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ESTONIA IS A SMALL, RETARDED COUNTRY WITH FREAKISHLY LARGE PEOPLE!
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{{Infobox Country
| native_name = ''Eesti Vabariik''
| conventional_long_name = Republic of Estonia
| common_name = Estonia
| national_anthem = '']''<br /><small>(]: {{lang|en|"''My Fatherland, My Happiness and Joy''"}})
| image_fag = Flag of Estonia.svg‎
| image_coat = Coat of arms of Estonia.svg
| image_map = EU_location_EST.png
| map_caption = {{map_caption |region=on the ]
| subregion=the ] |legend=European location legend en.png}}
| capital = ]
| latd=59 |latm=25 |latNS=N |longd=24 |longm=45 |longEW=E
| largest_city = capital
| official_languages = ]<sup>1</sup>
| regional_languages =
| ethnic_groups = 68.8 % ] <br/> 25.6 % ] <br/>{{spaces|1}} 2.1 % ] <br/>{{spaces|1}} 4.5 % others| government_type = ]
| leader_title1 = ]
| leader_name1 = ]
| leader_title2 = ]
| leader_name2 = ] (])
| leader_title3 = ]
| leader_name3 = ] (])
| leader_title4 = ]
| leader_name4 = (], ], ])
| sovereignty_type = ]
| sovereignty_note = ] and ]
| established_event4 = ]
| established_date4 = 12 April 1917
| established_event5 = ]<br />]
| established_date5 = 24 February 1918<br />2 February 1920
| established_event6 = ]
| established_date6 = 1940-1941
| established_event7 = ]
| established_date7 = 1941-1944
| established_event8 = ]
| established_date8 = 1944-1991
| established_event9 = ]
| established_date9 = 20 August 1991
| accessionEUdate = 1 May 2004
| EUseats =
| area_km2 = 45,228
| area_sq_mi = 17,413<!--Do not remove per ]-->
| area_rank = 132nd<sup>2</sup>
| area_magnitude = 1 E10
| percent_water = 4.45%
|population_estimate = 1,340,602<ref></ref>
| population_estimate_year = 2007
| population_estimate_rank = 151st
| 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 = 2008
| GDP_PPP = $27.813 billion<ref name=imf2>{{cite web|url=http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2008/02/weodata/weorept.aspx?sy=2008&ey=2008&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=939&s=NGDPD%2CNGDPDPC%2CPPPGDP%2CPPPPC&grp=0&a=&pr1.x=42&pr1.y=11 |title=Estonia|publisher=International Monetary Fund|accessdate=2008-10-09}}</ref>
| GDP_PPP_rank = 103th
| GDP_PPP_per_capita = $20,753<ref name=imf2/>
| GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank =
| GDP_nominal = $25.207 billion<ref name=imf2/>
| GDP_nominal_rank = 91st
| GDP_nominal_year = 2007
| GDP_nominal_per_capita = $18,809<ref name=imf2/>
| GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = 41st
| HDI_year = 2006
| HDI = {{increase}} 0.871 <ref> </ref>
| HDI_rank = 42nd
| 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
| drives_on = right
| 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 the ] in the post-war period.
| footnote2 = 47,549 km² were defined according to the ] in 1920 between ] and ]. Today the remaining 2,323 km² are nowadays part of ].<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''' {{Audio-IPA|en-us-Estonia.ogg|}}, officially the '''Republic of Estonia''' ({{lang-et|Eesti ''or'' Eesti Vabariik}}) is a ] in the ] of ]. It is bordered to the north by ] across the ], to the west by ] across the ], to the south by ] (343 km), and to the east by the ] (338,6 km).<ref>, {{Et_icon}}</ref> The territory of Estonia covers 45,227 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&nbsp;98) described a people called the ]. Similarly, ancient ]n ] refer to a land called ''Eistland'', close to the ] term ''Estland'' for the country. 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 English speaking countries.

Estonia is a ] ] and is divided into fifteen ]. The capital and largest city is ]. With a population of only 1.4 million, it is one of the least-populous members of the ]. Estonia was a member of the ] from 22 September 1921,<ref></ref> has been a member of the ] since 17 September 1991,<ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/United_Nations_member_states Estonian date of admission into the United Nations</ref> of the ] since 1 May 2004<ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/European_Union_member_state Estonian date of admission into the European Union</ref> and of ] since 29 March 2004.<ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/Nato#Membership Estonian date of admission into the NATO</ref> Estonia has also signed the ].

The settlement of modern day Estonia began around 8500 BC, immediately after the ]. Over the centuries, the Estonians were subjected to ], ], ] and ]n rule. Foreign rule in Estonia began in 1227. In the aftermath the ] the area was conquered by ] and ]. From 1228–1562, parts or most of Estonia were incorporated into a crusader state ], that became part of the ], and after it's decline was formed the ]. During the era economic activities centered around the ]. In the 1500s Estonia passed to ] rule, under which it remained until 1721, when it was ceded to the ]. The ] (1750-1840) led to a ] in the mid-19th century. In 1918 the ] was issued, to be followed by the ] (1918-1920), which resulted in the ] recognizing Estonian independence in perpetuity. During ], Estonia was occupied and annexed first by the ]<ref name="USA"> at state.gov</ref><ref> by ]</ref><ref>]</ref> and subsequently by the ], only to be re-occupied by the Soviet Union in 1944.

Estonia regained its independence on 20 August 1991. It has since embarked on a rapid program of social and economic reform. Today, the country has gained recognition for its economic freedom,<ref></ref> its adaptation of new technologies<ref></ref> and as one of the world's fastest growing economies.<ref></ref>

==History==
{{main|History of 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&nbsp;BC.

===Prehistory===
{{main|Ancient Estonia}}

Evidence has been found of hunting and fishing communities existing around 6500&nbsp;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 ] period.

], Estonia, ] <ref></ref>]]
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&nbsp;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 ] during the early middle ages, in 1187.<ref></ref>

<!-- Commented out because image was deleted: ], ]<br />and ].|{{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 ISBN 0817928529</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 Hill (''Ebavere mägi'') in modern ].

===The Middle Ages period===
{{main|Livonian Crusade|Terra Mariana}}
] c. 1410]]

At the beginning of the 13th century, ], a chieftain of ] sought to unify the Estonian people and thwart Danish and Germanic conquest during the ]. He managed to assemble an army of 6,000 Estonian men from different counties, but he was killed during the ] in September, 1217.<ref></ref>

In the aftermath of ] from 1228 to the 1560s Estonia became part of ], established on February 2, 1207 <ref>{{cite book |title=Latvian-Russian Relations: Documents |last=Bilmanis |first=Alfreds |authorlink= |coauthors= |year=1944 |publisher=The Latvian legation |location= |isbn= |pages= |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=OoEdAAAAMAAJ&q=Terra+Mariana+1561&dq=Terra+Mariana+1561&ei=cGkaSZzgN5SmM5nCnOAI&pgis=1}}</ref> as a principality of the ]<ref> {{cite book |title=The Catholic Encyclopedia |last=Herbermann |first=Charles George |authorlink= |coauthors= |year=1907 |publisher=Robert Appleton Company |location= |isbn= |pages= |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=n2ocAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Terra+Mariana%22&dq=%22Terra+Mariana%22&lr=&ei=mUAXSfKjAoWcMuHQ_cQB&pgis=1 }}</ref> and proclaimed by pope ] in 1215 as a subject to the ].<ref>{{cite book |title=The Church in Latvia |last=Bilmanis |first=Alfreds |authorlink= |coauthors= |year=1945 |publisher=Drauga vēsts |location= |isbn= |pages= |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=xRYXAAAAIAAJ&q=%221215+proclaimed+it+the+Terra+Mariana,+subject+directly%22&dq=%221215+proclaimed+it+the+Terra+Mariana,+subject+directly%22&ei=RmUaSZmyHp-aMpzMifEJ&pgis=1}}</ref> The southern parts of the country were conquered by ] who joined the ] in 1237 and became it's branch known as ]. In the Northern parts of the country was formed ] <ref>{{cite book |title=The Cambridge History of Scandinavia: Prehistory to 1520 |last=Knut |first=Helle |authorlink= |coauthors= |year=2003 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location= |isbn=0521472997 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=PFBtfXG6fXAC&pg=PA269&vq=Duchy+of+Estonia&dq=%22Duchy+of+Estonia%22&lr=&source=gbs_search_s&sig=ACfU3U1ZqeL3WfxncxJEpJV7Jj0jMKw6Xg |page=269 }}</ref>as a ] of ] from 1219 until 1346 when it was sold to the ] and became part of the ].<ref>{{cite book |title=Danish Medieval History, Chapter 7. Estonia under danish |last=Skyum-Nielsen |first=Niels |authorlink= |coauthors= |year=1981 |publisher=Museum Tusculanum Press |location= |isbn=8788073300 |pages=112-135 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=EUFCkqua7dUC&pg=PA112&vq}}</ref> In 1343, the people of northern Estonia and ] rebelled against the ] rule in the ], which was put down by 1345.

Reval (known as ] since 1918) gained ] in 1248 and joined an alliance of trading guilds called the ] at the end of the thirteenth century.

After the Teutonic Order fell into decline following its defeat in the ] in 1410, and Livonian Orders defeat in the ] on September 1, 1435, the ] agreement was signed on December 4, 1435.<ref name="VLM">{{cite book |title=Vana-Liivimaa maapäev |last=Raudkivi |first=Priit |authorlink= |coauthors= |year=2007 |publisher=Argo |location= |isbn=9949415845 |page= |pages=118–119 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=4QxtGQAACAAJ&dq }}</ref>
] and ] attempted unsuccessful invasions in 1481 and 1558.

The Livonian Confederation ceased to exist during the ] (1558–82).

===The Reformation period===
{{main|Swedish Estonia}}
] castle in ].]]

The ] in ] officially began in 1517 with ] (1483-1546) and his ]. The Reformation resulted in great change in the ]. 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 twentieth century.

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===
{{main|Governorate of Estonia|Autonomous Governorate of Estonia}}

Following the ], the Swedish empire lost Estonia to ] 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 ]. After the ], Tallinn remained under Soviet control until 24 February 1918, when Estonian independence was declared.

===Declaration of independence===
{{main|Occupation of Estonia by German Empire|United Baltic Duchy|Estonian War of Independence|Vaps Movement}}

As a result of the abolition of ] and the availability of education to the native Estonian-speaking population, an active ] ] ] developed in the nineteenth century. It began on a cultural level, resulting in the establishment of Estonian language ], ] and professional ] and led on to the formation of the Estonian national identity and the ]. Among the leaders of the movement were ], ] and ].
].]]
] in ] on 23 February in 1918. One of the first images of the Republic.]]
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 23 February and in ] on 24 February 1918.

After winning the ] against ] and at the same time ] ] volunteers (the ] was signed on 2 February 1920). The Republic of Estonia was recognized (de jure) by Finland on 7 July 1920, Poland on 31 December 1920, Argentina on 12 January 1921 and by the Western Allies on 26 January 1921. 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.

===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 fate of the Republic of Estonia before ] 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 24 September 1939, warships of the ] appeared off Estonian ports and ] began a ] over ] and the nearby countryside.<ref name="TM091939"> at ] on Monday, 9 October 1939</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 12 June 1940, 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 14 June 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 16 June 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 17 June.<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 17 June 1940 to avoid bloodshed.<ref>The Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania by David J. Smith p.19 ISBN 0415285801</ref>
].]]
The military occupation of Estonia was complete by the 21 June 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 of the Estonian Government believing that resistance was useless and were disarmed by the Red Army. <ref>''June 14 the Estonian government surrendered without offering any military resistance; The occupation authorities began...by disarming the Estonian Army and removing the higher military comman from power'' {{cite book |title=Toward an Understanding of Europe |last=Ertl |first=Alan |authorlink= |coauthors= |year=2008 |publisher=Universal-Publishers |location= |isbn=1599429837 |page=394 |pages= |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=X9PGRaZt-zcC&pg=PA394&dq }}</ref> <ref> ''the Estonian armed forces were disarmed by the Soviet occupation in June 1940'' {{cite book |title=Historical Dictionary of Estonia |last=Miljan |first=Toivo |authorlink= |coauthors= |year=2004 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |location= |isbn=0810849046 |page=111 |pages= |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=XKWRct15XfkC&pg=PA111&vq }}</ref> Only the Estonian Single Signal Battalion stationed in Tallinn at Raua Street showed resistance to Red Army and Communist Militia called "People's Self-Defence"<ref>{{cite book |title=Baltic States: A Study of Their Origin and National Development, Their Seizure and Incorporation Into the U.S.S.R |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |year= |publisher=W. S. Hein |location= |isbn= |page=280 |pages= |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=_LRAAAAAIAAJ&q=Rahva+Omakaitse&dq=Rahva+Omakaitse&lr=&ei=dKhdSbqmFIvuMoea6OcM&client=firefox-a&pgis=1 }}</ref> on 21 June 1940.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://vp2001-2006.vpk.ee/en/duties/press_releases.php?gid=12614 |title=The President of the Republic acquainted himself with the Estonian Defence Forces |accessdate=2 January 2009 |last= |first= |coauthors= |date=December 19, 2001 |work= |publisher=Press Service of the Office of the President}}</ref> As the Red Army brought in additional reinforcements supported by six ]s, the battle lasted several hours until sundown. 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> There was 2 dead Estonian servicemen, Aleksei Männikus and Johannes Mandre, and several wounded on the Estonian side and about 10 killed and more wounded on the Soviet side.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://web.riigikogu.ee/ems/saros/0115/011510004.html |title=Riigikogu avaldus kommunistliku režiimi kuritegudest Eestis |accessdate=2 January 2009 |last=784 AE |first= |coauthors= |date= |work= |publisher=]|language=]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Alo |last=Lohmus |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Kaitseväelastest said kurja saatuse sunnil korpusepoisid |url=http://www.postimees.ee/161107/esileht/ak/294586.php |work= |publisher= |date=10 November 2007 |accessdate=2 January 2009 |language=] }}</ref> The Soviet militia that participated in the battle was led by ]<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.kilb.ee/polva05_1.htm |title=Põlva maakonna 2005.a. lahtised meistrivõistlused mälumängus |accessdate=2 January 2009 |author= |date=22 February 2005|work= |publisher=kilb.ee|language=]}}</ref>

In August 1940, Estonia was illegally annexed by the Soviet Union as the ]. The provisions in the Estonian constitution requiring a popular referendum to decide on joining a supra-national body were ignored. Instead the vote to join the Soviet Union was taken by those elected in the sham elections held in the previous month. Additionally 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 14 June 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 ]. Fewer 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>

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|Occupation of Estonia by Nazi Germany|Germanisation|German Holocaust|Reichskommissariat Ostland|Generalplan Ost|}}
].]]

After the ] invaded the ] on 22 June 1941, the ] reached Estonia in (July 1941). The ] crossed the Estonian southern ] on 7 July. The ] retreated behind the ]- the ] line on 12 July.
At the end of July the ] resumed their advance in Estonia working in tandem with the Estonian ]. Both German troops and Estonian partisans took ] on 17 August and the Estonian capital ] on 28 August. 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 many Estonians, unwilling to side with the Nazis, to 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).]] -->
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>

In the face of the country being re-occupied by the ], tens of thousands of ] (including majority of the ], ], ], ] and ] specialists) (estimates as much as 80,000) chose to either retreat together with the ] or flee to ] or ]. On 12 January 1949 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.

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 Paldiski reactors building passed into Estonian control in 1994 after the last Soviet troops left the country.<ref></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 immigration had achieved a level at which it began to spark popular protests.

===Restoration of independence===
{{main|Singing Revolution|Baltic Way}}

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=13 January 1983 | url=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/80/Europarliament13011983.jpg }} ''"whereas the Soviet annexias{{sic}} 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: ] is leaving Estonia.]] --> 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. The ] was issued on November 16, 1989 <ref>{{cite book |title=Dissent and Opposition in Communist Eastern Europe |last=Pollack |first=Detlef |authorlink= |coauthors=Jan Wielgohs |year=2004 |publisher=Ashgate Publishing, Ltd |location= |isbn=9780754637905 |pages=pp. 134 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=ZoYgF9oCvOcC&pg=PA134&dq }}</ref> and formal independence declared on 20 August 1991, 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 31 August 1994.

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

===Topography===
] District.]]

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°&nbsp;N and 21.5° and 28.1°&nbsp;E. Average elevation reaches only 50&nbsp;meters (164&nbsp;ft) and the country's highest point is the ] in the southeast at 318&nbsp;meters (1,043&nbsp;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 has over ]. Most are very small, with the largest, ], (Peipsi in Estonian) being 3,555&nbsp;km² (1372&nbsp;sq mi). There are many rivers in the country. The largest are the Võhandu (162&nbsp;km), Pärnu (144&nbsp;km), and Põltsamaa (135&nbsp;km).<ref name="worldinfo"></ref> Estonia also has numerous ], and 3,794 kilometers (2,357&nbsp;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"/>

===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 5.2°C <ref name="EMHI"></ref>. The average temperature in February, the coldest month of the year, is -5.7°C <ref name="EMHI"/>. The average temperature in July, which is considered the warmest month of the year, is 16.4°C<ref name="EMHI"/>. The climate is also influenced by the ], the ] and the ]ic ], 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.

===Wildlife===
{{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 ].]]

], Estonia is shared between the Central European and Eastern European provinces of the ] within the ]. According to the ], the territory of Estonia belongs to the ] of ].

Estonia's sparse population and large areas of forest have allowed stocks of ], ], ]s, and ] to survive, among other animals.<ref></ref> Estonia is thought to have a ] population of around 200<ref>{{et icon}}{{cite news|publisher= |date = 2008-01-25|accessdate=2008-11-24|title = Laupäeval algab hundijaht|url = http://www.ilmajaam.ee/?id=44828}}</ref>, which is considered slightly above the optimum range (100-200).<ref>{{et icon}}</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 Käina Bay Bird Reserve and ] (a wetland of international importance under the ]) are also popular with locals and tourists and support a wide variety of birdlife.<ref></ref>

==Counties==
{{main|Counties of Estonia}}

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>

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 ].
===Parliament===
{{main|Parliament of Estonia}}
] at Toompea.</sub>]]
The ] ({{lang-et|]}}) or the ] is elected by people for a four year term by ]. Estonia is a ], ] ] ]. The Estonian political system operates under a framework laid out in the 1992 ]. The Estonian parliament has 101 members and influences the governing of the state primarily by determining the income and the expenses of the state (establishing taxes and adopting the budget). At the same time the parliament has the right to present statements, declarations and appeals to the people of Estonia, ratify and denounce international treaties with other states and international organisations and decide on the Government loans.<ref>, {{En_icon}}</ref>

The Riigikogu elects and appoints several high officials of the state, including the President of the Republic. In addition to that, the Riigikogu appoints, on the proposal of the ], the Chairman of the National Court, the Chairman of the Board of the Bank of Estonia, the Auditor General, the Legal Chancellor and the Commander-in-Chief of the ]. A member of the Riigikogu has the right to demand explanations from the Government of the Republic and its members. This enables the members of the parliament to observe the activities of the executive power and the above mentioned high officials of the state.

===Government and e-Government===
{{main|Government of Estonia|Prime Minister of Estonia|President of Estonia}}
] at Toompea.]]</sub>

The ] ({{lang-et|]}}) or the ] is formed by the ], nominated by the president and approved by the parliament. The government exercises executive power pursuant to the ] and the laws of the Republic of Estonia and consists of 12 ministers, including the prime minister. 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 who currently is the ]. 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; 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.<ref>, ] {{En_icon}}</ref> 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 courts===
{{main|Constitution of Estonia}}

According to the ] ({{lang-et|]}}) the supreme power of the state is vested in the people. The people exercise their supreme power of the state on the elections of the Riigikogu through citizens who have the right to vote.<ref>, {{En_icon}}</ref> 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. 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|Diplomatic missions 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 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>

===International rankings===
{{International rankings of Estonia}}

==Military==
{{main|Military of Estonia|Military ranks of Estonia}}
The ] is based upon the ] ({{lang-et|]}}) which is the name of the unified armed forces of the republic with '']'' (Army), '']'' (Navy), '']'' (Air Force) and a paramilitary national guard organization '']'' (Defence League). The Estonian National Defence Policy aim is to guarantee the preservation of the ] and ] of the state, the ] of its land, territorial waters, airspace and its constitutional order.<ref>http://ee/index_eng.php Estonian National Defence Policy</ref> At the moment the main strategic goals are to be able to defend the countries interests and development of the armed forces which would be ready to be ] with the other armed forces of ] and ] member states and also their capability to participate in ].

] soldiers in ] on a ] ] (December 2007)]]

The current national ] ({{lang-et|]}}) 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. 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.<ref>, ] {{Et_icon}}</ref>

===e-Military===
{{main|E-Military of Estonia|NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence|Cyberattacks on Estonia 2007}}

The ] and the ] have been working on a ] and ] ] for some years now. In 2007 a ] of an ] was officially introduced as the country was under massive cyberattacks.<ref name="bbc_gal">{{cite news|publisher= BBC|date = 2008-01-25|accessdate=2008-02-23|title = Estonia fines man for 'cyber war'|url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7208511.stm}}</ref> The proposed aim of the e-military is to secure the vital ] and ] of Estonia. The main cyber warfare facility is the Computer Emergency Response Team of Estonia (CERT) which was founded in 2006. The organization operates with the security problems that occur in the local networks also with those which are started there.<ref>http://www.ria.ee/?id=28201 CERT Estonia</ref>

On 25 June 2007, Estonian president ] met with the President of the ], ].<ref>] 4 May 2007: </ref> Among the topics discussed were the attacks on Estonian e-infrastructure.<ref>Yahoo/] 25 June 2007: </ref> The attacks triggered a number of military organisations around the world to reconsider the importance of network security to modern military doctrine. On 14 June 2007, 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>] 15 June 2007: by ]</ref> As to the placement of a newly planned ] (]) (]), Bush announced his support of Estonia as this centre's location.<ref>] 28 June 2007: by ]</ref> In the aftermath of the ] on Estonia, plans to combine network defence with Estonian military doctrine, and related ] plans to create a cybernetic defence centre in Estonia, have been nicknamed as the Tiger's Defence, in reference to Tiigrihüpe.<ref>Office of the ] 25 June 2007: </ref>

==Economy==
]
{{main|Economy of Estonia|Currency of Estonia|Bank of Estonia|Estonian euro coins}}

As a member of the ], Estonia's economy is rated as high income by the ]. The Estonian economy ] has often been described as the ].
By 1929, a stable currency, the '']'', 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. 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 ]. 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 ].

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.

===Resources===
Although Estonia is in general resource-poor, the land still offers a large variety of smaller resources. The country has large ] and ] deposits, along with forests which cover 47% of the land. In addition to oil shale and limestone, Estonia also has large reserves of ], ] and ] which are not mined or mined extensively at the moment.<ref>http://www.ut.ee/BGGM/maavara/dityoneema.html Uranium production at Sillamäe</ref> In recent years a public debate has been raised in the terms of whether Estonia should build a nuclear power plant in order to secure the energy production after the shut down of the Narva Power Plants if they are not reconstructed by the year 2016.<ref>, ] {{Et_icon}}</ref><ref>, ] {{Et_icon}}</ref> It has been estimated that once Estonia starts using nuclear energy then the local uranium mining could have potential in the terms of financial risks and investments.

===Infrastructure and e-infrastructure===
{{main|Transport in Estonia|Tallinn International Airport|Tiigrihüpe}}
]]]

As Estonia has been an important transit center since the medieval ages the country’s favorable geographic location, along with its developing ], offers good opportunities for all transport and logistics related activities. The ] dominates the cargo sector, comprising 70% of all carried goods, domestic and international. Since ] the transit sector importance in the economy has been reducing, mainly due to the economical-political confrontation between Estonia and Russia. This however has not recognized internationally.<ref></ref> The road transport
accounts almost 90% of all transported passengers. In recent years the Tallinn-Tartu Highway reconstruction has gained an over national importance as it connects two of the largest cities in the country. The highway reconstruction (2+2 route) has also been written to the current Governing Coalition programme.<ref>, {{En_icon}}</ref>
Also the proposed permanent connection to ] is among the over national infrastructure building programme. Both of these project costs however have been estimated in billions of krones which have also gained a lot of media attention and caused public debates over the real need of such constructions.<ref> {{Et_icon}}</ref> There are currently five major ] ] which offer easy navigational access, deep waters, and good ice conditions. There are 12 ] and one ] in Estonia of which the ] is the largest airport, 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>

===Industry and environment===
{{main|Oil shale economics|Narva Power Plants|Wind power in Estonia}}
]]]

Food, construction, and electronic industries are currently among the most important branches of Estonia’s industry. In 2007, the construction industry employed more than 80,000 people which make around 12% of the entire country's workforce.<ref>, {{En_icon}}</ref> Another important industrial sector is the machinery and chemical industry which is mainly located in ] and around ]. The oil shale based ], which is also concentrated in ], produces around 90% of the entire country's electricity. The extensive ] usage however has caused also severe damage to the environment. Although the amount of pollutants emitted to the air have been falling since the 1980s, the air is still polluted with ] from the mining industry which was rapidly developed by the Soviet Union in early 1950s. In some areas the coastal seawater is polluted, mainly around the ] industrial complex.<ref>http://www.umsl.edu/services/govdocs/wofact2005/geos/en.html Environment - current issues in Estonia. ]{{en_icon}}</ref>
Estonia is a dependent country in the terms of energy and energy production. In recent years many local and foreign companies have been investing in renewable energy sources. The importance of wind power has been increasing steadily in Estonia and currently the total amount of energy production from wind is nearly 60 ] while at the same time roughly 399 MW worth of projects are currently being developed and more than 2800 MW worth of projects are being proposed in the ] area and the coastal areas of ].<ref></ref><ref>, ] {{Et_icon}}</ref><ref>, ] {{Et_icon}}</ref> Currently there are plans to renovate some sections of the ], establish new power stations, and provide higher efficiency in oil shale based energy production.<ref>http://enrin.grida.no/htmls/estonia/env2001/content/soe/air_2-3.htm State Environment in Estonia.{{En_icon}}</ref> The Estonian energy market liberalization is in progress and should be completed before 2009, as well as all of the non-household market, which totals around 77% of consumption, before 2013.<ref></ref>

Together with ], ], and ], the country considering to participate in the ] in Lithuania to replace the ].<ref name=wnn-lt>
{{cite news
| url = http://www.world-nuclear-news.com/NN_Visaginas_recognised_with_nuclear_site_name_3007082.html
| title = Visaginas recognised with nuclear site name
| publisher = World Nuclear News
| date=2008-07-30
| accessdate=2008-07-31}}
</ref><ref name="le">
{{cite web
| url = http://www.lpc.lt/en/main/news/press?ID=469
| title = Nuclear Power Plant Project in Lithuania is Feasible. Press release
| date=2006-10-25
| publisher = ]
| accessdate=2007-07-13}}
</ref> However, due to the slow pace of the project, Estonia does not rule out building its own nuclear reactor. Another consideration is doing a joint project with Finland because the two electricity grids are connected.<ref>Collier, Mike. “Estonia to become nuclear power?” ''The Baltic Times.'' 22 February 2008. <http://www.baltictimes.com/news/articles/19881/></ref>

The country is considering to apply nuclear power for its oil shale production.<ref>http://www.planetark.com/avantgo/dailynewsstory.cfm?newsid=47374</ref>

===Trade and investment===
] and part of its ].]]
{{main|Tallinn Stock Exchange}}

Estonia has a modern ] ] since the end of 1990s and one of the highest ] ] levels in ]. Proximity to the Scandinavian markets, location between the East and West, competitive cost structure and high-skill labour force have been the major Estonian comparative advantages in the beginning of the 2000s. ] as the largest city has emerged as a ] and the ] joined recently with the ] system. 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.
{| 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 exports mainly machinery and equipment, wood and paper, textiles, food products, furniture, and metals and chemical products.<ref name="CIAworld"></ref> Estonia also exports 1.562 billion ] hours of ] annually.<ref name="CIAworld"/> At the same time Estonia imports machinery and equipment, chemical products, textiles, food products and transportation equipment.<ref name="CIAworld"/> Estonia imports 200 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually.<ref name="CIAworld"/>

Between 2007 and 2013 Estonia receives 53.3 billion ] (3.4 billion ]) from various ] Structural Funds as direct supports by creating the largest foreign investments into Estonia ever.<ref>, {{En_icon}}</ref> Majority of the European Union financial aid will be invested into to the following fields: energy economies, entrepreneurship, administrative capability, education, information society, environment protection, regional and local development, research and development activities, healthcare and welfare, transportation and labour market.<ref> {{Et_icon}}</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> and has been increasing in recent years. Estonia has a small number of larger cities, the most populous being ], ], ], ] and ].

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}}

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.
{| style="background:transparent;"
|
{| class="sortable wikitable" style="text-align:left; font-size:90%"
|- style="font-size:100%; text-align:left"
!width="400px"|]!!width="300px"|]
!!width="100px"|]</tr>
|-
| ] ||920,885|| style="text-align:right"|68.8%
|-
| ] ||343,568|| style="text-align:right"|25.6%
|-
| ] ||28,003||style="text-align:right"|2.1%
|-
| ] ||15,925|| style="text-align:right"|1.2%
|-
| ] ||10,890||style="text-align:right"|0.8%
|-
| ] ||2,473|| style="text-align:right"|0.2%
|-
| ] ||2,211|| style="text-align:right"|0.2%
|-
| ] ||2,056|| style="text-align:right"|0.2%
|-
| ] ||2,070|| style="text-align:right"|0.1%
|-
| ] ||1,870|| style="text-align:right"|0.1%
|-
| ] ||1,910|| style="text-align:right"|0.1%
|-
| '']'' ||9,074|| 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.

In 2005, the ] minority in Estonia elected a cultural council and was granted cultural autonomy. The ] minority similarly received cultural autonomy in 2007.
|}
{{main|Languages of Estonia|Estonian language|Võro language|Seto language}}
] in their ]s in 2007.]]
The country's official language is ], which belongs to the ] 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 neighbors, 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 ]{{Fact|date=June 2008}}.

==Culture and arts==
{{main|Culture of Estonia|List of Estonians}}
{{Eesti kultuur}}

The ] incorporates indigenous heritage, as represented by the country's rare ] national language ] and the ], with mainstream ] and ]an cultural aspects. Due to its history and geography, Estonia's culture has been influenced by the traditions of the adjacent area's various Finnic, Baltic and Germanic peoples as well as the cultural developments in the former dominant powers ] and ]. Traditionally, Estonia has been seen as an area of rivalry between western and eastern Europe on many levels. An example of this geopolitical legacy is an exceptional combination of nationally recognized Christian traditions: a western ] and an eastern ]. Like the mainstream culture in the other Nordic countries, Estonian culture can be seen to build upon the ascetic environmental realities and traditional livelihoods, a heritage of comparatively widespread ] out of practical reasons (see: ] and ]), and the ideals of closeness to nature and ] (see: ]).<ref>, ] {{En icon}}</ref>

=== Literature ===
{{seealso|Estophile}}

The ] refers to literature written in the ] (ca. 1 million speakers).<ref> at ]</ref> The domination of Estonia after the ], from the 13th century to 1918 by Germany, Sweden, and Russia resulted few early written literary works in Estonian language. The oldest records of written Estonian date from the 13th century. ''Originates Livoniae'' in ] contains Estonian place names, words and fragments of sentences. The '']'' (1241) contains Estonian place and family names.<ref name="DWE"> ISBN 0700703802</ref>

The cultural stratum of Estonian, was originally characterised by a largely lyrical form of folk poetry based on syllabic quantity. Apart from a few albeit remarkable exceptions, this archaic form has not been much employed in later times. The most outstanding achievements in this field are the national epic ]. At a professional level, traditional folk song reached its new heyday during the last quarter of the 20th century, primarily thanks to the work of composer ]. In modern times ] and ] remain to be Estonia's best known and most translated writers.<ref> at google.books</ref>

===Media===
{{seealso|List of Estonian films|List of Estonian war films}}

The ] started in 1908 with the production of a ] about ] King ]’s visit to ].<ref></ref> 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.

Today the media is a vibrant sector at the forefront of change in Estonian society. There is a plethora of weekly newspapers and ]. Estonians face a choice of 9 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 ] (BNS), founded in 1990, is a private regional news agency covering Estonia, ] and ]. The ETV24 is an agency owned by ] who is a publicly funded radio and television organization created on 30 June 2007 to take over the functions of the formerly separate ] and ] under the terms of the Estonian National Broadcasting Act.<ref>{{cite book |title=Europe on a Shoestring |last=Johnstone |first=Sarah |authorlink= |coauthors= |year=2007 |publisher=Lonely Planet |location=p.325 |isbn=9781741045918 |pages= |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=_xvS1r8Ql0AC&pg=PA325 }}</ref> <ref>{{cite book |title=Campaigning in Europe |last=Maier |first=Michaela |authorlink= |coauthors= |year=2006 |publisher=LIT Verlag Berlin-Hamburg-Münster |location= |isbn=9783825893224 |pages=p.398 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=j9NjsybIcgoC&pg=PA398 }}</ref>

===Music===
{{main|Estonian national awakening|Estonian Song Festival|Estonia in the Eurovision Song Contest}}
] at ] in 2007.]]
], Estonia's most renowned composer.]]

The earliest mentioning of Estonian singing dates back to ] ''Gesta Danorum'' (ca. 1179).<ref> ISBN 0333231112</ref> Saxo speaks of Estonian warriors who sang at night while waiting for a battle. The older folksongs are also referred to as ]ud, songs in the poetic metre ] the tradition shared by all ]. Runic singing was widespread among Estonians until the 18th century, when it started to be replaced by rhythmic folksongs. Professional Estonian musicians and composers such as ], ] and ] emerged in the late 19th century at the time of ]. Nowadays the most known Estonian composers are ] and ]. Traditional ]s derived from those used by ]s were once widespread, but are now becoming again more commonly played. Other instruments, including the ], ], ] and ] are used to play ] or other dance music. The ] is a native instrument that is now again becoming more popular in Estonia. A was opened in 2008 in ].<ref> {{Et icon}}</ref>

The ] (''Laulupidu'') is an event which takes place in ]s ] (''Lauluväljak'') every four years in July. The last song festival was in 2007 and the next festival will be in 2009. Nowadays those festivals are held on ].

Estonia entered the ] in 1994 and in 2001, ] and ]'s "]" won the contest. In 2002, Estonia was the host nation for the Eurovision Song Contest. A well-known pop artist ] has sung for Estonia on two successful occasions (1996 and 1997), while ], ] and ] owe their popularity partly to the ], too.

==Society==
Today's Estonia is a multinational country where, according to the 2000 ], altogether 109 languages are spoken. 83.4% of Estonian citizens speak ] as their mother tongue, 15.3% – ] and 1% speak other languages. 83.6% of Estonian residents are Estonian citizens, 7.4% are citizens of other countries and 9% are "''citizens with undetermined citizenship''". The number of Estonian citizens who have become citizens through ] process (over 140,000 persons) exceeds the number of residents of undetermined citizenship (ac. 110,000 persons).<ref>, ]</ref>

There is only one ''Nationality Holiday'' in Estonia which is on the 24 February and marks the Independence Day of Estonia, which is also a day of rest. There are 12 ''State Holidays'' and 10 ''Over-National Days'' celebrated in the country.<ref></ref>
{{Holidays of Estonia}}

===Cuisine===
{{main|Cuisine of Estonia|Kama (food)|Saku (beer)|A. Le Coq|Kalev (company)|Kohuke|Verivorst}}
] and ] (beers), and ].]]

Historically the ] has been heavily dependent on seasons and simple peasant food, which today is influenced by many countries. Today it includes many typical international foods. The most typical foods in Estonia are ], ], ] and ] products.<ref> {{Et icon}}</ref> Traditionally in summer and spring, Estonians like to eat everything fresh - ], ], vegetables and everything else that comes straight from the garden. Hunting and fishing have also been very common, although currently hunting and fishing are enjoyed mostly as hobbies. Today it is also very popular to grill outside in summer. Traditionally in winter ], preserves and pickles are brought to the table. Estonia has been through rough times in the past and thus gathering and conserving ], ] and ] for winter has always been essential. Today gathering and conserving is not that common because everything can be bought from stores, but preparing food for winter is still very popular in the countryside and still has somewhat ritual significance. Being a country with a large coastal line, ] has also been very important.<ref>, ]{{En icon}}</ref>

===Education and science===
{{main|Education in Estonia|University of Tartu}}
{{seealso|List of universities in Estonia}}

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 ] which was established by the Swedish king ] in 1632. In 1919, university courses were first taught in the Estonian language.

Today's education in Estonia is divided into general, vocational and hobby education. The education system is based on four levels which include the pre-school, basic, secondary and higher education.<ref>, {{En_icon}}</ref> A wide network of schools and supporting educational ] has been established. The Estonian educational system consists of state, municipal, public and private educational institutions. There are currently 589 schools in Estonia.<ref>, {{Et_icon}}</ref>

Academic higher education in Estonia is divided into three levels: bachelor’s studies, master’s studies, and doctoral studies. In some specialties (basic medical studies, veterinary, pharmacy, dentistry, architect-engineer and a classroom teacher program) the Bachelors and Master’s levels are integrated into one unit.<ref>, ] {{En_icon}}</ref> Estonian public universities have significantly more autonomy than applied higher education institutions. In addition to organizing the academic life of the university, universities can create new curricula, establish admission terms and conditions, approve the budget, approve the development plan, elect the rector and make restricted decisions in matters concerning assets.<ref>, {{En_icon}}</ref> Estonia has a moderate number of public and private universities. The largest public universities are ], ], ], ], ], and the largest private university is ].
{{main|Science and technology in Estonia|IT industry of Estonia|Kazaa|Tiigrihüpe|Skype}}

The ] is Estonia's ] of science. The ] in late 1950s as the first computer centers were established in ] and ]. Estonian specialists contributed in the development of software engineering standards for different ministries of the Soviet Union during the 1980s.<ref name=Kalja>A. Kalja, J. Pruuden, B. Tamm, E. Tyugu, ''Two Families of Knowledge Based CAD Environments. In: Software for Manufacturing'' (North-Holland), 1989, pp 125-134</ref><ref name=Jaakkola>H. Jaakkola, A. Kalja, ''Estonian Information Technology Policy in Government, Industry and Research. In: Technology Management: Strategies and Applications.'' (Vol. 3, No. 3), 1997, pp 299-307</ref>

===Religion===
{{main|Religion in Estonia|Reformation}}
]: 1549-1625<br />tallest building in the world.<ref>]</ref></small>]]

According to the constitution there is a freedom of religion, no state church and that every person has the right to privacy of belief and religion.<ref>] Article 40.-42., {{En icon}}</ref> Although Estonia has one of the highest level of ] individuals in the world, with over 76% of the population stating no specific religious affiliation<ref name="pub.stat.ee">,{{En icon}}</ref>, the dominant religion in the country is ]. The country was christianized by the ] in the 13th century. During the ], Lutheranism spread, and the church was officially established in Estonia in 1686. Still, Estonians generally tend not to be very religious, because religion through the nineteenth century was associated with German feudal rule.<ref>,{{En icon}}</ref>

The second most populous religious group is the ], especially among the Russian minority.<ref>,{{En icon}}</ref> Historically there has been also another dominant minority religion, ] near ] area in ].
In 2000 there were about 152,000 ], 143,000 ], 5,000 ] and nearly 2,000 ]s in Estonia. In addition there were around 68,000 people who stated themselves as ].<ref name="pub.stat.ee"/>

===Sports===
{{main|Sports in Estonia|Estonia at the Olympics}}
].]]
Sport plays an important role in Estonian culture. Estonia first competed as a nation at the ], although the ] was established in 1923. Estonian athletes took part of the ] until the country was annexed by the ] in 1940. The ] ] was held in the capital city ]. After regaining independence in 1991, Estonia has participated in all Olympics. Estonia has won most of its medals in athletics, weightlifting, wrestling and cross-country skiing.<ref>, ]{{En icon}}</ref>

==International rankings==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left"
|+'''Rankings'''
<!-- GDP listed here is drastically different from GDP at top box, ALSO reference re: cia world factbook is incorrect -->
!Name
!Year
!Place
!Out of #
!Reference
|-
|] – ] ] (])
|2008
|44th
|229
|
|-
|] – ]
|2008
|112th
|223
|
|-
|] – Enabling Trade Index ranking
|2008
|43rd
|118
|
|-
|] / ] - ]
|2008
|8th
|149
|
|-
|] - '']''
|2008
|37th
|70
|
|-
|] - ]
|2008
|35th
|140
|
|-
|]'s list of ]s by country
|2007
|92nd
|172
|
|-
|] - Mother's Index Rank
|2007
|1st
|141
|
|-
|] - Women's Index Rank
|2007
|1st
|141
|
|-
|] - Children's Index Rank
|2007
|4th
|141
|
|-
|] / ] - ]
|2007
|12th
|157
|
|-
|] - ]
|2007
|6th
|177
|
|-
|] - Global Competitiveness Report 2007-2008
|2007
|4th
|131
|
|-
|] - The Global Gender Gap Report 2007
|2007
|1st
|128
|
|-
|] - ]
|2007
|14th
|178
|
|-
|] - ]
|2007
|12th
|169
|
|-
|] - ]
|2007
|49th
|180
|
|-
|] - ]
|2007
|1st
|167
|
|-
|] - ] by country as a percentage of GNI
|2006
|1st
|34
|
|-
|] - ] (EU and 11 other selected countries)
|2006
|28th
|36
|
|-
|] - ]
|2006
|119th
|178
|
|-
|] - ]
|2005
|5th
|111
|
|-
|] - % seats in the national government held by women
|2004
|1st (47%)
|141
|
|-
|] - ]
|
|31st
|100
|
|-
|]'s index of civil and political liberties
|
|17th
|140
|
|}

==Further reading==
* {{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}}

==Notes and references==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{portal|Estonia|Nuvola_Estonian_flag.svg}}
{{sisterlinks|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}}
; Government
* in English
* in English
*
*
; General information
*
*
*
* {{CIA_World_Factbook_link|en|Estonia}}
* at ''UCB Libraries GovPubs''
* {{dmoz|Regional/Europe/Estonia|Estonia}}
* {{wikiatlas|Estonia}}
{{ColBreak}}
; Travel
*
*
'''Pictures'''
*
*
{{EndMultiCol}}
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{{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
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|list =
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{{Countries of Europe}}
{{Countries bordering the Baltic Sea}}
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{{Template group
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{{Template group
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{{Template group
|title = Languages
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}}

{{coord|59|00|N|26|00|E|type:country_scale:9000000_region:EN|display=title}} <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 09:13, 19 January 2009

ESTONIA IS A SMALL, RETARDED COUNTRY WITH FREAKISHLY LARGE PEOPLE!