Estonia

source : World Fact Book 2008 (October 2008)

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   Introduction    Estonia
Background:
Definition Field Listing After centuries of Danish, Swedish, German, and Russian rule, Estonia attained independence in 1918. Forcibly incorporated into the USSR in 1940 - an action never recognized by the US - it regained its freedom in 1991, with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Since the last Russian troops left in 1994, Estonia has been free to promote economic and political ties with Western Europe. It joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004.
   Geography    Estonia
Location:
Definition Field Listing Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Finland, between Latvia and Russia
Geographic coordinates:
Definition Field Listing 59 00 N, 26 00 E
Map references:
Definition Field Listing Europe
Area:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order total: 45,226 sq km
land: 43,211 sq km
water: 2,015 sq km
note: includes 1,520 islands in the Baltic Sea
Area - comparative:
Definition Field Listing slightly smaller than New Hampshire and Vermont combined
Land boundaries:
Definition Field Listing total: 633 km
border countries: Latvia 343 km, Russia 290 km
Coastline:
Definition Field Listing 3,794 km
Maritime claims:
Definition Field Listing territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: limits fixed in coordination with neighboring states
Climate:
Definition Field Listing maritime, wet, moderate winters, cool summers
Terrain:
Definition Field Listing marshy, lowlands; flat in the north, hilly in the south
Elevation extremes:
Definition Field Listing lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m
highest point: Suur Munamagi 318 m
Natural resources:
Definition Field Listing oil shale, peat, phosphorite, clay, limestone, sand, dolomite, arable land, sea mud
Land use:
Definition Field Listing arable land: 12.05%
permanent crops: 0.35%
other: 87.6% (2005)
Irrigated land:
Definition Field Listing 40 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
Definition Field Listing 21.1 cu km (2005)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
Definition Field Listing total: 1.41 cu km/yr (56%/39%/5%)
per capita: 1,060 cu m/yr (2002)
Natural hazards:
Definition Field Listing sometimes flooding occurs in the spring
Environment - current issues:
Definition Field Listing 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
Environment - international agreements:
Definition Field Listing 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
Geography - note:
Definition Field Listing the mainland terrain is flat, boggy, and partly wooded; offshore lie more than 1,500 islands
   People    Estonia
Population:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order 1,307,605 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
Definition Field Listing 0-14 years: 14.9% (male 100,143/female 94,450)
15-64 years: 67.5% (male 420,896/female 462,072)
65 years and over: 17.6% (male 76,171/female 153,873) (2008 est.)
Median age:
Definition Field Listing total: 39.6 years
male: 36.2 years
female: 43.2 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
Definition Field Listing -0.632% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order 10.28 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order 13.35 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order -3.24 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
Definition Field Listing 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: 0.5 male(s)/female
total population: 0.84 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order total: 7.45 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 8.62 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 6.21 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order total population: 72.56 years
male: 67.16 years
female: 78.3 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order 1.42 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order 1.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order 7,800 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order fewer than 200 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases:
Definition Field Listing degree of risk: intermediate
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A
vectorborne disease: tickborne encephalitis (2008)
Nationality:
Definition Field Listing noun: Estonian(s)
adjective: Estonian
Ethnic groups:
Definition Field Listing Estonian 67.9%, Russian 25.6%, Ukrainian 2.1%, Belarusian 1.3%, Finn 0.9%, other 2.2% (2000 census)
Religions:
Definition Field Listing 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:
Definition Field Listing Estonian (official) 67.3%, Russian 29.7%, other 2.3%, unknown 0.7% (2000 census)
Literacy:
Definition Field Listing definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.8%
male: 99.8%
female: 99.8% (2000 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
Definition Field Listing total: 16 years
male: 15 years
female: 17 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order 5.1% of GDP (2004)
   Government    Estonia
Country name:
Definition Field Listing 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:
Definition Field Listing parliamentary republic
Capital:
Definition Field Listing 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:
Definition Field Listing 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:
Definition Field Listing 20 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday:
Definition Field Listing 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:
Definition Field Listing adopted 28 June 1992
Legal system:
Definition Field Listing based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage:
Definition Field Listing 18 years of age; universal for all Estonian citizens
Executive branch:
Definition Field Listing chief of state: President Toomas Hendrik ILVES (since 9 October 2006)
head of government: Prime Minister Andrus ANSIP (since 12 April 2005)
cabinet: Council of 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 governments) elects the president, choosing between the two candidates with the largest percentage 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:
Definition Field Listing 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:
Definition Field Listing National Court (chairman appointed by Parliament for life)
Political parties and leaders:
Definition Field Listing 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]; Estonian United Russian People's Party or EUVRP [Yevgeniy TOMBERG]; 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:
Definition Field Listing Nochnoy Dozor/Night Watch anti-fascist movement (leader Alexander KOROBOV)
International organization participation:
Definition Field Listing 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), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNITAR, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU (associate partner), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Definition Field Listing 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:
Definition Field Listing chief of mission: Ambassador Stanley Davis PHILLIPS
embassy: Kentmanni 20, 15099 Tallinn
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [372] 668-8100
FAX: [372] 668-8134
Flag description:
Definition Field Listing pre-1940 flag restored by Supreme Soviet in May 1990 - three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), black, and white
   Economy    Estonia
Economy - overview:
Definition Field Listing Estonia, a 2004 European Union entrant, has a modern market-based economy and one of the highest per capita income levels in Central Europe. 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. In 2007, however, a large current account deficit and rising inflation put pressure on Estonia's currency, which is pegged to the euro, highlighting the need for growth in export-generating industries.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order $28.69 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
Definition Field Listing $21.28 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order 7.1% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order $21,800 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
Definition Field Listing agriculture: 3%
industry: 28.5%
services: 68.5% (2007 est.)
Labor force:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order 687,000 (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
Definition Field Listing agriculture: 11%
industry: 20%
services: 69% (1999 est.)
Unemployment rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order 4.7% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
Definition Field Listing 5% (2003)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Definition Field Listing lowest 10%: 2.5%
highest 10%: 27.6% (2003)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
Definition Field Listing 34 (2005)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order 6.6% (2007 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order 31.9% of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget:
Definition Field Listing revenues: $7.854 billion
expenditures: $7.171 billion (2007 est.)
Public debt:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order 3.4% of GDP (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products:
Definition Field Listing potatoes, vegetables; livestock and dairy products; fish
Industries:
Definition Field Listing engineering, electronics, wood and wood products, textiles; information technology, telecommunications
Industrial production growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order 7.7% (2007 est.)
Electricity - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order 9.599 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order 6.888 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports:
Definition Field Listing 1.953 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports:
Definition Field Listing 345 million kWh (2005)
Oil - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order 6,930 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order 29,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order 3,958 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order 54,000 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - proved reserves:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order 0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Natural gas - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order 0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order 1.458 billion cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order 0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order 1.458 billion cu m (2005)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order 0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Current account balance:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order -$3.771 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order $11.08 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing machinery and equipment 33%, wood and paper 15%, textiles 14%, food products 8%, furniture 7%, metals, chemical products (2001)
Exports - partners:
Definition Field Listing Finland 17.9%, Sweden 13.2%, Latvia 11.4%, Russia 8.9%, Lithuania 5.8%, Germany 5.2%, US 4.1% (2007)
Imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order $14.75 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing machinery and equipment 33.5%, chemical products 11.6%, textiles 10.3%, foodstuffs 9.4%, transportation equipment 8.9% (2001)
Imports - partners:
Definition Field Listing Finland 15.9%, Germany 12.8%, Sweden 10.1%, Russia 10%, Latvia 7.6%, Lithuania 6.9%, Poland 4.5% (2007)
Economic aid - recipient:
Definition Field Listing $135.5 million (2004)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order $3.27 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order $24.82 billion (30 June 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order $16.59 billion (2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order $5.873 billion (2007 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order $5.963 billion (2006)
Currency (code):
Definition Field Listing Estonian kroon (EEK)
Exchange rates:
Definition Field Listing krooni per US dollar - 11.535 (2007), 12.473 (2006), 12.584 (2005), 12.596 (2004), 13.856 (2003)
note: the krooni is pegged to the euro
Fiscal year:
Definition Field Listing calendar year
   Communications    Estonia
Telephones - main lines in use:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order 495,500 (2007)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order 1.982 million (2007)
Telephone system:
Definition Field Listing 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:
Definition Field Listing AM 0, FM 98, shortwave 0 (2001)
Television broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing 3 (2001)
Internet country code:
Definition Field Listing .ee
Internet hosts:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order 387,336 (2007)
Internet users:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order 780,000 (2007)
   Transportation    Estonia
Airports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order 19 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
Definition Field Listing 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 - with unpaved runways:
Definition Field Listing 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:
Definition Field Listing 1 (2007)
Pipelines:
Definition Field Listing gas 859 km (2007)
Railways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order total: 968 km
broad gauge: 968 km 1.520 m/1.524-m gauge (2006)
Roadways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order total: 57,016 km
paved: 12,926 km (includes 99 km of expressways)
unpaved: 44,090 km (2005)
Waterways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order 320 km (2006)
Merchant marine:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order total: 31 ships (1000 GRT or over) 392,177 GRT/97,224 DWT
by type: cargo 7, chemical tanker 1, passenger/cargo 21, petroleum tanker 2
foreign-owned: 4 (Denmark 2, Norway 2)
registered in other countries: 79 (Antigua and Barbuda 20, Belize 6, Cyprus 5, Dominica 6, Finland 2, Latvia 1, Liberia 1, Malta 9, Norway 1, Panama 4, St Kitts and Nevis 3, St Vincent and the Grenadines 17, Sweden 3, Vanuatu 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Definition Field Listing Kuivastu, Kunda, Muuga, Tallinn, Virtsu
   Military    Estonia
Military branches:
Definition Field Listing Estonian Defense Forces: Land Force, Navy, Air Force (Eesti Ohuvagi), Volunteer Defense League (Kaitseliit, KL) (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
Definition Field Listing 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:
Definition Field Listing males age 16-49: 306,273
females age 16-49: 317,852 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
Definition Field Listing males age 16-49: 218,448
females age 16-49: 264,187 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
Definition Field Listing male: 8,322
female: 7,846 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order 2% of GDP (2005 est.)
   Transnational Issues    Estonia
Disputes - international:
Definition Field Listing Russia recalled its signature to the 1996 technical border agreement with Estonia in 2005, rather than concede to Estonia's appending prepared a unilateral declaration referencing Soviet occupation and territorial losses; Russia demands better accommodation of Russian-speaking population in Estonia; Estonian citizen groups continue to press for realignment of the boundary based on the 1920 Tartu Peace Treaty that would bring the now divided ethnic Setu people and parts of the Narva region within Estonia; as a member state that forms part of the EU's external border, Estonia must implement the strict Schengen border rules with Russia
Illicit drugs:
Definition Field Listing growing producer of synthetic drugs; increasingly important transshipment zone for cannabis, cocaine, opiates, and synthetic drugs since joining the European Union and the Schengen Accord; potential money laundering related to organized crime and drug trafficking is a concern, as is possible use of the gambling sector to launder funds; major use of opiates and ecstasy



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Source : CIA's World Fact Book 2008

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