Tartu

Tartu (formerly, German and Swedish: Dorpat, {{lang-ru|????? }} (Derpt) or ????? (Yuryev)) is the second largest town of Estonia, with a population of 101,297 (as of 2004) and an area of 38.8 km². In contrast to Estonia's political and financial capital Tallinn, Tartu is often considered the intellectual and cultural centre, especially since it is home to Estonia's oldest and most renowned university. Situated 180 km southeast of Tallinn, Tartu is the centre of Southern Estonia. The Emajõgi river, which connects the two largest lakes of Estonia, crosses the city for a length of 10 km.

Education and Culture

The city is best known for being the home to the University of Tartu, founded by King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden in 1632. Mainly for this reason, Tartu was and is also - tongue-in-cheek - known as the "Athens of the Emajõgi" or as the "Heidelberg of the North".

Related Topics:
University of Tartu - Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden - 1632 - Athens - Heidelberg

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Tartu is also the seat of the Estonian Agricultural University, the Baltic Defence College, and the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research. The Estonian Supreme Court, which was reestablished in Tartu in the autumn of 1993, is likewise in the city, as well as the Estonian Historical Archives.

Related Topics:
Estonian Agricultural University - Baltic Defence College - Estonian Supreme Court - 1993

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