Estonia

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.

total:

1.41 cu km/yr (56%/39%/5%)

per capita:

1,060 cu m/yr (2002)

• 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-20th 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

at birth:

1.063 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.06 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.91 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.49 male(s)/female

total population:

0.84 male(s)/female (2010 est.)

degree of risk:

intermediate

food or waterborne diseases:

bacterial diarrhea

vectorborne disease:

tickborne encephalitis (2009)

noun:

Estonian(s)

adjective:

Estonian

conventional long form:

Republic of Estonia

conventional short form:

Estonia

local long form:

Eesti Vabariik

local short form:

Eesti

former:

Estonian Soviet Socialist 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

• 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

chief of state:

President Toomas Hendrik ILVES (since 9 October 2006)

head of government:

Prime Minister Andrus ANSIP (since 12 April 2005)

cabinet:

Ministers appointed by the prime minister, approved by Parliament; (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website)

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 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

• Center Party of Estonia (Keskerakond) [Edgar SAVISAAR];
• Estonian Greens (Rohelised) [Marek STRANDBERG];
• Estonian People's Union (Rahvaliit) [Juhan AARE];
• Estonian Reform Party (Reformierakond) [Andrus ANSIP];
• Social Democratic Party [Sven MIKSER];
• Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica (Isamaa je Res Publica Liit) [Mart LAAR]

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 Michael C. POLT

embassy:

Kentmanni 20, 15099 Tallinn

mailing address:

use embassy street address

telephone:

[372] 668-8100

FAX:

[372] 668-8265

• 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

name:

"Mu isamaa, mu onn ja room" (My Native Land, My Pride and Joy)

lyrics/music:

Johann Voldemar JANNSEN/Fredrik PACIUS

note: adopted 1920, though banned between 1940 and 1990 under Soviet occupation; the anthem, used in Estonia since 1869, shares the same melody with that of Finland but has different lyrics

agriculture:

2.8%

industry:

22.7%

services:

74.5% (2008)

lowest 10%:

2.7%

highest 10%:

27.7% (2004)

• potatoes, vegetables;
• livestock and dairy products;
• fish

general assessment:

foreign investment in the form of joint business ventures greatly improved telephone service with a wide range of high quality voice, data, and Internet services available

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 (2008)

• the publicly-owned broadcaster, Eesti Rahvusringhaaling (ERR), operates 2 television channels;
• 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;
• publicly-owned broadcaster, ERR, operates 4 radio networks and there are a growing number of private commercial radio stations broadcasting nationally, regionally, and locally (2008)

total:

1,196 km

country comparison to the world: 86

broad gauge:

1,196 km 1.520 m/1.524-m gauge (131 km electrified) (2008)

total:

58,034 km

country comparison to the world: 78

paved:

34,936 km (includes 104 km of expressways)

unpaved:

23,098 km (2009)

males age 16-49:

297,096

females age 16-49:

308,229 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49:

213,740

females age 16-49:

255,926 (2010 est.)

male:

6,945

female:

6,564 (2010 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