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Travel to Estonia — Unbiased reviews and
great deals from TripAdvisorEstonia
| Republic of Estonia National
name: Eesti Vabariik President:
Toomas Hendrik Ilves (2006) Prime
Minister: Andrus Ansip (2005)
Current government officials
Land area: 16,684 sq mi (43,211 sq km);
total area: sq mi (sq km) Population (2008 est.): 1,307,605 (growth
rate: –0.6%); birth rate: 10.2/1000; infant mortality rate:
7.4/1000; life expectancy: 72.5; density per sq km: 30
Capital and largest city (2003 est.):
Tallinn, 379,000 Other large city: Tartu, 100,100 Monetary unit: Kroon
Languages:
Estonian 67% (official), Russian 30%, other
(2000)
Ethnicity/race:
Estonian 67.9%, Russian 25.6%, Ukrainian 2.1%,
Belorussian 1.3%, Finn 0.9%, other 2.2% (2000)
National Holiday:
Independence Day, February 24
Religions:
Evangelical Lutheran 14%, Russian Orthodox 13%,
other Christian (including Methodist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Roman
Catholic, Pentecostal) 1%, unaffiliated 34%, none 6% (2001) Literacy: 100% (2003 est.) Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2007 est.):
$29.35 billion; per capita $21,100. Real growth rate: 7.1%.
Inflation: 6.6%. Unemployment: 6.6%. Arable land:
12.05%. Agriculture: potatoes, vegetables; livestock and
dairy products; fish. Labor force: 688,000; industry 20%,
agriculture 11%, services 69% (1999 est.). Industries:
engineering, electronics, wood and wood products, textile; information
technology, telecommunications. Natural resources: oil shale,
peat, phosphorite, clay, limestone, sand, dolomite, arable land, sea
mud. Exports: $11.31 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.): machinery and
equipment 33%, wood and paper 15%, textiles 14%, food products 8%,
furniture 7%, metals, chemical products (2001). Imports: $14.71
billion f.o.b. (2007 est.): machinery and equipment 33.5%, chemical
products 11.6%, textiles 10.3%, foodstuffs 9.4%, transportation
equipment 8.9% (2001). Major trading partners: Finland, Sweden,
Germany, Latvia, Russia, Lithuania, U.S., Gibraltar (2006). Communications: Telephones: main lines in
use: 541,900 (2006); mobile cellular: 1.659 million (2006). Radio
broadcast stations: AM 0, FM 98, shortwave 0 (2001). Television
broadcast stations: 3 (2001). Internet hosts: 387,336
(2007). Internet users: 760,000 (2006). Transportation: Railways: total: 968 km
(2006). Highways: total: 56,856 km; paved: 13,384 km (including
99 km of expressways); unpaved: 43,472 km (2004). Waterways:
500 km (2003). Ports and harbors: Kopli, Kuivastu, Muuga,
Tallinn, Virtsu. Airports: 19 (2007). International disputes: in 1996, the
Estonia-Russia technical border agreement was initialed but both
states have been hesitant to sign and ratify it, with Russia asserting
that Estonia needs to better assimilate Russian-speakers and Estonian
groups pressing for realignment of the boundary based more closely 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.
Major sources and definitions
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Geography
Estonia is mainly a lowland country that is
bordered by the Baltic Sea, Latvia, and Russia. It has numerous lakes and
forests and many rivers, most draining northward into the Gulf of Finland
or eastward into Lake Peipus, its largest lake.
Government
Parliamentary democracy.
History
Estonians resisted the assaults of Vikings,
Danes, Swedes, and Russians before the 13th century. In 1346, the Danes,
who possessed northern Estonia, sold the land to the Teutonic Knights of
Germany, who already possessed Livonia (southern Estonia and Latvia). The
Teutonic Knights reduced the Estonians to serfdom. In 1526, the Swedes
took over, and the power of the German (Balt) landowning class was
reduced. But after 1721, when Russia succeeded Sweden as the ruling power
under the Peace of Nystad, the Estonians were subject to a double
bondage—the Balts and the czarist officials. The oppression lasted
until the closing months of World War I, when Estonia finally achieved
independence after a victorious war (1918–1920). But shortly after
the start of World War II, the nation was occupied by Russian troops and
incorporated as the 16th republic of the USSR in 1940. Germany occupied
the nation from 1941 to 1944, when it was retaken by the Soviets.
Estonia declared independence from the Soviet
Union in March 1990. Soviet resistance ensued, but after recognition by
European and other countries, the Soviet Union acknowledged Estonian
nationhood on Sept. 6, 1991. UN membership followed on Sept. 17. The newly
independent nation embraced free-market reforms. Fueled by foreign
investments, economic advances continued. In 2004, Estonia became a member
of the European Union as well as of NATO. In Sept. 2006, Toomas Hendrik
Ilves was elected president, defeating incumbent Arnold
Rüütel.
In March 2007, Estonia allowed Internet voting
for Parliamentary elections, becoming the first country to do so. Prime
Minister Andrus Ansip's Reform Party narrowly won the election, taking 31
out of 101 seats, just two more than the Centre Party.
Violent protests erupted in April when Estonian
officials moved a controversial bronze statue of a Soviet soldier from a
park in Tallinn and placed in it a military cemetery. One person died in
the protests and dozens were injured. Ethnic Russians—as well as the
Russian government—say the memorial honors Red Army soldiers who
died fighting Nazi Germany and object to its relocation. Estonians,
however, believe the statue glorifies Soviet occupation of Estonia.
See also Encyclopedia: Estonia
U.S. State Dept. Country Notes:
Estonia.
Statistical Office of Estonia www.stat.ee/ .
Information Please® Database, © 2008 Pearson
Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
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