The 2004 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

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 80% less

       than in 1980; the amount of unpurified wastewater discharged to

       water bodies in 2000 was one twentieth the level of 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

      Environment - international agreements:

       party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air

       Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,

       Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto

       Protocol, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ship Pollution,

       Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

       signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

      Geography - note:

       the mainland terrain is flat, boggy, and partly wooded; offshore

       lie more than 1,500 islands

      People Estonia

      Population:

       1,341,664 (July 2004 est.)

      Age structure:

       0–14 years: 16% (male 110,452; female 104,363)

       15–64 years: 67.5% (male 431,493; female 474,255)

       65 years and over: 16.5% (male 72,819; female 148,282) (2004 est.)

      Median age:

       total: 38.8 years

       male: 35.1 years

       female: 42.1 years (2004 est.)

      Population growth rate:

       −0.66% (2004 est.)

      Birth rate:

       9.79 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

      Death rate:

       13.27 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

      Net migration rate:

       −3.16 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

      Sex ratio:

       at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female

       under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female

       15–64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female

       65 years and over: 0.49 male(s)/female

       total population: 0.85 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

      Infant mortality rate:

       total: 8.08 deaths/1,000 live births

       female: 6.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)

       male: 9.32 deaths/1,000 live births

      Life expectancy at birth:

       total population: 71.38 years

       male: 65.78 years

       female: 77.33 years (2004 est.)

      Total fertility rate:

       1.39 children born/woman (2004 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

       1% (2001 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

       7,800 (2003 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - deaths:

       less than 200 (2003 est.)

      Nationality:

       noun: Estonian(s)

       adjective: Estonian

      Ethnic groups:

       Estonian 65.3%, Russian 28.1%, Ukrainian 2.5%, Belarusian 1.5%,

       Finn 1%, other 1.6% (1998)

      Religions:

       Evangelical Lutheran, Russian Orthodox, Estonian Orthodox, Baptist,

       Methodist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Word

       of Life, Jewish

      Languages:

       Estonian (official), Russian, Ukrainian, Finnish, other

      Literacy:

       definition: age 15 and over can read and write

       total population: 99.8%

       male: 99.8%

       female: 99.8% (2003 est.)

      Government Estonia

      Country name:

       conventional long form: Republic of Estonia

       conventional short form: Estonia

       local short form: Eesti

       former: Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic

       local long form: Eesti Vabariik

      Government type:

       parliamentary republic

      Capital:

       Tallinn

      Administrative divisions:

       15 counties (maakonnad, singular - maakond): Harjumaa (Tallinn),

       Hiiumaa (Kardla), Ida-Virumaa (Johvi), Jarvamaa (Paide), Jogevamaa

       (Jogeva), Laanemaa (Haapsalu), Laane-Virumaa (Rakvere), Parnumaa

       (Parnu), Polvamaa (Polva), Raplamaa (Rapla), Saaremaa (Kuressaare),

       Tartumaa (Tartu), Valgamaa (Valga), Viljandimaa (Viljandi), Vorumaa

       (Voru)

       note: counties have the administrative center name following in

       parentheses

      Independence:

       20 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)

      National holiday:

       Independence Day, 24 February (1918); note - 24 February 1918 is

       the date Estonia declared its independence from Soviet Russia; 20

       August 1991 is the date it declared its independence from the Soviet

       Union

      Constitution:

       adopted 28 June 1992

      Legal system:

       based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative acts

      Suffrage:

       18 years of age; universal for all Estonian citizens

      Executive branch:

       chief of state: President Arnold RUUTEL (since 8 October 2001)

       head of government: Prime Minister Juhan PARTS (since 10 April 2003)

       cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister,

       approved by Parliament

       election results: Arnold RUUTEL elected president on 21 September

       2001 by a 367-member electoral assembly that convened following

       Parliament's failure in August to elect then-President MERI's

       successor; on the second ballot of voting, RUUTEL received 186 votes

       to Parliament Speaker Toomas SAVI's 155; the remaining 26 ballots

       were either left blank or invalid

       elections: president elected