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General Information about Estonia
Geography
Location: Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Finland, between Latvia and Russia
Geographic coordinates: 59 00 N, 26 00 E
Map references: Europe
Area:
total : 45,226 sq km
land: 43,211 sq km
water: 2,015 sq km
note: includes 1,520 islands in the Baltic Sea
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than New Hampshire and Vermont combined
Land boundaries:
total: 633 km
border countries: Latvia 339 km, Russia 294 km
Coastline: 3,794 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: limits to be fixed in coordination with neighboring states
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: maritime, wet, moderate winters, cool summers
Terrain: marshy, lowlands
Elevation extremes:
lowest point : Baltic Sea 0 m
highest point: Suur Munamagi 318 m
Natural resources: shale oil (kukersite), peat, phosphorite, amber, cambrian blue clay
Land use:
arable land : 27%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 7%
forests and woodland: 48%
other : 18% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 110 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: flooding occurs frequently in the spring
E nvironment - current issues: air heavily polluted with sulfur dioxide from oil-shale burning power plants in northeast; contamination of soil and groundwater with petroleum products, chemicals at former Soviet military bases; Estonia has more than 1,400 natural and manmade lakes, the smaller of which in agricultural areas are heavily affected by organic waste; coastal sea water is polluted in many locations
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ship Pollution, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified : none of the selected agreements
People
Population: 1,436,558 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 19% (male 141,814; female 136,895)
15-64 years: 67% (male 460,067; female 495,935)
65 years and over: 14% (male 65,302; female 136,545) (July 1997 est.)
Population growth rate: -1.14% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 9.04 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 14.08 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: -6.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years : 0.93 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.48 male(s)/female
total population: 0.87 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 14.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 68.38 years
male : 62.39 years
female: 74.67 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.29 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Estonian(s)
adjective: Estonian
Ethnic groups: Estonian 64.2%, Russian 28.7%, Ukrainian 2.7%, Byelorussian 1.5%, Finn 1%, other 1.9% (1995)
Religions: Evangelical Lutheran, others include Baptist, Methodist, 7th Day Adventist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Word of Life, 7th Day Baptist, Judaism
Languages: Estonian (official), Latvian, Lithuanian, Russian, other
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 100%
male : 100%
female: 100% (1989 est.)
Government
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
Data code: EN
Government type: republic
National capital: Tallinn
Administrative divisions: 15 counties (maakonnad, singular - maakond): Harju maakond (Tallinn), Hiiu maakond (Kardla), Ida-Viru maakond (Johvi), Jarva maakond (Paide), Jogeva maakond (Jogeva), Laane maakond (Haapsalu), Laane-Viru maakond (Rakvere), Parnu maakond (Parnu), Polva maakond (Polva), Rapla maakond (Rapla), Saare maakond (Kuessaare), Tartu maakond (Tartu), Valga maakond (Valga), Viljandi maakond (Viljandi), Voru maakond (Voru)
note: administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center name following in parentheses)
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
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Lennart MERI (since 21 October 1992)
head of government: Prime Minister Tiit VAHI (acting since NA March 1995; confirmed 17 April 1995)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister, approved by Parliament
elections: president elected by Parliament for a five-year term; if he or she does not secure two-thirds of the votes after 3 rounds of balloting, then an electoral assembly (made up of Parliament plus members of local governments) elects the president, choosing between the two candidates with the largest percentage of votes; election last held August-September 1996 (next to be held fall 2001); prime minister nominated by the president and approved by Parliament
election results: Lennart MERI elected president by an electoral assembly after Parliament was unable to break a deadlock between MERI and RUUTEL; percent of electoral assembly vote - Lennert MERI 61%, Arnold RUUTEL 39%
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament or Riigikogu (101 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections : last held 5 March 1995 (next to be held NA 1999)
election results: percent of vote by party - KMU 32.22%, RE 16.18%, K 14.17%, Pro Patria and ERSP 7.85%, M 5.98%, Our Home is Estonia and Right-Wingers 5.0%; seats by party - KMU 41, RE 19, K 16, Pro Patria 8, Our Home is Estonia 6, M 6, Right-Wingers 5
Judicial branch: National Court
Political parties and leaders: Coalition Party and Rural Union or KMU [Tiit VAHI, chairman] made up of 4 parties: Coalition Party, Country People's Party/Farmer's Assembly, Rural Union, and Pensioners' and Families' League; Reform Party-Liberals or RE [Siim KALLAS, chairman]; Center Party or K [Edgar SAVISAAR, chairman]; Union of Pro Patria or Fatherland League (Isamaa) [Toivo JURGENSON, chairman]; National Independence Party or ERSP [Kelam TUNNE, chairman]; Our Home is Estonia made up of 2 parties: United Peoples Party and the Russian People's Party of Estonia; United Peoples Party [Viktor ANDREJEV, chairman]; Russian Party of Estonia [Nikolai MASPANOV, chairman]; Moderates or M made up of 2 parties: Social Democratic Party and Rural Center Party; Social Democratic Party [Eiki NESTOR, chairman]; Rural Center Party [Vambo KAAL, chairman]; Right-Wingers [Ulo NUGIS, chairman]; Republican Conservative [Vootele HANSEN]; Development/Progressive Party [Andra VEIDEMANN, chairwoman], note - party was created by defectors from Center Party in late spring 1996, now holds 6 or 7 seats in Parliament
International organization participation: BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NACC, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNMIBH, UPU, WEU (associate partner), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (applicant)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission : Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Lauri LEPIK
chancery: 2131 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 588-0101
FAX: [1] (202) 588-0108
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission : Ambassador Lawrence P. TAYLOR
embassy: Kentmanni 20, Tallinn EE 0001
mailing address: American Embassy, Tallinn; PSC 78, Box T; APO AE 09723
telephone: [372] (6) 312-021
FAX: [372] (6) 312-025
Flag description: pre-1940 flag restored by Supreme Soviet in May 1990 - three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), black, and white
Economy
Economy - overview: Estonia continues to experience strong economic growth after its economy bottomed out in 1993. Bolstered by a widespread national desire to reintegrate into Western Europe, Estonia has adhered to disciplined fiscal and financial policies and has led the FSU countries in pursuing economic reform. Monthly inflation has been held to 2% in 1995-96. Following four years of decline, Estonia's GDP grew at 3% in 1995 and 1996. Despite these positive economic indicators, the current account deficit is widening. The resident IMF representative in Estonia has been worried since early 1996 about a rising public sector deficit boosted by local government spending. Small- and medium-scale privatization is essentially complete, and large-scale privatization is progressing gradually. In 1996, Estonia's national airline was privatized; in 1997 Estonia plans to privatize large infrastructure, i.e., Eesti Energia, Tallinn Port, Estonian Telecom, and Oil Shale. Estonia has successfully reoriented its trade toward the West, two-thirds of exports now going to Western markets. Estonia's free trade policies were the cornerstone of its negotiations with the European Union, and led to the signing of an association agreement in June 1995. Estonia was the only Baltic state not to have a transition period imposed by the EU prior to its implementation of a free trade agreement.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $8.1 billion (1996 estimate as extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1994)
GDP - real growth rate: 3% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $5,560 (1996 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 10%
industry: 37%
services : 53% (1993 est.)
Inflation rate - consumer price index: 23% (1996 est.)
Labor force:
total: 750,000 (1992)
by occupation: industry and construction 42%, agriculture and forestry 20%, other 38% (1990)
Unemployment rate: 5% (1996 official est.)
Budget:
revenues: $620 million
expenditures : $582 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (January-October 1995)
Industries: oil shale, shipbuilding, phosphates, electric motors, excavators, cement, furniture, clothing, textiles, paper, shoes, apparel
Industrial production growth rate: 3% (1996 est.)
Electricity - capacity: 3.29 million kW (1994)
Electricity - production: 8.6 billion kWh (1994)
Electricity - consumption per capita: 4,005 kWh (1995 est.)
Agriculture - products: potatoes, fruits, vegetables; livestock and dairy products; fish
Exports:
total value: $2 billion (f.o.b., 1996)
commodities: textiles 16%, food products 16%, machinery and equipment 16%, metals 9% (1995)
partners: Finland, Russia, Sweden, Germany, Latvia (1995)
Imports:
total value : $3.1 billion (c.i.f., 1996)
commodities: machinery and equipment 29%, foodstuffs 14%, minerals 13%, textiles 13%, metals 12% (1995)
partners: Finland, Russia, Sweden, Germany (1995)
Debt - external: $270 million (January 1996)
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $147 million (1993)
note: Western commitments $285 million (including international financial institutions)
Currency: 1 Estonian kroon (EEK) = 100 cents (introduced in August 1992)
Exchange rates: krooni (EEK) per US$1 - 12.6 (January 1997), 12.410 (December 1996), 12.034 (1996), 11.465 (1995), 12.991 (1994), 13.223 (1993); note - krooni are tied to the German deutsche mark at a fixed rate of 8 to 1
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 400,000 (1994 est.)
Telephone system: system is antiquated; improvements are being made piecemeal, with emphasis on business needs and international connections; there are still about 150,000 unfulfilled requests for subscriber service
domestic : substantial investment has been made in cellular systems which are operational throughout Estonia
international: international traffic is carried to the other former Soviet republics by landline or microwave radio relay and to other countries partly by leased connection to the Moscow international gateway switch and partly by a new Tallinn-Helsinki fiber-optic, submarine cable which gives Estonia access to international circuits everywhere; access to the international packet-switched digital network via Helsinki
Radio broadcast stations: 3 commercial broadcast stations, 1 government broadcast station (1994)
Radios: 710,000 (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 4 (1993)
note: provide Estonian programs as well as Moscow Ostenkino's first and second programs
Televisions: 600,000 (1993 est.)
Transportation
Railways:
total : 1,018 km common carrier lines only; does not include dedicated industrial lines
broad gauge: 1,018 km 1.520-m gauge (132 km electrified) (1995)
Highways:
total: 14,992 km
paved: 8,096 km (including 65 km of expressways)
unpaved : 6,896 km (1995 est.)
Waterways: 500 km perennially navigable
Pipelines: natural gas 420 km (1992)
Ports and harbors: Haapsalu, Narva, Paldiski, Parnu, Tallinn
Merchant marine:
total: 55 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 364,492 GRT/478,441 DWT
ships by type : bulk 7, cargo 31, container 4, oil tanker 3, roll-on/roll-off cargo 6, short-sea passenger 4 (1996 est.)
Airports: 22 (1994 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total : 10
2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 3 (1994 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 12
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m : 2
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 5 (1994 est.)
Military
Military branches: Ground Forces, Navy/Coast Guard, Air and Air Defense Force (not officially sanctioned), Maritime Border Guard, Volunteer Defense League (Kaitseliit), Security Forces (internal and border troops)
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 353,616 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males : 277,489 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 10,396 (1997 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $35 million (1995)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.5% (1995)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: Estonian and Russian negotiators reached a technical border agreement in December 1996, which Estonia is prepared to sign and ratify in January 1997; Estonia had claimed over 2,000 sq km territory in the Narva and Pechory regions in Russia - based on boundary established under the 1920 Peace Treaty of Tartu
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for opiates and cannabis from Southwest Asia and the Caucasus, and cocaine from Latin America to Western Europe and Scandinavia
Source: The CIA World Handbook, 1997
Return to SAPE's Guide to Estonia
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