Estonia to open embassy in virtual world Second Life

0 Comments | AFP, August, 2007

TALLINN (AFP) — Tech-savvy Baltic state Estonia is to open an embassy in the Internet fantasy world Second Life, joining the likes of Sweden and the Maldives, the foreign ministry said Friday.

"The virtual embassy will be located in the Second Life website, that has nearly 10 million registered users and already hosts a virtual site of Sweden," Marten Kokk, deputy chancellor at the ministry, told AFP.

Second Life is a commercial online virtual world in which people -- and animals -- are represented by animated avatars and can do everything from social activities to shopping.

It has pulled in more than 9.2 million users since it was set up in 2003 by San Francisco-based Linden Labs.

Second Life and other virtual worlds are drawing a growing number of...