| Although Estonia is situated in Northern Europe, the nearest polar bears live more than 2000 km further north. Estonia, on the coast of the Baltic Sea, is at the same latitude in Europe as central Sweden and the northern tip of Scotland. In North America, the middle latitude of Estonia passes through the Labrador peninsula and southern coast of Alaska. |
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| Alaska |
Scotland |
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Estonia |
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As in other northern countries, seasons vary widely in Estonia. The length of the longest day in summer is over 19 hours, while the shortest winter day lasts only six hours. It is not completely dark at night from the beginning of May until the end of July.
Due to the influence of the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf Stream, the weather in Estonia is considerably milder than the continental climate characteristic of the same latitude. The temperature in the summer months (June - September) is typically 15 - 18°: C; in winter, -4 - -5°: C . |
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| 5 p.m. in June |
5 p.m. in February |
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| During the winter, many of Estonia's islands are surrounded by ice; they are made accessible by temporary roads constructed on the ice, passing over the same straits in which many enjoy a refreshing summer swim. Estonian weather offers many surprises. Temperatures may fluctuate by 20°: C; in the early morning the thermometer might read -12°: C and by afternoon it may already be 10°: C. Although it doesn't always snow in winter, there tends to be about 10 cm of snow on the ground consistently from late December through to the beginning of March. |
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| Marta, the first polar bear born in the Tallinn Zoo. |