| World Regions |
|
Africa Middle East Europe Asia North America Central America The Caribbean South America Oceania World Map Cities Maps Flags Embassies Consulates |
| |
| Introduction | Estonia |
| Background: | After centuries of Danish, Swedish, German, and Russian rule, Estonia attained independence in 1918. Forcibly incorporated into the USSR in 1940, 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. |
| People | Estonia |
| Population: | 1,341,664 (July 2004 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 16% (male 110,452; female 104,363) 15-64 years: 67.5% (male 431,493; female 474,255) 65 years and over: 16.5% (male 72,819; female 148,282) (2004 est.) |
| Median age: | total: 38.8 years male: 35.1 years female: 42.1 years (2004 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | -0.66% (2004 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 9.79 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Death rate: | 13.27 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | -3.16 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 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: 0.85 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 8.08 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 9.32 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 71.38 years male: 65.78 years female: 77.33 years (2004 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 1.39 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 1% (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | less than 7,700 (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | less than 100 (2001 est.) |
| Nationality: | noun: Estonian(s) adjective: Estonian |
| Ethnic groups: | Estonian 65.3%, Russian 28.1%, Ukrainian 2.5%, Belarusian 1.5%, Finn 1%, other 1.6% (1998) |
| Religions: | Evangelical Lutheran, Russian Orthodox, Estonian Orthodox, Baptist, Methodist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Word of Life, Jewish |
| Languages: | Estonian (official), Russian, Ukrainian, Finnish, other |
| Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99.8% male: 99.8% female: 99.8% (2003 est.) |
| Government | Estonia |
| Country name: | conventional long form: Republic of Estonia conventional short form: Estonia local short form: Eesti former: Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic local long form: Eesti Vabariik |
| Government type: | parliamentary republic |
| Capital: | Tallinn |
| 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: | regained on 20 August 1991 (from Soviet Union) |
| National holiday: | Independence Day, 24 February (1918); note - 24 February 1918 is the date Estonia declared its independence from Soviet Russia; 20 August 1991 is the date it declared its independence from the Soviet Union |
| Constitution: | adopted 28 June 1992 |
| Legal system: | based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative acts |
| Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal for all Estonian citizens |
| Executive branch: | chief of state: President Arnold RUUTEL (since 8 October 2001) head of government: Prime Minister Juhan PARTS (since 10 April 2003) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister, approved by Parliament election results: Arnold RUUTEL elected president on 21 September 2001 by a 367-member electoral assembly that convened following Parliament's failure in August to elect then-President MERI's successor; on the second ballot of voting, RUUTEL received 188 votes to Parliament Speaker Toomas SAVI's 155; the remaining 24 ballots were either left blank or invalid elections: president elected by Parliament for a five-year term; if he or she 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 21 September 2001 (next to be held in the fall of 2006); prime minister nominated by the president and approved by Parliament |
| Legislative branch: | unicameral Parliament or Riigikogu (101 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) election results: percent of vote by party - Center Party 25.4%, Res Publica 24.6%, Reform Party 17.7%, Estonian People's Union 13%, Pro Patria Union (Fatherland League) 7.3% People's Party Moodukad 7%; seats by party - Center Party 28, Res Publica 28, Reform Party 19, Estonian People's Union 13, Pro Patria Union 7, People's Party Moodukad 6 elections: last held 2 March 2003 (next to be held NA March 2007) |
| Judicial branch: | National Court (chairman appointed by Parliament for life) |
| Political parties and leaders: | Center Party of Estonia (Keskerakond) [Edgar SAVISAAR, chairman]; Estonian People's Union (Rahvaliit) [Villu REILJAN]; Estonian Reform Party (Reformierakond) [Siim KALLAS]; Estonian United Russian People's Party or EUVRP [Yevgeniy TOMBERG, chairman]; Pro Patria Union (Isamaaliit) [Tunne KELAM, chairman]; Res Publica [Juhan PARTS]; Russian Baltic Party [Sergei IVANOV]; Social Democratic Party (formerly People's Party Moodukad) [Ivari PADAR, chairman] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | NA |
| International organization participation: | BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EU (new member), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU (associate partner), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Juri LUIK chancery: 2131 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20008 consulate(s) general: New York FAX: [1] (202) 588-0108 telephone: [1] (202) 588-0101 |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Aldona Zofia WOS embassy: Kentmanni 20, 15099 Tallinn mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [372] 668-8100 FAX: [372] 668-8134 |
| Flag description: | pre-1940 flag restored by Supreme Soviet in May 1990 - three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), black, and white |
| Communications | Estonia |
| Telephones - main lines in use: | 475,000 (2002) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular: | 881,000 (2002) |
| 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 available throughout most of the country - only about 11,000 subscriber requests were unfilled by September 2000 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; two international switches are located in Tallinn (2001) |
| Radio broadcast stations: | AM 0, FM 98, shortwave 0 (2001) |
| Radios: | 1.01 million (1997) |
| Television broadcast stations: | 3 (2001) |
| Televisions: | 605,000 (1997) |
| Internet country code: | .ee |
| Internet hosts: | 82,142 (2004) |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 38 (2001) |
| Internet users: | 444,000 (2002) |
| Transportation | Estonia |
| Railways: | total: 958 km broad gauge: 958 km 1.520-m/1.524-m gauge (132 km electrified) note: gauge being increased from 1.520-m to 1.524-m to reduce wear on wheels and rail as lines are modernized (2003) |
| Highways: | total: 51,411 km paved: 10,334 km (including 94 km of expressways) unpaved: 41,077 km (2000) |
| Waterways: | 500 km (2003) |
| Pipelines: | gas 859 km (2004) |
| Ports and harbors: | Haapsalu, Kunda, Muuga, Paldiski, Parnu, Tallinn |
| Merchant marine: | total: 32 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 212,998 GRT/177,488 DWT by type: bulk 2, cargo 12, container 4, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 7, short-sea/passenger 5 foreign-owned: Netherlands 1 registered in other countries: 45 (2003 est.) |
| Airports: | 29 (2003 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways: | total: 14 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 8 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 1 (2003 est.) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 15 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 6 (2003 est.) |
| Military | Estonia |
| Military branches: | Estonia Defense Forces (including Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force), Republic Security Forces (internal and border troops), Volunteer Defense League (Kaitseliit), Maritime Border Guard, Coast Guard note: Border Guards and Ministry of Internal Affairs become part of the Estonian Defense Forces in wartime; the Coast Guard is subordinate to the Ministry of Defense in peacetime and the Estonian Navy in wartime |
| Military manpower - military age and obligation: | 18 years of age for compulsory military service, with 11-month service obligation; Estonia has committed to retaining conscription for men and women up to 2010; 17 years of age for volunteers (2004) |
| Military manpower - availability: | males age 15-49: 326,803 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service: | males age 15-49: 257,386 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually: | males: 10,884 (2004 est.) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $155 million (2002 est.) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 2% (2002 est.) |
| Transnational Issues | Estonia |
| Disputes - international: | Russia continues to reject signing and ratifying the joint December 1996 technical border agreement with Estonia |
| Illicit drugs: | transshipment point for opiates and cannabis from Southwest Asia and the Caucasus via Russia, cocaine from Latin America to Western Europe and Scandinavia, and synthetic drugs from Western Europe to Scandinavia; increasing domestic drug abuse problem; possible precursor manufacturing and/or trafficking; potential money laundering related to organized crime and drug trafficking is a concern as is possible use of the gambling sector to launder funds |
| This page was last updated on 16 December, 2004 |
| Categories | |
|