the Republic of Estonia

Republic of Estonia

Official title: Republic of Estonia.

Short name: Estonia.

Location: situated on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea, bordering Russia's Leningrad and Pskov regions and the Republic of Latvia.

Area: 45,200 square kilometres.

Population: 1,315,635 people by January 1, 2017 (according to Estonia's Department of Statistics). Large cities account for 68 percent of the population. Ethnic composition: Estonians are the predominant group at 69 percent; ethnic Russians – 26 percent; ethnic Ukrainians – 2 percent; ethnic Belarusians and Finns – 1 percent each.  The non-Estonian population prevails in the north-east of the country, particularly in the city of Narva where Russian-speakers account for more than 90 percent of residents.

Capital: Tallinn (444,000 residents). Other key cities: Tartu (93,000), Narva (58,000), Kohtla-Jarve (36,000), Parnu (40,000).

Political system: parliamentary republic. The Constitution was adopted on June 28, 1992.

Administrative divisions: unitary state consisting of 15 counties and 33 urban and 194 rural municipalities.

Official language: Estonian.

Religion: there are more than 70 registered churches forming part of the Estonian Council of Churches. The main churches: Estonian Apostolic Lutheran Church, Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. There are also communities of Old Believers (near Chudskoye Lake), Catholics, Baptists, Pentecostalists, Jews, Muslims and others.

National currency: euro (since January 1, 2011).

National holiday: February 24, Independence Day (1918). Diplomatic relations with Russia were established on October 24, 1991.

Political system: parliamentary republic. The current Constitution has been in force since June 28, 1992.

Head of State: President, elected by parliament for a five-year term, cannot serve more than two consecutive terms (Chapter 5, Article 80 of the Constitution of Estonia). Incumbent President: Kersti Kaljulaid (since October 10, 2016).

Supreme legislative authority: Riigikogu (unicameral parliament) of the Republic of Estonia, consisting of 101 members elected by proportional representation for a four-year term (Chapter 4, Article 60 of the Constitution of Estonia). A parliamentary election is held on the first Sunday of March on the fourth year following the previous election. Incumbent Speaker: Eiki Nestor (Social Democratic Party). The current parliament was elected in March 2015, the next election is due in spring 2019.

Supreme executive authority: Government of the Republic of Estonia. Head of Government: Prime Minister, appointed by the President and approved by parliament (Chapter 5, Article 89 of the Constitution of Estonia). The Government is formed by the Prime Minister and approved by the President. Incumbent Prime Minister since November 23, 2016: Juri Ratas (Centre Party).

Major political parties: Reform Party (led by Hanno  Pevkur), Pro Patria and Res Publica Union (Helir-Valdor Seeder), Social Democratic Party (Jevgeni Ossinovski), Centre Party (Juri Ratas), Conservative People's Party (Mart Helme) and Freedom Party (Andres Herkel).

Official language: Estonian. Russian is widely spoken in everyday life plus Finnish and English to a lesser degree.

National symbols: national flag – a blue-black-white tricolour (since 1920); national emblem – a golden heraldic shield with three blue lions in the middle (since 1925); national anthem – “My Fatherland, My Happiness and Joy,” with music by Fredrik Pacius, and lyrics by Johann Voldemar Jannsen (19^th century).                      

History: Finno-Ugric tribes settled in what is now Estonia in the Bronze Age. The first Russian settlements in the eastern part of the country's modern territory appeared in the 11^th century.  In 1030, Prince Yaroslav the Wise founded the city of Yuriev (modern Tartu).

In the 13^th-16^th centuries, the territory of modern Estonia belonged to German and Danish barons. In the 16^th-17^th centuries, it was part of Sweden.

In 1721, after the Great Northern War, the above-mentioned lands went over to Russia. In April 1917, they were merged into the Estland province and granted autonomy.

On February 24, 1918, Estonia proclaimed independence. On February 2, 1920, following the civil war in north-western Russia, in which Estonian armed units also took part, a treaty known as the Yuriev (Tartu) peace treaty between the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR) and the Republic of Estonia was signed. On September 28, 1939, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and Estonia signed a treaty on mutual assistance, in which the Estonian government agreed to the deployment of a Soviet troop contingent, bases and air fields on its territory. On June 17, 1940, after the Estonian government accepted demands by the USSR, additional Soviet troops were moved in.  On July 21, 1940, the Estonian State Duma, elected on July 14-15, 1940, announced the establishment of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic (ESSR). On August 6, 1940, the USSR Supreme Soviet endorsed the request of the Estonian State Duma to incorporate the ESSR into the USSR.

On December 1-2, 1988, the Popular Front socio-political movement was created, and pledged itself to fighting for Estonia's secession from the USSR. On May 8, 1990, the ESSR Supreme Soviet proclaimed the Republic of Estonia. On January 12, 1991, the RSFSR and Estonia signed a treaty on interstate relations (it was ratified by Estonia's Supreme Soviet on January 15, 1991 and by the RSFSR Supreme Soviet on December 26, 1991 and took effect on January 14, 1992).  On September 6, 1991, the USSR State Soviet recognised Estonia's independence.

Socioeconomic situation: In 2016, Estonia's GDP grew by 1.6 percent on the previous year to 21 billion euros, according to the national department of statistics. The average monthly salary reached 1,146 euros, unemployment rose to 6.8 percent and a 0.1 percent inflation was recorded for the first time in three years after two years of deflation.

The national budget was implemented with revenues of 7.318 billion euros (96.3 percent of the planned total) and expenditure of 7.326 billion euros (92.9 percent of the planned total). By December 31, 2016, the national debt reached 1.98 billion euros or 9.5 percent of GDP.  

In 2016, Estonia's external trade picked up by 2.8 percent to 25.4 billion euros after a three-year decline (24.7 billion euros in 2015). Exports increased by 2.7 percent to 11.9 billion euros in 2016 from 11.6 billion in 2015. Imports rose by 3 percent to 13.5 billion euros in 2016 from 13.1 billion in 2015. Estonia's trade deficit amounted to 1.6 billion euros.

Estonia's five main export partners are Sweden (17.9 percent), Finland (15.9 percent), Latvia (9.2 percent), Russia (6.5 percent) and Lithuania (6 percent).  Its main import partners are Finland (13 percent), Germany (11 percent), Lithuania (9.5 percent), Latvia (8.4 percent) and Sweden (8.3 percent). Imports from Russia make up 5.5 percent of Estonia's total imports (eighth position). 

Estonia has a developed transport network. The bulk of international freight is carried by railway. The main passenger sea port is Tallinn; the main cargo port is Muuga, both of which, along with other Estonian sea ports, are integrated into the Port of Tallinn shareholding company.  In October 2005, a new sea port opened at Sillamae. Ferries operate between Helsinki, Stockholm, Rostock and St Petersburg. Tallinn has air links with a number of countries, most of them European.   

Domestic policy: There are 11 political parties on Estonia's political map, six of them represented in the Riigikogu.

The results of the March 1, 2015 parliamentary election were as follows: the Reform Party – 30 seats, the Centre Party – 27, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) – 15, the Pro Patria and Res Publica Union (PPRPU) – 14, Conservative People's Party – 7.

In November 2016, the Centre Party formed a government coalition with SDP and PPRPU.

Foreign policy: The main officially-declared priorities of Estonia's foreign policy are the creation of favourable external conditions aimed at bolstering national security, protecting national sovereignty and citizens, ensuring steady economic growth, and developing cooperation with NATO and the EU in the interests of stability and predictability in international relations; promotion of an expansion in the “zone of democracy, human rights, the supremacy of law and freedom of the press”; the policy of good-neighbourliness at a regional level; and Estonia's engagement in international efforts to provide humanitarian aid and maintain stability in various regions of the world. The country joined the Schengen Area on December 21, 2007. Estonia's key foreign policy reference point is the United States. Tallinn is committed to strict compliance with the approaches coordinated by the EU and NATO.

On July 2017, Estonia took over the presidency of the Council of the European Union. Tallinn outlined the following priorities of its presidency: an open, innovative and digital economy; European security; the free movement of data; and the steadfast development of the EU.

Estonia is a member of many international organisations, including the UN and OSCE (since 1991), the Council of Europe (since 1993) and the WTO (since 1999).  An EU and NATO member state since 2004, it seeks non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council in 2020-2021, calling for the cancellation of the right of veto, greater transparency of the council's work and a candid procedure for electing the UN Secretary General.

Culture: Estonia has 190 museums (68 national, 72 municipal and 50 private) and 19 theatres, including 11 national and 8 municipal ones. The Government's cultural policy is funded partly from the national budget and partly from the Cultural Endowment of Estonia, an extra-budgetary state fund that accumulates tax revenues from gambling businesses and excise duties on alcohol and tobacco.

In the 13^th-20^th centuries, Estonian culture developed firstly under German-Scandinavian and then Russian influences. Up to the second half of the 19^th century, it was predominantly a patriarchal peasant culture.

The Estonian national writing system appeared in the 16^th century. The earliest known books in Estonian were religious texts (Catechism).  In the 19^th century, the Kalevipoeg epic poem based on Estonian folk legends was written. The best-known Estonian authors are poetess Lydia Koidula, and writers Anton Tammsaare, August Jakobson, Rudolf Sirge, and Jaan Kross.  In the second half of the 19^th century, national motifs, sometimes verging on nationalism, underlining the ethnic identity of the Estonian people, emerged and gained prominence in Estonian literature.

Estonia has deep-rooted folk singing and dancing traditions. Contemporary music culture is represented by classical composers such as Arvo Part, Veljo Tormis, and Errki-Sven Tuur, as well as by the Tallinn and Narva symphony orchestras, singers Anne Veski, Tonis Magi and other representatives of youth and pop culture.

The main theatres: Estonia National Academic Opera Theatre, Estonian Drama Theatre, Tallinn City Theatre, Russian Drama Theatre.

Around three dozen TV productions, animation films and documentaries are released annually; occasionally, new feature films come out. The TV premiere of the film “Georg” about the life and artistic career of Georg Ots drew considerable attention in February 2017. The fact that its portrayal of Soviet realities, including the Stalin era, is no tougher than in Russian films and that it is free of russophobic flair, does its authors credit.

The Estonian authorities pay a lot of attention to the preservation of historical monuments. The country boasts many samples of medieval architecture, and various art exhibitions are held on a regular basis.

Education: Public spending on education expenditure accounts for 5.6 percent of Estonia's GDP. There are 25 institutes of higher education, including 6 state-run universities, 8 state-run and 8 private colleges, 2 state-run institutions of applied higher education and 1 private university. The total number of high school students in Estonia has been steadily decreasing: from more than 68,000 in 2007 to 48,000 in 2016-2017.

The overall number of students at Estonia's secondary schools and lyceums has fallen by 37,000 since 2006 to around 144,000. A parallel process of shutting down or merging so-called “incompetent” schools is under way: at present, there are 535 functioning schools, compared with 573 in 2007.

By 2011, the education reform under which 60 percent of school subjects at the so-called “Russian” lyceums must be taught in the state language had been completed. In 2014, according to a graduate survey at a reformed lyceum, more than one-third of the graduates had lower-than-B1-level knowledge of Estonian (the minimal required level for the lyceum course is B2). Estonia pursues the policy of squeezing the Russian language out of the education system: there are now only 70 schools and lyceums where the children of non-Estonian-speaking citizens can study, at least partially, in their native language.    

Mass media: There are 4 daily newspapers in Estonia: the Estonian-language Postimees (circulation 45,000-53,000),  Õhtuleht (48,200),  Eesti Päevaleht (16,800) and  Äripäev (8,400).  Until 2016, the Russian-language print version of the Postimees came out twice a week. The closure of the paper version in favour of the online edition was financially motivated.

The Russian-language press is represented by Komsomolskaya Pravda in Northern Europe (circulation of 10,000 copies), MK-Estonia (13,900), Delovye Vedomosti (Russian-language version of Äripäev, 3,100). The Severnoye Poberezhye (Northern Coast) newspaper (6,100) periodically comes out in Narva.

There are three large web portals: Delfi, ERR News and Baltic News Service (BNS) (Russian and English versions are available). 

The Estonian State TV and Radio Broadcasting Corporation (ERR) tops the list of local broadcast media. It operates the Estonian-language ETV and ETV2 television channels and also ETV+, which positions itself as a Russian-language TV channel. Russian TV channels and their regional versions are available via cable networks:  First Baltic Channel (PBK Estonia), RTR Planeta, NTV Mir, REN TV Estonia, TVC Estonia.

Around 30 radio stations currently broadcast in Estonia, six of them in Russian.  ERR operates 5 radio stations (Vikerraadio, Raadio-2, the Russian-language Raadio-4, Klassikaraadio and Raadio Tallinn).

Compatriots abroad: The Russian-speaking population totals around 320,000 and dominates the north-eastern part of the country, including the city of Narva (over 90 percent of all residents). Around 120,000 permanent residents in Estonia are Russian citizens.

After declaring independence, the Estonian government embarked on building a mono-ethnic state. For this purpose, it worked out legislation discriminating against the non-Estonian population, aimed at forcing them to leave the country, by, for example, discouraging the use of minority languages, above all, Russian, in all spheres of social life.

The problem of mass non-citizenship remains. By January 1, 2017, the number of people without citizenship among the country's permanent residents was around 79,400 or 6.3 percent of Estonia's population. The rate of citizenship obtained through naturalisation is low: 1,589 people in 2014, 884 people in 2015, 1,450 people in 2016. Population decrease in this group arises mainly from natural decline (mortality).

Estonian “non-citizens” do not fall under the Council of Europe's Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities; they are unable to participate in the political life of the country, have no right to vote in parliamentary elections, cannot be elected to local self-government bodies and are barred from certain professions (around 23).