1994 Edition

Administrative divisions

15 counties (maakonnad, singular - maakond) and 6 municipalities*: Harju maakond (Tallinn), Hiiu maakond (Kardla), Ida-Viru maakond (Johvi), Jarva maakond (Paide), Jogeva maakond (Jogeva), Kohtla-Jarve*, Laane maakond (Haapsalu), Laane-Viru maakond (Rakvere), Narva*, Parnu*, Parnu maakond (Parnu), Polva maakond (Polva), Rapla maakond (Rapla), Saare maakond (Kuessaare), Sillamae*, Tallinn*, Tartu*, Tartu maakond (Tartu), Valga maakond (Valga), Viljandi maakond (Viljandi), Voru maakond (Voru) note: county centers are in parentheses

Agriculture

employs 20% of work force; very efficient by Soviet standards; net exports of meat, fish, dairy products, and potatoes; imports of feedgrains for livestock; fruits and vegetables

Airports

total: 29 usable: 18 with permanent-surface runways: 11 with runways over 3,659 m: with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 10 with runways 1,060-2,439 m: 8 note: a C-130 can land on a 1,060-m airstrip

Area

total area: 45,100 sq km land area: 43,200 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than New Hampshire and Vermont combined note: includes 1,520 islands in the Baltic Sea

Birth rate

13.98 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Branches

Ground Forces, Maritime Border Guard, National Guard (Kaitseliit), Security Forces (internal and border troops), Coast Guard

Budget

revenues: $223 million expenditures: $142 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992)

Capital

Tallinn

Climate

maritime, wet, moderate winters, cool summers

Coastline

1,393 km

Constitution

adopted 28 June 1992

Currency

1 Estonian kroon (EEK) = 100 cents (introduced in August 1992)

Death rate

12.04 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Defense expenditures

124.4 million kroons, NA% of GDP (forecast for 1993); note - conversion of the military budget into US dollars using the current exchange rate could produce misleading results

Digraph

EN

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: Ambassador Toomas Hendrik ILVES chancery: 1030 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005, Suite 1000 telephone: (202) 789-0320

Economic aid

recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (1992), $10 million

Electricity

capacity: 3,700,000 kW production: 22.9 billion kWh consumption per capita: 14,245 kWh (1992)

Environment

current issues: air heavily polluted with sulfur dioxide from oil-shale burning power plants in northeast; contamination of soil and ground water with petroleum products, chemicals at military bases natural hazards: NA international agreements: party to - Hazardous Wastes, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change

Ethnic divisions

Estonian 61.5%, Russian 30.3%, Ukrainian 3.17%, Byelorussian 1.8%, Finn 1.1%, other 2.13% (1989)

Exchange rates

kroons (EEK) per US$1 - 13.9 (January 1994), 13.2 (1993); note - kroons are tied to the German Deutschmark at a fixed rate of 8 to 1

Executive branch

chief of state: President Lennart MERI (since 21 October 1992); election last held 20 September 1992; (next to be held NA 1997); results - no candidate received majority; newly elected Parliament elected Lennart MERI (21 October 1992) head of government: Prime Minister Mart LAAR (since 21 October 1992) cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the prime minister, authorized by the legislature

Exports

$765 million (f.o.b., 1993) commodities: textile 14%, food products 11%, vehicles 11%, metals 11% (1993) partners: Russia, Finland, Latvia, Germany, Ukraine

External debt

$650 million (end of 1991)

FAX

(202) 789-0471 consulate(s) general: New York

[372] (6) 312-025

Fiscal year

calendar year

Flag

pre-1940 flag restored by Supreme Soviet in May 1990 - three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), black, and white

Highways

total: 30,300 km paved or gravelled: 29,200 km unpaved: earth 1,100 km (1990)

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for illicit drugs from Central and Southwest Asia and Latin America to Western Europe; limited illicit opium producer; mostly for domestic consumption

Imports

$865 million (c.i.f., 1993) commodities: machinery 18%, fuels 15%, vehicles 14%, textiles 10% (1993) partners: Finland, Russia, Sweden, Germany, Netherlands

Independence

6 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)

Industrial production

growth rate -27% (1993)

Industries

accounts for 42% of labor force; oil shale, shipbuilding, phosphates, electric motors, excavators, cement, furniture, clothing, textiles, paper, shoes, apparel

Infant mortality rate

19.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.6% per month (1993 average)

Inland waterways

500 km perennially navigable

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

110 sq km (1990)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Labor force

750,000 (1992) by occupation: industry and construction 42%, agriculture and forestry 20%, other 38% (1990)

Land boundaries

total 557 km, Latvia 267 km, Russia 290 km

Land use

arable land: 22% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 11% forest and woodland: 31% other: 36%

Languages

Estonian (official), Latvian, Lithuanian, Russian, other

Legal system

based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative acts

Legislative branch

unicameral

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 69.96 years male: 64.98 years female: 75.19 years (1994 est.)

Literacy

age 9-49 can read and write (1989) total population: 100% male: 100% female: 100%

Location

Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Sweden and Russia

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 392,135; fit for military service 308,951; reach military age (18) annually 11,789 (1994 est.)

Map references

Arctic Region, Asia, Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm

Member of

BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NACC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO

Merchant marine

69 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 406,405 GRT/537,016 DWT, bulk 6, cargo 50, container 2, oil tanker 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 6, short-sea passenger 4

Moderates (M), made up of two parties

Estonian Social Democratic Party (ESDB), Marju LAURISTIN, chairman; Estonian Rural Center Pary (EMK), Ivar RAIG, chairman; Estonian National Independence Party (ENIP), Tunne KELAM, chairman; Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Paul-Eerik RUMMO, chairman; Safe Haven, made up of three parties: Estonian Coalition Party (EK), Tiit VAHI, chairman; Estonian Rural Union (EM), Arvo SIRENDI, chairman; Estonian Democratic Justice Union/Estonian Pensioners' League (EDO/EPU), Harri KARTNER, chairman; Estonian Centrist Party (EK), Edgar SAVISAAR, chairman; Estonian Democratic Labor Party (EDT), Vaino VALJAS, chairman; Estonian Green Party (ERL), Tonu OJA; Estonian Royalist Party (ERP), Kalle KULBOK, chairman; Entrepreneurs' Party (EP), Tiit MADE; Estonian Citizen (EKL), Juri TOOMEPUU, chairman

Names

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

National holiday

Independence Day, 24 February (1918)

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $8.8 billion (1993 estimate from the UN International Comparison Program, as extended to 1991 and published in the World Bank's World Development Report 1993; and as extrapolated to 1993 using official Estonian statistics, which are very uncertain because of major economic changes since 1990)

National product per capita

$5,480 (1993 est.)

National product real growth rate

-5% (1993 est.)

Nationality

noun: Estonian(s) adjective: Estonian

Natural resources

shale oil, peat, phosphorite, amber

Net migration rate

3.29 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Overview

Bolstered by a widespread national desire to reintegrate into Western Europe, the Estonian government has pursued a program of market reforms and rough stabilization measures, which is rapidly transforming the economy. Two years after independence - and one year after the introduction of the kroon - Estonians are beginning to reap tangible benefits; inflation is low; production declines appear to have bottomed out; and living standards are rising. Economic restructuring is clearly underway with the once-dominant energy-intensive heavy industrial sectors giving way to labor-intensive light industry and the underdeveloped service sector. The private sector is growing rapidly; the share of the state enterprises in retail trade has steadily declined and by June 1993 accounted for only 12.5% of total turnover, and 70,000 new jobs have reportedly been created as a result of new business start-ups. Estonia's foreign trade has shifted rapidly from East to West with the Western industrialized countries now accounting for two-thirds of foreign trade.

Parliament (Riigikogu)

elections last held 20 September 1992; (next to be held NA); results - Fatherland 21%, Safe Haven 14%, Popular Front 13%, M 10%, ENIP 8%, ERP 7%, ERL 7%, EP 2%, other 18%; seats - (101 total) Fatherland 29, Safe Haven 18, Popular Front 15, M 12, ENIP 10, ERP 8, ERL 8, EP 1

Pipelines

natural gas 420 km (1992)

Political parties and leaders

National Coalition Party 'Pro Patria' (Isamaa of Fatherland), Mart LAAR, president, made up of 4 parties: Christian Democratic Party (KDE), Aivar KALA, chairman; Christian Democratic Union (KDL), Illar HALLASTE, chairman; Conservative People's Party (KR), Enn TARTO, chairman; Republican Coalition Party (VK), Leo STARKOV, chairman;

Population

1,616,882 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate

0.52% (1994 est.)

Ports

coastal - Tallinn, Novotallin, Parnu; inland - Narva

Railroads

1,030 km; does not include industrial lines (1990)

Religions

Lutheran

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Telecommunications

Estonia's telephone system is antiquated and supports about 400,000 domestic telephone circuits, i.e. 25 telephones for each 100 persons; improvements are being made piecemeal, with emphasis on business needs and international connections; there are still about 150,000 unfulfilled requests for telephone service; broadcast stations - 3 TV (provide Estonian programs as well Moscow Ostenkino's first and second programs); international traffic is carried to the other former USSR republics by land line or microwave 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; substantial investment has been made in cellular systems which are operational throughout Estonia and also Latvia and which have access to the international packet switched digital network via Helsinki

Terrain

marshy, lowlands

Total fertility rate

2 children born/woman (1994 est.)

Type

republic

Unemployment rate

3.5% (May 1993); but large number of underemployed workers

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission: Ambassador Robert C. FRASURE embassy: Kentmanni 20, Tallin EE 0001 mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: 011-[372] (6) 312-021 through 024