The Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana (Estonian: Maarjamaa Risti teenetemärk, sometimes translated as the Order of the Cross of St. Mary's Land) was instituted by the President of Estonia, Lennart Meri, on 16 May 1995 to honour the independence of the Estonian state.[1] (The Latin name Terra Mariana, meaning "Land of Mary", is a poetic synonym for Estonia, and designated the area including present-day Estonia in medieval times.)