is thus generally undulating, with small hills and numerous lakes, rivers, and forests lending a mild and picturesque aspect to the scene, particularly in the south.<a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/quiz\/which-country-is-larger-by-area-quiz\"> Britannica QuizWhich Country Is Larger By Area? Quiz<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The mean elevation is 164 feet (50 metres) above sea level; only about one-tenth of the territory lies at elevations exceeding 300 feet (90 metres). In the southeast is the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Haanja\">Haanja<\/a> Upland, containing Suur Munam\u00e4gi (Great Egg Hill), which, at 1,043 feet (318 metres), is the highest point in Estonia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/73\/141273-050-C109ABD9\/Lake-Peipus-Ranna-Estonia.jpg\">Peipus, Lake<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lake Peipus, near Ranna, Estonia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Estonia abounds in rivers, which flow to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Gulf-of-Finland\">Gulf of Finland<\/a>, to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Gulf-of-Riga\">Gulf of Riga<\/a>, and into <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Lake-Peipus\">Lake Peipus<\/a>. The longest river, the P\u00e4rnu, stretches for about 90 miles (145 km); other important rivers are the Pedja, Narva, and Kasari. The country\u2019s largest lake is Peipus, with a surface area of about 1,370 square miles (3,550 square km), which is shared with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Russia\">Russia<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Vortsjarv\">Lake V\u00f5rts<\/a> is situated in south-central Estonia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. <a href=\"https:\/\/premium.britannica.com\/premium-membership\/?utm_source=inline&amp;utm_medium=mendel&amp;utm_campaign=evergreen\">Subscribe Now<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Climate<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/temperate\">temperate<\/a> and humid climate of Estonia differs sharply from the climates of regions to the east (in Russia) at the same <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/latitude\">latitude<\/a>. The country lies in the path of air masses borne by cyclonic winds that originate in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/North-Atlantic-Current\">North Atlantic<\/a> Ocean and carry warm air in winter and cool air in summer. The northern and western coastal areas tend to be milder than the country\u2019s inland regions, while the eastern and southeastern regions tend to have a continental climate. The mean temperature is 17 to 23 \u00b0F (\u22128 to \u22125 \u00b0C) in January and 61 to 63 \u00b0F (16 to 17 \u00b0C) in July. Annual precipitation is about 24 to 28 inches (600 to 700 mm), which, coupled with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/negligible\">negligible<\/a> evaporation and low relief, leads to waterlogging. The Estonian climate is generally favourable for agriculture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Plant and animal life<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/51\/114551-050-F74F2F8D\/coast-island-Muhu-Estonia.jpg\">Muhu island<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The northern coast of Muhu island, Estonia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mixed forests, with about 90 native species of trees and shrubs, cover almost half of Estonia\u2019s territory. Most widespread are pines, firs, birches, and aspens; less common are oaks, maples, elms, and ashes. Scots pine is the most common native tree. Meadows occupy a large area, as do marshes and swamps, where one-quarter of Estonia\u2019s 1,500 plant species are found.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">About 60 species of mammals live in Estonia. The largest of these is the elk; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/animal\/roe-deer\">roe deer<\/a>, red deer, and wild pigs also are found. In the deep forests of the northeast, bears and lynx are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/encountered\">encountered<\/a>. Foxes, badgers, otters, rabbits, hare, and\u2014along the riverbanks\u2014mink and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/animal\/nutria\">nutria<\/a> (coypu) are fairly common. Fish (cod, herring, salmon, eel, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/animal\/plaice\">plaice<\/a>, and others) are of commercial importance. Birds are numerous and migratory; more than 300 species have been identified, few of which are year-round residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With the restoration of the independent republic in 1991, Estonia made strides in improving the health of its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/environment\">environment<\/a>. Air and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/water-pollution\">water pollution<\/a> have been reduced, and the percentage of forestlands has been enlarged. About one-tenth of the country is set aside as a nature preserve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All information come from <a href=\"http:\/\/Netherlands, country located in northwestern Europe, also known as Holland. \u201cNetherlands\u201d means low-lying country; the name Holland (from Houtland, or \u201cWooded Land\u201d) was originally given to one of the medieval cores of what later became the modern state and is still used for 2 of its 12 provinces (Noord-Holland and Zuid-Holland). A parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarch, the kingdom includes its former colonies in the Lesser Antilles: Aruba, Bonaire, Cura\u00e7ao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten. The capital is Amsterdam and the seat of government The Hague. Netherlands Netherlands Explore Holland's population, waterways, and vast tulip cross-breeding and cultivation program Explore Holland's population, waterways, and vast tulip cross-breeding and cultivation program Learn about the geography, agriculture, and commerce of The Netherlands. See all videos for this article  The country is indeed low-lying and remarkably flat, with large expanses of lakes, rivers, and canals. Some 2,500 square miles (6,500 square km) of the Netherlands consist of reclaimed land, the result of a process of careful water management dating back to medieval times. Along the coasts, land was reclaimed from the sea, and, in the interior, lakes and marshes were drained, especially alongside the many rivers. All this new land was turned into polders, usually surrounded by dikes. Initially, man power and horsepower were used to drain the land, but they were later replaced by windmills, such as the mill network at Kinderdijk-Elshout, now a UNESCO World Heritage site. The largest water-control schemes were carried out in the second half of the 19th century and in the 20th century, when steam pumps and, later, electric or diesel pumps came into use. Exploring Amsterdam: Canals, design, and museums Exploring Amsterdam: Canals, design, and museums Overview of Amsterdam. See all videos for this article  Despite government-encouraged emigration after World War II, which prompted some 500,000 persons to leave the country, the Netherlands is today one of the world\u2019s most densely populated countries. Although the population as a whole is \u201cgraying\u201d rapidly, with a high percentage over age 65, Amsterdam has remained one of the liveliest centres of international youth culture. There, perhaps more than anywhere else in the country, the Dutch tradition of social tolerance is readily encountered. Prostitution, \u201csoft-drug\u201d (marijuana and hashish) use, and euthanasia are all legal but carefully regulated in the Netherlands, which was also the first country to legalize same-sex marriage.  This relative independence of outlook was evident as early as the 16th and 17th centuries, when the Dutch rejected monarchical controls and took a relatively enlightened view of other cultures, especially when they brought wealth and capital to the country\u2019s trading centres. In that period Dutch merchant ships sailed the world and helped lay the foundations of a great trading country characterized by a vigorous spirit of enterprise. In later centuries, the Netherlands continued to have one of the most advanced economies in the world, despite the country\u2019s modest size. The Dutch economy is open and generally internationalist in outlook. With Belgium and Luxembourg, the Netherlands is a member of the Benelux economic union, which in the 1950s and 1960s served as a model for the larger European Economic Community (EEC; now embedded in the European Union [EU]), of which the Benelux countries are members. The Netherlands is also a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and it plays host to a number of international organizations, especially in the legal sector, such as the International Court of Justice. Brown globe on antique map. Brown world on vintage map. North America. Green globe. Hompepage blog 2009, history and society, geography and travel, explore discovery Britannica Quiz Countries &amp; Their Features  The Dutch reputation for tolerance was tested in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, when an increase in immigration from non-European Union countries and a populist turn in politics resulted in growing nationalism and even xenophobia, marked by two race-related political assassinations, in 2002 and 2004, and the government\u2019s requirement that immigrants pass an expensive \u2018\u2018integration\u2019\u2019 test before they enter the country. Land Relief Netherlands Netherlands Urk, Netherlands Urk, Netherlands Urk, once an island of the former Zuiderzee, now part of the North East (Noordoost) Polder, Netherlands.  The Netherlands is bounded by the North Sea to the north and west, Germany to the east, and Belgium to the south. If the Netherlands were to lose the protection of its dunes and dikes, the most densely populated part of the country would be inundated (largely by the sea but also in part by the rivers). This highly developed part of the Netherlands, which generally does not lie higher than about three feet (one metre) above sea level, covers more than half the total area of the country. About half of this area (more than one-fourth of the total area of the country) actually lies below sea level. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Subscribe Now  The lower area consists mainly of polders, where the landscape not only lies at a very low elevation but is also very flat in appearance. On such land, building is possible only on \u201crafts,\u201d or after concrete piles, sometimes as long as 65 feet (20 metres), have been driven into the silt layer.  In the other, higher area, the layers of sand and gravel in the eastern part of the country were pushed sideways and upward in some places by ice tongues of the Saale Glacial Stage, forming elongated ridges that may reach a height of more than 330 feet (100 metres) and are the principal feature of the Hoge Park Veluwe National Park. The only part of the country where elevations exceed 350 feet (105 metres) is the border zone of the Ardennes. The Netherlands\u2019 highest point, the Vaalserberg, in the extreme southeastern corner, rises to 1,053 feet (321 metres). Drainage and dikes north dam across the IJsselmeer north dam across the IJsselmeer Part of the north dam (the Afsluitdijk) across the IJsselmeer, Netherlands.  The Zuiderzee was originally an estuary of the Rhine River. By natural action it then became a shallow inland sea, biting deep into the land, and eventually it was hollowed into an almost circular shape by the action of winds and tides. In 1920 work was begun on the Zuiderzee project, of which the IJsselmeer Dam (Afsluitdijk), begun in 1927, was a part. This 19-mile- (30-km-) long dam was completed in 1932 to finally seal off the Zuiderzee from the Waddenzee and the North Sea. In the IJsselmeer, or IJssel Lake, formed from the southern part of the Zuiderzee, four large polders, the IJsselmeer Polders, with a total area of about 650 square miles (1,700 square km), were constructed around a freshwater basin fed by the IJssel and other rivers and linked with the sea by sluices and locks in the barrier dam.  The first two polders created there\u2014Wieringermeer and North East (Noordoost) Polder, drained before and during World War II\u2014are used mostly for agriculture. The two polders reclaimed in the 1950s and \u201960s\u2014South Flevoland Polder (Zuidelijk) and East Flevoland Polder (Oostelijk)\u2014are used for residential, industrial, and recreational purposes. Among the cities that have developed there are Lelystad and Almere. Netherlands: Delta Works flood-control project Netherlands: Delta Works flood-control project Learn about flood control in the Netherlands. See all videos for this article  In the southwest, the disastrous gales and spring tide of February 1, 1953, which flooded some 400,000 acres (162,000 hectares) of land and killed 1,800 people, accelerated the implementation of the Delta Project, which aimed to close off most of the sea inlets of the southwestern delta. These delta works were designed to shorten the coastline by 450 miles (725 km), combat the salination of the soil, and allow the development of the area through roads that were constructed over 10 dams and 2 bridges built between 1960 and 1987. The largest of these dams, crossing the five-mile- (eight-km-) wide Eastern Schelde (Oosterschelde) estuary, has been built in the form of a storm-surge barrier incorporating dozens of openings that can be closed in the event of flood. The barrier is normally open, allowing salt water to enter the estuary and about three-fourths of the tidal movement to be maintained, limiting damage to the natural environment in the Eastern Schelde. In the interest of the commerce of the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp, no dams were constructed in the New Waterway, which links Rotterdam to the North Sea, or the West Schelde, an approach to Antwerp, Belgium. The dikes along these waterways consequently had to be strengthened.  A region with a very specific character has been formed by the great rivers\u2014Rhine, Lek, Waal, and Maas (Meuse)\u2014that flow from east to west through the central part of the country. The landscape in this area is characterized by high dikes along wide rivers, orchards along the levees formed by the rivers, and numerous large bridges over which pass the roads and railways that connect the central Netherlands with the southern provinces. Soils Keukenhof Gardens Keukenhof Gardens Keukenhof Gardens, near Lisse, Netherlands.  In the late Pleistocene Epoch (from about 126,000 to 11,700 years ago), the Scandinavian ice sheet covered the northern half of the Netherlands. After this period, a large area in the north of what is now the Netherlands was left covered by moraine (glacial accumulation of earth and rock debris). In the centre and south, the Rhine and Maas rivers unloaded thick layers of silt and gravel transported from the European mountain chains. Later, during the Holocene Epoch (i.e., the past 11,700 years), clay was deposited in the sheltered lagoons behind the coastal dunes, and peat soil often subsequently developed in these areas. If the peat soil was washed away by the sea or dug away by humans (for the production of fuel and salt), lakes were created. Many of these were reclaimed in later centuries (as mentioned above), while others now form highly valued outdoor recreational areas. Climate  The climate of the Netherlands is temperate, with gentle winters, cool summers, and rainfall in every season. Southerly and westerly winds predominate, and the sea moderates the climate through onshore winds and the effect of the Gulf Stream. Koninck, Philips: View over a Flat Landscape Koninck, Philips: View over a Flat Landscape View over a Flat Landscape, oil on canvas by Philips Koninck, 1664; in the Museum Boymans-van Beuningen, Rotterdam, Netherlands.  The position of the country\u2014between the area of high-pressure air masses centred on the Azores and the low-pressure region centred on Iceland\u2014makes the Netherlands an area of collision between warm and polar air masses, thus creating unsettled weather. Winds meet with little resistance over the flat country, though the hills in the south significantly diminish the velocity of the potent wind that prevails along the coast. On average, frost occurs 60 days per year. July temperatures average about 63 \u00b0F (17 \u00b0C), and those of January average 35 \u00b0F (2 \u00b0C). Annual rainfall averages about 31 inches (790 mm), with only about 25 clear days per year. The average rainfall is highest in summer (August) and autumn and lowest in springtime. The country is known\u2014not least through the magnificent landscapes of Dutch painters\u2014for its heavy clouds, and on an average day three-fifths of the sky is clouded. Plant and animal life  Most wild Dutch plant species are of the Atlantic district within the Euro-Siberian phytogeographic region. Gradients of salt and winter temperature variations cause relatively minor zonal differences in both wild and garden plants from the coast to more continental regions. The effects of elevation are negligible. Vegetation from coastal sand dunes, muddy coastal areas, slightly brackish lakes, and river deltas is especially scarce in the surrounding countries. Lakes, marshes, peatland, woods, heaths, and agricultural areas determine the general floral species. Clay, peat, and sand are important soil factors for the inland vegetation regions.  Animal life is relegated by region according to vegetation. Seabirds and other sea life, such as mollusks, are found especially in the muddy Waddenzee area and in the extreme southwest. Migrating birds pass in huge numbers through the Netherlands or remain for a summer or winter stay. Species of waterbirds and marsh and pasture birds are numerous. Larger mammals, such as roe deer, red deer, foxes, and badgers, are mostly restricted to nature reserves. Some species, such as boars, beavers, fallow deer, mouflons, and muskrats, have been introduced locally or reintroduced. Some reptiles and amphibians are endangered. Numerous species of river fish and river lobsters have become scarce because of water pollution. There is a diversity of brackish and freshwater animals inhabiting the many lakes, canals, and drainage ditches, but the vulnerable species of the nutritionally deficient waters have become rare.  Nature reserves have been formed by governmental and private organizations. Well-known reserves include the Naardermeer of Amsterdam, the Hoge Veluwe National Park, and the Oostvaardersplassen in the centre of the country. Some endangered species are protected by law.\">Encyclopedia Britannica<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Estonia Free Tour Tallinn Free Tour Haapsalu Free Tour Tartu Free Tour Information: Estonia, country in northeastern Europe, the northernmost of the three Baltic states. Estonia\u2019s area includes some 1,500 islands and islets; the two largest of these islands, Saaremaa and Hiiumaa, are off mainland Estonia\u2019s west coast. Estonia Estonia has been dominated by foreign &hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1542","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","latest_post"],"translation":{"provider":"WPGlobus","version":"3.0.2","language":"es","enabled_languages":["en","es","zh","it"],"languages":{"en":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"es":{"title":false,"content":false,"excerpt":false},"zh":{"title":false,"content":false,"excerpt":false},"it":{"title":false,"content":false,"excerpt":false}}},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.6 (Yoast SEO v27.6) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Best Free walking tour Florence<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/bestfreetour.com\/estonia\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"es_ES\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Estonia - 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