Estonia is a country of Northeast Europe. Located on the shores of the Baltic Sea, it forms part, with Latvia and Lithuania, of the so-called Baltic States. It covers an area of 45 226 km 2 , including around 1500 islands and islets in the Baltic Sea. It is bordered by Russia to the east and Latvia to the south, being bathed by the Baltic Sea to the north and west. The main cities are Tallinn, the capital, with a population of 372 100 residents (2004), Tartu (99 700 inhab.), Narva (56 700 inhab.), Kohtla-Järve (38 600 inhab.) And Pärnu (35 700 inhab.) hab.).
Estonian geography is influenced by the old glacier cover, through the undulating line that characterizes the Estonian relief, covered by extensive forests and lakes and torn by countless rivers.
Climate
The climate is temperate continental, with very cold winters and mild summers.
Economy
Estonia’s economy has its main activities in industry and agriculture. With vast reserves of peat, phosphorites, limestone, dolomites, marl, clays and oil shale (which is of fundamental importance in the production of gas and electricity), the mining and chemical industries are well developed, a situation shared by the industries dedicated to metallurgy and the manufacture of construction materials. As for the primary sector, despite employing less than 14% of the active population, it contributes about 25% to GDP. The exploitation of land, which was once collectivized, is now in the hands of private landowners, who, in addition to products such as potatoes, cereals and vegetables, encourage cattle raising. In this sector, it is also worth mentioning forestry, one of the oldest occupations in Estonia, since forested lands exist in large quantities. Estonia’s main trading partners are Finland, Russia, Germany and Sweden. Environmental indicator: the value of carbon dioxide emissions, per capita (metric tons, 1999), is 11.7.
Population
The population is 1 324 333 residents (2006), which corresponds to a population density of 29.47 inhab./km 2 . The birth and death rates are respectively 10.04% of the and 13.25% the, a fact that contributes to the decreasing trend of the population which, in 2025, is estimated to reach only 1 302 000 residents. Average life expectancy is 72.04 years. The value of the Human Development Index (HDI) is 0.833 and the value of the Gender-adjusted Development Index (IDG) is 0.831 (2001). In terms of ethnic composition, Estonians represent 65% of the population, followed by Russians (28%), Ukrainians (2.5%), Belarusians (1.5%) and Finns (1%) . The main religions are the Estonian Orthodox and the Lutherans. The official language is Estonian.
Countryaah: provides country profile of Estonia, including its state flag, official language, population rankings, land area, history overview, summary of economy and culture as well as map of Estonia.
Abbreviationfinder: Comprehensive list of all abbreviations associated with Estonia. Sorted by popularity. Also offers the 2-letter and 3-letter acronyms for what is the abbreviation for Estonia.
Bank of Estonia
Contains a description of the services of Estonia’s central bank as well as the laws and operations of the banking system.
Website: http://www.ee/epbe/en/
Estonian Central Depository for Securities
Contains legal information, description of services, and reports about the Estonian securities market.
Website: http://www.depo.ee/english/
Hansa Bank
Features bank news, exchange rates, and descriptions of services for individuals and corporations. Learn about the bank’s community efforts.
Website: http://www.esb.ee/en/
Optiva Direct
Find interest and currency exchange rates, annual reports, descriptions of services for private and corporate banking and electronic services.
