Terrain: Flat, average elevation 50 m. Elevation is slightly higher in the east and southeast. Steep limestone banks and 1,520 islands mark the coastline. Land use--9.5% arable land, 47,4% forest and woodland, 22% swamps and bogs, 21.5% other. Coastal waters are somewhat polluted.
The land of Estonia is mostly a low-lying plain, with some hills in the central and southern regions. The average elevation of the country is only 50 m (164 ft) above sea level. The highest point in Estonia is a hill in the southeast called Suur Munamagi (“Great Egg Hill”), which has an elevation of 318 m (1,043 ft). It is also the highest place in the Baltic states.

Estonia has more than 1,500 islands, but only 400 are larger than 1 hectare (2 acres); the rest are small islets and reefs. The largest islands, Saaremaa and Hiiumaa, are located off the western coast and separate the Gulf of Rîga from the Baltic Sea. The mainland of Estonia has a coastline 3,794 km (2,357 mi) long. Along the coast there are numerous bays, straits, and inlets. The coast varies from sheer limestone cliffs in the north to sandy beaches and wetlands in the west.

Estonia has more than 1,150 lakes and reservoirs, which cover about 5 percent of the land. The two largest lakes are Lake Peipus (Peipsi Järv) on the eastern border and Võrtsjärv in the south central part of the country. Wetlands, including marshes and peat bogs, cover more than 20 percent of the land.

The rivers of Estonia are separated by a watershed in the middle of the country. Those in the north and west flow directly into the Baltic Sea, while the rivers in the south and east flow into Lake Peipus or into the Narva River, which forms Estonia’s northeastern border with Russia and empties into the Gulf of Finland. The longest river in Estonia is the Pärnu, which follows a southwesterly course and empties into the Gulf of Rîga at Pärnu Bay. In the southeast the Emajõgi River serves an important ecological role by connecting lakes Võrtsjärv and Peipus. The Emajõgi is also culturally significant as a subject of Estonian folklore and poetry.

Nearly half the country’s land is forested. Pine, birch, spruce, alder, and aspen are the most common trees in Estonian woods. Part of the ancient forest that once covered Europe has been preserved in some areas of Estonia. About three-fourths of all plant species in the country are found in the western coastal regions because the climate is more moderate there.

Common mammals include roe deer, wild boar, and moose (called elk in Europe). Carnivores such as lynx, wolves, and brown bears also live in the wild. The country’s extensive wetlands are an important stopover for migrating birds. Several animal species have been protected by legislation because of their small numbers, including the European mink, dormouse, and flying squirrel. The European beaver, once hunted to extinction in Estonia, was successfully reintroduced in the 1950s.