Estonia Key Facts

Location

Northern Europe.

Time

GMT + 2 (GMT + 3 from last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October).

Area

45,226 sq km (17,462 sq miles).

Population

1.3 million (2008 estimate).

Population Density

29 per sq km.

Capital

Tallinn. Population: 401,694 (official estimate 2007).

Geography

Estonia is the most northerly of the three Baltic Republics and is bordered to the north and west by the Baltic Sea, to the east by the Russian Federation and to the south by Latvia. The country is one of great scenic beauty with many forests, more than 1,400 lakes and 1,500 islands. Smaller than Lithuania and Latvia, it has nevertheless the longest coastline of all the Baltic States.

Government

Republic since 1918. Annexed by the USSR 1940. Regained independence in 1991. EU member since 2004.

Head of State

President Toomas Hendrik Ilves since 2006.

Head of Government

Prime Minister Andrus Ansip since 2005.

Recent History

Estonia continues to make European integration a keystone of its foreign policy and is planning to adopt the Euro in 2010, having joined the EU in 2004. Estonia enjoys high regard throughout western Europe for its successful handling of the transformation from ailing post-communist state to transparent social democratic government.

Relations with neighbouring Russia have nosedived since 2007, following the removal of a Soviet war memorial in Tallinn that triggered ethnic Russian riots in the city. A short time afterwards, a ‘cyber attack' was launched on Estonian government websites and computer systems, which was roundly attributed to Russia, although Moscow denied responsibility.

Language

Estonian is the official language. Many older people also speak some Russian, which is the mother tongue of around 30% of the population. However, using Russian can cause offence and it's better to speak English, which is widely spoken by people under 40.

Religion

The majority are non-religious. 23% Christian, with Lutheranism and Orthodoxy.

Electricity

230 volts AC, 50Hz. European-style two-pin plugs are used.

Social Conventions

Estonians are generally quite reserved and polite. A hand shake is the customary greeting. Normal courtesies should be observed. The Estonians are proud of their culture and their national heritage, and visitors should take care to respect this.
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