Estonia in brief
Official name: Republic of Estonia (Estonian: Eesti Vabariik)
Short form: Estonia (Estonian: Eesti)
Independence declared: 24 February 1918
Capital: Tallinn
Geography
Geographical coordinates: 59°00' N, 26°00' E
Area: 45 227 sq km
Coastline: 3794 km
Land border: 682 km (343.0 km with Latvia and 338.6 km with the Russian Federation)
Sea border: 768.6 km
People
Population: 1 340 415 (1 Jan 2009 est. by Statistics Estonia)
Population density: 29.6 inhabitants per square km
Larger cities: Tallinn (pop. 398 594, 2009 est), Tartu (102 817), Narva (66 151), Kohtla-Järve (44 821), Pärnu (44 024)
Main ethnic groups: Estonians 68.8%, Russians 25.6%, Ukrainians 2.1%, Belarusians 1.2%, Finns 1.1%, others 1.2%
Official language: Estonian
Main religions: Evangelical Lutheran 13.4 %, Russian Orthodox 12.7%, Estonian Orthodox 2%
Government
Type of government: parliamentary democracy
Legislature: unicameral parliament – Riigikogu
Head of State: President (currently Toomas Hendrik Ilves)
Head of Government: Prime Minister (currently Andrus Ansip)
Highest judiciary: Supreme Court
Membership in international organisations: United Nations Organisation (since 17 October 1991), North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (29 March 2004), European Union (1 May 2004), et al.
Administrative divisions
Local governments: 33 urban and
193 rural municipalities
Counties: 15 (Harjumaa, Hiiumaa, Ida-Virumaa,
Jõgevamaa, Järvamaa, Läänemaa, Lääne-Virumaa, Põlvamaa, Pärnumaa,
Raplamaa, Saaremaa, Tartumaa, Valgamaa, Viljandimaa, Võrumaa)
Currency: Euro (EUR)
Time zone: EET (UTC+2
)
Internet national domain extension: .ee
International calling code: + 372
