Youth for Christ ministry in Estonia is still in the target stage. This means key contacts have been identified, and a ministry plan is being developed but ministry has not yet commenced.
About Estonia
Estonia
Introduction
After centuries of Danish, Swedish, German, and Russian rule, Estonia attained independence in 1918. Forcibly incorporated into the USSR in 1940 - an action never recognized by the US - it regained its freedom in 1991 with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Since the last Russian troops left in 1994, Estonia has been free to promote economic and political ties with Western Europe. It joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004.
Geography
Location
Location: Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Finland, between Latvia and Russia
Geographic Coordinates: 59 00 N, 26 00 E
Area
Total Area: 45,228 sq km Rank: 132
Land Area: 42,388 sq km
Water Area: 2,840 sq km
Note: includes 1,520 islands in the Baltic Sea
Comparison: slightly smaller than New Hampshire and Vermont combined
Land Boundaries: 633 km
Bordering Countries: Latvia 343 km, Russia 290 km
Coastline: 3,794 km
Climate
maritime; wet, moderate winters, cool summers
Terrain
marshy, lowlands; flat in the north, hilly in the south
Elevations
Lowest Point: Baltic Sea 0 m
Highest Point: Suur Munamagi 318 m
Natural Resources
oil shale, peat, phosphorite, clay, limestone, sand, dolomite, arable land, sea mud
Land Use
Arable land: 12.05%
Permanent Crops: 0.35%
Other: 87.6% (2005)
Irrigated Land: 40 sq km (2003)
Renewable Water Resources: 21.1 cu km (2005)
Total Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural): 1.41 cu km/yr (56%/39%/5%)
Freshwater Withdrawal Per Capita: 1,060 cu m/yr (2002)
Environment
Natural Hazards: sometimes flooding occurs in the spring
Environmental Issues: 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-20th 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
Environmental Agreements: Party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
Geography Notes
the mainland terrain is flat, boggy, and partly wooded; offshore lie more than 1,500 islands
People
Population: 1,299,371 (July 2010 est.) Rank: 153
Age Structure
0-14 years: 14.9% (male 99,748/female 94,051)
15-64 years: 67.5% (male 417,816/female 459,246)
65 years and over: 17.6% (male 75,486/female 153,024) (2010 est.)
Median Age: 36.7 years
Population Growth
Growth Rate: -0.632% (2010 est.) Rank: 227
Birth Rate: 10.37 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) Rank: 188
Death Rate: 13.42 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) Rank: 24
Net Migration Rate: -3.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) Rank: 146
Urbanization
Urban Population: 69% of total population (2008)
Rate of Urbanization: -0.3% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Life and Death
Infant Mortality Rate: 7.32 deaths/1,000 live births Rank: 168
Life Expectancy at Birth: 72.82 years Rank: 116
Fertility Rate: 1.43 children born/woman (2010 est.) Rank: 192
Health and Disease
HIV/AIDS - Adult Prevalence Rate: 1.3% (2007 est.) Rank: 48
People living with HIV/AIDS: 9,900 (2007 est.) Rank: 104
HIV/AIDS Deaths: fewer than 500 (2007 est.) Rank: 99
Degree of Risk for Major Infectious Diseases: intermediate
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea
Vectorborne disease: tickborne encephalitis (2009)
Nationality and Culture
Noun: Estonian(s)
Adjective: Estonian
Ethnic Groups: Estonian 68.7%, Russian 25.6%, Ukrainian 2.1%, Belarusian 1.2%, Finn 0.8%, other 1.6% (2008 census)
Religion: Evangelical Lutheran 13.6%, Orthodox 12.8%, other Christian (including Methodist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal) 1.4%, unaffiliated 34.1%, other and unspecified 32%, none 6.1% (2000 census)
Languages: Estonian (official) 67.3%, Russian 29.7%, other 2.3%, unknown 0.7% (2000 census)
Education
Literacy (Meaning, age 15 and over can read and write): 99.8% Male: 99.8% Female: 99.8% (2000 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): 16 years Male: 15 years Female: 17 years (2006)
Education expenditures: 5.1% of GDP (2004) Rank: 67
Government
Country Name
Conventional Long Form: Republic of Estonia
Conventional Short Form: Estonia
Local Long Form: Eesti Vabariik
Local Short Form: Eesti
Formerly: Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic
Government Type: parliamentary republic
Capital: Tallinn Geographic Coordinates: 59 26 N, 24 43 E
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 the Soviet Union)
National holiday: Independence Day, 24 February (1918); note - 24 February 1918 was the date Estonia declared its independence from Soviet Russia; 20 August 1991 was the date it declared its independence from the Soviet Union
Constitution: adopted 28 June 1992
Legal system: based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal for all Estonian citizens
Executive Branch
Chief of State: President Toomas Hendrik ILVES (since 9 October 2006)
Head of Government: Prime Minister Andrus ANSIP (since 12 April 2005)
Cabinet: Ministers appointed by the prime minister, approved by Parliament
Elections: president elected by Parliament for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); if a candidate does not secure two-thirds of the votes after three rounds of balloting in the Parliament, then an electoral assembly (made up of Parliament plus members of local councils) elects the president, choosing between the two candidates with the largest number of votes; election last held on 23 September 2006 (next to be held in the fall of 2011); prime minister nominated by the president and approved by Parliament
Election Results: Toomas Hendrik ILVES elected president on 23 September 2006 by a 345-member electoral assembly; ILVES received 174 votes to incumbent Arnold RUUTEL's 162; remaining 9 ballots left blank or invalid
Legislative Branch
unicameral Parliament or Riigikogu (101 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
Elections: last held on 4 March 2007 (next to be held in March 2011)
Election Results: percent of vote by party - Estonian Reform Party 27.8%, Center Party of Estonia 26.1%, Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica 17.9%, Social Democratic Party 10.6%, Estonian Greens 7.1%, Estonian People's Union 7.1%, other 5%; seats by party - Estonian Reform Party 31, Center Party 28, Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica 19, Social Democratic Party 10, Estonian Greens 6, Estonian People's Union 6, independent 1
Judicial branch
Supreme Court (chairman appointed for life by Parliament)
Politics
Political Parties and Leaders: Center Party of Estonia (Keskerakond) [Edgar SAVISAAR]; Estonian Greens (Rohelised) [Marek STRANDBERG]; Estonian People's Union (Rahvaliit) [Karel RUUTLI]; Estonian Reform Party (Reformierakond) [Andrus ANSIP]; Social Democratic Party [Juri PIHL]; Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica (Isamaa je Res Publica Liit) [Mart LAAR]
International Organization Participation: Australia Group, BA, BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, ESA (cooperating state), EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NATO, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD (accession state), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNITAR, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Flag Description: three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), black, and white; various interpretations are linked to the flag colors; blue represents faith, loyalty, and devotion, while also reminiscent of the sky, sea, and lakes of the country; black symbolizes the soil of the country and the dark past and suffering endured by the Estonian people; white refers to the striving towards enlightenment and virtue, and is the color of birch bark and snow, as well as summer nights illuminated by the midnight sun
Economy
Economy Overview: Estonia, a 2004 European Union entrant, has a modern market-based economy and one of the higher per capita income levels in Central Europe and the Baltic region. Estonia's successive governments have pursued a free market, pro-business economic agenda and have wavered little in their commitment to pro-market reforms. The current government has pursued relatively sound fiscal policies that have resulted in balanced budgets - at least up until 2009 - and low public debt. Tallinn's priority has been to sustain high growth rates - on average 8% per year from 2003 to 2007. The economy benefits from strong electronics and telecommunications sectors and strong trade ties with Finland, Sweden, and Germany. The government is on track to adopt the euro in 2011. Estonia's economy slowed down markedly and fell sharply into recession in mid-2008, primarily as a result of an investment and consumption slump following the bursting of the real estate market bubble. GDP dropped nearly 15% in 2009, among the world's highest rates of contraction.
Gross Domestic Product
GDP (purchasing power parity): $24 billion (2009 est.) Rank: 113
GDP - real growth rate: -14.1% (2009 est.) Rank: 209
GDP - per capita (PPP): $18,500 (2009 est.) Rank: 63
GDP - Composition by Sector: Agriculture: 2.7% Industry: 26.3% Services: 71% (2009 est.)
Labor Force
Labor Force: 691,000 (2009 est.) Rank: 149
Labor force - by occupation: Agriculture: 2.8% Industry: 22.7% Services: 74.5% (2008)
Unemployment Rate: 13.8% (2009 est.) Rank: 140
Poverty
Population below poverty line: 19.5% (2007)
Transnational Issues
International Disputes: Russia recalled its signature to the 1996 technical border agreement with Estonia in 2005, rather than concede to Estonia's appending prepared a unilateral declaration referencing Soviet occupation and territorial losses; Russia demands better accommodation of Russian-speaking population in Estonia; Estonian citizen groups continue to press for realignment of the boundary based on the 1920 Tartu Peace Treaty that would bring the now divided ethnic Setu people and parts of the Narva region within Estonia; as a member state that forms part of the EU's external border, Estonia must implement the strict Schengen border rules with Russia
