NAVIGATION
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NAVIGATION
Republic of Estonia
Eesti Vabariik
former: Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic
INTRODUCTION
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Background:
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After centuries of Danish, Swedish, German, and Russian rule, Estonia attained independence in 1918. Forcibly incorporated into the USSR in 1940, it regained its freedom in 1991 with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Since the last Russian troops left in 1994, Estonia has been free to promote economic and political ties with Western Europe. |
GEOGRAPHY
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Location:
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Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Finland, between Latvia and Russia |
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Geographic coordinates:
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59 00 N, 26 00 E |
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Map references:
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Europe |
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Area:
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total: 45,226 sq km
note: includes 1,520 islands in the Baltic Sea water: 2,015 sq km land: 43,211 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than New Hampshire and Vermont combined |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 633 km
border countries: Latvia 339 km, Russia 294 km |
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Coastline:
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3,794 km |
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Maritime claims:
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exclusive economic zone: limits fixed in coordination with neighboring states
territorial sea: 12 NM |
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Climate:
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maritime, wet, moderate winters, cool summers |
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Terrain:
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marshy, lowlands; flat in the north, hilly in the south |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m
highest point: Suur Munamagi 318 m |
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Natural resources:
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oil shale, peat, phosphorite, clay, limestone, sand, dolomite, arable land, sea mud |
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Land use:
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arable land: 26.5%
permanent crops: 0.35% other: 73.15% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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40 sq km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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sometimes flooding occurs in the spring |
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Environment - current issues:
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air polluted with sulfur dioxide from oil-shale burning power plants in northeast; however, the amount of pollutants emitted to the air have fallen steadily, the emissions of 2000 were 4.6 times smaller than in 1980; the amount of unpurified wastewater discharged to water bodies fell 20 times in 2000 compared to 1980; in connection with the start-up of new water purification plants, the pollution load of wastewater decreased; Estonia has more than 1,400 natural and manmade lakes, the smaller of which in agricultural areas need to be monitored; coastal seawater is polluted in certain locations |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ship Pollution, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol |
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Geography - note:
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the mainland terrain is flat, boggy, and partly wooded; offshore lie more than 1,500 islands |
PEOPLE
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Population:
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1,415,681 (July 2002 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 16.4% (male 118,603; female 114,102)
15-64 years: 68.5% (male 466,882; female 502,343) 65 years and over: 15.1% (male 70,085; female 143,666) (2002 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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-0.52% (2002 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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8.96 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Death rate:
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13.44 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-0.73 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.49 male(s)/female total population: 0.86 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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12.32 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 70.02 years
female: 76.31 years (2002 est.) male: 64.03 years |
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Total fertility rate:
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1.24 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.04% (1999 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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less than 500 (1999 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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less than 100 (1999 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun: Estonian(s)
adjective: Estonian |
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Ethnic groups:
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Estonian 65.3%, Russian 28.1%, Ukrainian 2.5%, Belarusian 1.5%, Finn 1%, other 1.6% (1998) |
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Religions:
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Evangelical Lutheran, Russian Orthodox, Estonian Orthodox, Baptist, Methodist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Word of Life, Jewish |
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Languages:
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Estonian (official), Russian, Ukrainian, Finnish, other |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 100% male: 100% female: 100% (1998 est.) |