Estonia: Difference between revisions

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	{{otheruses}}
	{{Infobox Country
	\|native_name = <span style="line-height:1.33em;">{{lang\|et\|''Eesti Vabariik''}}</span>
	\|conventional_long_name = <span style="line-height:1.33em;">Republic of Estonia</span>
	\| common_name = Estonia
	\| national_anthem = '']''<br /><small>(]: {{lang\|en\|"''My Fatherland, My Happiness and Joy''"}})
	\| image_flag = Flag of Estonia.svg‎
	\| image_coat = Coat of arms of Estonia.svg
	\|image_map = Estonia_EU_Europe.jpg
	\|map_caption = {{map_caption\|location_color=dark green\|region=]\|region_color=dark grey\|subregion=the ]\|subregion_color=light green\|legend=Estonia_EU_Europe.jpg}}
	\| capital = ] ]
	\| latd=59 \|latm=25 \|latNS=N \|longd=24 \|longm=45 \|longEW=E
	\| largest_city = capital
	\| official_languages = ]<sup>1</sup>
	\| government_type = ]
	\| leader_title1 = ]
	\| leader_name1 = ]
	\| leader_title2 = ]
	\| leader_name2 = ] (])
	\| sovereignty_type = ]
	\| sovereignty_note = ] and ]
	\| established_event4 = ]
	\| established_date4 = ] ]
	\| established_event5 = ]<br />]
	\| established_date5 = ] ]<br />] ]
	\| established_event6 = ]
	\| established_date6 = 1940-1941
	\| established_event7 = ]
	\| established_date7 = 1941-1944
	\| established_event8 = ]
	\| established_date8 = 1944-1991
	\| established_event9 = ]
	\| established_date9 = ] ]
	\| accessionEUdate = ], ]
	\| EUseats =
	\| area_km2 = 45,226
	\| area_sq_mi = 17,413<!--Do not remove per ]-->
	\| area_rank = 132nd<sup>2</sup>
	\| area_magnitude = 1 E10
	\| percent_water = 4.56%
	\|population_estimate = 1,340,602<ref>http://www.stat.ee/main-indicators Estonian Statistics Byroo</ref>
	\| population_estimate_year = Jan. 01, 2007
	\| population_estimate_rank = 151th
	\| population_census = 1,376,743
	\| population_census_year = 2000
	\| population_density_km2 = 29
	\| population_density_sq_mi = 75 <!--Do not remove per ]-->
	\| population_density_rank = 173rd
	\| GDP_PPP_year = 2007
	\| GDP_PPP = $26.85 billion
	\| GDP_PPP_rank = 103th
	\| GDP_PPP_per_capita = $21,800<ref></ref>
	\| GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank =
	\| GDP_nominal = $16,410 billion
	\| GDP_nominal_rank = 91st
	\| GDP_nominal_year = 2006
	\| GDP_nominal_per_capita = $15,310
	\| GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = 41st
	\| HDI_year = 2007
	\| HDI = {{increase}} 0.86
	\| HDI_rank = 44th
	\| HDI_category = <font color="#009900">high</font>
	\| Gini = 34
	\| Gini_year = 2005
	\| Gini_category = <font color="#ffcc00">medium</font>
	\| currency = ]
	\| currency_code = EEK
	\| time_zone = ]
	\| utc_offset = +2
	\| time_zone_DST = ]
	\| utc_offset_DST = +3
	\| cctld = ]<sup>3</sup>
	\| calling_code = 372
	\| ISO_3166-1_alpha2 = EE
	\| ISO_3166-1_alpha3 = EST
	\| ISO_3166-1_numeric = ?
	\| alt_sport_code = EST
	\| vehicle_code = EST
	\| aircraft_code = EST
	\| demonym = Estonian
	\| footnote1 = ] and ] in ] are spoken along with ]. ] is widely spoken in ] due to the ] from ] during the occupation.
	\| footnote2 = 47,549 km² were defined according to the ] in 1920 between ] and ]. Today the remaining 2,323 km² is still illegally annexed by ].<br /> The ceded areas include the ] and the boundary in the north of ] as the Lands behind the city of ] including ] (Jaanilinn).<ref>] Soviet territorial changes against Estonia after World War II</ref>,<ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/Pechory Pechory under Russian control</ref>
	\| footnote3 = ] is also shared with other member states of the ].
	}}
	'''Estonia''', officially the '''Republic of Estonia''' ({{lang-et\|'''Eesti''' or '''Eesti Vabariik'''}}) is a ] in ] in the ]. It is bordered to the north by ] across the ], to the west by ], to the south by ], and to the east by the ]. The territory of Estonia covers 45,226 km² and is influenced by a ].

	The ] are a ] closely related to the ], with the ] sharing many similarities to ]. The modern name of Estonia is thought to originate from the ] historian ], who in his book '']'' (ca. AD 98) described a people called the ]. Similarly, ancient ]n ] refer to a land called ''Eistland''. Early ] and other ancient versions of the name are ''Estia'' and ''Hestia''. Until the late 1930s, the name was often written as "Esthonia" in most western countries.

	Estonia is a ] ] and is divided into ] ] (''Maakonnad''). The capital and largest city is ]. Estonia has been a member of the ] since ] ],<ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/United_Nations_member_states Estonian date of admission into the United Nations</ref> of the ] since ] ],<ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/European_Union_member_state Estonian date of admission into the European Union</ref> and of ] since ] ].<ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/Nato#Membership Estonian date of admission into the NATO</ref> Estonia has also signed the ]. With only 1.3 million ], it comprises one of the smallest populations of the ] countries.

	The area was settled immediately after the ], beginning from around 8500 BC. After the ], being conquered by ] and ] in 1227, Estonia was ruled by ] in the north and by ] in the south. From 1228-1562 the whole Estonia was a part of ]. Estonia became a part of the ] from the 16th century to 1721, when it was ceded to the ]. The ] in 1750-1840 led to the ] in the mid-19th century. In 1918 the ] was issued. The ] ensued on two fronts between the ] and the ], resulting in the ] recognising Estonian independence in perpetuity. Shortly after ] began, Estonia was occupied and annexed by the ]<ref name="USA"> at state.gov </ref><ref> by ]</ref><ref>]</ref>, subsequently occupied by ] during ], then re-occupied by the Soviet Union in 1944.

	==History==
	{{main\|History of Estonia\|Ancient Estonia}}
	Human settlement in Estonia became possible 11,000 to 13,000 years ago, when the ice from the last ] melted away. The oldest known settlement in Estonia is the ], which was located on the banks of the ], near the town of ], in southern Estonia. According to radiocarbon dating, it was settled around 11,000 years ago, at the beginning of the 9th millennium BC.
	===Prehistory===
	Evidence has been found of hunting and fishing communities existing around 6500 BC near the town of ] in northern Estonia. Bone and stone artifacts similar to those found at Kunda have been discovered elsewhere in Estonia, as well as in Latvia, northern ] and in southern ]. The ] belongs to the middle stone age, or ] ].

	The end of the ] and the early ] were marked by great cultural changes. The most significant was the transition to farming, which has remained at the core of Estonian economy and culture. From approximately the first to 5th centuries AD, resident farming was widely established, the population grew, and settlement expanded. Cultural influences from the ] reached Estonia, and this era is therefore also known as the ].

	A more troubled and war-ridden middle ] followed with external dangers coming both from the ], who attacked across the southern land border, and from overseas. Several ]n ] refer to campaigns against Estonia. ] conducted similar raids in the ] age and sacked and burned the ] town of ] in 1187.<ref></ref>

	<!-- Commented out because image was deleted: ], ]<br />and ].</small>\|{{deletable image-caption\|1=Saturday, 3 May 2008}}]] -->
	In the first centuries AD political and administrative subdivisions began to emerge in Estonia. Two larger subdivisions appeared: the ] (Estonian: '']'') and the land (Estonian: '']''). The province comprised several elderships or villages. Nearly all provinces had at least one ]. The defense of the local area was directed by the highest official, the ] or ]. The terra was composed of one or several provinces, also headed by an elder, king or their collegium. By the 13th century the following major lands had developed in Estonia: ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ].<ref> Estonia and the Estonians (Studies of Nationalities) Toivo U. Raun p.11 ]</ref>

	Estonia retained a ] religion centered around a deity called ]. The ] mentions ] as the superior god of ]ians (inhabitants of ] island), also well known to ] tribes in northern Estonia. According to the chronicle, when the ] invaded Vironia in 1220, there was a beautiful wooded hill in ], where locals believe the Oeselian god Tharapita was born and from which he flew to ]. The hill is believed to be the ] (''Ebavere mägi'') in modern ].

	===The Middle Ages period===
	Estonia was a part of the ] from 1228 to the 1560s. The country was ] when the ] "]" conquered southern Estonia as part of the ] in the early ] ]. At the same time, ] attempted to take possession of northern Estonia. Estonia was consolidated under the two forces by 1227. <!-- Commented out because image was deleted: ].</small>]] --> Northern Estonia remained a possession of ] until 1346. ] (known as ] since 1918) was given its ] in 1248 and joined an alliance of trading guilds called the ] at the end of the thirteenth century. In 1343, the people of northern Estonia and ] rebelled against ] rule in the ], which was put down by 1344. ] attempted unsuccessful invasions in 1481 and 1558.

	===The Reformation period===
	The ] in ] officially began in 1517 with ] (1483-1546) and his ]. The Reformation resulted in great change in the ] region. Ideas entered the ] very quickly and by the 1520s they were well known. ], ], ], and ] were greatly transformed. The ] services were now given in the local vernacular, instead of ], as was previously used.<ref> at University of Washington</ref> During the ] in 1561, northern Estonia submitted to Swedish control, while southern Estonia briefly came under the control of ] in the 1580s. In 1625, mainland Estonia came entirely under Swedish rule. Estonia was administratively divided between the provinces of ] in the north and ] in southern Estonia and northern ], a division which persisted until the early ].
	] castle in ].</small>]]
	In 1631, the ] ] ], ], forced the nobility to grant the peasantry greater rights, although serfdom was retained. In 1632 a printing press and ] were established in the city of ] (known as ] since 1918). This period is known in Estonian history as ''"the Good Old Swedish Time."''

	===Estonia in the Russian Empire===
	Following the ], the Swedish empire lost Estonia to ] (1710 de facto, and 1721 ], by the ]). However, the upper classes and the higher middle class remained primarily ]. The war devastated the population of Estonia, but it recovered quickly. Although the rights of peasants were initially weakened, serfdom was abolished in 1816 in the province of Estonia and in 1819 in ].

	====Declaration of independence====
	As a result of the abolition of ] and the availability of education to the native Estonian-speaking population, an active ] ] ] developed in the ]. It began on a cultural level, resulting in the establishment of Estonian language ], ] and professional ] and led into the formation of the Estonian national identity and late 1800s' ]. Among the leaders of the movement were ], ] and ].
	].</small>]]
	Significant accomplishments were the publication of the national epic, ], in 1862, and the organization of the first ] in 1869. In response to a period of ] initiated by the ] in the 1890s, ] took on more political tones, with intellectuals first calling for greater autonomy, and later, complete independence from the ]. Following the ] takeover of power in ] after the ] of 1917 and ] victories against the Russian army, between the Russian ]'s retreat and the arrival of advancing ] troops, the ] of the ] issued the ]<ref> at www.president.ee</ref> in ] on ] and in ] on ] ].
	[[Image:EStonia-23. Februaruy 1918 in Pärnu-declaration of independence.jpg\|200px\|thumb\|left\|<small>
	Declaration of the ] in ] on ] in 1918. One of the first images of the '''Republic'''.</small>]]
	After winning the ] against ] and at the same time ] ] volunteers (the ] was signed on ] ]), Estonia maintained its independence for twenty-two years. Initially a ], the ] (]) was disbanded in 1934, following political unrest caused by the ]. Subsequently the country was ruled by decree by ], who became President in 1938, the year parliamentary elections resumed.<br />

	===Estonia in World War II===
	{{main\|Estonia in World War II}}
	The fate of Estonia in ] was decided by the ] and its ] of August 1939. ] losses in Estonia, estimated at around 25% of population, were among the highest in ]. War and occupation deaths have been estimated at 90,000. These include the ] in 1941, the German deportations and ] victims.<ref name="BalticsInBritannica">]: </ref>
	] began with the ] of an important regional ally of Estonia – ], by a joint operation of ] and ].

	====Soviet annexation====
	{{main\|Occupation of the Baltic states}}
	The ] of the Republic of Estonia before the ] was decided by the ] of August 1939 after Stalin gained Hitler's agreement to divide Eastern Europe into "spheres of special interest" according to the ] and its ].<ref> The World Book Encyclopedia ISBN 0716601036</ref><ref> The History of the Baltic States by Kevin O'Connor ISBN 0313323550</ref><ref>The History of the Baltic States by Kevin O'Connor ISBN 0313323550</ref>

	On ] ], warships of the ] appeared off Estonian ports and ] began a ] over ] and the nearby countryside.<ref name="TM091939"> at ] on Monday, ] ]</ref> The ] was forced to give their assent to an agreement which allowed the ] to establish military bases and station 25,000 troops on Estonian soil for "mutual defence".<ref> The Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania by David J. Smith, Page 24, ISBN 0415285801</ref> On ], ], the order for a total military blockade on Estonia was given to the Soviet ].<ref>{{fi icon}} at Finnish Defence Forces home page</ref><ref>{{ru icon}} from the State Archive of the Russian Navy</ref> On ], 1940, while world’s attention was focused on the fall of ] to ] a day earlier, the Soviet military blockade on Estonia went into effect, two Soviet bombers downed a Finnish passenger airplane "]" flying from Tallinn to Helsinki carrying three diplomatic pouches from the U.S. legations in ], ] and ].<ref> at American Foreign Service Association</ref> On ], 1940, the Soviet Union invaded Estonia.<ref name="TM006241940"> at Time magazine on Monday, Jun. 24, 1940 </ref> The Red Army exited from their military bases in Estonia on June 17.<ref>Estonia: Identity and Independence by Jean-Jacques Subrenat, David Cousins, Alexander Harding, Richard C. Waterhouse ISBN 9042008903 </ref> The following day, some 90,000 additional troops entered the country.
	In the face of overwhelming Soviet force, the Estonian government capitulated on ], ] to avoid bloodshed.<ref>The Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania by David J. Smith p.19 ISBN 0415285801</ref>
	<!-- Image with unknown copyright status removed: ] after Soviet air-attacks. National Opera House "Estonia" in March 1944 and in March 2008</small>]] -->
	The military occupation of Estonia was complete by the June 21 1940.<ref> The Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania by David J. Smith, Page 27, ISBN 0415285801 </ref>
	Most of the ] and the ] ] according to the orders believing that resistance would be crushed and were disarmed by the Red Army. Only the Estonian Single Signal Battalion stationed in ] at Raua Street continued to ]. As the ] brought in additional reinforcements supported by six ]s, the battle lasted several hours until sundown. There was one dead, several wounded on the Estonian side and about 10 killed and more wounded on the Soviet side. Finally the military resistance was ended with ]s and the Single Signal Battalion surrendered and was disarmed.<ref>{{et icon}} at Estonian Defence Forces Home Page</ref>

	In August 1940, Estonia was illegally annexed by the Soviet Union as the ]. Those who had failed to do their "political duty" of voting Estonia into the USSR, specifically those who had failed to have their passports stamped for voting, were condemned to death by Soviet tribunals.<ref name="TM191940">at Time magazine on Monday, Aug. 19, 1940 </ref> The repressions followed with the mass ]s carried out by the Soviets in Estonia on June 14, 1941. Many of the country's political and intellectual leaders were killed or deported to remote areas of the USSR by the Soviet authorities in 1940-1941. Repressive actions were also taken against thousands of ordinary people.

	When the German ] started against the Soviet Union, about 34,000 young Estonian men were forcibly drafted into the ]. Less than 30% of them survived the war. Political prisoners who could not be evacuated were executed by the ].<ref>The Baltic Revolution: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and the Path to Independence by Anatol Lieven p424 ISBN 0300060785</ref><br />
	<br />
	<!-- Image with unknown copyright status removed: ] after Soviet air-attacks. (Harju Street in March 1944 and in March 2008 - has not been restored)</small>]] -->
	Many countries, including the ], did not recognize the annexation of Estonia by the ]. Such countries recognized Estonian ] and ] who still functioned in many countries in the name of their former governments. These diplomats persisted in this anomalous situation until the ultimate ] of ] ].<ref>Diplomats Without a Country: Baltic Diplomacy, International Law, and the Cold War by James T. McHugh , James S. Pacy ISBN 0313318786</ref>

	Contemporary Russian politicians deny that the Republic of Estonia was illegally annexed by the Soviet Union in 1940. They state that the Soviet troops had entered Estonia in 1940 following the agreements and with the consent of the government of the Republic of Estonia, regardless of how their actions can be interpreted today. They maintain that the USSR was not in a state of war and was not waging any combat activities on the territory of Estonia, therefore there could be no occupation. The official ] and current ]n version claims that Estonians voluntarily gave up their statehood. ] of 1944-1976 are labeled "]" or "]". The Russian position is not recognized internationally.<ref></ref><ref></ref>

	====German occupation====
	{{main\|German occupation in Estonia\|Germanisation\|German Holocaust\|Reichskommissariat Ostland\|Generalplan Ost\|}}
	After the ] invaded the ] on ], ],the ] reached Estonia in (July 1941). The ] crossed the Estonian southern ] on 7th July. The ] retreated behind the ]- the ] line on ].
	] ] in front of the ] (February 1944).</small>]] At the end July the ] resumed their advance in Estonia working in tandem with the Estonian ]. Both German troops and Estonian partisans took ] on ] and the Estonian capital ] on ]. After the Soviets were driven out from Estonia German troops disarmed all the partisan groups.<ref>Resistance! Occupied Europe and Its Defiance of Hitler by Dave Lande on Page 188, ISBN 0760307458</ref> Although initially the Germans were perceived by most Estonians as liberators from the USSR and its repressions, and hopes were raised for the restoration of the country's independence, it was soon realized that they were but another occupying power. The Germans pillaged the country for the war effort and unleashed the ]. For the duration of the occupation Estonia was incorporated into the German province of ]. This led to many Estonians, unwilling to side with the Nazis, join the ] to fight against the ]. The ] (Estonian: ''soomepoisid'') was formed out of Estonian volunteers in ]. Although many Estonians were recruited in to the German armed forces (including ]), the majority did so only in 1944 when the threat of a new invasion of Estonia by the ] had become imminent and it was clear that ] could not win the war.<ref>Estonia 1940-1945, Estonian International Commission for the Investigation of Crimes Against Humanity, p.613 ISBN 9949-13-040-9 </ref>
	<!-- Image with unknown copyright status removed: ] leaving ]'s Railway Station. Destination: ], ] (January 1944).</small>]] -->
	By January 1944, the front was pushed back by the ] almost all the way to the former Estonian border. ] was evacuated. ], the last legitimate prime minister of the Republic of Estonia (according to the ]) prior to its fall to the ] in 1940, delivered a radio address that appealed to all able-bodied men born from 1904 through 1923 to report for military service (Before this, ] had opposed Estonian mobilization.) The call drew support from all across the country: 38,000 volunteers jammed registration centers.<ref>Resistance! Occupied Europe and Its Defiance of Hitler (Paperback)
	by Dave Lande on Page 200 ISBN 0760307458</ref> Several thousand Estonians who had joined the ] came back across the ] to join the newly formed Territorial Defense Force, assigned to defend Estonia against the Soviet advance. It was hoped that by engaging in such a war Estonia would be able to attract ] support for the cause of Estonia's independence from the ] and thus ultimately succeed in achieving independence.<ref> The Baltic States: The National Self-Determination of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania
	Graham Smith p.91 ISBN 0312161921 </ref>

	===Soviet occupation===
	{{main\|Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic\|Soviet occupation of the Baltic States\|Estonian Government in Exile}}
	The ] forces reconquered Estonia in the autumn of 1944 after fierce battles in the northeast of the country on the ] and on the ] (]) as part of the ], a twofold military-political operation to rout forces of the ] and the so-called "''liberation of the Soviet Baltic peoples''"<ref name=Muriev>Д. Муриев, ''Описание подготовки и проведения балтийской операции 1944 года'', Военно-исторический журнал, сентябрь 1984. Translation available, D. Muriyev, ''Preparations, Conduct of 1944 Baltic Operation Described'', ''Military History Journal'' (USSR Report, Military affairs), 1984-9, pp. 22-28</ref>.<!-- Image with unknown copyright status removed: ] ] forces on the ]</small>]] -->
	In the face of the country being re-occupied by the ], tens of thousands of ] (including mayority of the ], ], ], ] and ] specialists) (estimates as much as 80,000) chose to either retreat together with the ] or flee to ] or ]. On ] ] the ] issued a decree "on the expulsion and deportation" from ] of "all ] and their families, the families of bandits and nationalists", and others.<ref name="Black book"> ]; Werth, Nicolas; Panne, Jean-Louis; Paczkowski, Andrzej; Bartosek, Karel; Margolin, Jean-Louis & Kramer, Mark (1999). ''The ]: Crimes, Terror, Repression''. ]. ISBN 0-674-07608-7. </ref> More than 200,000 people are estimated to have been deported from the ] in 1940-1953. In addition, at least 75,000 were sent to ]. More than 10% of the entire ] Baltic ] was deported or sent to ].<ref name="Black book"/> In response to the continuing insurgency against Soviet rule,<ref>Heinrihs Strods, Matthew Kott, ''The file on operation "Priboi": A re-assessment of the mass deportations of 1949'', Journal of Baltic Studies, Volume 33, Issue 1 Spring 2002 , pages 1 - 36</ref> more than 20,000 Estonians were forcibly deported either to ]s or ] (see ]).<ref name="vr18">, page 18</ref> Within the few weeks that followed, almost all of the remaining rural households were ]. After ], as part of the goal to more fully integrate Baltic countries into the ], mass deportations were concluded in the Baltic countries and the policy of encouraging Soviet immigration to the Baltic states continued.<ref name="USDS"> at US Department of State</ref> In addition to the human and material losses suffered due to war, thousands of civilians were killed and tens of thousands of people deported from Estonia by the ] ] until ]'s death in 1953.] - deported ] in ]s ] labour camp]]</small>

	Half of the deported perished, the other half were not allowed to return until the early 1960s (years after Stalin's death). The various repressive activities of Soviet forces in 1940-1941 and after reoccupation sparked a ] against the Soviet authorities in Estonia which was waged into the early 1950s by "]" (''metsavennad'') consisting mostly of Estonian veterans of both the ] and ] armies as well as some civilians.<ref name="vr25-30"> , pages 25-30</ref> Material damage caused by the world war and the following Soviet ] significantly slowed Estonia's ], resulting in a wide ] in comparison with neighboring ] and ].<ref>, pages 125, 148</ref>

	] was another aspect of the Soviet regime. Large parts of the country, especially the coastal areas were restricted to all but the Soviet military. Most of the sea shore and all sea islands (including ] and ]) were declared "border zones". People not actually resident there were restricted from traveling to them without a permit. A notable closed military installation was the city of ] which was entirely closed to all public access. The city had a support base for the Soviet ]'s submarines and several large military bases, including a nuclear submarine training centre complete with a full-scale model of a ] with working ]. The ] building passed into Estonian control in 1994 after the last Soviet troops left the country.<ref>[http://www.envir.ee/kiirgus/image/Nonpro_Eesti.pdf Tuumarelvade leviku tõkestamisega
	seotud probleemidest Eestis]</ref>,<ref></ref> ] was another effect of Soviet occupation. Hundreds of thousands of migrants were relocated to Estonia from other parts of ] to assist industrialization and militarization, contributing an increase of about half million people within 45 years.<ref name="vr20"></ref> By 1980, when the ] of the ] was held in ], ] and ] had achieved a level at which it began to spark popular protests.

	===Restoration of independence===
	The ], ] and the majority of other western democracies considered the ]. They retained diplomatic relations with the representatives of the independent Republic of Estonia, never '']'' recognized the existence of the Estonian SSR, and never recognized Estonia as a legal constituent part of the Soviet Union.<ref>{{cite journal \| last=European Parliament \| title=Resolution on the situation in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania \| journal=Official Journal of the European Communities \| volume=C 42/78 \| date=January 13, 1983 \| url=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/80/Europarliament13011983.jpg }} ''"whereas the Soviet annexias of the three Baltic States still has not been formally recognized by most European States and the USA, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and the Vatican still adhere to the concept of the Baltic States"''.</ref><!-- Image with unknown copyright status removed: ] ]: the ] is leaving Estonia.</small>]] -->Estonia's return to independence became possible as the Soviet Union faced internal regime challenges, loosening its hold on outer empire. As the 1980s progressed, a movement for Estonian autonomy started. In the initial period of 1987-1989, this was partially for more economic independence, but as the Soviet Union weakened and it became increasingly obvious that nothing short of full independence would do, the country began a course towards self-determination.

	In 1989, during the "]", in a landmark demonstration for more independence, called ], a human chain of more than two million people was formed, stretching through ], ] and Estonia. All three nations had similar experiences of occupation and similar aspirations for regaining independence. Estonia formally declared independence on ], ], reconstituting the pre-1940 state, during the ] in Moscow. The first country to diplomatically recognize Estonia's reclaimed independence was ]. The last Russian troops left on ] ].

	==Geography==
	{{main\|Geography of Estonia\|Fauna of Estonia\|Protected areas of Estonia\|}}

	===Topography===
	Estonia lies on the eastern shores of the ] immediately across the Gulf of Finland from Finland on the level northwestern part of the rising east European platform between 57.3° and 59.5° N and 21.5° and 28.1° E. Average elevation reaches only 50 meters (164 ft) and the country's highest point is the ] in the southeast at 318 meters (1,043 ft).<ref name="worldinfo">{{cite web \|title=World InfoZone - Estonia \|url=http://www.worldinfozone.com/country.php?country=Estonia \|publisher=World InfoZonek, LTD. \|work=World InfoZone \|access_date=2007-2-20}}</ref> Estonia boasts over ]. Most are very small, with the largest, ], (Peipsi in Estonian) being 3,555 km² (1372 sq mi). There are many rivers in the country. The largest are the Võhandu (162 km), Pärnu (144 km), and Põltsamaa (135 km).<ref name="worldinfo"></ref> Estonia also boasts numerous ], and 3,794 kilometers (2,357 mi) of coastline marked by numerous bays, straits, and inlets. The number of islands and islets is estimated at some 1,500. Two are large enough to constitute their own counties: ] and ].<ref name="worldinfo"></ref>

	===Climate===
	Estonia lies in the northern part of the ] and in the transition zone between ] and ]. Because Estonia (and all of ]) is continuously warmed by the ] it has a milder climate despite its northern latitude. The ] causes differences between the climate of coastal and inland areas. The average annual temperature in Estonia is 5 °C. The average temperature in February, the coldest month of the year, is -5.2 °C. The average temperature in July, which is considered the warmest month of the year, is 18 °C. The climate is also influenced by the ], the ] and the ] ], which is an area known for the formation of cyclones and where the average air pressure is lower than in neighbouring areas. Estonia is located in a humid zone in which the amount of precipitation is greater than total evaporation. There are about 160 to 190 rainy days a year, and average precipitation is most plentiful on the western slopes of the ] and ] Uplands. Snow cover, which is deepest in the south-eastern part of Estonia, usually lasts from mid-December to late March.

	===Fauna===
	{{main\|Fauna of Estonia\|List of Estonian mammals\|List of birds of Estonia\|List of Estonian fishes\|List of Estonian butterflies\|List of Odonata species recorded in Estonia}}
	] - Estonia´s most common ungulate.]]
	Estonia's sparce population and large areas of forest have allowed stocks of ], ], ], ] and ] to survive, among other animals <ref></ref>. Its birdlife includes ] and ]s. It has around a dozen national parks and protected areas, including ], the country’s largest park, on the northern coast. ], near ], is known for its ancient wetlands. Reserves such as ] and ] (a wetland of international importance under the ]) are also popular with locals and tourists and support a wide variety of birdlife <ref></ref>.

	==Administrative regions==
	The Republic of Estonia is divided into fifteen ] ''(Maakonnad)'' which are the administrative subdivisions of the country. The first documented mentioning of Estonian political and administrative subdivisions comes from the ], written in the 13th century during the ].<ref>] History of Estonia</ref>
	{{Image with scale
	\|image=<!-- Image with unknown copyright status removed: ] of the ]. Also includes the ] by ].<ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/Tartu_Peace_Treaty Soviet territorial changes against Estonia</ref></small>]] -->
	\|float=right \|scale=310 \|x=0.06 \|y=0.9 \|high=9900 \|width=544 \|bl=0.133 \|bw=1px \|bc=black \|fc=black
	\|text=<small>50 km</small>
	}}
	===Counties===
	{{main\|Counties of Estonia}}
	A '']'' (county) is the biggest administrative subdivision.
	The ] ''(Maavalitsus)'' of each county is led by a ] ''(Maavanem)'', who represents the ] at the regional level. Governors are appointed by ] (government) for a term of five years. Several changes were made to the borders of counties after Estonia became independent, most notably the formation of ] (from parts of ], ] and ] counties) and ] (area acquired from Russia with the 1920 ]).

	During the ], ] was annexed and ceded to the ] in 1945 where it became one the ]s ]. Counties were again re-established in ], ] in the borders of the Soviet-era regions. Due to the numerous differences between the current and historical (pre-1940) layouts, the historical borders are still used in ethnology, representing cultural and linguistic differences better.

	===Municipalities and cities===
	{{main\|Municipalities of Estonia\|Boroughs of Estonia\|Small boroughs of Estonia\|Populated places in Estonia}}
	{\| style="background:transparent;" cellspacing="2px"
	\|
	{\| class="sortable wikitable" style="text-align:left; font-size:90%"
	\|- style="font-size:100%; text-align:left"
	!width="330px"\|]!!width="150px"\|]!!width="180px"\|]!!width="160px"\|]</tr>
	\|-
	\| ] \|\| ] \|\| style="text-align:right"\|4,333 km²\|\| style="text-align:right"\|521,410
	\|-
	\| ] \|\| ] \|\| style="text-align:right"\|989 km²\|\| style="text-align:right"\|10,289
	\|-
	\| ] \|\| ] \|\|style="text-align:right"\|3,364 km²\|\| style="text-align:right"\|174,809
	\|-
	\| ] \|\| ] \|\| style="text-align:right"\|2,623 km²\|\| style="text-align:right"\|38,255
	\|-
	\| ] \|\| ] \|\| style="text-align:right"\|2,604 km²\|\| style="text-align:right"\|37,647
	\|-
	\| ] \|\| ] \|\|style="text-align:right"\|2,383 km²\|\| style="text-align:right"\|28,101
	\|-
	\| ] \|\| ] \|\|style="text-align:right"\|3,627 km²\|\| style="text-align:right"\|68,090
	\|-
	\| ] \|\| ] \|\| style="text-align:right"\|4,807 km²\|\| style="text-align:right"\|89,660
	\|-
	\| ] \|\| ] \|\| style="text-align:right"\|2,165 km²\|\| style="text-align:right"\|31,954
	\|-
	\| ] \|\| ] \|\| style="text-align:right"\|2,980 km²\|\| style="text-align:right"\|37,093
	\|-
	\| ] \|\| ] \|\| style="text-align:right"\|2,673 km²\|\| style="text-align:right"\|35,356
	\|-
	\| ] \|\| ] \|\| style="text-align:right"\|2,993 km²\|\| style="text-align:right"\|148,872
	\|-
	\| ] \|\| ] \|\| style="text-align:right"\|2,044 km²\|\| style="text-align:right"\|35,059
	\|-
	\| ] \|\| ] \|\| style="text-align:right"\|3,422 km²\|\| style="text-align:right"\|56,854
	\|-
	\| ] \|\| ] \|\| style="text-align:right"\|2,305 km²\|\| style="text-align:right"\|38,967
	\|-
	\| '']'' <ref>Constitution_of_Estonia#Chapter_1:_General_Provisions Constitution of Estonia ''"All the territories of Estonia are indivisible and part of a unitary state"''</ref><ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/Tartu_Peace_Treaty Soviet territorial changes against Estonia</ref><br /><small>Annexed in 1945 by ] and since 1991 by ].</small>\|\| ] \|\| style="text-align:right"\|1,582 km²\|\| style="text-align:right"\|30,000
	\|}
	\|An '']'' (municipality) is the smallest administrative subdivision of Estonia. Each ] is further divided into ] which are of two types: ],or '']'' (''town''), and ], or '']'' (''parish''). There is no other status distinction between them. Each municipality is a unit of ] with its ] and ] bodies. The ] in Estonia cover the entire territory of the ].

	Municipality may contain one or several ]. Some ] are divided into '']'' (districts) with limited ], e.g. Tallinn consists of 8 districts (], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ]).

	Municipalities are ranging in size from ] with 400,000 inhabitants to ] with as few as 60. As over two-thirds of the municipalities have a population of under 3,000, many of them have found it advantageous to co-operate in providing services and carrying out administrative functions.
	Since March 2008 there are total of 227 municipalities in Estonia, 33 of them are urban and 194 are rural.

	{{main\|Cities of Estonia}}
	Tallinn is the ] and largest city of Estonia. It lies on the northern coast of Estonia, along the ]. The city is an important industrial, political and cultural center, and ]. There are currently ] ] and several town-parish towns in the county. More than 70% of the entire population lives in the towns. The 20 largest cities are shown on the table below:
	\|}
	{{Estonian cities}}

	==Politics==
	{{main\|Politics of Estonia\|List of political parties in Estonia\|Elections in Estonia}}
	] takes place in a framework of a ] ] ], whereby the ] is the ], and of a pluriform multi-party system.] building in ].</sub>]]
	===Parliament===
	{{main\|Parliament of Estonia}}
	Estonia is a ], ] ] ]. The Estonian political system operates under a framework laid out in the 1992 ]. Estonia ] a ] on the national level. The ], exercising the ] , has 101 members, elected for a four year term by ]. A ] - the ] - is elected for a five year term by parliament (1st-3rd round) or an electoral college (4th and subsequent rounds). Locally, Estonia elects local government councils, which vary in size, but by the election law there are minimum size of councils depending on the size of municipality. Local government councils are elected by proportional representation too.

	===Government and e-Government===
	{{main\|Government of Estonia\|Prime Minister of Estonia\|President of Estonia}}
	The ] (Estonian: ''Vabariigi Valitsus'') or the ] is formed by the ], nominated by the president and approved by the parliament.<!-- Image with unknown copyright status removed: ].</sub>]] -->The government exercises executive power pursuant to the ] and the laws of the Republic of Estonia and consists of 12 ministers, including the ]. The prime minister also has the right to appoint other ministers, whom he or she will assign with a subject to deal with and who will not have a ministry to control, becoming a 'minister without portfolio'. The prime minister has the right to appoint a maximum of 3 such ministers, as the limit of ministers in one government is 15. It is also known as the ]. The cabinet carries out the country’s domestic and foreign policy, shaped by parliament (Riigikogu); it directs and co-ordinates the work of government institutions and bears full responsibility for everything occurring within the authority of executive power. The government, headed by the ], thus represents the political leadership of the country and makes decisions in the name of the whole executive power.

	Estonia has pursued the development of the ] and ]. ] is used in elections in Estonia .
	The first ] voting took place in the 2005 local elections and the first in a parliamentary election was made available for the ], in which 30,275 individuals voted over the ]. Voters have a chance to invalidate their vote in traditional elections, if they wish to. In its 2007 Worldwide Press Freedom Index, ] ranked Estonia 3rd out of 169 countries.

	===Law and court===
	{{main\|Constitution of Estonia}}
	The supreme ] is vested in the ] or ], with 17 justices. The Chief Justice is appointed by the parliament for nine years on nomination by the president.<!-- Image with unknown copyright status removed: ] building - the House of Stenbock at ].</sub>]] -->The official ] is the ], who gives ] to the laws passed by ], also having the right of ] and proposing new laws. The president, however, does not use these rights very often, having a largely ceremonial role. He or she is elected by ], with two-thirds of the votes required. If the candidate does not gain the amount of votes required, the right to elect the president goes over to an electoral body, consisting of the 101 members of Riigikogu and representatives from local councils. As other spheres, Estonian law-making has been successfully integrated with the ].

	===Foreign relations===
	{{main\|Foreign relations of Estonia\|Estonia-Russia relations\|Estonia-United States relations}}
	Since regaining independence, Estonia has pursued a foreign policy of close cooperation with its Western European neighbors. ] and President ], in Estonia 2006.</small>]] The two most important policy objectives in this regard have been accession into ] and the ], achieved in March and May of 2004 respectively. Estonia's international realignment toward the West has been accompanied by a general deterioration in relations with ], most recently demonstrated by the controversy surrounding relocation of the ] WWII memorial in Tallinn.<ref></ref>

	An important element in Estonia's post-independence reorientation has been closer ties with the ], especially ] and ]. Indeed, Estonians consider themselves a Nordic people rather than ],<ref>, 2004</ref><ref>, 2002</ref> based on their historical ties with Sweden, Denmark and particularly Finland. In December 1999 Estonian foreign minister (and since 2006, ]) ] delivered a speech entitled "Estonia as a Nordic Country" to the ].<ref></ref> In 2003, the ] also hosted an exhibit called "Estonia: Nordic with a Twist".<ref></ref> And in 2005, Estonia joined the ]'s ]. It has also shown continued interest in joining the ].

	Whereas in 1992 Russia accounted for 92% of Estonia's international trade,<ref></ref> today there is extensive economic interdependence between Estonia and its Nordic neighbors: three quarters of ] in Estonia originates in the Nordic countries (principally Finland and Sweden), to which Estonia sends 42% of its exports (as compared to 6.5% going to Russia, 8.8% to Latvia, and 4.7% to Lithuania). On the other hand, the Estonian political system, its ] of income tax, and its non-welfare-state model distinguish it from the other Nordic states, and indeed from many other European countries.<ref>http://www.investinestonia.com/pdf/ForeignTrade2007.pdf Foreign investment</ref>

	==Military==
	{{main\|Military of Estonia}}
	<!-- Image with unknown copyright status removed: ] ]s on the ] parade in ] (February 2008)</small>]] -->

	Estonian military - the '']'' - is the name of the unified armed forces of the Republic of Estonia with '']'' (Army), '']'' (Navy), '']'' (Air Force) and a paramilitary organization '']'' (Defence League). The national defence policy aims to guarantee the ] of the ] and ] of the state, the ] of its land area, territorial waters and airspace and its constitutional order. Its main goals remain the development and maintenance of a credible ] to defend the nation's vital interests and development of the ] in a way that ensures their ] with the armed forces of ] and ] member states and their capability to participate in the full range of ].<ref>http://mil.ee/index_eng.php Estonian National Defence Policy</ref><br />

	'']'' (Military Service) is compulsory for men between 18 and 28, and conscripts serve ]-month to ]-month tours of duty depending on the ] ] they serve in. Estonia has retained ] unlike ] and ] and has no plan to transition to a contract armed forces.] soldiers in ] on a ] ] (December 2007)</small>]] In 2008, the military spending will reach to 1.85% - 5 billion ] of the ] and will continue to increase till 2010 when the 2.0% level is achieved.<ref>http://www.mod.gov.ee/?op=body&id=6 Estonian Defence Budget</ref> As of January 2008, the Estonian military had almost 300 troops stationed in foreign countries as part of various international peacekeeping forces, including 35 ] troops stationed in ]; 120 ] soldiers in the ]-led ] force in ]; 80 soldiers stationed as a part of ] in the ]; and 2 Estonian officers in ] and 2 Estonian military agents in ] in ].<ref>http://operatsioonid.kmin.ee/index.php?page=86& Estonian military missions in Middle-East</ref> The Estonian Defence Forces have had previously military missions also in ] from March till October 1995, in ] from December 1996 till June 1997 and in ] from May till December 2003.<ref>http://www.mil.ee/?menu=operatsioonid&sisu=operatsioonid6 Former operations</ref> Estonia participates in the ] and has announced readiness to send soldiers also to ] to ] if necessary, creating the very first ] ] ] for the armed forces of Estonia.
	===E-Military===
	{{main\|E-Military of Estonia\|Cyberattacks on Estonia 2007}}
	The ] is introducing a new 21st century based ] and ] ] in order to protect the vital ] and ] of Estonia. Currently the leading organization in the Estonian cyber defence is the '''''' (the Computer Emergency Response Team of Estonia), established in 2006, as an organisation responsible for the management of security incidents in .ee computer networks. Its task is to assist Estonian internet users in the implementation of preventive measures in order to reduce possible damage from security incidents and to help them in responding to security threats. The unit deals with security incidents that occur in Estonian networks, are started there, or have been notified of by citizens or institutions either in Estonia or abroad.<ref>http://www.ria.ee/?id=28201 CERT Estonia</ref>

	On ], ], Estonian president ] met with the president of ], ].<ref>] ], ]: </ref> Among the topics discussed were the attacks on Estonian e-infrastructure.
	<ref>Yahoo/] ], ]: </ref>
	The attacks triggered a number of military organisations around the world to reconsider the importance of network security to modern military doctrine. On ], ], defence ministers of ] members held a meeting in ], issuing a joint ] promising immediate action. First public results are estimated to arrive by autumn 2007.<ref>] ], ]: by ]</ref>

	As to the placement of a newly planned ] (] ]), Bush proclaimed the policy of ] as supporting Estonia as this centre's location.<ref>] ], ]: by ]</ref> In the aftermath of the ], plans to combine network defence with Estonian military doctrine, and related ] plans to create a Cybernetic Defence Centre in Estonia, have been nicknamed the "Tiger's Defence" ({{lang-et\|Tiigrikaitse}}), in reference to Tiigrihüpe.<ref>Office of the ] ], ]: </ref>

	==Economy==
	{{main\|Economy of Estonia}}
	The Republic of Estonia is currently a member of the ] since ] ] and its economy is rated as {{increase}}<font color="#009900">high income</font> by the ]. Level of the Estonian economy ] has been often being described as the ].
	{{Image with scale
	\|image=<!-- Commented out because image was deleted: ] of the Estonia. Also includes areas where local resources can be found and mined.</small>]] -->
	\|float=right \|scale=310 \|x=0.06 \|y=0.9 \|high=800 \|width=544 \|bl=0.133 \|bw=1px \|bc=black \|fc=black
	\|text=<small>50 km</small>
	}}
	By 1929, a stable currency, the ] ''(crown)'', was established. It is issued by the ], the country's ]. Trade focused on the local market and the West, particularly Germany and the United Kingdom. Only 3% of all commerce was with the ]. Before the ] Estonia was mainly an ] ] whose products such as ], ] and ] was widely known on the ] ]s.
	The ] forcible ] in 1940 and the ensuing ] and ] destruction during World War II crippled the Estonian economy. ] ] of life continued with the integration of Estonia's economy and industry into the ] centrally planned structure.
	Since ], Estonia has styled itself as the gateway between East and West and aggressively pursued economic reform and integration with the West. Estonia's market reforms put it among the economic leaders in the former ] area. A balanced ], almost non-existent ], flat-rate ], ] regime, fully convertible ] backed by ] and a strong peg to the ], competitive commercial banking sector, hospitable environment for ], ] ] and even mobile-based services are all hallmarks of Estonia's free-market-based economy.{{fact\|date = March 2008}} Estonia also has made excellent progress in regard to ].{{fact\|date = March 2008}}
	===Resources===
	{\| style="background:transparent;" cellspacing="2px"
	\|
	{\| class="sortable wikitable" style="text-align:left; font-size:90%"
	\|- style="font-size:100%; text-align:left"
	!width="580px"\|]!!width="480px"\|]!!width="900px"\|]</tr>
	\|-
	\| ]<br /> \|\|<small>North-East Estonia</small>\|\| style="text-align:right"\|1,137,700,000 mln t
	\|-
	\| ] (medical) \|\|<small>South-Estonia</small>\|\| style="text-align:right"\|1,356,400,000 mln t
	\|-
	\| ] \|\|<small>across the country</small>\|\| style="text-align:right"\|166,700,000 mln m³
	\|-
	\| ] \|\|<small>North-Estonia</small>\|\|style="text-align:right"\|32,800,000 mln m³
	\|-
	\| ] (medical)\|\|<small>across the country</small>\|\| style="text-align:right"\|1,133,300 mln t
	\|-
	\| ] (fertilizer)\|\|<small>East-Estonia</small>\|\| style="text-align:right"\|170,900 t
	\|-
	\| ] \|\|<small>across the country</small>\|\|style="text-align:right"\|10,600,000 mln m³
	\|-
	\| ] (for gravel) \|\|<small>across the country</small>\|\| style="text-align:right"\|2,600,000 mln m³
	\|-
	\| ] \|\|<small>West-Estonia</small>\|\| style="text-align:right"\|16,600,000 mln m³
	\|-
	\| ]lubjakivi \|\|<small>North-Estonia</small>\|\| style="text-align:right"\|13,800,000 mln m³
	\|-
	\| ] \|\|<small>West-Estonia</small>\|\| style="text-align:right"\|2,900,000 mln m³
	\|-
	\| ] \|\|<small>West-Estonia</small>\|\| style="text-align:right"\|32,900,000 mln m³
	\|-
	\| ] \|\|<small>across the country</small>\|\| style="text-align:right"\|2,044,000 mln t
	\|-
	\| ] \|\|<small>across the country</small>\|\| style="text-align:right"\|1,245,100,000 mln m³
	\|-
	\| ] \|\|<small>across the country</small>\|\| style="text-align:right"\|230,300,000 mln t
	\|-
	\| ] \|\|<small>North-Estonia</small>\|\| style="text-align:right"\|110,300,000 mln m³
	\|-
	\| ] \|\|<small>North-Estonia</small>\|\| style="text-align:right"\|9,400,000 mln m³
	\|-
	\| ] \|\|<small>North-Estonia</small>\|\| style="text-align:right"\|15,6000,000 mln m³
	\|-
	\| ]<ref>http://www.ut.ee/BGGM/maavara/dityoneema.html Uranium production at Sillamäe</ref> \|\|<small>North-Estonia</small>\|\| style="text-align:right"\| 64,000,000,000 mln t
	\|-
	\| ] \|\|<small>across the country</small>\|\| style="text-align:right"\|15,6000,000 mln m³
	\|-
	\| ] \|\|<small>North-Estonia</small>\|\| style="text-align:right"\|3,300,000 mln m³
	\|-
	\| ] \|\| <small>North-Estonia</small><br /><small>South-Estonia</small><br /> \|\| style="text-align:right"\|808,000 t
	\|-
	\| ] \|\|<small>North-Estonia</small>\|\| style="text-align:right"\|over 350,000,000 mln t <small>(estimated)</small>
	\|-
	\| ] \|\|<small>across the country</small>\|\| style="text-align:right"\| 21,1 km³
	\|-
	\|}
	\|] (or ]) and ] deposits, along with forests which cover 47% of the land, play key economic roles in this generally resource-poor country. In 1994, Estonia became one of the first countries in the world to adopt a ], with a uniform rate of 26% regardless of personal income. In January 2005 the personal income tax rate was reduced to 24%. A subsequent reduction to 23% followed in January 2006. The income tax rate will be decreased by 1% annually to reach 18% by January 2010. The ] finalized the design of Estonia's ] in late 2004, and is now intending to adopt the ] as the country's currency between 2011 and 2013, later than planned due to continued high ]. In 1999, Estonia experienced its worst year economically since it regained independence in 1991, largely because of the impact of the August 1998 ]. Estonia joined the ] in November 1999. With assistance from the ], the ] and the ], Estonia completed most of its preparations for ] membership by the end of 2002 and now has one of the strongest economies of the new member states of the ].

	===Infrastructure and e-Infrastructure===
	{{main\|Transport in Estonia}}
	] and ] play a vital role in the ]. The country’s favorable geographic location, along with its well-developed ], offers excellent opportunities for all transport and logistics related activities. Estonia has become an important transit center as its location is ideal for the creation of efficient transportation links and distribution chains of goods and services for companies in ] and in other parts of the ]. Approximately 7.5% of the country’s ] is employed in transportation and road management, and over the past years the share of transportation and telecommunications in the economic activity has steadily increased and currently constitutes ca. 15% of the ]. Railway transport dominates the cargo sector, comprising 70% of all carried goods, domestic and international. Road transport is the one that prevails in the passenger sector, accounting for over 90% of all transported passengers. The Estonian transportation and logistics sector is a successful combination of transportation services, transit trade, distribution centers and value-added logistics. Transit services constitute a profitable form of exports for the nation, and their future success ranks highly among the priorities of Estonia’s economic policy.

	Located in the ] region, Estonia has captured an increasing share of the rapidly growing trade through the Baltic Sea. 5 major ] ] offer easy navigational access, deep waters, and good ice conditions. There are 12 ] and 1 ] in Estonia. ] is the largest airport in Estonia, providing services to a number of international carriers flying to 23 destinations.
	\|}
	Estonia has a strong ] (]) ], partly due to the ] project undertaken in mid 1990s, and has been mentioned as the most "wired" and advanced country in ] in the terms of .<ref>, August 2007</ref>

	===Trade and investment===
	Proximity to the Nordic markets, location between Eastern and Western Europe, competitive cost structure and high-skill labour force have been the major Estonian comparative advantages since the 1990s.<!-- Deleted image removed: ].]] -->Estonia has a modern ] ] and one of the highest ] ] levels in ]. The economy benefits from strong ] and ] sectors and strong trade ties with ], ] and ]. The current government has pursued relatively sound ] policies, resulting in balanced budgets and low ]. In 2007, however, a large current account deficit and rising inflation put pressure on ], which is pegged to the ], highlighting the need for growth in export-generating industries.

	Estonia exports machinery and equipment (33% of all exports annually), wood and paper (15% of all exports annually), textiles (14% of all exports annually), ] products (8% of all exports annually), furniture (7% of all exports annually), and ]s and ] products.<ref name="CIAworld"></ref> Estonia also exports 1.562 billion ] hours of ] annually.<ref name="CIAworld"></ref>

	{\| style="background:transparent;" cellspacing="2px"
	\|
	{\| class="sortable wikitable" style="text-align:left; font-size:90%"
	\|- style="font-size:100%; text-align:left"
	!width="120px"\|]!!width="60px"\|]
	!!width="60px"\|]</tr>
	\|-
	\| ] \|\|18.4%\|\| style="text-align:right"\|18.2%
	\|-
	\| ] \|\|12.4%\|\| style="text-align:right"\|9%
	\|-
	\| ] \|\|8.9%\|\|style="text-align:right"\|5.7%
	\|-
	\| ] \|\|8.1%\|\| style="text-align:right"\|13.1%
	\|-
	\| ] \|\|5.1%\|\|style="text-align:right"\|12.4%
	\|-
	\| ] \|\|4.8%\|\| style="text-align:right"\|6.4%
	\|-
	\|}
	\|Estonia imports machinery and equipment (33.5% of all imports annually), chemical products (11.6% of all imports annually), textiles (10.3'% of all imports annually), food products (9.4% of all imports annually), and transportation equipment (8.9% of all imports annually).<ref name="CIAworld"></ref> Estonia imports 200 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually.<ref name="CIAworld"></ref>
	\|}

	==Demographics==
	{{main\|Demographics of Estonia}}
	With only 1.3 million inhabitants, Estonia is one of the least populous countries in the ]. The current ] is 1.41 children per mother.<ref>https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/en.html#Econ CIA Fact book</ref> Estonia has a small number of larger cities, the most populous being ], ], ], ] and ].
	{{Image with scale
	\|image=] of the ] in 2007.</small>]]
	\|float=right \|scale=310 \|x=0.06 \|y=0.9 \|high=900 \|width=544 \|bl=0.133 \|bw=1px \|bc=black \|fc=black
	\|text=<small>50 km</small>
	}}
	By far the largest ] is the ] region, including cities of ], ] and smaller municipalities of ], ], ] and ].
	===Ethnic and cultural diversity===
	{{main\|Estonian Germans\|Estonian Swedes\|Estonian Russians\|Estonian Jews\|Setos\|Võros}}
	Different nationalities have always lived together in Estonia. Tolerance and democracy are illustrated by the Law on the , passed already in 1925, which was not only the first in ] at the time but also very progressive. Prior to ], Estonia was a relatively ] society – ethnic Estonians constituted 88% of the population, with national minorities constituting the remaining 12%.<ref></ref> The largest minority groups in 1934 were ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ]. Cultural autonomies could be granted to ] numbering more than 3,000 people with longstanding ties to the Republic of Estonia. Prior to the ], the Germans and Jewish minorities managed to elect a cultural council. The Law on Cultural Autonomy for National Minorities was reinstated in 1993. In 2005, the ] minority in Estonia elected a cultural council and was granted cultural autonomy. The ] minority similarly received cultural autonomy in 2007.
	{\| style="background:transparent;" cellspacing="2px"
	\|
	{\| class="sortable wikitable" style="text-align:left; font-size:90%"
	\|- style="font-size:100%; text-align:left"
	!width="400px"\|]!!width="300px"\|]
	!!width="100px"\|]</tr>
	\|-
	\| ] \|\|921,062\|\| style="text-align:right"\|68.6%
	\|-
	\| ] \|\|344,280\|\| style="text-align:right"\|25.6%
	\|-
	\| ] \|\|28,158\|\|style="text-align:right"\|2.1%
	\|-
	\| ] \|\|16,134\|\| style="text-align:right"\|1.2%
	\|-
	\| ] \|\|11,035\|\|style="text-align:right"\|0.8%
	\|-
	\| ] \|\|2,487\|\| style="text-align:right"\|0.2%
	\|-
	\| ] \|\|2,216\|\| style="text-align:right"\|0.2%
	\|-
	\| ] \|\|2,216\|\| style="text-align:right"\|0.2%
	\|-
	\| ] \|\|2,077\|\| style="text-align:right"\|0.1%
	\|-
	\| ] \|\|1,900\|\| style="text-align:right"\|0.1%
	\|-
	\| ] \|\|1,900\|\| style="text-align:right"\|0.1%
	\|-
	\| '']'' \|\|9,084\|\| style="text-align:right"\|0.7%
	\|-
	\|}
	\|Historically, large parts of Estonia’s north-western coast and islands have been populated by indigenous ethnically ] (Coastal Swedes). The majority of Estonia's Swedish population of 3,800 fled to ] or were deported in 1944, escaping the advancing ]. In the recent years the numbers of Coastal Swedes has risen again, numbering in 2008 almost 500 people, due to the property reforms in the beginning of 1990s.

	World War II along with ] and ] ] interrupted the natural development of inter-ethnic relations, deforming the inner features of Estonian society. By 1989, minorities constituted more than 1/3 of the population, the number of non-Estonians had grown almost 5-fold, while the percentage of ethnic Estonians in the total population decreased by 27%. At the end of the 1980s, ] perceived their demographic change as a ]. This was a result of the ] policies essential to the ] aiming to ] Estonia – forceful administrative and military immigration of non-Estonians from the ] coupled with the mass deportations of Estonians to the USSR. During the purges up to 110,000 Estonians were killed or deported.

	According to the 2000 ], altogether 109 languages are spoken in Estonia. 83.4% of Estonian citizens speak ] as their mother tongue, 15.3% – ] and 1% speak other languages. Of Estonian residents, 83.6% are Estonian citizens, 7.4% are citizens of other countries and 9% – citizens with undetermined citizenship. The number of Estonian citizens who have become citizens through ] process (more than 140,000 persons) exceeds the number of residents of undetermined citizenship (120,000 persons).<ref>http://www.vm.ee/estonia/kat_399/pea_172/4305.html Population by Nationality </ref>
	\|}
	{{main\|Estonian language\|Võro language\|Seto language}}
	] in their ethnic clothing in 2007.</small>]]
	The country's official language is ], which belongs to the Finnic branch of the ]. Estonian is thus closely related to ], spoken on the other side of the ], and is one of the few languages of Europe that is not of an ] origin. Despite some overlaps in the vocabulary due to borrowings, in terms of its origin, Estonian is not related to its nearest neighbours, Swedish, Latvian and Russian, which are all Indo-European languages. Russian is widely spoken as a secondary language by thirty- to seventy-year-old ethnic Estonians, because Russian was the unofficial language of the ] from 1944 to 1991 taught as a compulsory second language during the ] era. First and second generation of industrial immigrants from various parts of the former Soviet Union (mainly ]) do not speak ].<ref></ref> The latter, mostly Russian-speaking ethnic minorities, reside predominantly in the capital city (]) and the industrial urban areas in ]. Most common foreign languages learned by Estonians are ], ], Russian, ], ] and in recent years also ].

	==Science==
	===Education===
	The history of formal education in Estonia dates back to the 13–14th centuries when the first ] and ] were founded. The first primer in the Estonian language was published in 1575. The oldest university is the ], founded in 1632. In 1919, university courses were first taught in the Estonian language. A wide network of schools and supporting educational ] has been established. The Estonian educational system consists of state, municipal, public and private educational institutions:
	* preschool children’s institutions
	* kindergarten-primary schools
	* primary schools
	* basic schools
	* secondary schools (''gümnaasium'')
	* vocational educational institutions
	* professional higher schools
	* universities
	* further education institutions
	* hobby schools and other educational institutions.
	The Education Act states that in accordance with the ] international standard of education classification, education has the following levels:
	* preprimary education
	* basic education
	* secondary education
	* higher education.

	==Society==
	===Cinema and media===
	Estonian media is a vibrant sector at the forefront of change in Estonian society. There is a plethora of weekly newspapers and ].] - with 314 m it is the highest building in the country.</small>]] Estonians face a choice of 4 domestic ] ] and a host of radio stations. The Constitution guarantees freedom of speech and the fact that Estonia does have a free press is recognized by various international press freedom bodies, like the US-based ]. Estonia has two news agencies. The Estonian News Agency (Eesti Teadeteagentuur, ETA) is a domestic agency owned by the government. The Baltic News Service (BNS), founded in 1990, is a private regional news agency covering Estonia, ] and ].

	The first public ] ] in Estonia was in July 1955. Regular, live radio-broadcasts began already in December 1926. Deregulation in the field of electronic media has brought radical changes compared to the beginning of 1990s. The first licenses for private TV broadcasters were issued in 1992. The first private radio station went on the air in 1990. Eesti Raadio (Estonian Radio) and Eesti Televisioon (Estonian TV) are public legal entities which are independent in the creation of their programmes, but whose activities are supervised by a Broadcasting Council, appointed by the ] (Parliament). Today, the public station ] has a daily ] news programme, plus a half-hour magazine programme and longer shows over the weekend.

	<!-- Commented out: ] ] in ]: A. Le Coq Arena.</small>]] -->

	{{Topics in Estonia}}

	==Further reading==
	<div style="height: 300px; overflow:auto; border: 1px solid gray; padding-right: 12px; background-color: #EEEEEE; ">
	*{{cite book\|last=Hiden\|first=John\|coauthors=and Patrick Salmon\|title=The Baltic Nations and Europe: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania in the Twentieth Century\|year=1991\|publisher=Longman\|location=London\|id=ISBN 0-582-08246-3}}
	*{{cite book\|last=Laar\|first=Mart\|authorlink=Mart Laar\|title=War in the Woods: Estonia's Struggle for Survival, 1944-1956\|year=1992\|others=trans. Tiina Ets\|publisher=Compass Press\|location=Washington, D.C.\|id=ISBN 0-929590-08-2}}
	*{{cite book\|last=Lieven\|first=Anatol\|authorlink=Anatol Lieven\|title=The Baltic Revolution: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and the Path to Independence\|year=1993\|publisher=Yale University Press\|location=New Haven\|id=ISBN 0-300-05552-8}}
	*{{cite book\|last=Raun\|first=Toivo U.\|title=Estonia and the Estonians\|year=1987\|publisher=Hoover Institution Press, Stanford University\|location=Stanford, Calif.\|id=ISBN 0-8179-8511-5}}
	*{{cite book\|last=Smith\|first=David J.\|title=Estonia: Independence and European Integration\|year=2001\|publisher=Routledge\|location=London\|id=ISBN 0-415-26728-5}}
	*{{cite book\|last=Smith\|first=Graham (ed.)\|title=The Baltic States: The National Self-determination of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania\|year=1994\|publisher=St. Martin's Press\|location=New York\|id=ISBN 0-312-12060-5}}
	*{{cite book\|last=Taagepera\|first=Rein\|authorlink=Rein Taagepera\|title=Estonia: Return to Independence\|year=1993\|publisher=Westview Press\|location=Boulder, Colo.\|id=ISBN 0-8133-1199-3}}
	*{{cite book\|last=Taylor\|first=Neil\|title=Estonia\|year=2004\|edition=4th ed.\|publisher=Bradt\|location=Chalfont St. Peter\|id=ISBN 1-84162-095-5}}
	*{{cite book\|last=Williams\|first=Nicola\|coauthors=Debra Herrmann, and Cathryn Kemp\|title=Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania\|year=2003\|edition=3rd ed.\|publisher=Lonely Planet\|location=London\|id=ISBN 1-74059-132-1}}
	*{{cite book\|last=Subrenat\|first=Jean-Jacques (Ed.)\|authorlink=Jean-Jacques Subrenat\|title=Estonia, identity and independence\|year=2004\|publisher=Rodopi\|Amsterdam & New York\|id=ISBN 90-420-0890-3}}
	</div>

	==Notes and references==
	<div style="height: 300px; overflow:auto; border: 1px solid gray; padding-right: 12px; background-color: #EEEEEE; ">
	{{reflist\|2}}
	</div>

	==External links==
	{{portal\|Estonia\|Nuvola_Estonian_flag.svg}}
	{{sisterlinks\|Estonia}}
	{{wikiatlas\|Estonia}}
	{{cookbook}}
	<!--
	Misplaced Pages is not a link list nor a Web directory. If your link points to a site that does not cover many subjects about Estonia, it's most likely in the wrong place here and you should go and search for a more specific article.
	-->
	</div>
	{{MultiCol}}
	'''General'''
	*
	*
	*
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	'''Facts and figures'''
	*
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	* {{dmoz\|Regional/Europe/Estonia/\|Estonia}}
	{{ColBreak}}
	'''Travel'''
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	'''Pictures'''
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	{{EndMultiCol}}
	</div>

	{{Template group
	\|title = ] Geographic national
	\|list =
	{{Historic counties of Estonia}}
	{{Counties of Estonia}}
	{{Municipalities of Estonia}}
	{{Cities of Estonia}}
	{{Boroughs of Estonia}}
	{{Villages of Estonia}}
	}}
	{{Template group
	\|title = ] Geographic international
	\|list =
	{{Baltic states}}
	{{Countries of Europe}}
	{{Countries bordering the Baltic Sea}}
	}}
	{{Template group
	\|title = ] Estonia in the European Union
	\|list =
	{{EU members}}
	}}
	{{Template group
	\|title = ] International membership
	\|list =
	{{NATO\|state=collapsed}}
	{{WTO}}
	{{Council of Europe members}}
	}}
	{{Template group
	\|title = ] Languages
	\|list =
	{{Finno-Ugric-speaking nations}}
	{{Finno-Ugric languages}}
	}}

	{{coor title dm\|59\|00\|N\|26\|00\|E\|type:country_scale:9000000_region:EN}} <ref>https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2011.html Estonia´s geographic coordinates</ref>

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Revision as of 02:18, 3 May 2008

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