Branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force, National Guard, National Police
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, 81,850; 41,528 fit for military service
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GNP
:Estonia Geography
Total area:
45,100 km2
Land area:
43,200 km2; (includes 1,520 islands in the Baltic Sea)
Comparative area:
slightly larger than New Hampshire and Vermont combined
Land boundaries:
557 km; Latvia 267 km, Russia 290 km
Coastline:
1,393 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone:
NA nm
Continental shelf:
NA meter depth
Exclusive economic zone:
NA nm
Exclusive fishing zone:
NA nm
Territorial sea:
NA nm
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:
22% arable land; NA% permanent crops; 11% meadows and pastures; 31% forest
and woodland; 21% other; includes NA% irrigated; 15% swamps and lakes
Environment:
coastal waters largely polluted
:Estonia People
Population:
1,607,349 (July 1992), growth rate 0.7% (1992)
Birth rate:
16 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
12 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
3 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
25 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
65 years male, 74 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
2.3 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Estonian(s); adjective - Estonian
Ethnic divisions:
Estonian 61.5%, Russian 30.3%, Ukrainian 3.17%, Byelorussian 1.8%, Finn
1.1%, other 2.13% (1989)
Religions:
Lutheran is primary denomination
Languages:
Estonian NA% (official), Latvian NA%, Lithuanian NA%, Russian NA%, other NA%
Literacy:
NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
Labor force:
796,000; industry and construction 42%, agriculture and forestry 13%, other
45% (1990)
Organized labor:
NA
:Estonia Government
Long-form name:
Republic of Estonia
Type:
republic
Capital:
Tallinn
Administrative divisions:
none - all districts are under direct republic jurisdiction
Independence:
8 November 1917; occupied by Germany in March 1918 and restored to power in
November 1918; annexed by USSR 6 August 1940; declared independence 20
August 1991 and regained independence from USSR 6 September 1991
Constitution:
currently rewriting constitution, but readopted the constitution of 1938
Legal system:
based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative acts
National holiday:
Independence Day, 24 February (1918)
Executive branch:
prime minister
Legislative branch:
unicameral Supreme Council
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State:
Chairman, Supreme Council Arnold R'UTEL (since April 1983)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Tiit VAHI (since January 1992)
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 (ERSP), 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
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
Elections:
Congress of Estonia:
last held March 1990 (next to be held NA); note - Congress of Estonia is a
quasi-governmental structure; results - percent of vote by party NA; seats -
(495 total) number of seats by party NA
President:
last held NA 1990; (next to be held NA); results - NA
Supreme Council:
last held 18 March 1990; (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by
party NA; seats - (105 total) number of seats by party NA
Other political or pressure groups:
NA
Member of:
CSCE, IAEA, ICFTU, NACC, UN, UNCTAD
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Ernst JAAKSON, Legation of Estonia, Office of Consulate General,
9 Rockefeller Plaza, Suite 1421, New York, NY 10020; telephone (212)
247-1450
:Estonia Government
US:
Ambassador Robert C. FRASURE; Embassy at Kentmanni 20, Tallin EE 0001;
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; flag is three equal
horizontal bands of blue, black, and white
:Estonia Economy