Map of Estonia | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
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Background: 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.


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Location: Eastern Europe bordering the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Finland between Latvia and Russia

Geographic coordinates: 59 00 N 26 00 E

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 45,228 km²
Rank: 132
Land: 42,388 km²
Water: 2,840 km²
Note: includes 1520 islands in the Baltic Sea
Comparative: slightly smaller than New Hampshire and Vermont combined

Land boundaries
Total: 633 km
Border countries: (2) 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
Extremes 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 km² (2003)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 21.1 km³ (2005)

Natural hazards: sometimes flooding occurs in the spring

Geography
Note: the mainland terrain is flat boggy and partly wooded; offshore lie more than 1500 islands


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Population: 1,299,371 (July 2009 est.)
Rank: 152
Growth rate: -0.632% (2009 est.)
Growth rate rank: 229
Below poverty line: 5% (2003)

Nationality
Noun: Estonian
Adjective: Estonian

Ethnic groups: Estonian 67.9% Russian 25.6% Ukrainian 2.1% Belarusian 1.3% Finn 0.9% other 2.2% (2000 census)

Languages: Estonian (official) 67.3% Russian 29.7% other 2.3% unknown 0.7% (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)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 14.9%
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.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 39.9 years
Male: 36.5 years
Female: 43.5 years (2009 est.)

Population growth rate: -0.632% (2009 est.)
Rank: 229

Birth rate: 10.37 births/1000 population (2009 est.)
Rank: 188

Death rate: 13.42 deaths/1000 population (July 2009 est.)
Rank: 27

Net migration rate: -3.26 migrant(s)/1000 population (2009 est.)
Rank: 150

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 69% of total population
Rate of urbanization: -0.3% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

Major urban areas

Environment
Current 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 1400 natural and manmade lakes the smaller of which in agricultural areas need to be monitored; coastal seawater is polluted in certain locations
International 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
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male/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.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 7.32 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 167
Male: 8.48 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 6.08 deaths/1000 live births (2009 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 72.82 years
Rank: 113
Male: 67.45 years
Female: 78.53 years (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.42 children born/woman (2009 est.)
Rank: 190

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 1.3% (2007 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 47
People living with hivaids: 9,900 (2007 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 104
Deaths: fewer than 500 (2007 est.)
Deaths rank: 96

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: intermediate
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea
Vectorborne disease: tickborne encephalitis (2009)

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: 5.1% of GDP (2004)
Rank: 68

Literacy
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
Total: 16 years
Male: 15 years
Female: 17 years (2006)

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: 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

Dependent areas

Independence: 20 August 1991 (from the 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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal for all Estonian citizens

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Toomas Hendrik ILVES
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 for life by Parliament)

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]

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
In the us chancery: 2,131 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 588-0101
In the us fax: [1] (202) 588-0108
In the us consulate general: New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador ; Charge d'Affaires Karen DECKER
From the us embassy: Kentmanni 20 15,099 Tallinn
From the us mailing address: use embassy street address
From the us telephone: [372] 668-8,100
From the us fax: [372] 668-8,265

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: 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 pro-market reforms. Tallinn's priority has been to sustain high growth rates - on average 8% per year from 2003 to 2007. 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 adopting the euro but has repeatedly postponed its target date. Estonia's economy slowed down markedly and fell sharply into recession in mid-2008 primarily as a result of an investment and consumption slump following the bursting of the real estate market bubble.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 109
Note: data are in 2008 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 215

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 57
Note: data are in 2008 US dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 2.6%
Industry: 29%
Services: 68.4% (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: -4.8% (2008 est.)
Rank: 166

Labor force: 693,000 (2008 est.)
Rank: 144
By occupation agriculture: 4.7%
By occupation industry: 33.7%
By occupation services: 61.6% (2007)

Unemployment rate: 4.7% (2007 est.)
Rank: 70

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 5% (2003)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2.7%
Highest 10: 27.7% (2004)

Distribution of family income gini index: 37 (1999)
Rank: 91

Budget
Revenues: $8.798 billion
Expenditures: $9.488 billion (2008 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt: 5.4% of GDP (2004 est.)
Rank: 122

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 6.6% (2007 est.)
Rank: 152

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 6.46% (31 December 2007)
Rank: 126

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit: $21.35 billion (31 December 2007)
Rank: 57

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 81

Current account balance: -$3.771 billion (2007 est.)
Rank: 140

Exports: $11.08 billion (2007 est.)
Rank: 81
Commodities: machinery and equipment 29% wood and paper 13% metals 10% food products 8% textiles 5% chemical products (2007)
Partners: Finland 18.3% Sweden 13.8% Russia 10.3% Latvia 10% Lithuania 5.7% Germany 5.1% US 4.8% (2008)

Imports: $14.75 billion (2007 est.)
Rank: 81
Commodities: machinery and equipment 35% textiles 19% mineral fuels 19% chemical products 9% foodstuffs 6% (2001)
Partners: Finland 14.2% Germany 13.3% Sweden 10% Lithuania 8.9% Latvia 8.9% Russia 7.4% Poland 4.6% (2008)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $3.27 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Rank: 86

Debt external: $25.25 billion (31 December 2007)
Rank: 65

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $16.59 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Rank: 64

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $5.873 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Rank: 52

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


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Electricity
Production: 11.46 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Production rank: 88
Consumption: 7.686 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Consumption rank: 93
Exports: 2.31 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Imports: 1.369 billion kWh (2008 est.)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Production rank: 187
Consumption: 1.51 billion m³ (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 83
Exports: 0 m³ (2008)
Exports rank: 63
Imports: 1.51 billion m³ (2008 est.)
Imports rank: 48
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2009 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 185

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 498,100 (2008)
Main lines in use rank: 96
Mobile cellular: 2.525 million (2008)
Mobile cellular rank: 115

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 (2008)

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .ee
Hosts: 706,449 (2009)
Hosts rank: 47
Users: 888,100 (2008)
Users rank: 94

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 2% of GDP (2005 est.)
Rank: 79

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: obligation for compulsory service ages 16-60 with conscription 'likely' ages 18-27; service requirement 8-11 months (2009)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 19 (2009)
Rank: 135
With paved runways total: 13
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 7
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2 (2009)
With unpaved runways total: 6
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 3 (2009)

Heliports: 1 (2009)

Pipelines: gas 859 km (2008)

Railways
Total: 919 km
Rank: 92
Broad gauge: 919 km 1.520 m/1.524-m gauge (131 km electrified) (2008)

Roadways
Total: 57,016 km
Rank: 77
Paved: 12,926 km (includes 99 km of expressways)
Unpaved: 44,090 km (2005)

Waterways: 320 km (2008)
Rank: 92

Merchant marine
Total: 29
Rank: 87
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


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Disputes international: 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

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: 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