Estonia

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Estonia

General Information
Geography
Government
Economy
Population
Health
Communications and media
Chronology


GENERAL INFORMATION

National name Eesti Vabariik/Republic of Estonia Area 45,000 sq km/17,374 sq mi Capital Tallinn Language Estonian (official), Russian Religion Eastern Orthodox, Evangelical Lutheran, Russian Orthodox, Muslim, Judaism Time difference GMT +2 Major holidays 1 January, 24 February, 1 May, 23–24 June, 25–26 December; variable: Good Friday


GEOGRAPHY

Major towns/cities Tartu, Narva, Kohtla-Järve, Pärnu Physical features lakes and marshes in a partly forested plain; 774 km/481 mi of coastline; mild climate; Lake Peipus and Narva River forming boundary with Russian Federation; Baltic islands, the largest of which is Saaremaa Airports five international airports and three domestic airports; total passengers carried: 633,000 (2003 est) Railways total length: 967 km/601 mi; total passenger journeys: 5.06 million (2003) Roads total road network: 56,849 km/35,324 mi, of which 23.4% paved (2003 est); passenger cars: 386.4 per 1,000 people (2003 est)


GOVERNMENT

Head of state Toomas Hendrik Ilves from 2006 Head of government Andrus Ansip from 2005 Political system emergent democracy Political executive dual executive Administrative divisions 15 counties Political parties Coalition Party (KMU), ex-communist, left of centre, ‘social market’; Isamaa (National Fatherland Party, or Pro Patria), right wing, nationalist, free market; Estonian Reform Party (ERP), free market; Centre Party (CP), moderate nationalist (formerly the Estonian Popular Front (EPF; Rahvarinne); Estonian National Independence Party (ENIP), radical nationalist; Communist Party of Estonia (CPE); Our Home is Estonia; Estonian Social Democratic Party (ESDP) (last three draw much of their support from ethnic Russian community) Death penalty abolished in 1998 Armed forces 4,900; plus 24,000 reservists and paramilitary border guard of 2,600 (2006 est) Conscription compulsory for 11 months (men and women) Defence spend (% GDP) 1.6 (2006 est) Education spend (% GDP) 5.7 (2003 est) Health spend (% GDP) 4.1 (2004)


ECONOMY

Currency kroon GDP (US$) 13.1 billion (2005 est) Real GDP growth (% change on previous year) 9.5 (2006 est) GNI (US$) 12.2 billion (2005 est) GNI per capita (PPP) (US$) 15,420 (2005 est) Consumer price inflation 4.6% (2006 est) Unemployment 5.5% (2005 est) Labour force 5.3% agriculture, 34% industry, 60.7% services (2005) Foreign debt (US$) 11.4 billion (2005 est) Major trading partners Finland, Sweden, Germany, Latvia, Russia, Lithuania, Italy, Denmark Resources oilshale, peat, phosphorite ore, superphosphates Industries machine building, electronics, electrical engineering, textiles, fish and food processing, consumer goods Exports machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, timber products, animal products, textiles, base metals, clothing and footwear, furniture, mineral products. Principal market: Finland 26.7% (2005) Imports machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, food products, textiles, mineral products. Principal source: Finland 19.7% (2005) Arable land 12.1% (2006 est) Agricultural products wheat, rye, barley, potatoes, other vegetables; livestock rearing (cattle and pigs); dairy farming


POPULATION

Population 1,324,900 (2006 est) Population growth rate -0.3% (2005–10) Population density (per sq km) 29 (2005 est) Urban population (% of total) 70 (2005 est) Age distribution (% of total population) 0–14 15%, 15–59 63%, 60+ 22% (2005 est) Ethnic groups 65% Finno-Ugric ethnic Estonians, 28% Russian, 2.5% Ukrainian, 1.5% Belorussian, 1% Finnish Life expectancy 67 (men); 78 (women) (2005–10) Child mortality rate (under 5, per 1,000 live births) 8 (2004) Education (compulsory years) 9 Literacy rate 99% (men); 99% (women) (2004 est)


HEALTH

Physicians (per 10,000 people) 31.6 (2004 est) Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) 6 (2003 est) HIV infection (% of population aged 15–49) 1.3 (2005 est) AIDS deaths <500 (2005 est)


COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA

Landline telephones (per 100 people) 33.3 (2005 est) Mobile phone subscribers (per 100 people) 108.8 (2005 est) Radios (per 1,000 people) 1,136 (2001 est) TV sets (per 1,000 people) 507 (2004 est) Personal computer users (per 100 people) 48.9 (2005 est) Internet users (per 100 people) 51.9 (2005 est)


CHRONOLOGY

1st century AD First independent state formed. 9th century Invaded by Vikings. 13th century Tallinn, in the Danish-controlled north, joined Hanseatic League, a northern European union of commercial towns; Livonia, comprising southern Estonia and Latvia, came under control of German Teutonic Knights and was converted to Christianity. 1561 Sweden took control of northern Estonia. 1629 Sweden took control of southern Estonia from Poland. 1721 Sweden ceded the country to tsarist Russia. late 19th century Estonian nationalist movement developed in opposition to Russian political and cultural repression and German economic control. 1914 Occupied by German troops. 1918–19 Estonian nationalists, led by Konstantin Pats, proclaimed and achieved independence, despite efforts by Russian Red Army to regain control. 1920s Land reforms and cultural advances under democratic regime. 1934 Pats overthrew parliamentary democracy in quasi-fascist coup at time of economic depression; Baltic Entente mutual defence pact signed with Latvia and Lithuania. 1940 Estonia incorporated into Soviet Union (USSR); 100,000 Estonians deported to Siberia or killed. 1941–44 German occupation during World War II. 1944 USSR regained control; ‘Sovietization’ followed, including agricultural collectivization and immigration of ethnic Russians. late 1980s Beginnings of nationalist dissent, encouraged by glasnost initiative of reformist Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. 1988 Popular Front (EPF) established to campaign for democracy. Sovereignty declaration issued by state assembly rejected by USSR as unconstitutional. 1989 Estonian replaced Russian as the main language. 1990 Communist Party's monopoly of power abolished; pro-independence candidates secured majority after multiparty elections; coalition government formed under EPF leadership; prewar constitution partially restored. 1991 Independence achieved after attempted anti-Gorbachev coup in Moscow; Communist Party outlawed. Estonia joined United Nations (UN). 1993 Estonia joined Council of Europe and signed free-trade agreement with Latvia and Lithuania. 1994 Last Russian troops withdrawn. Radical economic reform programme introduced; controversial law on ‘aliens’ passed, requiring non-ethnic Estonians to apply for residency. 1997 Estonia invited to begin European Union (EU) membership negotiations. 1998 Legislature voted to ban electoral alliances in future elections. 2003 Referendum supported accession to EU. 2004 Estonia admitted to NATO and EU. 2005 Andrus Ansip of Estonian Reform Party confirmed as prime minister of country's 12th government since independence, forming coalition with Estonian Centre Party and Estonian People's Union. Tensions with Russia over border delimiting treaty. 2006 Social Democrat Toomas Hendrik Ilves replaced Arnold Rüütel as state president. 2007 Estonia became first country to allow internet voting for national parliamentary elections; Ansip formed new coalition with Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica (formed in 2006) and Social Democratic Party.


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