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 Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Estonia
conventional short form: Estonia
local long form: Eesti Vabariik
local short form: Eesti
former: Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic
Data code: EN
Government type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Tallinn
Administrative divisions: 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 (Kuessaare), Tartumaa (Tartu), Valgamaa (Valga), Viljandimaa (Viljandi), Vorumaa (Voru)
note: counties have the administrative center name following in parentheses
Independence: 6 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday: Independence Day, 24 February (1918)
Constitution: adopted 28 June 1992
Legal system: based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative acts
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal for all Estonian citizens
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Lennart MERI (since 5 October 1992)
head of government: Prime Minister Mart LAAR (since 29 March 1999)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister, approved by Parliament
elections: president elected by Parliament for a five-year term; if he or she does not secure two-thirds of the votes after three rounds of balloting, then an electoral assembly (made up of Parliament plus members of local governments) elects the president, choosing between the two candidates with the largest percentage of votes; election last held August-September 1996 (next to be held fall 2001); prime minister nominated by the president and approved by Parliament
election results: Lennart MERI reelected president by an electoral assembly after Parliament was unable to break a deadlock between MERI and RUUTEL; percent of electoral assembly vote - Lennart MERI 61%, Arnold RUUTEL 39%
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament or Riigikogu (101 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 7 March 1999 (next to be held NA March 2003)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Center Party 28, Union of Pro Patria (Fatherland League) 18, Reform Party 18, Moderates 17, Country People's Party (Agrarians) 7, Coalition Party 7, UPPE 6,
Judicial branch: National Court, chairman appointed by Parliament for life
Political parties and leaders: Center Party or K [Edgar SAVISAAR, chairman]; Coalition Party and Rural Union or KMU [Andrus OOVEL, chairman]; Country People's Party [Arnold RUUTEL]; Moderates or M [Andres TARAND]; Reform Party or RE [Siim KALLAS, chairman]; Union of Pro Patria or Fatherland League (Isamaaliit) [Mart LAAR, chairman]; United People's Party or UPPE [Viktor ANDREJEV, chairman]
International organization participation: BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNTSO, UPU, WEU (associate partner), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Sven JURGENSON
chancery: 2131 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 588-0101
FAX: [1] (202) 588-0108
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Melissa WELLS
embassy: Kentmanni 20, Tallinn EE 0001
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [372] (6) 312-021
FAX: [372] (6) 312-025
Flag description: pre-1940 flag restored by Supreme Soviet in May 1990 - three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), black, and white
Economy
Economy - overview: In 1999, Estonia experienced its worst year economically since it regained independence in 1991 largely because of the impact of the August 1998 Russian financial crisis. Estonia joined the WTO in November 1999 - the second Baltic state to join - and continued its EU accession talks. GDP is forecast to grow 4% in 2000. Privatization of energy, telecommunications, railways, and other state-owned companies will continue in 2000. Estonia expects to complete its preparations for EU membership by the end of 2002.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $7.9 billion (1999 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: -0.5% (1999 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $5,600 (1999 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 3.6%
industry: 30.7%
services: 65.7% (1999)
Population below poverty line: 6.3% (1994 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.2%
highest 10%: 28.5% (1996)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.7% (1999 est.)
Labor force: 785,500 (1999 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: industry 20%, agriculture and forestry 11%, services 69% (1999 est.)
Unemployment rate: 11.7% (1999 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $1.37 billion
expenditures: $1.37 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.)
Industries: oil shale, shipbuilding, phosphates, electric motors, excavators, cement, furniture, clothing, textiles, paper, shoes, apparel
Industrial production growth rate: 3% (1996 est.)
Electricity - production: 8.742 billion kWh (1998)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 99.98%
hydro: 0.02%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1998)
Electricity - consumption: 7.58 billion kWh (1998)
Electricity - exports: 700 million kWh (1998)
Electricity - imports: 150 million kWh (1998)
Agriculture - products: potatoes, fruits, vegetables; livestock and dairy products; fish
Exports: $2.5 billion (f.o.b., 1999)
Exports - commodities: machinery and appliances 19%, wood products 15%, textiles 13%, food products 12%, metals 10%, chemical products 8% (1999)
Exports - partners: Sweden 19.3%, Finland 18.8%, Russia 8.8%, Latvia 8.8%, Germany 7.3%, US 2.5% (1999)
Imports: $3.4 billion (f.o.b., 1999)
Imports - commodities: machinery and appliances 26%, foodstuffs 15%, chemical products 10%, metal products 9%, textiles 8% (1999)
Imports - partners: Finland 23%, Russia 13.2%, Sweden 10%, Germany 9.1%, US 4.7 (1999)
Debt - external: $270 million (January 1996)
Economic aid - recipient: $137.3 million (1995)
Currency: 1 Estonian kroon (EEK) = 100 sents
Exchange rates: krooni (EEK) per US$1 - 15.417 (January 2000), 4.678 (1999), 14.075 (1998), 13.882 (1997), 12.034 (1996), 11.465 (1995); note - krooni are tied to the German deutsche mark at a fixed rate of 8 to 1
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 476,078 (yearend 1998)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 246,000 (yearend 1998)
Telephone system: foreign investment in the form of joint business ventures greatly improved telephone service; Internet services available throughout most of the country; about 150,000 unfilled subscriber requests
domestic: local - the Ministry of Transport and Communications is expanding cellular telephone services to form rural networks; intercity - highly developed fiber-optic backbone (double loop) system presently serving at least 16 major cities (1998)
international: fiber-optic cables to Finland, Sweden, Latvia, and Russia provide worldwide packet switched service; two international switches are located in Tallinn
Radio broadcast stations: AM 3 (all AM stations inactive since July 1998), FM 82, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios: 1.01 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 31 (plus five repeaters) (September 1995)
Televisions: 605,000 (1997)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 6 (1999)
Transportation
Railways:
total: 1,018 km common carrier lines only; does not include dedicated industrial lines
broad gauge: 1,018 km 1.520-m gauge (132 km electrified) (1995)
Highways:
total: 49,480 km
paved: 10,935 km (including 75 km of expressways)
unpaved: 38,545 km (1998 est.)
Waterways: 320 km perennially navigable
Pipelines: natural gas 420 km (1992)
Ports and harbors: Haapsalu, Kunda, Muuga, Paldiski, Parnu, Tallinn
Merchant marine:
total: 50 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 306,264 GRT/293,083 DWT
ships by type: bulk 3, cargo 20, combination bulk 1, container 5, petroleum tanker 2, roll-on/roll-off 13, short-sea passenger 6 (1999 est.)
Airports: 5 (1997 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 5
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 3 (1997 est.)
Military
Military branches: Ground Forces, Navy/Coast Guard, Air and Air Defense Force (not officially sanctioned), Maritime Border Guard, Volunteer Defense League (Kaitseliit), Security Forces (internal and border troops)
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 359,764 (2000 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 282,456 (2000 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 10,965 (2000 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $70 million (FY99)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.2% (FY99)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: Estonian and Russian negotiators reached a technical border agreement in December 1996 which has not been signed or ratified as of 1 January 2000
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for opiates and cannabis from Southwest Asia and the Caucasus via Russia, cocaine from Latin America to Western Europe and Scandinavia, and synthetic drugs from Western Europe to Scandinavia; possible precursor manufacturing and/or trafficking |
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