Part 67
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 80%
industry and services: 20% (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Population below poverty line:
50% (2004 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Investment (gross fixed):
20.2% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 105
Budget:
revenues: $234.6 million
expenditures: $523.3 million (2008 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
18% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 200 17% (2007 est.)
Stock of money:
$896.2 million (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 89 $749.1 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$1.053 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 94 $932.9 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$1.851 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 94 $1.711 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
sorghum, lentils, vegetables, corn, cotton, tobacco, sisal; livestock, goats; fish
Industries:
food processing, beverages, clothing and textiles, light manufacturing, salt, cement
Industrial production growth rate:
2% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 103
Electricity - production:
271 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 170
Electricity - consumption:
228 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 175
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 179
Oil - consumption:
5,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 168
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 189
Oil - imports:
4,790 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 158
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 173
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 186
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 189
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 62
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 85
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 184
Current account balance:
-$229 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 92 -$203 million (2007 est.)
Exports:
$13 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 209 $12 million (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
livestock, sorghum, textiles, food, small manufactures
Exports - partners:
Itlay 25.3%, Sudan 17.2%, China 15.8%, India 8.8%, France 6.7%, Saudi Arabia 6.5%, Russia 4.1% (2008)
Imports:
$601 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 183 $580 million (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery, petroleum products, food, manufactured goods
Imports - partners:
India 28.5%, Saudi Arabia 17.8%, Italy 10.9%, China 8.5%, US 4.4%, Germany 4% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$24 million (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 155 $34 million (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$311 million (2000 est.) country comparison to the world: 175
Exchange rates:
nakfa (ERN) per US dollar - 15.38 (2008 est.), 15.5 (2007), 15.4 (2006), 14.5 (2005), 13.788 (2004)
note: the official exchange rate is 15 nakfa to the dollar
Communications ::Eritrea
Telephones - main lines in use:
40,400 (2008) country comparison to the world: 169
Telephones - mobile cellular:
108,600 (2008) country comparison to the world: 181
Telephone system:
general assessment: inadequate; combined fixed-line and mobile cellular subscribership is only about 3 per 100 persons (2008)
domestic: inadequate; most telephones are in Asmara; government is seeking international tenders to improve the system (2002)
international: country code - 291; note - international connections exist
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM NA, shortwave 2 (2000)
Television broadcast stations:
2 (2006)
Internet country code:
.er
Internet hosts:
1,307 (2009) country comparison to the world: 156
Internet users:
200,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 135
Transportation ::Eritrea
Airports:
14 (2009) country comparison to the world: 147
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 4
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 10
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 2 (2009)
Heliports:
1 (2009)
Railways:
total: 306 km country comparison to the world: 121 narrow gauge: 306 km 0.950-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 4,010 km country comparison to the world: 157 paved: 874 km
unpaved: 3,136 km (2000)
Merchant marine:
total: 5 country comparison to the world: 131 by type: cargo 2, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1 (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Assab, Massawa
Military ::Eritrea
Military branches:
Eritrean Armed Forces: Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
18-40 years of age for male and female voluntary and compulsory military service; 16-month conscript service obligation (2006)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,108,836
females age 16-49: 1,096,120 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 834,018
females age 16-49: 887,495 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 62,265
female: 62,328 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
6.3% of GDP (2006 est.) country comparison to the world: 9
Transnational Issues ::Eritrea
Disputes - international:
Eritrea and Ethiopia agreed to abide by 2002 Ethiopia-Eritrea Boundary Commission's (EEBC) delimitation decision but, neither party responded to the revised line detailed in the November 2006 EEBC Demarcation Statement; UN Peacekeeping Mission to Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE), which has monitored the 25-km-wide Temporary Security Zone in Eritrea since 2000, is extended for six months in 2007 despite Eritrean restrictions on its operations and reduced force of 17,000; Sudan accuses Eritrea of supporting eastern Sudanese rebel groups
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 32,000 (border war with Ethiopia from 1998-2000; most IDPs are near the central border region) (2007)
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Estonia (Europe)
Introduction ::Estonia
Background:
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 ::Estonia
Location:
Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Finland, between Latvia and Russia
Geographic coordinates:
59 00 N, 26 00 E
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 45,228 sq km country comparison to the world: 132 land: 42,388 sq km
water: 2,840 sq km
note: includes 1,520 islands in the Baltic Sea
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than New Hampshire and Vermont combined
Land boundaries:
total: 633 km
border countries: Latvia 343 km, Russia 290 km
Coastline:
3,794 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: limits fixed in coordination with neighboring states
Climate:
maritime; wet, moderate winters, cool summers
Terrain:
marshy, lowlands; flat in the north, hilly in the south
Elevation extremes:
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)
Total renewable water resources:
21.1 cu km (2005)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 1.41 cu km/yr (56%/39%/5%)
per capita: 1,060 cu m/yr (2002)
Natural hazards:
sometimes flooding occurs in the spring
Environment - current 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
Environment - international 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
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
the mainland terrain is flat, boggy, and partly wooded; offshore lie more than 1,500 islands
People ::Estonia
Population:
1,299,371 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 152
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) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 39.9 years
male: 36.5 years
female: 43.5 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
-0.632% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 229
Birth rate:
10.37 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 188
Death rate:
13.42 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 27
Net migration rate:
-3.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 150
Urbanization:
urban population: 69% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: -0.3% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.49 male(s)/female
total population: 0.84 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 7.32 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 167 male: 8.48 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 6.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.82 years country comparison to the world: 113 male: 67.45 years
female: 78.53 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.42 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 190
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.3% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 47
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
9,900 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 104
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 500 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 96
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: intermediate
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea
vectorborne disease: tickborne encephalitis (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Estonian(s)
adjective: Estonian
Ethnic groups:
Estonian 67.9%, Russian 25.6%, Ukrainian 2.1%, Belarusian 1.3%, Finn 0.9%, other 2.2% (2000 census)
Religions:
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)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.8%
male: 99.8%
female: 99.8% (2000 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 16 years
male: 15 years
female: 17 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
5.1% of GDP (2004) country comparison to the world: 68
Government ::Estonia
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Estonia
conventional short form: Estonia
local long form: Eesti Vabariik
local short form: Eesti
former: Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic
Government type:
parliamentary republic
Capital:
name: Tallinn
geographic coordinates: 59 26 N, 24 43 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
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 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 are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 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 29, Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica 19, Social Democratic Party 10, Estonian Greens 6, Estonian People's Union 6
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (chairman appointed for life by Parliament)
Political parties and leaders:
Center Party of Estonia (Keskerakond) [Edgar SAVISAAR]; Estonian Greens (Rohelised) [Marek STRANDBERG]; Estonian People's Union (Rahvaliit) [Villu REILJAN]; Estonian Reform Party (Reformierakond) [Andrus ANSIP]; Social Democratic Party (formerly People's Party Moodukad or Moderates) [Ivari PADAR]; Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica (Isamaa je Res Publica Liit) [Mart LAAR]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Nochnoy Dozor/Night Watch anti-fascist movement (leader Alexander KOROBOV)
International organization participation:
Australia Group, BA, BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, 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, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Vaino REINART
chancery: 2131 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 588-0101
FAX: [1] (202) 588-0108
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Karen DECKER
embassy: Kentmanni 20, 15099 Tallinn
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [372] 668-8100
FAX: [372] 668-8265
Flag description:
pre-1940 flag restored by Supreme Soviet in May 1990 - three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), black, and white
Economy ::Estonia
Economy - overview:
Estonia, a 2004 European Union entrant, has a modern market-based economy and one of the highest per capita income levels in Central Europe. Estonia's successive governments have pursued a free market, pro-business economic agenda and have wavered little in their commitment to pro-market reforms. 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 current government has pursued relatively sound fiscal policies, resulting in balanced budgets and low public debt. Rapid growth, however, has made it difficult to keep inflation and large current-account deficits from soaring, putting downward pressure on the country's currency. The government has not given up on adopting the euro, but has repeatedly postponed its target date. 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 (purchasing power parity):
$28.03 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 109 $29.08 billion (2007 est.)
$27.13 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$23.55 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
-3.6% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 215 7.2% (2007 est.)
10% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$21,400 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 57 $22,100 (2007 est.)
$20,500 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 2.6%
industry: 29%
services: 68.4% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
693,000 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 144
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 4.7%
industry: 33.7%
services: 61.6% (2007)
Unemployment rate:
5.7% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 70 4.7% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
5% (2003)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.7%
highest 10%: 27.7% (2004)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
34 (2008) country comparison to the world: 91 37 (1999)
Investment (gross fixed):
28.4% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 29
Budget:
revenues: $8.798 billion
expenditures: $9.488 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
4.8% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 122 5.4% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
10.4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 152 6.6% (2007 est.)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
8.55% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 126 6.46% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$6.106 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 50 $7.158 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$5.478 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 65 $4.253 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$22.02 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 57 $21.35 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$1.951 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 81 $6.037 billion (31 December 2007)
$5.963 billion (31 December 2006)
Agriculture - products:
potatoes, vegetables; livestock and dairy products; fish
Industries:
engineering, electronics, wood and wood products, textiles; information technology, telecommunications
Industrial production growth rate:
-4.8% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 166
Electricity - production:
11.46 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 88
Electricity - consumption:
7.686 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 93
Electricity - exports:
2.31 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
1.369 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
7,600 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 90
Oil - consumption:
29,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 114
Oil - exports:
7,280 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 99
Oil - imports:
30,590 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 100
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 174
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 187
Natural gas - consumption:
1.51 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 83
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 63
Natural gas - imports:
1.51 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 48
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 185
Current account balance:
-$2.192 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 140 -$3.771 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$12.63 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 81 $11.08 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
machinery and equipment 29%, wood and paper 13%, metals 10%, food products 8%, textiles 5%, chemical products (2007)
Exports - partners:
Finland 18.3%, Sweden 13.8%, Russia 10.3%, Latvia 10%, Lithuania 5.7%, Germany 5.1%, US 4.8% (2008)
Imports:
$15.35 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 81 $14.75 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment 35%, textiles 19%, mineral fuels 19%, chemical products 9%, foodstuffs 6% (2001)
Imports - partners:
Finland 14.2%, Germany 13.3%, Sweden 10%, Lithuania 8.9%, Latvia 8.9%, Russia 7.4%, Poland 4.6% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$3.972 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 86 $3.27 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$26.84 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 65 $25.25 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$18.62 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 64 $16.59 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$6.686 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 52 $5.873 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
krooni (EEK) per US dollar - 10.7 (2008), 11.535 (2007), 12.473 (2006), 12.584 (2005), 12.596 (2004)
note: the krooni is pegged to the euro
Communications ::Estonia
Telephones - main lines in use:
498,100 (2008) country comparison to the world: 96
Telephones - mobile cellular:
2.525 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 115
Telephone system:
general assessment: foreign investment in the form of joint business ventures greatly improved telephone service; substantial fiber-optic cable systems carry telephone, TV, and radio traffic in the digital mode; Internet services are widely available; schools and libraries are connected to the Internet, a large percentage of the population files income-tax returns online, and online voting was used for the first time in the 2005 local elections