Estonia (in Estonian, Eesti), formerly Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic, now known as the Republic of Estonia, republic in north-eastern Europe, bounded on the north by the Gulf of Finland, on the east by Russia, on the south by Latvia, and on the west by the Baltic Sea. Estonia has more than 1,500 islands; the largest, Saaremaa and Hiiumaa, separate the Gulf of Riga from the Baltic. The area of the nation is about 45,100 sq km (17,400 sq mi). Tallinn, the capital and largest city, is the nation's chief port.