Estonia

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Estonia's Information


Capital	Tallinn
Languages	Estonian (official) 68.5%, Russian 29.6%, Ukrainian 0.6%, other 1.2%, unspecified 0.1% (2011 est.)
Ethnic Groups	Estonian 68.7%, Russian 24.8%, Ukrainian 1.7%, Belarusian 1%, Finn 0.6%, other 1.6%, unspecified 1.6% (2011 est.)
Religion	Lutheran 9.9%, Orthodox 16.2%, other Christian (including Methodist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal) 2.2%, other 0.9%, none 54.1%, unspecified 16.7% (2011 est.)
Government	Parliamentary republic
Independance	20 August 1991 (declared); 6 September 1991 (recognized by the Soviet Union)
Area	45,228.00 km²
Water Area	2,840.00 km²
Land Area	42,388.00 km²
Population	1,258,545.00 A fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations
Location	Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Finland, between Latvia and Russia
No. Bordering Countries	2
Bordering Countries	Latvia 333 km, Russia 324 km
GDP(PPP)	$38,930,000,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$29,500.00 (USD)
Export Partners	Its major export partners are Sweden, Finland, Latvia, and Russia.
Export Commodities	Its main exports are machinery and electrical equipment, as well as food products and beverages.
Import Partners	Its major import partners are Finland, Germany, and Lithuania.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include machinery and electrical equipment, mineral fuels, food, and food products.
Climate	Maritime; wet, moderate winters, cool summers
Terrain	Marshy, lowlands; flat in the north, hilly in the south

Where is Estonia?

Located in Eastern Europe, Estonia has a 657.00 km border with Latvia (333 km) and Russia (324 km). It has a 3,794.00 km coastline. In 2005, Russia and Estonia signed a techical border agreement.

The capital city of Estonia is Tallinn which is located on the northern coast of the country. Its port location attracted many businesses as early as the 13th century and particularly as part of the Hesiatic League up to the 16th Century, leading to significant growth. It officially became the capital in 1920 after Soviet Russia signed the Tartu Peace Treaty thereby acknowledging the country’s independence. It has the highest population in the country owing mostly to the constant movement of people in search of better opportunities into the capital. Its well-preserved history and architecture make it an attractive tourist destination. Its Old Town is recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The city experiences a warm-summer continental climate.

Geography

Estonia has a mean elevation of 61 m above sea level.

It has a martime climate with wet, moderate winters and cool summers. Its terrain is marshy and flat in the north, with some hills in the south.

Population

Estonia has a population of 1,258,545 making it the 157th largest in the world. The population of the country is pretty fairly distributed.

Estonian is the official language. The major ethnic group is Estonian, followed by Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian. The majority of the population identifies as non-religious.

The Estonian language has been Estonia’s official language since 1991, when the country became independent. There are 23 letters in the Estonian alphabet. Besides Estonian, there are other regional languages in the country. These languages are Võro, mainly spoken in the southeastern part; Seto, mainly concentrated along the border between Estonia and Russia; Mulgi, and Tartu. Out of the country’s population, approximately 68.7% speak Estonian, 22% use German, 29.7% are Russian speakers, 3% speak Ukrainian, 2% Belarusian, and 1% Hebrew. Due to Estonian’s close association with Finnish, it is sometimes possible for the speakers of these languages to understand each other to some degree although there are scenarios where one word means two different things in both the languages. Minority languages in Estonia are Swedish, Russian, German, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Hebrew, and the Estonian sign language.

Government

Estonia is an independent country. It declared its independence in 1991. Its constitution was last ratified in 1992.

The Government of Estonia is a representative parliamentary republic, whereby the prime minister is the head of government. The parliament elects the president for a five-year term. Stenbock House is the official name of the government house in Estonia. The well-designed house is in Tallinn, the capital city. A candidate may be elected as president for two consecutive five-year terms after garnering more than two-thirds majority of the full assembly. Also, the president appoints the prime minister to lead the government.

Economy

Factoring in Purchasing Power Parity, Estonia's GDP is $38,930,000,000.00 (USD) with $29,500.00 (USD) per capita. This makes it the 116th largest economy and its citizens the 61st richest in the world. The currency of Estonia is the Euro (EUR).

Its major export partners are Sweden, Finland, Latvia, and Russia. Its main exports are machinery and electrical equipment, as well as food products and beverages. Its major import partners are Finland, Germany, and Lithuania. Its major imports include machinery and electrical equipment, mineral fuels, food, and food products.

Flag

The current flag of Estonia was originally adopted on November 21, 1918, after Estonia became an independent state. Russia prohibited the use of the flag in June 1940. On August 7, 1990, the Estonian flag was re-adopted and flown as a symbol of independence. The blue color represents the sky, sea, and lakes as well as devotion, loyalty, and faith. The black represents the dark past of suffering, the soil of the country, as well as a black jacket worn by an Estonian man. The white color represents striving towards virtue and enlightenment. The Estonian Student Association was responsible for restoring the country’s traditions and was instrumental in designing the current national flag of the country. The Russian empire and the Soviet Union used other versions of the flag. Currently, Estonia has three other flags in addition to the national flag.