Estonia

noun:

Estonian(s)

adjective:

Estonian

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.05 male(s)/female

15-24 years:

1.08 male(s)/female

25-54 years:

1.05 male(s)/female

55-64 years:

0.85 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.42 male(s)/female

total population:

0.89 male(s)/female (2022 est.)

degree of risk:

intermediate (2020)

vectorborne diseases:

tickborne encephalitis

total:

11.65 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer:

4 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine:

1.92 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits:

4.6 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols:

1.13 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total:

29.7% (2020 est.)

male:

36.3% (2020 est.)

female:

23% (2020 est.)

• air polluted with sulfur dioxide from oil-shale burning power plants in northeast;
• however, the amounts of pollutants emitted into the air have fallen dramatically and the pollution load of wastewater at purification plants has decreased substantially due to improved technology and environmental monitoring;
• 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

particulate matter emissions:

6.74 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions:

16.59 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions:

0.99 megatons (2020 est.)

urban population:

69.8% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization:

-0.03% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

degree of risk:

intermediate (2020)

vectorborne diseases:

tickborne encephalitis

municipal solid waste generated annually:

473,000 tons (2015 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually:

117,020 tons (2015 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled:

24.7% (2015 est.)

municipal:

59.4 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial:

1.721 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

agricultural:

4.5 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

conventional long form:

Republic of Estonia

conventional short form:

Estonia

local long form:

Eesti Vabariik

local short form:

Eesti

former:

Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic (while occupied by the USSR)

etymology:

the country name may derive from the Aesti, an ancient people who lived along the eastern Baltic Sea in the first centuries A.D.

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

etymology:

• the Estonian name is generally believed to be derived from "Taani-linn" (originally meaning "Danish castle", now "Danish town") after a stronghold built in the area by the Danes;
• it could also have come from "tali-linn" ("winter castle" or "winter town") or "talu-linn" ("home castle" or "home town")

• 24 February 1918 (from Soviet Russia);
• 20 August 1991 (declared from the Soviet Union);
• 6 September 1991 (recognized by the Soviet Union)

• Independence Day, 24 February (1918);
• note - 24 February 1918 was the date Estonia declared its independence from Soviet Russia and established its statehood;
• 20 August 1991 was the date it declared its independence from the Soviet Union restoring its statehood

history:

several previous; latest adopted 28 June 1992, entered into force 3 July 1992

amendments:

• proposed by at least one-fifth of Parliament members or by the president of the republic;
• passage requires three readings of the proposed amendment and a simple majority vote in two successive memberships of Parliament;
• passage of amendments to the "General Provisions" and "Amendment of the Constitution" chapters requires at least three-fifths majority vote by Parliament to conduct a referendum and majority vote in a referendum;
• amended several times, last in 2015

citizenship by birth:

no

citizenship by descent only:

at least one parent must be a citizen of Estonia

dual citizenship recognized:

no

residency requirement for naturalization:

5 years

• 18 years of age;
• universal;
• age 16 for local elections

chief of state:

President Alar KARIS (since 11 October 2021)

head of government:

Prime Minister Kaja KALLAS (since 26 January 2021)

cabinet:

Cabinet appointed by the prime minister, approved by Parliament

elections/appointments:

• president indirectly elected by Parliament for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term);
• if a candidate does not secure two thirds of the votes after 3 rounds of balloting, then an electoral college consisting of Parliament members and local council members elects the president, choosing between the 2 candidates with the highest number of votes;
• election last held on 30-31 August 2021 (next to be held in 2026);
• in a first round of voting on 30 August, parliament failed to elect a president;
• in a second round on 31 August, the sole candidate, Alar KARIS, received 72 votes of 101 votes (there were 8 blank votes and 21 electors not present);
• prime minister nominated by the president and approved by Parliament

election results:

• 2021 : Alar KARIS elected president;
• parliamentary vote Alar KARIS (independent) 72 of 101 votes;
• KALLAS is Estonia's first female prime minister

; 2016 : Kersti KALJULAID is indirectly elected president with 81 of 98 votes in parliament (17 ballots blank). She is sworn in on October 10 as the first female head of state of Estonia.

description:

unicameral Parliament or Riigikogu (101 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by open- list proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms)

elections:

last held on 3 March 2019 (next to be held in March 2023)

election results:

• percent of vote by party - RE 28.9%, K 23.1%, EKRE 17.8%, Pro Patria 11.4%, SDE 9.8%, other 9%;
• seats by party - RE 34, K 26, EKRE 19, Pro Patria 12, SDE 10;
• composition - men 75, women 26, percent of women 25.7%

highest court(s):

Supreme Court (consists of 19 justices, including the chief justice, and organized into civil, criminal, administrative, and constitutional review chambers)

judge selection and term of office:

• the chief justice is proposed by the president of the republic and appointed by the Riigikogu;
• other justices proposed by the chief justice and appointed by the Riigikogu;
• justices appointed for life

subordinate courts:

circuit (appellate) courts; administrative, county, city, and specialized courts

• Center Party of Estonia (Keskerakond) or K [Juri RATAS]
• Estonia 200 [Kristina KALLAS]
• Estonian Conservative People's Party (Konservatiivne Rahvaerakond) or EKRE [Martin HELME]
• Estonian Reform Party (Reformierakond) or RE [Kaja KALLAS]
• Pro Patria (Isamaa) [Helir-Valdor SEEDER]
• Social Democratic Party or SDE [Lauri LAANEMETS]

chief of mission:

Ambassador Kristjan PRIKK (since 7 July 2021)

chancery:

1990 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20006

telephone:

[1] (202) 588-0101

FAX:

[1] (202) 588-0108

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://washington.mfa.ee/

consulate(s) general:

New York, San Francisco

chief of mission:

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Brian RORAFF (since July 2019)

embassy:

Kentmanni 20, 15099 Tallinn

mailing address:

4530 Tallinn Place, Washington DC 20521-4530

telephone:

[372] 668-8100

FAX:

[372] 668-8265

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://ee.usembassy.gov/

• 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 as Finland's but has different lyrics

total World Heritage Sites:

2 (both cultural)

selected World Heritage Site locales:

Historic Center (Old Town) of Tallinn ; Struve Geodetic Arc

Fitch rating:

AA- (2018)

Moody's rating:

A1 (2002)

Standard & Poors rating: AA- (2011)

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

agriculture:

2.7%

industry:

20.5%

services:

76.8% (2017 est.)

total:

16.7%

male:

18.4%

female:

15% (2021 est.)

lowest 10%:

2.3%

highest 10%:

25.6% (2015)

production:

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

consumption:

3,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

exports:

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports:

3,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves:

0 metric tons (2019 est.)

total petroleum production:

21,800 bbl/day (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption:

27,500 bbl/day (2019 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate exports:

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports:

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves:

0 barrels (2021 est.)

production:

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

consumption:

417.106 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

exports:

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

imports:

417.276 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

proven reserves:

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

• the publicly owned broadcaster, Eesti Rahvusringhaaling (ERR), operates 3 TV channels and 5 radio networks;
• growing number of private commercial radio stations broadcasting nationally, regionally, and locally;
• fully transitioned to digital television in 2010;
• national private TV channels expanding service;
• a range of channels are aimed at Russian-speaking viewers;
• in 2016, there were 42 on-demand services available in Estonia, including 19 pay TVOD and SVOD services;
• roughly 85% of households accessed digital television services

number of registered air carriers:

3 (2020); inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 14

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:

31,981 (2018)

total:

2,146 km (2016)

broad gauge:

2,146 km (2016) 1.520-m and 1.524-m gauge (132 km electrified)

note: includes 1,510 km public and 636 km non-public railway

total:

58,412 km (2011) (includes urban roads)

paved:

10,427 km (2011) (includes 115 km of expressways)

unpaved:

47,985 km (2011)

total:

68

by type:

general cargo 2, oil tanker 4, other 62 (2021)

Estonia became a member of NATO in 2004

since 2017, Estonia has hosted a UK-led multi-national NATO ground force battlegroup as part of the Alliance’s Enhanced Forward Presence initiative; NATO has provided air protection for Estonia since 2004 through its Air Policing mission; NATO member countries that possess air combat capabilities voluntarily contribute to the mission on 4-month rotations; NATO fighter aircraft have been hosted at Estonia’s Ämari Air Base since 2014 (2022)

• Russia and Estonia in May 2005 signed a technical border agreement, but Russia in June 2005 recalled its signature after the Estonian parliament added to its domestic ratification act a historical preamble referencing the Soviet occupation and Estonia's pre-war borders under the 1920 Treaty of Tartu;
• Russia contends that the preamble allows Estonia to make territorial claims on Russia in the future, while Estonian officials deny that the preamble has any legal impact on the treaty text;
• Russia demands better treatment of the Russian-speaking population in Estonia;
• as a member state that forms part of the EU's external border, Estonia implements strict Schengen border rules with Russia

refugees (country of origin):

64,593 (Ukraine) (as of 20 December 2022)

stateless persons:

• 71,873 (mid-year 2021);
• note - following independence in 1991, automatic citizenship was restricted to those who were Estonian citizens prior to the 1940 Soviet occupation and their descendants;
• thousands of ethnic Russians remained stateless when forced to choose between passing Estonian language and citizenship tests or applying for Russian citizenship;
• one reason for demurring on Estonian citizenship was to retain the right of visa-free travel to Russia;
• stateless residents can vote in local elections but not general elections;
• stateless parents who have been lawful residents of Estonia for at least five years can apply for citizenship for their children before they turn 15 years old