 |
|
| Geography |
| The
mainland terrain is flat, boggy, and partly
wooded; offshore lie more than 1,500 islands. |
| Location: |
Eastern Europe,
bordering the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Finland,
between Latvia and Russia |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
59 00 N, 26 00 E |
| Area: |
total: 45,226 sq
km
land: 43,211 sq km
water: 2,015 sq km
note: includes 1,520 islands in the Baltic Sea
Size comparison: slightly
smaller than New Hampshire and Vermont combined
|
| Land
Boundaries: |
total: 633 km
border countries: Latvia 343 km, Russia 290 km |
| Coastline: |
3,794 km |
| Maritime
claims: |
territorial sea:
12 nm
exclusive economic zone: limits fixed in
coordination with neighboring states |
| Climate: |
maritime, wet,
moderate winters, cool summers |
| Terrain: |
marshy, lowlands;
flat in the north, hilly in the south |
| Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point:
Baltic Sea 0 m
highest point: Suur Munamagi 318 m |
| Natural
resources: |
oil shale, peat,
phosphorite, clay, limestone, sand, dolomite,
arable land, sea mud |
| Land
use: |
arable land:
12.05%
permanent crops: 0.35%
other: 87.6% (2005) |
| Irrigated
land: |
40 sq km (2003) |
| Natural
hazards: |
sometimes flooding
occurs in the spring |
| Current
Environment Issues: |
air polluted with
sulfur dioxide from oil-shale burning power
plants in northeast; however, the amount of
pollutants emitted to the air have fallen
steadily, the emissions of 2000 were 80% less
than in 1980; the amount of unpurified
wastewater discharged to water bodies in 2000
was one-20th the level of 1980; in connection
with the start-up of new water purification
plants, the pollution load of wastewater
decreased; Estonia has more than 1,400 natural
and manmade lakes, the smaller of which in
agricultural areas need to be monitored; coastal
seawater is polluted in certain locations |
| International
Environment Agreements: |
party to: Air
Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air
Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile
Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species,
Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements |
| ^Back
to Top |
| People |
| Population: |
1,299,371 (July
2009 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years: 14.9%
(male 99,748/female 94,051)
15-64 years: 67.5% (male 417,816/female 459,246)
65 years and over: 17.6% (male 75,486/female
153,024) (2009 est.) |
| Median
age: |
total: 39.9 years
male: 36.5 years
female: 43.5 years (2008 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
-0.632% (2009
est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
10.28 births/1,000
population (2008 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
13.35 deaths/1,000
population (2008 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
-3.26 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2009 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth: 1.06
male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.49 male(s)/female
total population: 0.84 male(s)/female (2009
est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
total: 7.32 deaths/1,000
live births
male: 8.48 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 6.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2009
est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total population:
72.82 years
male: 67.45 years
female: 78.53 years (2009 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
1.42 children born/woman
(2009 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
1.3% (2007 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
9,900 (2007 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- deaths: |
fewer than 500
(2007 est.) |
| Nationality: |
noun: Estonian(s)
adjective: Estonian |
| Ethnic
groups: |
Estonian 67.9%,
Russian 25.6%, Ukrainian 2.1%, Belarusian 1.3%,
Finn 0.9%, other 2.2% (2000 census) |
| Religions: |
Evangelical
Lutheran 13.6%, Orthodox 12.8%, other Christian
(including Methodist, Seventh-Day Adventist,
Roman Catholic, Pentecostal) 1.4%, unaffiliated
34.1%, other and unspecified 32%, none 6.1%
(2000 census) |
| Languages: |
Estonian (official)
67.3%, Russian 29.7%, other 2.3%, unknown 0.7%
(2000 census) |
| Literacy: |
definition: age 15
and over can read and write
total population: 99.8%
male: 99.8%
female: 99.8% (2000 census) |
| ^Back
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| Government |
| Country
name: |
conventional long
form: Republic of Estonia
conventional short form: Estonia
local long form: Eesti Vabariik
local short form: Eesti
former: Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic |
| Government
type: |
parliamentary
republic |
| Capital: |
name: Tallinn
geographic coordinates: 59 26 N, 24 43 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of
Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday
in March; ends last Sunday in October |
| Administrative
divisions: |
15 counties (maakonnad,
singular - maakond): Harjumaa (Tallinn), Hiiumaa
(Kardla), Ida-Virumaa (Johvi), Jarvamaa (Paide),
Jogevamaa (Jogeva), Laanemaa (Haapsalu),
Laane-Virumaa (Rakvere), Parnumaa (Parnu),
Polvamaa (Polva), Raplamaa (Rapla), Saaremaa (Kuressaare),
Tartumaa (Tartu), Valgamaa (Valga), Viljandimaa
(Viljandi), Vorumaa (Voru)
note: counties have the administrative center
name following in parentheses |
| Independence: |
20 August 1991 (from
Soviet Union) |
| National
holiday: |
Independence Day,
24 February (1918); note - 24 February 1918 was
the date Estonia declared its independence from
Soviet Russia; 20 August 1991 was the date it
declared its independence from the Soviet Union |
| Constitution: |
adopted 28 June
1992 |
| Legal
system: |
based on civil law
system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with
reservations |
| Suffrage: |
18 years of age;
universal for all Estonian citizens |
| Executive
branch: |
chief of state:
President Toomas Hendrik ILVES (since 9 October
2006)
head of government: Prime Minister Andrus ANSIP
(since 12 April 2005)
cabinet: Ministers appointed by the prime
minister, approved by Parliament
elections: president elected by Parliament for a
five-year term (eligible for a second term); if
a candidate does not secure two-thirds of the
votes after three rounds of balloting in the
Parliament, then an electoral assembly (made up
of Parliament plus members of local councils)
elects the president, choosing between the two
candidates with the largest number of votes;
election last held 23 September 2006 (next to be
held in the fall of 2011); prime minister
nominated by the president and approved by
Parliament
election results: Toomas Hendrik ILVES elected
president on 23 September 2006 by a 345-member
electoral assembly; ILVES received 174 votes to
incumbent Arnold RUUTEL's 162; remaining 9
ballots left blank or invalid |
| Legislative
branch: |
unicameral
Parliament or Riigikogu (101 seats; members are
elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 4 March 2007 (next to be
held in March 2011)
election results: percent of vote by party -
Estonian Reform Party 27.8%, Center Party of
Estonia 26.1%, Union of Pro Patria and Res
Publica 17.9%, Social Democratic Party 10.6%,
Estonian Greens 7.1%, Estonian People's Union
7.1%, other 5%; seats by party - Estonian Reform
Party 31, Center Party 29, Union of Pro Patria
and Res Publica 19, Social Democratic Party 10,
Estonian Greens 6, Estonian People's Union 6 |
| Judicial
branch: |
Supreme Court (chairman
appointed by Parliament for life) |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
Center Party of
Estonia (Keskerakond) [Edgar SAVISAAR]; Estonian
Greens (Rohelised) [Marek STRANDBERG]; Estonian
People's Union (Rahvaliit) [Villu REILJAN];
Estonian Reform Party (Reformierakond) [Andrus
ANSIP]; Social Democratic Party (formerly
People's Party Moodukad or Moderates) [Ivari
PADAR]; Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica (Isamaa
je Res Publica Liit) [Mart LAAR] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
Nochnoy Dozor/Night
Watch anti-fascist movement (leader Alexander
KOROBOV) |
| International
organization participation: |
Australia Group,
BA, BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EU, FAO,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS,
IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO
(correspondent), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NATO, NIB, NSG,
OAS (observer), OECD (accession state), OPCW,
OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNITAR, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU
(associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Vaino REINART
chancery: 2131 Massachusetts Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 588-0101
FAX: [1] (202) 588-0108
consulate(s) general: New York |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Karen
DECKER
embassy: Kentmanni 20, 15099 Tallinn
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [372] 668-8100
FAX: [372] 668-8265 |
| ^Back
to Top |
| Economy |
| Estonia,
a 2004 European Union entrant, has a modern
market-based economy and one of the highest per
capita income levels in Central Europe.
Estonia's successive governments have pursued a
free market, pro-business economic agenda and
have wavered little in their commitment to
promarket reforms. Tallinn's priority has been
to sustain high growth rates - on average 8%
over the last four years. The economy benefits
from strong electronics and telecommunications
sectors and strong trade ties with Finland,
Sweden, and Germany. The current government has
pursued relatively sound fiscal policies,
resulting in balanced budgets and low public
debt. Rapid growth, however, has made it
difficult to keep inflation and large
current-account deficits from soaring, putting
downward pressure on the country's currency. The
government has not given up on joining the euro,
but has repeatedly postponed its euro adoption
target. Estonia's economy slowed down markedly
and even fell into recession in mid-2008,
primarily as a result of an investment and
consumption slump following the bursting of the
real estate market bubble. |
| GDP
(purchasing power parity): |
$27.72 billion
(2008 est.) $28.73 billion (2007) $27.02 billion
(2006) |
| GDP
(official exchange rate): |
$23.46 billion
(2008 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
-3% (2008 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita (PPP): |
$21,200 (2008
est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture: 2.9%
industry: 32.3%
services: 64.8% (2008 est.) |
| Labor
force: |
686,000 (2008
est.) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
agriculture: 4.7%
industry: 33.7%
services: 61.6% (2007) |
| Unemployment
rate: |
6.2% (30 September
2008 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
5% (2003) |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%: 2.5%
highest 10%: 27.6% (2003) |
| Distribution
of family income - Gini index: |
34 (2008) |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
10.4% (2008 est.) |
| Investment
(gross fixed): |
29.4% of GDP (2008
est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues: $8.92
billion
expenditures: $9.091 billion (2008 est.) |
| Public
debt: |
3.8% of GDP (2008
est.) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
potatoes,
vegetables; livestock and dairy products; fish |
| Industries: |
engineering,
electronics, wood and wood products, textiles;
information technology, telecommunications |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
2.5% (2008 est.) |
| Electricity
- production: |
12.19 billion kWh
(2007) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
7.18 billion kWh
(2007) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
2.765 billion kWh
(2007) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
345 million kWh
(2007) |
| Oil
- production: |
7,430 bbl/day
(2007 est.) |
| Oil
- consumption: |
30,440 bbl/day
(2006 est.) |
| Oil
- exports: |
7,000 bbl/day
(2005) |
| Oil
- imports: |
28,170 bbl/day
(2005) |
| Oil
- proved reserves: |
0 bbl (1 January
2006 est.) |
| Natural
gas - production: |
0 cu m (2007) |
| Natural
gas - consumption: |
1.003 billion cu m
(2007) |
| Natural
gas - exports: |
0 cu m (2007) |
| Natural
gas - imports: |
1.003 billion cu m
(2007 est.) |
| Natural
gas - proved reserves: |
0 cu m (1 January
2006 est.) |
| Current
account balance: |
-$3.037 billion
(2008 est.) |
| Exports: |
$13.16 billion
f.o.b. (2008 est.) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
machinery and
equipment 29%, wood and paper 13%, metals 10%,
food products 8%, textiles 5%, chemical products
(2007) |
| Exports
- partners: |
Finland 17.9%,
Sweden 13.2%, Latvia 11.4%, Russia 8.9%,
Lithuania 5.8%, Germany 5.2%, US 4.1% (2007) |
| Imports: |
$16.23 billion
f.o.b. (2008 est.) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
machinery and
equipment 35%, textiles 19%, mineral fuels 19%,
chemical products 9%, foodstuffs 6% (2001) |
| Imports
- partners: |
Finland 15.9%,
Germany 12.8%, Sweden 10.1%, Russia 10%, Latvia
7.6%, Lithuania 6.9%, Poland 4.5% (2007) |
| Reserves
of foreign exchange and gold: |
$3.657 billion (31
December 2008 est.) |
| Debt
- external: |
$29.5 billion (31
December 2008 est.) |
| Stock
of direct foreign investment - at home: |
$18.94 billion
(2008 est.) |
| Stock
of direct foreign investment - abroad: |
$6.723 billion
(2008 est.) |
| Market
value of publicly traded shares: |
$6.037 billion (31
December 2007) |
| Currency
(code): |
Estonian kroon (EEK) |
| Exchange
rates: |
krooni (EEK) per
US dollar - 10.7 (2008), 11.535 (2007), 12.473
(2006), 12.584 (2005), 12.596 (2004) note: the
krooni is pegged to the euro |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year |
| ^Back
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| Communications |
| Telephones
in use: |
495,500 (2007) |
| Cellular
Phones in use: |
1.982 million
(2007) |
| Telephone
system: |
general assessment:
foreign investment in the form of joint business
ventures greatly improved telephone service;
substantial fiber-optic cable systems carry
telephone, TV, and radio traffic in the digital
mode; Internet services are widely available;
schools and libraries are connected to the
Internet, a large percentage of the population
files income-tax returns online, and online
voting was used for the first time in the 2005
local elections
domestic: a wide range of high quality voice,
data, and Internet services is available
throughout the country
international: country code - 372; fiber-optic
cables to Finland, Sweden, Latvia, and Russia
provide worldwide packet-switched service; 2
international switches are located in Tallinn
(2001) |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 0, FM 32,
shortwave 0 (2007) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
4 (2007) |
| Internet
country code: |
.ee |
| Internet
hosts: |
645,495 (2008) |
| Internet
users: |
780,000 (2007) |
| ^Back
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| Transportation |
| Airports: |
19 (2007) |
| Airports
(paved runways): |
total: 12
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2007) |
| Airports
(unpaved runways): |
total: 7
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 3 (2007) |
| Heliports: |
1 (2007) |
| Pipelines: |
gas 859 km (2008) |
| Railways: |
total: 816 km
broad gauge: 816 km 1.520 m/1.524-m gauge (131
km electrified) (2007) |
| Roadways: |
total: 57,016 km
paved: 12,926 km (includes 99 km of expressways)
unpaved: 44,090 km (2005) |
| Waterways: |
320 km (2008) |
| Merchant
marine: |
total: 29
by type: cargo 5, passenger/cargo 21, petroleum
tanker 2, chemical tanker 1
foreign-owned: 4 (Denmark 1, Germany 1, Norway
2)
registered in other countries: 85 (Antigua and
Barbuda 23, Belize 6, Cyprus 5, Dominica 7,
Finland 2, Latvia 2, Liberia 1, Malta 11, Norway
1, Panama 5, Saint Kitts and Nevis 3, Saint
Vincent and the Grenadines 16, Sweden 2, Vanuatu
1) (2008) |
| Ports
and terminals: |
Kuivastu, Kunda,
Muuga, Tallinn, Virtsu |
| ^Back
to Top |
| Military |
|
| Military
branches: |
Estonian Defense
Forces: Land Force, Navy, Air Force (Eesti
Ohuvagi), Volunteer Defense League (Kaitseliit,
KL) (2009) |
| Military
service age and obligation: |
compulsory
military service for men between 19 and 28;
conscription lasts 11 months for junior NCOs and
reserve platoon leaders; reserve officers and
designated specialists have a different
conscript service obligation; Estonia has
committed to retaining conscription for men up
to 2010 and, unlike Latvia and Lithuania, has no
plan to transition to a contract armed forces;
17 years of age for volunteers; reserve
commitment up to the age of 60 (2006) |
| Manpower
available for military service: |
males age 16-49:
306,273
females age 16-49: 317,852 (2008 est.) |
| Manpower
fit for military service: |
males age 16-49:
216,483
females age 16-49: 260,408 (2009 est.) |