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Estonia |
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 The
smallest of the Baltic
states, with
a National
Budget of about AU$ 2.5
million (US$ 1.5 million), it is also the most northerly,
least populated and most Westernised.
It is made up of a mainland branching out from Russia (bordered by Lake Peipsi),
and 1,500 islands. |
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Estonia’s
official language is Eesti Vabariik (Republic of Estonia), a Finno-Ugric
dialect, and at different periods in history the country has been conquered by
the Danes (below left, 1219) and the Swedes. The flag is composed of navy, black
and white in three horizontal stripes.
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Tallinn
is the capital as well as the largest city and chief port.
Finns often take a boat over from Helsinki to Talinn to buy cheap beer.
It is a medieval enclave set on a hill above the port. During the Moscow
1980 Olympics, a new port was built to hold sailing events. Tartu is a University Town in the South, an
intellectual capital, with 8,000 students. |
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Population: 1,408,556 (the population is shrinking and in fifty years is
expected to be slightly over a million) 60% Estonian, 30% Russian and
the remainder ex-Soviets. |
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 GDP per
Capita: US$ 4,050
Monetary
unit: 1 Estonian kroon
(EEK), composed of 100 cents. US$1 = 17 kroon.
Environment: 40% of country
forested, pine, spruce, junipers; 1,500 lakes; marshlands; brown bears and
beavers. Flat lands. Temps range between 30˚C and -30˚C.
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 Urbanisation: approx.
70% of Estonians live in the city, with the remaining 30% in rural areas.
Literacy: almost
perfect, 99.8%...like Slovenia, Estonia is a small but educated country
Politics:
Estonia has been a Republic circa 1992. The Res Publica leader Juhan Parts is currently Prime Minister . There is a parliament (Riigikogu) and a parallel Government. Parties include: Congress of Estonia, Interfront, Popular Front. Estonia has memberships in
the EU and the UN.
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Religion: the established church is Estonian
Evangelical Lutheran, dating back to the Reformation (16th c.).
Orthodox and Baptist churches are popular among the Russian population.
Close harmony male singing is traditional. The
National Song Festival takes place every five years. Others include the annual
Rock Summer festival, International Organ Music Festival and the Jazz and Blues
festival. Estonia hosted Eurovision 2002.
 There
are several theatres, but few, and
terrible, cinemas. The films are dubbed in non-inflected, inexpressive
Russian.
The national television
channel operates between 5pm-12am, but there are also three other channels
available either from Russia or Finland. There is a variety of radio
stations and newspapers.
In that mediocre (at best)
film "Encino Man", with Brendan Fraser and Pauly Shore, the teenagers
pretend the caveman they dug up comes from Estonia. Ok, that is all I
know. |
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Sources:
 Williams, Roger (Ed.) Insight Guides: Baltic States,
APA Publications, Singapore; 1994.
"Estonia," Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopedia 2003
http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2003
Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
Major World Indices, http://au.finance.yahoo.com/m2
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Photo History
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Estonia |
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