Estonia, Estonian Eesti, Russian Estoniya, German Estland, republic (17,413 sq mi/45,100 sq km; 1994 population 1,506,927; 2004 estimated population 1,341,664); borders on the Baltic Sea in the W, the gulfs of Riga and Finland (both arms of the Baltic) in the SW and N (respectively), Latvia in the S, and Russia in the E; (cap.) Tallinn. Important cities are Tartu, Narva, Pärnu, and Viljandi.
Geography
Despite the country’s N location, its climate is mild due to marine influences. The republic has numerous lakes, frequently of glacial origin; Peipsi (Lake Chudskoye), the largest, is important for both shipping and fishing. Saaremaa is the most notable of the more than 800 islands that line Estonia’s Baltic coast. The republic’s rivers include the Narva, Pärnu, and Ema.
Economy
One of Estonia’s greatest natural resources is its supply of oil shale; a natural gas pipeline connects Tallinn and Tartu with Russian sources, providing the RSFSR with gas and oil. Other natural resources include peat, limestone, dolomite, marl, clays (for cement and earthenware), sand (for the glass industry), phosphorite (for fertilizer), and timber. Agricultural crops of importance include flax, potatoes, and sugar beets. Exports (light industrial products, textiles, machinery, chemicals, furniture) to Russia, Finland, Latvia, Germany and the Ukraine; imports come mainly from the Nordic countries and Russia. Fishing, dairy farming, and pig raising are important occupations.
Population
Estonians make up about 65.3% of the population, Russians constitute about 28%, the minorities include Finnish, Ukranian, Byelorussian, and Jewish. The republic has a university (established 1632), an Academy of Sciences, and numerous other educational and cultural institutions. The Estonians, who are ethnically and linguistically close to the Finns, settled in their present territory before the Christian era.
History to 1918
They were mentioned (1st century A.D.) by Tacitus, who called them Aesti. In the 13th century the Danes and the German order of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword formed an alliance to conquer the pagan Estonian tribes. The Danes founded Reval (now Tallinn) in 1219 and introduced Christianity and Western European culture to Estonia. While Denmark took the N part of Estonia, the Knights occupied the S portion. In 1346 the Danes sold their territory to the order, and Estonia remained under the rule of the knights and the Hanseatic merchants until the order’s dissolution (1561). N Estonia then passed to Sweden; the rest was briefly held by Poland, then Sweden (1629), then Russia (1710). Despite some land reforms, the German nobles—the Baltic barons—controlled most of the urban wealth and retained their sway over the Estonian peasantry until the eve of the 1917 Russian Revolution. Meanwhile, industrialization (railroad cars, agriculture machinery, electric motors, and textiles) proceeded apace during the 19th century. The republic became heavily interlaced with railroads, and after the completion of the new port at Muuga (including modern wheat-hauling facilities), the port of Tallinn ranked just after Saint Petersburg, Odessa, and Riga in freight turnover. The rising Estonian national consciousness in the mid-19th century was countered by russification, spurring rebellion and considerable emigration (notably to the U.S. and Canada). In the aftermath of the 1917 Russian Revolution, Moscow appointed a puppet Communist regime to rule Estonia; its authority, however, failed to extend beyond Tallinn.
History - 1918 to Present
An Estonian proclamation of independence in February, 1918, was followed shortly by German occupation. Upon Germany’s Nov. 18 surrender to the Allies, Estonia declared itself an independent democratic republic and repulsed the invading Red Army. In 1920, by the Peace of Tartu, Soviet Russia recognized Estonia’s independence. However, political instability continued, with twenty short-lived coalition regimes before 1933. A new constitution gave the president sweeping authority, and in 1934 political parties were abolished. Five years later, the Nazi-Soviet Pact (August 1939) placed the Baltic countries under Soviet control, and by June 1940, Estonia was under complete Soviet military occupation. It was subsequently incorporated into the USSR as a constituent republic, and more than 60,000 persons were killed or deported during the occupation’s first year. During the German invasion, Estonian irregulars fought Soviet troops; support for the Nazis continued through 1944 when Soviet forces eventually retook Estonia (repeating the mass killings and deportations of thousands of Estonians). Despite strong resistance, the Estonian economy was steadily integrated with that of the USSR (especially the collectivization of agriculture and nationalization of industry). By March 1990, the Estonian Supreme Soviet called the 1940 annexation by the USSR invalid, declared its independence (August 1991), and defined its borders. However, it claims an additional area of 901 sq mi/2,333 sq km disputed by Russia. Arnold Rüütel became Estonia’s first post-Soviet head of state and Tiit Vähi its first prime minister. A new constitution was ratified in 1992 and went into effect on July 3 of that year. All Russian military personnel departed Estonian soil on August 30, 1995, after decommissioning the nuclear submarine base at Paldiski. Modern Estonia is aggressively promoting foreign investments and signing agreements with several European countries guaranteeing those investments. It formally joined the NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) military alliance on March 29, 2004 and became a full member of the European Union (EU) May 1, 2004.
Government
Estonia has a popularly elected hundred-and-one-member parliament, called the Riigikogu. The chairperson of parliament (also the head of state), appoints a prime minister who becomes head of the government. President Arnold Ruutel is chief of state with Prime Minister Juhan Parts as head of government. Next elections will be held in 2006.
