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 the West. It joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004 formally joined the OECD in late 2010 and adopted the euro as its official currency on 1 January 2011.


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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

Area
Rank: 133
Land: 42,388 km²
Water: 2,840 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than New Hampshire and Vermont combined

Land boundaries
Border countries: (2) Latvia 343 km; Russia 290 km

Coastline: 3,794 km

Maritime claims
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 highest point: Suur Munamagi 318 m

Natural resources: oil shale peat rare earth elements phosphorite clay limestone sand dolomite arable land: sea mud

Land use
Permanent crops: 0.13%
Other: 85.89% (2011)

Irrigated land: 4.58 km² (2010)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 12.81 km³ (2011)

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: 1,266,375 (July 2013 est.)
Rank: 158
Growth rate: -0.66% (2013 est.)
Growth rate rank: 229
Below poverty line: 17.5% (2010)

Nationality
Adjective: Estonian

Ethnic groups: Estonian 68.7% Russian 25.6% Ukrainian 2.1% Belarusian 1.2% Finn 0.8% other 1.6% (2008 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
15-24 years: 11.9% (male 77,302/female 73,446)
25-54 years: 41.3% (male 250,997/female 272,460)
55-64 years: 13.1% (male 71,442/female 94,278)
65 years and over: 18.2% (male 76,356/female 154,658) (2013 est.)

Dependency ratios
Youth dependency ratio: 23.9 %
Elderly dependency ratio: 27.3 %
Potential support ratio: 3.7 (2013)

Median age
Male: 37.4 years
Female: 44.3 years (2013 est.)

Population growth rate: -0.66% (2013 est.)
Rank: 229

Birth rate: 10.38 births/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 185

Death rate: 13.65 deaths/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 14

Net migration rate: -3.35 migrant(s)/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 183

Population distribution

Urbanization
Rate of urbanization: 0.02% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: TALLINN (capital) 399,000 (2009)

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 1/20 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 signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.76 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.49 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.84 male(s)/female (2013 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 26.3 (2010 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 164
Male: 7.94 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 5.63 deaths/1000 live births (2013 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 118
Male: 68.58 years
Female: 79.4 years (2013 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.45 children born/woman (2013 est.)
Rank: 198

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 63.4%

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 3.34 physicians/1000 population (2010)

Hospital bed density: 5.3 beds/1000 population (2010)

Sanitation facility access:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 1.2% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 43
People living with hivaids: 9,900 (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 97
Deaths: fewer than 500 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 97

Major infectious diseases
Vectorborne disease: tickborne encephalitis (2013)

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 20.6% (2008)
Rank: 95

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: 6.1% of GDP (2009)
Rank: 37

Literacy
Total population: 99.8%
Male: 99.8%
Female: 99.8% (2011 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Male: 15 years
Female: 17 years (2010)

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional short form: Estonia
Local long form: Eesti Vabariik
Local short form: Eesti
Former: Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic

Government type: parliamentary republic

Capital
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)

Dependent areas

Independence: 20 August 1991 (declared); 6 September 1991 (recognized by the Soviet Union)

National holiday: Independence Day 24 February (1918); note - 24 February 1918 was the date Estonia declared its independence from Soviet Russia and established its statehood; 20 August 1991 was the date it declared its independence from the Soviet Union

Constitution: several previous; latest adopted 28 June 1992; amended several times last in 2012 (2012)

Legal system: civil law system

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

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

Executive branch
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 on 29 August 2011 (next to be held in the fall of 2016); prime minister nominated by the president and approved by Parliament
Election results: Toomas Hendrik ILVES reelected president; parliamentary vote - Toomas Hendrik ILVES 73 Indrek TARAND 25

Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament or Riigikogu (101 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
Elections: last held on 6 March 2011 (next to be held in March 2015)
Election results: percent of vote by party - Estonian Reform Party 28.6% Center Party of Estonia 23.3% IRL 20.5% SDE 17.1% Estonian Greens 3.8% Estonian People's Union 2.1% other 4.6%; seats by party - Estonian Reform Party 33 Center Party 21 IRL 23 SDE 19 unaffiliated 5

Judicial branch
Judge selection and term of office: the chief justice is proposed by the president and appointed by the Riigikogu; other justices proposed by the chief justice and appointed by the Riigikogu; justices appointed for life
Subordinate courts: circuit (appellate) courts; administrative county city and specialized courts

Political parties and leaders:

International organization participation: Australia Group BA BIS CBSS CD CE EAPC EBRD ECB EIB EMU ESA (cooperating state) EU FAO IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC (national committees) ICRM IDA IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC (NGOs) MIGA NATO NIB NSG OAS (observer) OECD OIF (observer) OPCW OSCE PCA Schengen Convention UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNTSO UPU WCO WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
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 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] 668-8,134

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of blue (top) black and white; various interpretations are linked to the flag colors; blue represents faith loyalty and devotion while also reminiscent of the sky sea and lakes of the country; black symbolizes the soil of the country and the dark past and suffering endured by the Estonian people; white refers to the striving towards enlightenment and virtue and is the color of birch bark and snow as well as summer nights illuminated by the midnight sun

National symbols: barn swallow cornflower

National anthem
Lyrics and music: Johann Voldemar JANNSEN/Fredrik PACIUS

National heritage


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Economy overview: Estonia a member of the European Union and the eurozone since 2004 has a modern market-based economy and one of the higher per capita income levels in Central Europe and the Baltic region. Estonia's successive governments have pursued a free market pro-business economic agenda and have wavered little in their commitment to pro-market reforms. The current government has followed sound fiscal policies that have resulted in balanced budgets and low public debt. The economy benefits from strong electronics and telecommunications sectors and strong trade ties with Finland Sweden Russia and Germany. Tallinn's priority has been to sustain high growth rates - on average 8% per year from 2003 to 2007. Estonia's economy fell into recession in mid-2008 with GDP contracting 14.3% in 2009 as a result of an investment and consumption slump following the bursting of the real estate market bubble and a decrease in export demand as result of economic slowdown in the rest of Europe. Estonia rebounded nearly 8% in 2011 and the Estonian economy now has one of the higher GDP growth rates in Europe. Estonia adopted the euro on 1 January 2011.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 113

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 90

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 66

Gross national saving:
Rank: 39

Gdp composition by end use
Government consumption: 19.6%
Investment in fixed capital: 25%
Investment in inventories: 2.6%
Exports of goods and services: 92.5%
Imports of goods and services: -90.1%: (2012 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Industry: 29.7%
Services: 66.4% (2012 est.)

Agriculture products: grain potatoes vegetables; livestock and dairy products; fish

Industries: engineering electronics wood and wood products textiles; information technology telecommunications

Industrial production growth rate: 2.2% (2012 est.)
Rank: 99

Labor force: 695,000 (2012 est.)
Rank: 152
By occupation industry: 20.2%
By occupation services: 75.6% (2010)

Unemployment rate: 12.5% (2011 est.)
Rank: 108

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 17.5% (2010)

Gini index

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

Distribution of family income gini index: 37 (1999)
Rank: 108

Budget
Expenditures: $8.213 billion (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -0.3% of GDP (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 52

Taxes and other revenues: 36.9% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 57

Public debt: 5.9% of GDP (2011 est.)
Rank: 150

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 5% (2011 est.)
Rank: 120

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 6.12% (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 139

Stock of narrow money: $6.744 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 83

Stock of broad money: $11.73 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 99

Stock of domestic credit: $19.14 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 82

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 97

Current account balance: $477 million (2011 est.)
Rank: 92

Exports: $14.54 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 80
Commodities: machinery and electrical equipment 21% wood and wood products 9% metals 9% furniture 7% vehicles and parts 5% food products and beverages 4% textiles 4% plastics 3%
Partners: Sweden 16.8% Finland 15.3% Russia 12.7% Latvia 9.2% Lithuania 5.7% Germany 4.8% (2012)

Imports: $15.25 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 85
Commodities: machinery and electrical equipment mineral fuels chemical products foodstuffs plastics textiles
Partners: Finland 15.1% Germany 10.7% Sweden 10.7% Latvia 10% Lithuania 9% Poland 6.6% China 4.4% Russia 4.1% (2012)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $207.5 million (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 154

Debt external: $25.01 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 75

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $18.66 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 70

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $6.677 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 58

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 12.19 billion kWh (2011 est.)
Production rank: 90
Consumption: 7.948 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 96
Exports: 4.95 billion kWh (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 29
Imports: 2.71 billion kWh (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 48
Installed generating capacity: 2.751 million kW (2010 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 91
Generation sources fossil fuels: 93.4% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 70
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 82
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0.2% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 147
Generation sources other renewable sources: 6.4% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 36

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 11,000 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 89
Crude oil exports: 7,624 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 60
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 181
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2013 es)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 126

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products production rank: 171
Products consumption: 26,340 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 121
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products exports rank: 171
Products imports: 22,670 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products imports rank: 101

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2012 est.)
Production rank: 125
Consumption: 701 million m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 96
Exports: 0 m³ (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 94
Imports: 670 million m³ (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 65
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2013 es)
Proven reserves rank: 133

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 20.26 million Mt (2011 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 85

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 448,200 (2012)
Main lines in use rank: 99
Mobile cellular: 2.07 million (2012)
Mobile cellular rank: 145

Telephone system
Domestic: 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
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 (2011)

Broadcast media: the publicly owned broadcaster Eesti Rahvusringhaaling (ERR) operates 2 TV channels and 5 radio networks; growing number of private commercial radio stations broadcasting nationally regionally and locally; fully transitioned to digital television in 2010; national private TV channels expanding service; a range of channels are aimed at Russian-speaking viewers; high penetration rate for cable TV services with more than half of Estonian households connected (2008)

Internet
Country code: .ee
Hosts: 865,494 (2012)
Hosts rank: 49
Users: 971,700 (2009)
Users rank: 102

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 2% of GDP (2005 est.)
Rank: 67

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18-27 for compulsory military or governmental service conscript service requirement 8-11 months depending on education; NCOs reserve officers and specialists serve 11 months (2013)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 18 (2013)
Rank: 141
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 8
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2013)
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With unpaved runways: 3 (2013)

Heliports: 1 (2012)

Pipelines: gas 868 km (2013)

Railways
Rank: 85
Broad gauge: 1196 km 1.520-m and 1.524-m gauge (133 km electrified) (2011)

Roadways
Rank: 73
Paved: 10,427 km (includes 115 km of expressways)
Unpaved: 47,985 km (2011)

Waterways: 335 km (320 km are navigable year round) (2011)
Rank: 91

Merchant marine
Rank: 89
By type: cargo 4 chemical tanker 1 passenger/cargo 18 petroleum tanker 2
Foreign owned: 3 (Germany 1 Norway 2)
Registered in other countries: 63 (Antigua and Barbuda 10 Belize 1 Cambodia 1 Canada 1 Cook Islands 1 Cyprus 6 Dominica 6 Finland 2 Latvia 3 Malta 16 Russia 1 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 8 Sierra Leone 2 Sweden 3 Venezuela 1 unknown 1) (2010)

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: Russia and Estonia in May 2005 signed a technical border agreement but Russia in June 2005 recalled its signature after the Estonian parliament added to its domestic ratification act a historical preamble referencing the Soviet occupation and Estonia's pre-war borders under the 1920 Treaty of Tartu; Russia contends that the preamble allows Estonia to make territorial claims on Russia in the future while Estonian officials deny that the preamble has any legal impact on the treaty text; Russia demands better treatment of the Russian-speaking population in Estonia; as a member state that forms part of the EU's external border Estonia implements 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