|
| World Fact Book
| Mark H. Solsman
| Documentation Training and Publications, Center for Academic Computing
| mhs108@psu.edu  10/19/93
I
 
_@_Estonia Geography
 
Total area:
    45,100 km2
Land area:
    43,200 km2; (includes 1,520 islands in the Baltic Sea)
Comparative area:
    slightly larger than New Hampshire and Vermont combined
Land boundaries:
    557 km; Latvia 267 km, Russia 290 km
Coastline:
    1,393 km
Maritime claims:
  Contiguous zone:
    NA nm
  Continental shelf:
    NA meter depth
  Exclusive economic zone:
    NA nm
  Exclusive fishing zone:
    NA nm
  Territorial sea:
    NA nm
Disputes:
    international small border strips along the northern (Narva) and southern
    (Petseri) sections of eastern border with Russia ceded to Russia in 1945 by
    the Estonian SSR
Climate:
    maritime, wet, moderate winters
Terrain:
    marshy, lowlands
Natural resources:
    shale oil, peat, phosphorite, amber
Land use:
    22% arable land; NA% permanent crops; 11% meadows and pastures; 31% forest
    and woodland; 21% other; includes NA% irrigated; 15% swamps and lakes
Environment:
    coastal waters largely polluted
 
:Estonia People
 
Population:
    1,607,349 (July 1992), growth rate 0.7% (1992)
Birth rate:
    16 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    12 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    3 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    25 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    65 years male, 74 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    2.3 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Estonian(s); adjective - Estonian
Ethnic divisions:
    Estonian 61.5%, Russian 30.3%, Ukrainian 3.17%, Byelorussian 1.8%, Finn
    1.1%, other 2.13% (1989)
Religions:
    Lutheran is primary denomination
Languages:
    Estonian NA% (official), Latvian NA%, Lithuanian NA%, Russian NA%, other NA%
Literacy:
    NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
Labor force:
    796,000; industry and construction 42%, agriculture and forestry 13%, other
    45% (1990)
Organized labor:
    NA
 
:Estonia Government
 
Long-form name:
    Republic of Estonia
Type:
    republic
Capital:
    Tallinn
Administrative divisions:
    none - all districts are under direct republic jurisdiction
Independence:
    8 November 1917; occupied by Germany in March 1918 and restored to power in
    November 1918; annexed by USSR 6 August 1940; declared independence 20
    August 1991 and regained independence from USSR 6 September 1991
Constitution:
    currently rewriting constitution, but readopted the constitution of 1938
Legal system:
    based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative acts
National holiday:
    Independence Day, 24 February (1918)
Executive branch:
    prime minister
Legislative branch:
    unicameral Supreme Council
Judicial branch:
    Supreme Court
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    Chairman, Supreme Council Arnold R'UTEL (since April 1983)
  Head of Government:
    Prime Minister Tiit VAHI (since January 1992)
Political parties and leaders:
    Popular Front of Estonia (Rahvarinne), NA chairman; Estonian Christian
    Democratic Party, Aivar KALA, chairman; Estonian Christian Democratic Union,
    Illar HALLASTE, chairman; Estonian Heritage Society (EMS), Trivimi VELLISTE,
    chairman; Estonian National Independence Party (ERSP), Lagle PAREK,
    chairman; Estonian Social Democratic Party, Marju LAURISTIN, chairman;
    Estonian Green Party, Tonu OJA; Independent Estonian Communist Party, Vaino
    VALJAS; People's Centrist Party, Edgar SAVISAAR, chairman
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  Congress of Estonia:
    last held March 1990 (next to be held NA); note - Congress of Estonia is a
    quasi-governmental structure; results - percent of vote by party NA; seats -
    (495 total) number of seats by party NA
  President:
    last held NA 1990; (next to be held NA); results - NA
  Supreme Council:
    last held 18 March 1990; (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by
    party NA; seats - (105 total) number of seats by party NA
Other political or pressure groups:
    NA
Member of:
    CSCE, IAEA, ICFTU, NACC, UN, UNCTAD
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Ernst JAAKSON, Legation of Estonia, Office of Consulate General,
    9 Rockefeller Plaza, Suite 1421, New York, NY 10020; telephone (212)
    247-1450
 
:Estonia Government
 
  US:
    Ambassador Robert C. FRASURE; Embassy at Kentmanni 20, Tallin EE 0001;
    telephone 011-[358] (49) 303-182 (cellular); FAX [358] (49) 306-817
    (cellular); note - dialing to Baltics still requires use of an international
    operator unless you use the cellular phone lines
Flag:
    pre-1940 flag restored by Supreme Soviet in May 1990; flag is three equal
    horizontal bands of blue, black, and white
 
:Estonia Economy
 
Overview:
    Starting in July 1991, under a new law on private ownership, small
    enterprises, such as retail shops and restaurants, were sold to private
    owners. The auctioning of large-scale enterprises is now in progress with
    the proceeds being held in escrow until the prior ownership (that is,
    Estonian or the Commonwealth of Independent States) can be established.
    Estonia ranks first in per capita consumption among the former Soviet
    republics. Agriculture is well developed, especially meat production, and
    provides a surplus for export. Only about one-fifth of the work force is in
    agriculture. The major share of the work force engages in manufacturing both
    capital and consumer goods based on raw materials and intermediate products
    from the other former Soviet republics. These manufactures are of high
    quality by ex-Soviet standards and are exported to the other republics.
    Estonia's mineral resources are limited to major deposits of shale oil (60%
    of old Soviet total) and phosphorites (400 million tons). Estonia has a
    large, relatively modern port and produces more than half of its own energy
    needs at highly polluting shale oil power plants. Like the other 14
    successor republics, Estonia is suffering through a difficult transitional
    period - between a collapsed command economic structure and a
    still-to-be-built market structure. It has advantages in the transition, not
    having suffered so long under the Soviet yoke and having better chances of
    developing profitable ties to the Nordic and West European countries.
GDP:
    $NA billion, per capita $NA; real growth rate -11% (1992)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    approximately 200% (1991)
Unemployment rate:
    NA%
Budget:
    revenues $NA million; expenditures $NA million, including capital
    expenditures of $NA million
Exports:
    $186 million (f.o.b., 1990)
  commodities:
    machinery 30%, food 17%, chemicals 11%, electric power 9%
  partners:
    Russia 50%, other former Soviet republics 30%, Ukraine 15%, West 5%
Imports:
    $1.2 billion (c.i.f., 1990)
  commodities:
    machinery 45%, oil 13%, chemicals 12%
  partners:
    NA
External debt:
    $650 million (end of 1991)
Industrial production:
    growth rate -9% (1991)
Electricity:
    3,305,000 kW capacity; 17,200 million kWh produced, 10,865 kWh per capita
    (1990)
Industries:
    accounts for 30% of labor force; oil shale, shipbuilding, phosphates,
    electric motors, excavators, cement, furniture, clothing, textiles, paper,
    shoes, apparel
Agriculture:
    employs 20% of work force; very efficient; net exports of meat, fish, dairy
    products, and potatoes; imports feedgrains for livestock; fruits and
    vegetables
 
:Estonia Economy
 
Illicit drugs:
    transshipment point for illicit drugs from Central and Southwest Asia to
    Western Europe
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (1992), $10 million; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-86), $NA million;
    Communist countries (1971-86), $NA million
Currency:
    kroon; to be introduced in 1992
Exchange rates:
    NA
Fiscal year:
    calendar year
 
:Estonia Communications
 
Railroads:
    1,030 km (includes NA km electrified); does not include industrial lines
    (1990)
Highways:
    30,300 km total (1990); 29,200 km hard surfaced; 1,100 km earth
Inland waterways:
    500 km perennially navigable
Pipelines:
    crude oil NA km, refined products NA km, natural gas NA km
Ports:
    maritime - Tallinn, Parnu; inland - Narva
Merchant marine:
    65 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 386,634 GRT/516,866 DWT; includes 51
    cargo, 6 roll-on/roll-off, 2 short-sea passenger, 6 bulk
Civil air:
    NA major transport aircraft
Airports:
    NA total, NA usable; NA with permanent-surface runways; NA with runways over
    3,659 m; NA with runways 2,440-3,659 m; NA with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    telephone diversity - NA; broadcast stations - 3 TV (provide Estonian
    programs as well as Moscow Ostenkino's first and second programs);
    international traffic is carried to the other former USSR republics by
    landline or microwave and to other countries by leased connection to the
    Moscow international gateway switch, by the Finnish cellular net, and by an
    old copper submarine cable to Finland
 
:Estonia Defense Forces
 
Branches:
    Republic Security Forces (internal and border troops), National Guard;
    Russian Forces (Ground, Navy, Air, Air Defense, and Border Guard)
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, total mobilized force projected 120,000-130,000; NA fit for
    military service; between 10,000-12,000 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures:
    $NA, NA% of GDP
 
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