Republic of Estonia

National name: Eesti Vabariik

President: Toomas Hendrik Ilves (2006)

Prime Minister: Andrus Ansip (2005)

Land area: 16,684 sq mi (43,211 sq km); total area: sq mi (sq km)

Population (2006 est.): 1,324,333 (growth rate: –0.6%); birth rate: 10.0/1000; infant mortality rate: 7.7/1000; life expectancy: 72.0; density per sq mi: 76

Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Tallinn, 379,000

Other large city: Tartu, 100,100

Monetary unit: Kroon

Languages: Estonian 67% (official), Russian 30%, other (2000)

Ethnicity/race: Estonian 67.9%, Russian 25.6%, Ukrainian 2.1%, Belorussian 1.3%, Finn 0.9%, other 2.2% (2000)

Religions: Evangelical Lutheran 14%, Russian Orthodox 13%, other Christian (including Methodist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal) 1%, unaffiliated 34%, none 6% (2001)

Literacy: 100% (2003 est.)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2005 est.): $21.92 billion; per capita $16,400. Real growth rate: 7.4%. Inflation: 4%. Unemployment: 9.2%. Arable land: 16%. Agriculture: potatoes, vegetables; livestock and dairy products; fish. Labor force: 670,000; industry 20%, agriculture 11%, services 69% (1999 est.). Industries: engineering, electronics, wood and wood products, textile; information technology, telecommunications. Natural resources: oil shale, peat, phosphorite, clay, limestone, sand, dolomite, arable land, sea mud. Exports: $7.439 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.): machinery and equipment 33%, wood and paper 15%, textiles 14%, food products 8%, furniture 7%, metals, chemical products (2001). Imports: $9.189 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.): machinery and equipment 33.5%, chemical products 11.6%, textiles 10.3%, foodstuffs 9.4%, transportation equipment 8.9% (2001). Major trading partners: Finland, Sweden, Germany, Latvia, Russia, Lithuania (2004).

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 475,000 (2002); mobile cellular: 881,000 (2002). Radio broadcast stations: AM 0, FM 98, shortwave 0 (2001). Television broadcast stations: 3 (2001). Internet hosts: 82,142 (2004). Internet users: 444,000 (2002).

Transportation: Railways: total: 968 km (2004). Highways: total: 55,944 km; paved: 13,874 km (including 99 km of expressways); unpaved: 42,070 km (2002). Waterways: 500 km (2003). Ports and harbors: Kopli, Kuivastu, Muuga, Tallinn, Virtsu. Airports: 29 (2004 est.).

International disputes: in 1996, the Estonia-Russia technical border agreement was initialed but both states have been hesitant to sign and ratify it, with Russia asserting that Estonia needs to better assimilate Russian-speakers and Estonian groups pressing for realignment of the boundary based more closely 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.

 

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