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Communications

Airports [time series]

NA total, NA usable; NA with permanent-surface runways; NA with runways over 3,659 m; NA with runways 2,440-3,659 m; NA with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air [time series]

NA major transport aircraft

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

30,300 km total (1990); 29,200 km hard surfaced; 1,100 km earth

Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]

500 km perennially navigable

Merchant marine [time series]

65 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 386,634 GRT/516,866 DWT; includes 51 cargo, 6 roll-on/roll-off, 2 short-sea passenger, 6 bulk

Pipelines [time series]

crude oil NA km, refined products NA km, natural gas NA km

Ports [time series]

maritime - Tallinn, Parnu; inland - Narva

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

1,030 km (includes NA km electrified); does not include industrial lines (1990)

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

telephone diversity - NA; 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, by the Finnish cellular net, and by an old copper submarine cable to Finland

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Republic Security Forces (internal and border troops), National Guard; Russian Forces (Ground, Navy, Air, Air Defense, and Border Guard)

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

$NA, NA% of GDP

Manpower availability [time series]

males 15-49, total mobilized force projected 120,000-130,000; NA fit for military service; between 10,000-12,000 reach military age (18) annually

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

employs 20% of work force; very efficient; net exports of meat, fish, dairy products, and potatoes; imports feedgrains for livestock; fruits and vegetables

Budget [time series]

revenues $NA million; expenditures $NA million, including capital expenditures of $NA million

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

kroon; to be introduced in 1992

Economic aid [time series]

US commitments, including Ex-Im (1992), $10 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-86), $NA million; Communist countries (1971-86), $NA million

Electricity [time series]

3,305,000 kW capacity; 17,200 million kWh produced, 10,865 kWh per capita (1990)

Exchange rates [time series]

Exports [time series]

$186 million (f.o.b., 1990) commodities: machinery 30%, food 17%, chemicals 11%, electric power 9% partners: Russia 50%, other former Soviet republics 30%, Ukraine 15%, West 5%

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$650 million (end of 1991)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

$NA billion, per capita $NA; real growth rate -11% (1992)

Illicit drugs [time series]

transshipment point for illicit drugs from Central and Southwest Asia to Western Europe

Imports [time series]

$1.2 billion (c.i.f., 1990) commodities: machinery 45%, oil 13%, chemicals 12% partners: NA

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate -9% (1991)

Industries [time series]

accounts for 30% of labor force; oil shale, shipbuilding, phosphates, electric motors, excavators, cement, furniture, clothing, textiles, paper, shoes, apparel

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

approximately 200% (1991)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

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 now in progress 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 manufacturing both capital and consumer goods based on raw materials and intermediate products from the other former Soviet republics. These 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 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. Like the other 14 successor republics, Estonia is suffering through a difficult transitional period - between a collapsed command economic structure and a still-to-be-built market structure. 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.

Unemployment rate [time series]

NA%

Geography

Climate [time series]

maritime, wet, moderate winters

Coastline [time series]

1,393 km

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly larger than New Hampshire and Vermont combined

Disputes - international (Disputes) [time series]

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

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

coastal waters largely polluted

Area (Land area) [time series]

43,200 km2; (includes 1,520 islands in the Baltic Sea)

Land boundaries [time series]

557 km; Latvia 267 km, Russia 290 km

Land use [time series]

22% arable land; NA% permanent crops; 11% meadows and pastures; 31% forest and woodland; 21% other; includes NA% irrigated; 15% swamps and lakes

Maritime claims [time series]

Contiguous zone: NA nm Continental shelf: NA meter depth Exclusive economic zone: NA nm Exclusive fishing zone: NA nm Territorial sea: NA nm

Natural resources [time series]

shale oil, peat, phosphorite, amber

Terrain [time series]

marshy, lowlands

Area (Total area) [time series]

45,100 km2

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

none - all districts are under direct republic jurisdiction

Capital [time series]

Tallinn

Constitution [time series]

currently rewriting constitution, but readopted the constitution of 1938

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

Ambassador Ernst JAAKSON, Legation of Estonia, Office of Consulate General, 9 Rockefeller Plaza, Suite 1421, New York, NY 10020; telephone (212) 247-1450 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

Executive branch (Elections) [time series]

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

Executive branch [time series]

prime minister

Flag [time series]

pre-1940 flag restored by Supreme Soviet in May 1990; flag is three equal horizontal bands of blue, black, and white

Independence [time series]

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

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court

Executive branch (Leaders) [time series]

Chief of State: Chairman, Supreme Council Arnold R'UTEL (since April 1983) Head of Government: Prime Minister Tiit VAHI (since January 1992)

Legal system [time series]

based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative acts

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral Supreme Council

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

Republic of Estonia

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

CSCE, IAEA, ICFTU, NACC, UN, UNCTAD

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 24 February (1918)

Political parties (Other political or pressure groups) [time series]

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

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 [time series]

universal at age 18

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic

People

Birth rate [time series]

16 births/1,000 population (1992)

Death rate [time series]

12 deaths/1,000 population (1992)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

Estonian 61.5%, Russian 30.3%, Ukrainian 3.17%, Byelorussian 1.8%, Finn 1.1%, other 2.13% (1989)

Infant mortality rate [time series]

25 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Labor force [time series]

796,000; industry and construction 42%, agriculture and forestry 13%, other 45% (1990)

Languages [time series]

Estonian NA% (official), Latvian NA%, Lithuanian NA%, Russian NA%, other NA%

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

65 years male, 74 years female (1992)

Literacy [time series]

NA% (male NA%, female NA%)

Nationality [time series]

noun - Estonian(s); adjective - Estonian

Net migration rate [time series]

3 migrants/1,000 population (1992)

Organized labor [time series]

Population [time series]

1,607,349 (July 1992), growth rate 0.7% (1992)

Religions [time series]

Lutheran is primary denomination

Total fertility rate [time series]

2.3 children born/woman (1992)