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.

Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Finland, between Latvia and Russia
59 00 N, 26 00 E
Europe
total: 45,226 sq km ; land: 43,211 sq km ; water: 2,015 sq km ; note: includes 1,520 islands in the Baltic Sea
slightly smaller than New Hampshire and Vermont combined
total: 633 km ; border countries: Latvia 339 km, Russia 294 km
3,794 km
territorial sea: 12 nm ; exclusive economic zone: limits fixed in coordination with neighboring states
maritime, wet, moderate winters, cool summers
marshy, lowlands; flat in the north, hilly in the south
lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m ; highest point: Suur Munamagi 318 m
oil shale, peat, phosphorite, clay, limestone, sand, dolomite, arable land, sea mud
arable land: 12.05% ; permanent crops: 0.35% ; other: 87.6% (2005)
40 sq km (2003)
21.1 cu km (2005)
Total: 1.41 cu km/yr (56%/39%/5%) ; Per capita: 1,060 cu m/yr (2002)
sometimes flooding occurs in the spring
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 twentieth 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 1,400 natural and manmade lakes, the smaller of which in agricultural areas need to be monitored; coastal seawater is polluted in certain locations
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, Ship Pollution, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands ; signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
the mainland terrain is flat, boggy, and partly wooded; offshore lie more than 1,500 islands
1,315,912 (July 2007 est.)
0-14 years: 15% (male 101,430/female 95,658) ; 15-64 years: 67.5% (male 423,664/female 464,813) ; 65 years and over: 17.5% (male 76,344/female 154,003) (2007 est.)
total: 39.4 years ; male: 36 years ; female: 42.9 years (2007 est.)
-0.635% (2007 est.)
10.17 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
13.3 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
-3.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female ; under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female ; 15-64 years: 0.911 male(s)/female ; 65 years and over: 0.496 male(s)/female ; total population: 0.842 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
total: 7.59 deaths/1,000 live births ; male: 8.77 deaths/1,000 live births ; female: 6.34 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
total population: 72.3 years ; male: 66.87 years ; female: 78.07 years (2007 est.)
1.41 children born/woman (2007 est.)
1.1% (2001 est.)
7,800 (2003 est.)
less than 200 (2003 est.)
noun: Estonian(s) ; adjective: Estonian
Estonian 67.9%, Russian 25.6%, Ukrainian 2.1%, Belarusian 1.3%, Finn 0.9%, other 2.2% (2000 census)
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)
Estonian (official) 67.3%, Russian 29.7%, other 2.3%, unknown 0.7% (2000 census)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write ; total population: 99.8% ; male: 99.8% ; female: 99.8% (2000 census)


conventional long form: Republic of Estonia ; conventional short form: Estonia ; local long form: Eesti Vabariik ; local short form: Eesti ; former: Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic
parliamentary republic
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
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

20 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
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
adopted 28 June 1992
based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
18 years of age; universal for all Estonian citizens
chief of state: President Toomas Hendrik ILVES (since 9 October 2006) ; head of government: Prime Minister Andrus ANSIP (since 12 April 2005) ; cabinet: Council of 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 governments) elects the president, choosing between the two candidates with the largest percentage 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
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 - Reform Party 31, Center Party 29, Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica 19, Social Democrats 10, Estonian Greens 6, People's Union 6
National Court (chairman appointed by Parliament for life)
Center Party of Estonia (Keskerakond) [Edgar SAVISAAR]; Estonian Greens; Estonian People's Union (Rahvaliit) [Villu REILJAN]; Estonian Reform Party (Reformierakond) [Andrus ANSIP]; Estonian United Russian People's Party or EUVRP [Yevgeniy TOMBERG]; Social Democratic Party (formerly People's Party Moodukad or Moderates) [Ivari PADAR]; Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica (Isamaa je Res Publica Liit) [Tonis LUKAS and Taavi VESKIMAGI]
Nochnoy Dozor/Night Watch anti-fascist movement (leader Alexander KOROBOV)
Australia Group, BA, BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NATO, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU (associate partner), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
pre-1940 flag restored by Supreme Soviet in May 1990 - three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), black, and white
chief of mission: Ambassador Vaino REINART ; chancery: 2131 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 ; telephone: [1] (202) 588-0101 ; FAX: [1] (202) 588-0108 ; consulate(s) general: New York
chief of mission: Ambassador Stanley Davis PHILLIPS ; embassy: Kentmanni 20, 15099 Tallinn ; mailing address: use embassy street address ; telephone: [372] 668-8100 ; FAX: [372] 668-8134





Estonia, a 2004 European Union entrant, has a modern market-based economy and one of the highest per capita income levels in Central Europe. 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 sound fiscal policies, resulting in balanced budgets and low public debt. In 2007, however, a large current account deficit and rising inflation put pressure on Estonia's currency, which is pegged to the euro, highlighting the need for growth in export-generating industries.
$28.68 billion (2007 est.)
$15.31 billion (2007 est.)
7.9% (2007 est.)
$21,800 (2007 est.)
agriculture: 2.9% ; industry: 28.9% ; services: 68.2% (2007 est.)
688,000 (2007 est.)
agriculture: 11% ; industry: 20% ; services: 69% (1999 est.)
4.7% (2007 est.)
5% (2003)
lowest 10%: 2.5% ; highest 10%: 27.6% (2003)
34 (2005)
6% (2007 est.)
33.3% of GDP (2007 est.)
revenues: $7.671 billion ; expenditures: $7.015 billion (2007 est.)
3.8% of GDP (2007 est.)
potatoes, vegetables; livestock and dairy products; fish
engineering, electronics, wood and wood products, textile; information technology, telecommunications
9.8% (2007 est.)
9.599 billion kWh (2005)
fossil fuel: 99.8% ; hydro: 0.1% ; nuclear: 0% ; other: 0.2% (2001)
6.888 billion kWh (2005)
1.953 billion kWh (2005)
345 million kWh (2005)
6,930 bbl/day (2005 est.)
29,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)
3,958 bbl/day (2004)
54,000 bbl/day (2004)
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
0 cu m (2005 est.)
1.458 billion cu m (2005 est.)
0 cu m (2005 est.)
1.458 billion cu m (2005)
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
-$3.092 billion (2007 est.)
$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)
Finland 18.4%, Sweden 12.4%, Latvia 8.9%, Russia 8.1%, US 5.5%, Germany 5.1%, Lithuania 4.8%, Gibraltar 4.7% (2006)
$14.71 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Finland 18.2%, Russia 13.1%, Germany 12.4%, Sweden 9%, Lithuania 6.4%, Latvia 5.7% (2006)

$3.605 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
$20.24 billion (30 June 2007)
$16.32 billion (2006 est.)
$3.557 billion (2006 est.)
$5.963 billion (2006)
Estonian kroon (EEK)
EEK
krooni per US dollar - 11.535 (2007), 12.473 (2006), 12.584 (2005), 12.596 (2004), 13.856 (2003) ; note: the krooni is pegged to the euro
calendar year
$135.5 million (2004)
541,900 (2006)
1.659 million (2006)
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 (2001)
AM 0, FM 98, shortwave 0 (2001)
1.01 million (1997)
3 (2001)
605,000 (1997)
.ee
387,336 (2007)
38 (2001)
760,000 (2006)

19 (2007)
total: 12 ; over 3,047 m: 1 ; 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 ; 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 ; 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2007)
total: 7 ; over 3,047 m: 1 ; 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 ; 914 to 1,523 m: 1 ; under 914 m: 3 (2007)
1 (2007)
gas 859 km (2006)
total: 968 km ; broad gauge: 968 km 1.520 m/1.524-m gauge (2006)
total: 56,856 km ; paved: 13,384 km (includes 99 km of expressways) ; unpaved: 43,472 km (2004)
320 km (2006)
total: 33 ships (1000 GRT or over) 393,655 GRT/93,245 DWT ; by type: cargo 7, chemical tanker 1, passenger/cargo 23, petroleum tanker 2 ; foreign-owned: 4 (Denmark 2, Norway 2) ; registered in other countries: 67 (Antigua and Barbuda 15, Belize 1, Cambodia 1, Cyprus 5, Dominica 8, Latvia 1, Liberia 1, Malta 7, Norway 1, Panama 3, Slovakia 2, St Kitts and Nevis 1, St Vincent and The Grenadines 20, Vanuatu 1) (2007)
Kuivastu, Kunda Sadam, Muuga, Tallinn, Virtsu

Estonian Defense Forces: Land Force, Navy, Air Force, Volunteer Defense League (Kaitseliit, KL) (2006)
compulsory military service for men between 19 and 28; conscription lasts 11 months for junior NCOs and reserve platoon leaders; reserve officers and designated specialists have a different conscript service obligation; Estonia has committed to retaining conscription for men up to 2010 and, unlike Latvia and Lithuania, has no plan to transition to a contract armed forces; 17 years of age for volunteers; reserve commitment up to the age of 60 (2006)
males age 18-49: 291,696 ; females age 18-49: 304,961 (2005 est.)
males age 18-49: 200,382 (in 2004, 51% of the young men called up for service were determined to be unfit; main obstacles to conscription were psychiatric and behavioral) ; females age 18-49: 250,351 (2005 est.)
males age 15-49: 11,146 ; females age 18-49: 10,605 (2005 est.)
2% (2005 est.)

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

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

