Estonian Identity

[Loddfafner]

I see endless debates around this site over whether Estonia is Nordic or East European. I try to ignore them but them realized that I have a very practical need to know the answer: in which album should I store my Estonian stamps? I only have a few so I can't give them one on their own. If I separate them from the other Baltics, the answer is simply to stick them in the corner of my Finnish pages along with the Aalands, and put the whole bunch into my Scandinavia, Ireland, and Benelux album.

If I include them with the rest of the Baltics, the problem is not so simple. I could equally include them in the ex-Soviet or ex-German books, as most of my stamps from that area were actually produced under one or the other's occupations. Some French stamps overprinted "Memel" don't seem to justify throwing the whole thing into the album of French side projects.

[Äike]

Estonia may be called a Baltic country, but the inhabitants(Estonians) aren't Balts nor are related to the Balts. We are Finnic and culturally in the Nordic subgroup.

People can argue about Estonia(the country) being Baltic or Nordic, but no one can argue about Estonians(the people) being Nordic.

Grouping Estonia into Eastern-Europe is only possible in one way, by saying that all ex-Eastern block countries are Eastern-European. Thus Eastern-Germans, would be as Eastern-European as Russians.

I'll quote your post, so you would get the point:

Corruption as experienced by casual travelers? Northern and Western countries are certainly better than Southern and Eastern ones. I've posted several times about my gripes concerning Hungary and Slovakia. I hear that Russia is much, much worse. Ukraine sounds like it belongs somewhere in Africa. Algeria is a notch below Morocco and Tunisia.

Corruption levels are very high in Southern- and Eastern-Europe. As Estonians are Nordic, our corruption level is very low. The corruption levels are lowest among Nordic countries. Estonia is among the top 3 least corrupt countries in Europe, if I'm not mistaken. While it is a different story with Eastern-European countries.

Out of 4 groups, Northern, Western, Eastern and Southern, Estonia is definitely Northern.

If you would ever travel in Estonia, then you wouldn't have any trouble with corruption, because we are Nordic not Eastern-European. Corruption is non-existent here.

About the stamps... The corner of the Finnish pages would be a good idea, if looking at the cultural background of the stamps. Placing them in the Baltic pages would be correct, if solely looking at geography. I have never been interested in stamps, but Finnish and Estonian stamps would probably be more similar(linguistically etc) than Estonian and Baltic stamps.

[poiuytrewq0987]

Crime and corruption are also low in Switzerland. It must be because they're Nordic too. That's some smattering logic you have.

[The Lawspeaker]

Crime and corruption are also low in Switzerland. It must be because they're Nordic too. That's some smattering logic you have.

Switzerland is for an important part a Germanic country though and also the non-Germanics seem to share the same cultural characteristics. I noticed that a Italian-speaking Swiss is somehow very different from the Italians themselves.

[W. R.]

As Estonians are Nordic, our corruption level is very low. The corruption levels are lowest among Nordic countries. Estonia is among the top 3 least corrupt countries in Europe, if I'm not mistaken.

It is really admirable and respectable.

But how Estonia manages to keep the corruption so low? I mean with the comparatively high percentage of non-Estonian residents? I would expect them to spoil the whole statistics.

[poiuytrewq0987]

It is really admirable and respectable.

But how Estonia manages to keep the corruption so low? I mean with the comparatively high percentage of non-Estonian residents? I would expect them to spoil the whole statistics.

Corruption index:

[Äike]

It is really admirable and respectable.

But how Estonia manages to keep the corruption so low? I mean with the comparatively high percentage of non-Estonian residents? I would expect them to spoil the whole statistics.

One cannot create corruption while being a cleaner or a bus driver. You need to work on higher places to create corruption.

Crime and corruption are also low in Switzerland. It must be because they're Nordic too. That's some smattering logic you have.

Both Northern- and Western-European countries have low corruption when compared to your part of Europe. The Nordic area has low levels of corruption, saying Nordic is easier than counting Norway, Estonia, Finland, Sweden and Denmark.

I also checked my data and Estonia is ranked the 4th least corrupt country in Europe, Iceland is 1st with a very low level of corruption. Greece and Bulgaria were the most corrupt.

Estonia—at least in outsiders’ eyes—is one of the least corrupt countries in Europe, easily beating founder members of the EU such as Italy.

[poiuytrewq0987]

Both Northern- and Western-European countries have low corruption when compared to your part of Europe. The Nordic area has low levels of corruption, saying Nordic is easier than counting Norway, Estonia, Finland, Sweden and Denmark.

I also checked my data and Estonia is ranked the 4th least corrupt country in Europe, Iceland is 1st with a very low level of corruption. Greece and Bulgaria were the most corrupt.

That's easy, my "part" of Europe is war-torn, the result of many wars, invasions and occupations so it's not at all surprising to see the corruption up there in my country. Also, I'd not trust a news article but rather an organization that is dedicated to compiling such information, Transparency International.

[Äike]

That's easy, my "part" of Europe is war-torn, the result of many wars, invasions and occupations so it's not at all surprising to see the corruption up there in my country. Also, I'd not trust a news article but rather an organization that is dedicated to compiling such information, Transparency International.

The news organization took it's information from Transparency International, the chart I looked at was from Transparency International.

[Wyn]

Eastern.

If I separate them from the other Baltics, the answer is simply to stick them in the corner of my Finnish pages along with the Aalands, and put the whole bunch into my Scandinavia, Ireland, and Benelux album.

Estonia in a category with Scandinavia, Ireland, and Benelux? No.