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General Information
Country name: (conventional long form) Republic
of Estonia, (conventional short form) Estonia
Area: 45 226 sq km
Population: 1 341 664 (July 2004)
Capital: Tallinn
Population: 397 150
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)
note: counties have the administrative center name following in parentheses
Map of Administrative Divisions
Ethnic groups: Estonian 65.3%, Russian 28.1%, Ukrainian 2.5%,
Belarusian 1.5%, Finn 1%, other 1.6% (1998)
or
Ethnic groups (1998)
| Nationality | % |
| Estonian | 65.3 |
| Russian | 28.1 |
| Ukrainian | 2.5 |
| Belarusian | 1.5 |
| Finn | 1.0 |
| other | 1.6 |
Government: Parliamentary republic.
Regained independence in 1991
Head of State: President Arnold Rüütel since 2001
Head of Government: Prime Minister Juhan Parts since 2003
Language: Estonian is the official language.
Most people also speak Russian, which is the mother tongue of
around 30% of the population
Religion: Evangelical Lutheran, Russian Orthodox,
Estonian Orthodox, Baptist, Methodist, Seventh-Day Adventist,
Roman Catholic
Time Zone: GMT/UTC +2
Electricity: 230V, 50Hz
Weights & measures: Metric
Visas: Estonia requires visas from all nationalities
except citizens of most northern, central and eastern European countries, Australia,
New Zealand, Japan and the USA
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Economy
Estonia, as a new member of the World Trade Organization, is steadily
moving toward a modern market economy with increasing ties to the West,
including the pegging of its currency to the euro. The economy benefits
from strong electronics and telecommunications sectors.
The economy is greatly influenced by developments in Finland, Sweden,
Russia, and Germany, four major trading partners. The high current account
deficit remains a concern. However, the state budget enjoyed a surplus
of $130 million in 2003
Gross Domestic Product (GDP)composition by sector:
agriculture 5.2%, industry 29.3%, services 65.5% (2002)
Labor force(by occupation): industry 20%,
agriculture 11%, services 69% (1999)
Unemployment rate: 5.5% (June 2003)
Industries: engineering, electronics, wood and
wood products, textile, information technology, telecommunications
Agriculture - products: potatoes, vegetables;
livestock and dairy products; fish
Exports - commodities: machinery and equipment 33%,
wood and paper 15%, textiles 14%, food products 8%, furniture 7%, metals,
chemical products (2001)
Exports - partners: Finland 20.4%, Sweden 12.4%,
Russia 10%, Germany 8.3%, Latvia 7.7%, UK 4.2%, Lithuania 4.1% (2002)
Imports - commodities:machinery and equipment 33.5%,
chemical products 11.6%, textiles 10.3%, foodstuffs 9.4%, transportation
equipment 8.9% (2001)
Imports - partners: Finland 15.6%, Russia 12%,
Germany 11.1%, Sweden 8.4%, China 4.6%, Italy 4.1% (2002)
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Money
Currency:The national currency of the Republic of
Estonia is the kroon (ekr) consisting of 100 sents. At present, banknotes with
nominal values of 500, 100, 50, 25, 10, 5, 2 and 1 ekr, as well as coins with
nominal values of 50, 20, 10 and 5 sents and 1 and 5 ekr are in circulation
Currency exchange: All major currencies can be exchanged
at banks and bureaux de change. The value of the Kroon has been tied to the Euro
Exchange rate indicators: £1.00=22.622 ekr,
$1.00=12.395 ekr
Website:
http://www.eestipank.info/dynamic/erp/erp_en.jsp
Banking hours: Mon-Fri 09.00-16.00, Sat 09.00-15.00;
hours may vary
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History
Centuries of struggle to retain its
identity and achieve independent statehood are the hallmark of Estonia's
history. Human habitation in the area dates back to at least 7500 BC, but
the first forebears of the present inhabitants were Finno-Ugric hunters who
probably arrived between 3000 and 2000 BC.
The region was dragged kicking and screaming into written history by the
Drang nach Osten (urge to the east) of Germanic princes, colonists and
traders in the 13th century, and Estonia soon fell under foreign rule, a
dark period in the country's history that was to span seven centuries.
Germanic dominance was soon supplanted by Lithuanian hegemony, in
partnership with Poland, which lasted some three centuries until Polish
influence began to dominate in the 16th century. Then followed a
protracted tussle, during which Germanic groups, Swedes, Russians and
Prussians exerted their influence - and ambitions - on the region. By the
end of the 19th century, the Russians were the dominant power, but rising
nationalism and a policy of Russification made them increasingly
unpopular.
The fight to emerge as an independent nation seemed to have been won in
1920 when Soviet Russia signed a peace treaty with the parliamentary
republic of Estonia, recognising its independence in perpetuity. But,
caught between the ascendant Soviet Union and expansionist Nazi Germany,
Estonia soon lapsed from democracy into authoritarianism, and prime
minister Konstantin Pats took over as dictator in 1934.
The Nazi-Soviet non-aggression pact of 1939 secretly placed Estonia under
the Soviet sphere of influence and the Soviet authorities began
nationalisation and purges that saw up to 60 000 Estonians killed,
deported or forced to flee. That's why some Estonians mistakenly saw Adolf
Hitler's troops as liberators when they invaded the USSR and occupied the
Baltic states in 1941.
Estonia lost around 200 000 people during WWII and lost its independence
yet again. The Soviet reoccupation of 1944 ushered in a period of
Stalinism highlighted by the collectivisation of agriculture and the
killing or deporting of thousands of Estonians.
But throughout the decades of Soviet domination, Estonians still hoped for
freedom. In the late 1980s Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev gave substance
to their hopes and a mixture of pent-up bitterness and national feelings
fuelled mass demands for self-rule. In 1988 huge numbers of people
gathered in Estonia to sing previously banned national songs in what
became known as the Singing Revolution. An estimated 300 000 attended one
song gathering in Tallinn.
In November 1988, Estonia's supreme soviet passed a declaration of
sovereignty; in August 1989, 2 million people formed a human chain
stretching from Tallinn to the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius, many of them
calling for secession. In August 1991 Estonia declared full independence,
and the following month the country joined the United Nations and began to
consolidate its new-found nationhood.
A protracted border dispute with Russia eased in 1997 with the signing of
an agreement that remains unratified. Estonia became the first Baltic
country to start direct accession talks with the EU in 1998 and much to
the delight of its politicians, this has been confirmed to take place in
2004, pending a majority approval referendum.
Estonia acceded to the EU in May 2004 and to NATO in the summer of 2004.
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Culture
Estonia's
native folklore survived centuries of foreign domination thanks
largely to a rich oral tradition of songs, verses and chants on subjects
like the seasonal cycle, farming the land, family life, love and myths.
The oldest Estonian song type, going back to the first millennium BC, is
the runic chant, based on lines of 8 syllables with a theme gradually
developing from line to line.
Modern Estonian literature began in the early 19th century with the poems
of Kristjan Jaak Peterson. The national epic poem, Kalevipoeg (Son of
Kalev), was written in the mid-19th century by Freidrich Reinhold
Kreutzwald. The giant of 20th century Estonian literature is novelist
Anton Hansen Tammsaare. Novelist Jan Kross and poet Jaan Kaplinski have
recently received international acclaim.
Like Finnish, Estonian is a Finno-Ugric language, which sets it apart from
Latvian, Lithuanian and Russian (all members of the Indo-European language
family). It's a very Nordic-sounding language with lots of deep 'oos' and
'uus'. Lutheranism and Orthodoxy are the main religions, but only a
minority of Estonians profess any religious beliefs.
Smoked fish, especially trout (suitsukala) is an Estonian speciality and,
when it comes to sausages, you can be excused for thinking that the
country caters more to vampires than vegetarians. At Christmas time,
sausages are prepared from fresh blood and wrapped in pig's intestine.
Blood sausages (verevorst) and blood pancakes (vere pannkoogid) are served
in most traditional Estonian restaurants.
No one quite knows what the syrupy Vana Tallinn liqueur is made from. It's
sickly sweet, very strong and an essential part of any Estonian table.
It's best served in coffee, over ice with milk or, if you feel up to it,
with champagne. Estonia's best beers are the light Saku beer and the
heavier Saare beer from the island of Saaremaa.
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Environment
Estonia is the
northernmost and smallest of the Baltic states - it's about
the size of Switzerland. It borders Russia on the east and Latvia on the
south. To the west are the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Riga, and the Gulf
of Finland lies to the north. Helsinki is just 80 km (50mi) away across
the Gulf of Finland; St.Petersburg is 320km (200mi) east of Tallinn,
Estonia's capital, which is on the northwestern coast.
Given that the country's pretty flat, you can see a lot of it from the
highest point - the 317m (1040ft) Suur Munamagi, in the southeast -
without getting a nosebleed. Lake Peipsi, on the Estonian-Russia border,
is the 4th largest in Europe at 3500 sq km (1400 sq mi). Islands make up
nearly 10% of Estonia's territory; the biggest are Saaremaa and Hiiumaa,
both off the western coast. Forests cover nearly half the country, and
about a quarter of Estonia is wetland - some of the peat bogs are 6m
(20ft) deep.
Estonia's rich flora includes 1470 varieties of indigenous plants, while
its fauna features thriving populations of large European mammals, among
them roe deer and elk. Estonia also has 10 species of rare and protected
amphibians. A number of large raptors, including golden eagle (250 pairs),
white tailed eagle, spotted eagle and eagle owl are protected, as is the
rare black stork. One of the unique sights of the Estonian forest is the
European flying squirrel.
The climate is on the cool and damp side of temperate, verging on
continental as you move inland where, in winter, it can be a few degrees
colder than the coast or, in summer, a few degrees warmer. Winters are
fairly severe. The waters around Hiiumaa and Saaremaa Islands freeze over
in mid-January and usually don't thaw for 3 months, during which time the
entire country is covered in snow. Rain is heaviest in September and
lightest in spring.
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Geology
Geological structure.
The territory of Estonia is located in the northwest of East European platform
on the southern slope of Baltic shield and on the Baltic syneclise slope.
Crustal thickness is approximately 50 km, which is characteristic of ancient
stable platforms.
The Earth’s crust comprises the crystalline basement and the sedimentary
cover. The crystalline basement of the platform, which occurs at a depth of
110 m in the north and 600 m in the south, is composed of strongly dislocated
Archean and Proterozoic gneiss, migmatite, crystalline schist, quartzite, and
granite formed more than 1.5 milliard years ago.
The sedimentary cover rocks show monoclinic bedding. Sand, aleurolite, and
clay of the overall thickness of up to 240 m were deposited in the Vendian and
Cambrian (650 – 500 million years ago); the lower part of Ordovician deposits is
represented by sandstone and schist. Limestone, marl, and dolomites of the total
thickness of 500 m accumulated in the Ordovician and Silurian (480 – 400 million
years ago), and combustible oil shale accumulated in the Middle Ordovician. Devonian
sediments formed approximately 400 – 350 million years ago are represented by
variegated cross-grained sandstone alternating with aleurolite, clay and marl.
In the extreme southeast, Upper Devonian limestone overlie terrigenous deposits of
the Lower and Middle Devonian.Quaternary deposits overlie the uneven surface of
Paleozoic formations, which for the major part are represented by glacial and f
luvioglacial types (moraine, gravel, sand and others) as well as marine, lacustrine
and alluvial deposits of a thickness ranging from several meters in the north
to several tens of meters in the south.
Geological Map
Geological crustal section across Baltic countries
Natural resources.
Combustive oil shale is the most significant useful mineral for
Estonia. For the first time oil shale was discovered in Estonia about 200 years ago,
but only 150 years later the oil shale started to be used as fuel and raw material
to produce oil and gasoline. Schist reserves amount to 10.8 milliard tons.
Commercial schistocity is located on the southern slope of Baltic shield and
is related to clayey limestone of the Middle Ordovician. Besides combustive
schist, phosphorite whose prospected commercial reserves amount to 500 million
tons) construction materials (limestone, dolomite, gravel, sand, clay, glass stone,
calcareous tuff, peat, and sapropel are noted.
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Getting Around
Large towns (with population):
Tallinn (397 150), Tartu (101 190), Narva (67 752), Kohtla-Jarve (46 765),Parnu
(44 781). The last population census was held in 2000
Driving is the best means of getting around Estonia. The roads are good,
traffic is light and nothing's very far from anything else. There are
major rental agencies in Tallinn. You'll need a passport and either an
International Driving Permit or, if a European citizen, a regular licence.
Drive on the right.
If you don't mind taking your time to get around, Estonia has good bus and
train services. Since the terrain is flat, bicycling is another excellent
way to see the countryside, at least in summer. The islands are especially
good for cycling.
Domestic air travel is expensive. Baltic Aeroservis links Tallinn with the
island destinations of Kuressaare, while charter flights
operate between Tartu and Tallinn.
You can get around the larger towns and cities via a variety of trams and
buses, although both get frighteningly crowded. Taxis are plentiful and
cheap.
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Accommodation
Hotels:
Estonia enjoys an adequate range of acceptable accommodation, left over from the
pre-independence days or built by Estonian entrepreneurs, including large hotels
and smaller pension-type establishments
Website: http://www.ehrl.ee
Camping:
There are over 80 campsites in Estonia. The most popular include: Camping & Motel
Peoleo, 12km (7.5 miles) south of Tallinn; Camping Valgerand in Pärnu; and
Camping Malvaste on Hiiumaa Island. Standards are improving, though not yet as
high as in Western European countries
Rural Accommodation:
The Estonian Rural Tourism Association provides accommodation in the countryside
across Estonia, from farm-stays to local bed & breakfasts
Website:http://www.maaturism.ee
Youth Hostels:
Website: http://www.baltichostels.net/eyha.html
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Further Reading
- Raimo Pullat. Brief History of Tallinn. Estopol Ltd., 1998, 176 pages, In English.
- Functionalism in estonia. Tallinn, 2002, 156 pages, In English and Estonian.
- Grigialis A.A. et al. The geological structure and oil and gas presence of Baltic
countries. Nedra, Moscow, 1970.
- Geological map of Eurasia. NILZarubezhgeologia, Moscow, 1972.
- Map of Estonia. Folded road map of Estonia. Scale: 1:500 000. Relevant tourist
information included. Jana Seta, 2001.
- Baltic States and Kaliningrad region Road Atlas. Road atlas of the Baltic
states and Kaliningrad. 72 city and town plans and place name index is included.
Jana Seta, 152 pages.
- Helme S., Kangilaski Luhike J. Short History of Estonian Art/Luhike Eesti Kunsti
Ajalugu. Kunst, 1999, 302 pages, In Estonian.
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