Map of Estonia | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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Background: In and out of Swedish and Russian control over the centuries, this little Baltic state was re-incorporated into the USSR after German occupation in World War II. Independence came with the collapse of the USSR in 1991.


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Location: Northeastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Sweden and Russia

Geographic coordinates

Map reference:

Area
Total: 45,100 km²
Land: 43,200 km²

Land boundaries: total 557 km, Latvia 267 km, Russia 290 km

Coastline: 1,393 km
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Maritime claims

Climate: maritime, wet, moderate winters

Terrain: marshy, lowlands

Elevation

Natural resources: shale oil, peat, phosphorite, amber

Land use
Arable land: 22%
Permanent crops: 0%
Meadows and pastures: 11%
Other: 36%

Irrigated land: 110 km² (1990)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


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Population: 1,608,469 (July 1993 est.)
Growth rate: 0.52% (1993 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Estonian(s)
Adjective: Estonian

Ethnic groups:

Languages: Estonian (official), Latvian, Lithuanian, Russian, other

Religions: Lutheran

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.52% (1993 est.)

Birth rate: 14.05 births/1000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate: 12.13 deaths/1000 population (1993 est.)

Net migration rate: 3.28 migrant(s)/1000 population (1993 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: air heavily polluted with sulphur dioxide from oil-shale burning power plants in northeast; radioactive wastes dumped in open reservoir in Sillamae, a few dozen meters from Baltic Sea; contamination of soil and ground water with petroleum products, chemicals at military bases

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 19.5 deaths/1000 live births (1993 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 69.75 years
Male: 64.75 years
Female: 74.99 years (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.01 children born/woman (1993 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: age 9-49 can read and write (1970)
Total population: 100%
Male: 100%
Female: 100%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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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: republic

Capital: Tallinn

Administrative divisions: none (all districts are under direct republic jurisdiction)

Dependent areas

Independence: 6 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)

National holiday: Independence Day, 24 February (1918)

Constitution: adopted 28 June 1992

Legal system: based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative acts

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: president, prime minister, cabinet

Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (Riigikogu)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation:

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Toomas Hendrik IIVES
In the us chancery: (temporary) 630 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2,415, New York, NY 10,111
In the us telephone: (212) 247-2,131
In the us consulate general: New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Robert C. FRASURE
From the us embassy: Kentmanni 20, Tallin EE 0001
From the us mailing address: use embassy street address
From the us telephone: 011- 358 (49) 303-182 (cellular)
From the us fax:

Flag description: pre-1940 flag restored by Supreme Soviet in May 1990 - three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), black, and white

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: As of June 1993 Estonia ranks first among the 15 former Soviet republics in moving from its obsolete command economy to a modern market economy. Yet serious problems remain. In contrast to the estimated 30% drop in output in 1992, GDP should grow by a small percent in 1993. Of key importance has been the introduction of the kroon in August 1993 and the subsequent reductions in inflation to 1%-2% per month. Starting in July 1991, under a new law on private ownership, small enterprises, such as retail shops and restaurants, were sold to private owners. The auctioning of large-scale enterprises is progressing with the proceeds being held in escrow until the prior ownership (that is, Estonian or the Commonwealth of Independent States) can be established. Estonia ranks first in per capita consumption among the former Soviet republics. Agriculture is well developed, especially meat production, and provides a surplus for export. Only about one-fifth of the work force is in agriculture. The major share of the work force engages in manufactures are of high quality by ex-Soviet standards and are exported to the other republics. Estonia's mineral resources are limited to major deposits of shale oil (60% of the old Soviet total) and phosphorites (400 million tons). Estonia has a large, relatively modern port and produces more than half of its own energy needs at highly polluting shale oil power plants. It has advantages in the transition, not having suffered so long under the Soviet yoke and having better chances of developing profitable ties to the Nordic and West European countries. Like Latvia, but unlike Lithuania, the large portion of ethnic Russians (30%) in the population poses still another difficulty in the transition to an independent market economy.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: -30% (1992 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $NA

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: employs 20% of work force; very efficient; net exports of meat, fish, dairy products, and potatoes; imports of feedgrains for livestock; fruits and vegetables

Industries: accounts for 30% of labor force; oil shale, shipbuilding, phosphates, electric motors, excavators, cement, furniture, clothing, textiles, paper, shoes, apparel

Industrial production growth rate: growth rate -40% (1992)

Labor force: 796,000
By occupation industry and construction: 42%
By occupation agriculture and forestry: 20%
By occupation other: 38% (1990)

Unemployment rate: 3% (March 1993; but large number of underemployed workers

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $223 million; expenditures $142 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $NA
Commodoties: textile 11%, wood products and timber 9%, dairy products 9%
Partners: Russia and the other former Soviet republics 50%, West 50% (1992)

Imports: $NA
Commodoties: machinery 45%, oil 13%, chemicals 12%
Partners: Finland 15%, Russia 18%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: kroons (EEK) per US$1 - 12 (January 1993)


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Electricity
Production: 3,700,000 kW capacity; 22,900 million kWh produced, 14,245 kWh per capita (1992)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: 124.4 million kroons, NA% of GDP (forecast for 1993; note - conversion of the military budget into US dollars using the current exchange rate could produce misleading results

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 29
Usable: 18
With permanentsurface runways: 11
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 2440-3659 m: 10
With runways 1220-2439 m: 8

Heliports

Pipelines: natural gas 420 km (1992)

Railways

Roadways

Waterways: 500 km perennially navigable

Merchant marine:

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: international small border strips along the northern (Narva) and southern (Petseri) sections of eastern border with Russia ceded to Russia in 1945 by the Estonian SSR

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: