Estonia is the smallest of the three Baltic states by total area.
Estonia covers about 45,339 square kilometres, making it smaller than Latvia and Lithuania. The three Baltic states occupy the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea in northern Europe, but Estonia is the northernmost of the group.
Estonia shares land borders with Latvia and Russia and has maritime connections across the Gulf of Finland. Tallinn, its capital, is known for a well-preserved medieval old town and a highly developed digital public-services system.
The Baltic states are sometimes confused with the broader Baltic region, which can include countries bordering the Baltic Sea. In the standard political grouping, however, “Baltic states” means Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania only.