Access to THE WORLD FACTBOOK 1993 provided courtesy of The Libraries of the University of Missouri-St. Louis Match 76 DB Rec# - 55,823 Dataset-WOFACT Source :CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY Source key :CI Program :WORLD FACTBOOK Program key :CI WOFACT Update sched. :Annually ID number :CI WOFACT 075 Title :ESTONIA Data type :TEXT End year :1994 Date of record:02/16/1994 Keywords 3 : | ESTONIA Text : ESTONIA GEOGRAPHY Location: Northeastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Sweden and Russia Map references: Arctic Region, Asia, Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World Area: total area: 45,100 km2 land area: 43,200 km2 comparative area: slightly larger than New Hampshire and Vermont combined note: includes 1,520 islands in the Baltic Sea Land boundaries: total 557 km, Latvia 267 km, Russia 290 km Coastline: 1,393 km territorial sea: 12 nm International disputes: international small border strips along the northern (Narva) and southern (Petseri) sections of eastern border with Russia ceded to Russia in 1945 by the Estonian SSR Climate: maritime, wet, moderate winters Terrain: marshy, lowlands Natural resources: shale oil, peat, phosphorite, amber Land use: arable land: 22% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 11% other: 36% Irrigated land: 110 km2 (1990) Environment: air heavily polluted with sulphur dioxide from oil-shale burning power plants in northeast; radioactive wastes dumped in open reservoir in Sillamae, a few dozen meters from Baltic Sea; contamination of soil and ground water with petroleum products, chemicals at military bases PEOPLE Population: 1,608,469 (July 1993 est.) Population growth rate: 0.52% (1993 est.) Birth rate: 14.05 births/1,000 population (1993 est.) Death rate: 12.13 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.) Net migration rate: 3.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.) Infant mortality rate: 19.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 69.75 years male: 64.75 years female: 74.99 years (1993 est.) Total fertility rate: 2.01 children born/woman (1993 est.) Nationality: noun: Estonian(s) adjective: Estonian Ethnic divisions: Estonian 61.5%, Russian 30.3%, Ukrainian 3.17%, Belarusian 1.8%, Finn 1.1%, other 2.13% (1989) Religions: Lutheran Languages: Estonian (official), Latvian, Lithuanian, Russian, other Literacy: age 9-49 can read and write (1970) total population: 100% male: 100% female: 100% Labor force: 796,000 by occupation: industry and construction 42%, agriculture and forestry 20%, other 38% (1990) 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 Digraph: EN Type: republic Capital: Tallinn Administrative divisions: none (all districts are under direct republic jurisdiction) Independence: 6 September 1991 (from Soviet Union) Constitution: adopted 28 June 1992 Legal system: based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative acts National holiday: Independence Day, 24 February (1918) Political parties and leaders: Popular Front of Estonia (Rahvarinne), NA chairman; Estonian Christian Democratic Party, Aivar KALA, chairman; Estonian Christian Democratic Union, Illar HALLASTE, chairman; Estonian Heritage Society (EMS), Trivimi VELLISTE, chairman; Estonian National Independence Party (ENIP), Lagle PAREK, chairman; Estonian Social Democratic Party, Marju LAURISTIN, chairman; Estonian Green Party, Tonu OJA; Independent Estonian Communist Party, Vaino VALJAS; People's Centrist Party, Edgar SAVISAAR, chairman; Estonian Royalist Party (ERP), Kalle KULBOK, chairman; Entrpreneurs' Party (EP), Tiit MADE; Estonian Fatherland Party, Mart LAAR, chairman; Safe Home; Moderates; Estonian Citizen Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Elections: President: last held 20 September 1992; (next to be held NA); results - no candidate received majority; newly elected Parliament elected Lennart MERI (NA October 1992) Parliament: last held 20 September 1992; (next to be held NA); results - Fatherland 21%, Safe Home 14%, Popular Front 13%, Moderates 10%, Estonian National Independence Party 8%, Royalists 7%, Estonian Citizen 7%, Estonian Entrepreneurs 2%, other 18%; seats - (101 total) Fatherland 29, Safe Home 18, Popular Front 15, Moderates 12, ENIP 10, Royalists 8, Estonian Citizen 8, Estonian Entrepreneurs 1 Congress of Estonia: last held March 1990 (next to be held NA); note - Congress of Estonia was a quasi-governmental structure which disbanded itself Executive branch: president, prime minister, cabinet Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (Riigikogu) Judicial branch: Supreme Court Leaders: Chief of State: President Lennart MERI (since NA October 1992) Head of Government: Prime Minister Mart LAAR (since NA October 1992) Member of: CBSS, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ILO, IMF, IMO, NACC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Toomas Hendrik IIVES chancery: (temporary) 630 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2415, New York, NY 10111 telephone: (212) 247-2131 consulate general: New York US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Robert C. FRASURE embassy: Kentmanni 20, Tallin EE 0001 mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: 011- 358 (49) 303-182 (cellular) FAX: 358 (49) 306-817 (cellular) note: dialing to Baltics still requires use of an international operator unless you use the cellular phone lines Flag: pre-1940 flag restored by Supreme Soviet in May 1990 - three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), black, and white ECONOMY Overview: As of June 1993 Estonia ranks first among the 15 former Soviet republics in moving from its obsolete command economy to a modern market economy. Yet serious problems remain. In contrast to the estimated 30% drop in output in 1992, GDP should grow by a small percent in 1993. Of key importance has been the introduction of the kroon in August 1993 and the subsequent reductions in inflation to 1%-2% per month. Starting in July 1991, under a new law on private ownership, small enterprises, such as retail shops and restaurants, were sold to private owners. The auctioning of large-scale enterprises is progressing with the proceeds being held in escrow until the prior ownership (that is, Estonian or the Commonwealth of Independent States) can be established. Estonia ranks first in per capita consumption among the former Soviet republics. Agriculture is well developed, especially meat production, and provides a surplus for export. Only about one-fifth of the work force is in agriculture. The major share of the work force engages in manufactures are of high quality by ex-Soviet standards and are exported to the other republics. Estonia's mineral resources are limited to major deposits of shale oil (60% of the old Soviet total) and phosphorites (400 million tons). Estonia has a large, relatively modern port and produces more than half of its own energy needs at highly polluting shale oil power plants. It has advantages in the transition, not having suffered so long under the Soviet yoke and having better chances of developing profitable ties to the Nordic and West European countries. Like Latvia, but unlike Lithuania, the large portion of ethnic Russians (30%) in the population poses still another difficulty in the transition to an independent market economy. National product: GDP $NA National product real growth rate: -30% (1992 est.) National product per capita: $NA Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1%-2% per month (first quarter 1993) Unemployment rate: 3% (March 1993); but large number of underemployed workers Budget: revenues $223 million; expenditures $142 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992) Exports: $NA commodities: textile 11%, wood products and timber 9%, dairy products 9% partners: Russia and the other former Soviet republics 50%, West 50% (1992) Imports: $NA commodities: machinery 45%, oil 13%, chemicals 12% partners: Finland 15%, Russia 18% External debt: $650 million (end of 1991) Industrial production: growth rate -40% (1992) Electricity: 3,700,000 kW capacity; 22,900 million kWh produced, 14,245 kWh per capita (1992) Industries: accounts for 30% of labor force; oil shale, shipbuilding, phosphates, electric motors, excavators, cement, furniture, clothing, textiles, paper, shoes, apparel Agriculture: employs 20% of work force; very efficient; net exports of meat, fish, dairy products, and potatoes; imports of feedgrains for livestock; fruits and vegetables Illicit drugs: transshipment point for illicit drugs from Central and Southwest Asia to Western Europe; limited illicit opium producer; mostly for domestic production Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (1992), $10 million Exchange rates: kroons (EEK) per US$1 - 12 (January 1993) Fiscal year: calendar year COMMUNICATIONS Railroads: 1,030 km (includes NA km electrified); does not include industrial lines (1990) Highways: 30,300 km total (1990); 29,200 km hard surfaced; 1,100 km earth Inland waterways: 500 km perennially navigable Pipelines: natural gas 420 km (1992) Ports: coastal - Tallinn, Novotallin, Parnu; inland - Narva Merchant marine: 68 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 394,501 GRT/526,502 DWT; includes 52 cargo, 6 roll-on/roll-off, 2 short-sea passenger, 6 bulk, 2 container Airports: total: 29 useable: 18 with permanent-surface runways: 11 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 10 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 8 Telecommunications: 300,000 telephone subscribers in 1990 with international direct dial service available to Finland, Germany, Austria, UK and France; 21 telephone lines per 100 persons as of 1991; broadcast stations - 3 TV (provide Estonian programs as well as Moscow Ostenkino's first and second programs); international traffic is carried to the other former USSR republics by landline or microwave and to other countries by leased connection to the Moscow international gateway switch via 19 incoming/20 outgoing international channels, by the Finnish cellular net, and by an old copper submarine cable to Finland soon to be replaced by an undersea fiber optic cable system; there is also a new international telephone exchange in Tallinn handling 60 channels via Helsinki; 2 analog mobile cellular networks with international roaming capability to Scandinavia are operating in major cities Defense forces Branches: Ground Forces, Maritime Border Guard, National Guard (Kaitseliit), Security Forces (internal and border troops) Manpower availability: males age 15-49 387,733; fit for military service 306,056; reach military age (18) annually 11,570 (1993 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 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- This section of THE WORLD FACTBOOK 1993 produced by the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was derived from the US Dept. of Commerce Economics and Statistics Division's NATIONAL TRADE DATA BANK CD-ROM, July, 1994, SuDoc No. C 1.88:994/7/v.1-2 / R. Muns, UM-St. Louis Libraries Local Filename: WF940074.TXT