About Estonia...
Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia (343 km), and to the east by the Russian Federation (338.6 km). The territory of Estonia covers 45,227 km2 (17,462 sq mi) and is influenced by a temperate seasonal climate.The Estonians are a Finnic people, and the Estonian language is closely related to Finnish. Estonia is a democratic parliamentary republic and is divided into fifteen counties. The capital and largest city is Tallinn. With a population of only 1.34 million, Estonia is one of the least-populous members of the European Union. As a member of the European Union, Estonia's economy is rated as high income by the World Bank. Due to its rapid growth, the Estonian economy has often been described as the Baltic Tiger. By 1929, a stable currency, the kroon, was established. It is issued by the Bank of Estonia, the country's central bank. Trade focused on the local market and the West, particularly Germany and the United Kingdom. Only 3% of all commerce was with the USSR. Before the Second World War Estonia was mainly an agriculture country whose products such as butter, milk and cheese was widely known on the western European markets. The USSR's forcible annexation of Estonia in 1940 and the ensuing Nazi and Soviet occupation during World War II crippled the Estonian economy. Post-war Sovietization of life continued with the integration of Estonia's economy and industry into the USSR's centrally planned structure. Estonia today is mainly influenced by developments in Germany, Finland and Sweden - the three main trade partners. The government recently increased greatly its spending on innovation. The prime minister of Estonian Reform Party has stated its goal of bringing Estonian GDP per capita into the TOP 5 of EU by 2022. Ireland is sometimes seen as a model for Estonian economic future. However, the GDP of Estonia decreased by 1.4% in the 2nd quarter of 2008, over 3% in the 3rd quarter of 2008, and over 9% in the 4th quarter of 2008. According to Eurostat data, Estonian PPS GDP per capita stood at 67 per cent of the EU average in 2008.
Find out more about Estonia-->
|
|
| Exports To Estonia Facts |
| Location: |
Eastern Europe |
| Coordinates: |
59 00 N, 26 00 E |
| Int. Dialing Code: |
+372 |
| Currency: |
kroon (EEK) |
| Language: |
Estonian (official) 67.3% |
| Area: |
45,228 sq km |
| Capital City: |
Tallinn |
| Population: |
1,299,371 (July 2009 est.) |
| Population Ranking: |
153 |
| Employment: |
85.7% |
| Inflation: |
-0.4% (2009 est.) |
| GDP: |
$24.36 billion (2009 est.) |
| GDP Ranking: |
112 |
| GDP Growth: |
$18.26 billion (2009 est.) |
| Internet Users: |
888,100 (2008) |
| Television Stations: |
15 (2008) |
| Phone Lines: |
498,100 (2008) |
| Mobile Phones: |
2.525 million (2008) |
| Major Industry: |
engineering, electronics, wood and wood products, textiles; information technology, telecommunications |
|
