Tartu is the second largest city of Estonia, after Estonia's political and financial capital Tallinn. It is situated 186 kilometres southeast of Tallinn and 245 kilometres northeast of Riga, the capital of Latvia. The distance to Estonia's summer holiday capital Pärnu in the west is 176 kilometres and the fastest route there by car is through Viljandi and Kilingi-Nõmme. Tartu lies on the Emajõgi, which connects the two largest lakes of Estonia, Lake Võrtsjärv and Lake Peipus. The city is served by Tartu Airport.
The University of Tartu is a university in the city of Tartu in Estonia. It is the national university of Estonia, and the only classical university in the country, and also its biggest and most prestigious university. It was founded under the name of Academia Gustaviana in 1632 by Baron Johan Skytte, the Governor-General (1629–1634) of Swedish Livonia, Ingria, and Karelia, with the required ratification provided by his long-time friend and former student – from age 7 –, King Gustavus Adolphus, shortly before the king's death on 6 November in the Battle of Lützen (1632), during the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648).
Counties are the first-level administrative subdivisions of Estonia. Estonian territory is composed of 15 counties, including 13 on the mainland and 2 on islands. The government of each county is led by a maavanem (governor) who represents the national government at the regional level. Governors are appointed by the national government for a term of five years.
Tartu County is one of 15 counties of Estonia.
Established in 1918, Tallinn University of Technology is the only technical university in Estonia. TalTech, in the capital city of Tallinn, is a university for engineering, business, public administration and maritime affairs. TalTech has colleges in Tartu and Kohtla-Järve. Despite the similar names, Tallinn University and Tallinn University of Technology are separate institutions.
Andres Tarand is an Estonian politician who served as the Prime Minister of Estonia from 1994 to 1995. He was also a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the Social Democratic Party, part of the Party of European Socialists, between 2004 and 2009.
The Tartu Observatory is the largest astronomical observatory in Estonia. On 1 January 2018, Tartu Observatory was joined again to the University of Tartu, and the observatory is now an institute of the university. It is located on the Tõravere hill, about 20 km south-west of Tartu in Nõo Parish, Tartu County. The old Tartu Observatory located in Tartu city centre, is known internationally for its connection to Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struve and the Struve Geodetic Arc, of which it is the first reference point.
The Estonian University of Life Sciences, located in Tartu, Estonia, is the former Estonian Agricultural University, which was established in 1951 and renamed and restructured in November 2005.
Tõnis Kint was an Estonian politician. He served as "Prime Minister in duties of the President" from 23 December 1970 to 1 March 1990.
Estonian Aviation Academy is a state-owned professional higher education institution educating and training specialists for Estonian aviation enterprises and organisations. It's situated beside the Tartu Airport in Reola, 8 km south of Tartu. The studies are conducted in accordance with the standard curricula meeting the requirements of the Ministry of Education and Research of the Republic of Estonia, ICAO, JAA, EASA and EUROCONTROL.
Jaak Aaviksoo is an Estonian politician and physicist, a former rector of the University of Tartu and Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech).
The history of formal education in Estonia dates back to the 13–14th centuries when the first monastic and cathedral schools were founded. The first primer in the Estonian language was published in 1575. The oldest university is the University of Tartu which was established by the Swedish king Gustav II Adolf in 1632. In 1919, university courses were first taught in the Estonian language.
The Estonian Small Cup is a knock-out competition for Estonian amateur teams, which play in the 4th or lower level. The first competition was won by Kohtla-Järve JK Alko in 2005 and the latest title was given to Saue JK. Finals are held in Tallinn, A. Le Coq Arena since 2007.
Paul Nikolai Kogerman was an Estonian chemist and founder of modern research in oil shale.
Tartu Cathedral, earlier also known as Dorpat Cathedral, is a former Catholic church in Tartu (Dorpat), Estonia. The building is now an imposing ruin overlooking the lower town. In the small part of it that has been renovated is now located the museum of the University of Tartu, which the university also uses for major receptions.
Valve Pormeisternée Ulm was an Estonian landscape architect who became an architect. She was one of the first women to influence the development of Estonian architecture, becoming one of the country's most inventive modernisers of rural architecture in the 1960s and 1970s. She is often known as the "Grand Old Lady" of Estonian architecture.
Von Bock House is in Ülikooli Street in Tartu in Estonia. The building is owned by Tartu University, and is on the same street as the university's main building. Von Bock house has a mural of the university's main building on one of its walls.
University of Tartu Folk Art Ensemble is a University of Tartu folk dance group. It was founded in 1945 and as of 2015 there were around 150 dancers, that makes it one of the oldest and biggest folk dance groups in Estonia.
Evald Äärma was an Estonian pole vaulter. He competed at the 1934 European Championships and 1936 Summer Olympics and placed 7th and 26th, respectively.
