Tartu << TAHR too >> (pop. 95,190) is the second largest city in Estonia. Only Tallinn has more people. Tartu lies along the Emajogi River in eastern Estonia.
Tartu is a major educational and cultural center. It is the home of the University of Tartu, which was founded in 1632. Tartu is also home to the Estonian University of Life Sciences and other schools of higher education; and the Vanemuine, an old drama and musical theater. Tartu’s industries include food processing, especially beverages, bread, and dairy products; and the production of glass, machinery, textiles, transportation equipment, and wood products.
The earliest settlement at Tartu was begun in the A.D. 400’s. Tartu was founded as a city in 1030. It was part of the independent nation of Estonia from 1918 to 1940. In 1940, the Soviets seized Estonia and forced it to become part of the Soviet Union. In September 1991, Estonia broke away from the Soviet Union and became an independent nation again.
