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Country information - Estonia The oldest known settlement in Estonia was located on the Pärnu River, near the town of Sindi (Pulli settlement, by village Pulli - on right bank of Pärnu River). It dates back to the middle of the 8th millennium BC. Estonia was first Christianized when the German "Livonian Brothers of the Sword" and Denmark conquered the land by 1227. Subsequent foreign powers that controlled Estonia at various times included Denmark, Sweden, Poland and finally Russia. Following the collapse of Imperial Russia after the October Revolution, Estonia declared itself an independent republic on February 24, 1918. In 1940 Estonia was forcibly incorporated into the USSR. With the collapse of the Soviet Union it regained its freedom in 1991. Since the last Russian troops left in 1994, Estonia has been free to promote economic and political ties with Western Europe. It joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004. Estonia includes 1,520 islands in the Baltic Sea. Geography Estonia Location Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Finland, between Latvia and Russia Area total: 45,226 sq km Land 43,211 sq km Water 2,015 sq km Land boundaries total: 633 km Border countries Latvia 339 km, Russia 294 km Coastline 3,794 km Climate maritime, wet, moderate winters, cool summers Terrain marshy, lowlands; flat in the north, hilly in the south Elevation extremes lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m highest point Suur Munamagi 318 m Natural resources oil shale, peat, phosphorite, clay, limestone, sand, dolomite, arable land, sea mud Land use arable land: 16.04% Natural hazards sometimes flooding occurs in the spring. partly wooded; offshore lie more than 1,500 islands People Estonia Population 1,332,893 Nationality noun: Estonian(s) Adjective Estonian Ethnic groups Estonian 67.9%, Russian 25.6%, Ukrainian 2.1%, Belarusian 1.3%, Finn 0.9%, other 2.2% Religions Evangelical Lutheran 13.6%, Orthodox 12.8%, other Christian (including Methodist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal) 1.4%, unaffiliated 34.1%, other and unspecified 32%, none 6.1% Languages Estonian (official) 67.3%, Russian 29.7%, other 2.3%, unknown 0.7% Government Estonia 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 Government type parliamentary republic 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 (Kuressaare), Tartumaa (Tartu), Valgamaa (Valga), Viljandimaa (Viljandi), Vorumaa (Voru) Independence 20 August 1991 (from Soviet Union) National holiday Independence Day, 24 February (1918); note - 24 February 1918 is the date Estonia declared its independence from Soviet Russia; 20 August 1991 is the date it declared its independence from the Soviet Union 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 Arnold RUUTEL (since 8 October 2001) Head of government Prime Minister Andrus Ansip (since 12 April 2005) Cabinet Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister, approved by Parliament Elections president elected by Parliament for a five-year term; if a candidate does not secure two-thirds of the votes after three rounds of balloting in the Parliament, 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 21 September 2001 (next to be held in the fall of 2006); prime minister nominated by the president and approved by Parliament Legislative branch unicameral Parliament or Riigikogu (101 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections last held 2 March 2003 (next to be held NA March 2007) Judicial branch National Court (chairman appointed by Parliament for life) Flag description pre-1940 flag restored by Supreme Soviet in May 1990 - three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), black, and white Economy Estonia Estonia, as a new member of the World Trade Organization and the European Union, has transitioned effectively to a modern market economy with strong ties to the West, including the pegging of its currency to the euro. As a member of the European Union, Estonia is part of the world's largest economic zone. 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. With assistance from the European Union, the World Bank and the Nordic Bank, Estonia completed most of its preparations for EU membership by the end of 2002 and now has one of the strongest economies of the new member states of the European Union, which Estonia joined on 1 May 2004. The Estonian economy is growing fast, partly due to a number of Scandinavian companies relocating their routine operations and Russian oil transit using Estonian ports. Estonia has a strong information technology (IT) sector. The Estonian government is intending to adopt the Euro as the country's currency on 1 January 2007. Labor force 670,000 Labor force - by occupation agriculture 11%, industry 20%, services 69% Unemployment rate 9.2% Population below poverty line NA Household income by percentage share lowest 10%: 3%, highest 10%: 29.8% Agriculture - products potatoes, vegetables; livestock and dairy products; fish Industries engineering, electronics, wood and wood products, textile; information technology, telecommunications Currency (code) Estonian kroon (EEK) Transportation Estonia Airports 29 Airports - with paved runways total: 12 Airports - with unpaved runways total: 14 Heliports 1 Pipelines gas 859 km) Railways total: 958 km Roadways total: 56,849 km Paved 13,303 km (including 99 km of expressways) Unpaved 45,546 km Waterways 500 km Ports and terminals Kopli, Kuivastu, Muuga, Tallinn, Virtsu

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