[leader NA]; People's Party Moderates (1999 merger of People's Party and Moderates) [Andres TARAND]; Reform Party or RE [Siim KALLAS, chairman]; Russian Party in Estonia [Nikolai MASPANOV]; Russian Unity Party [Igor SEDASHEV]; Union of Pro Patria or Fatherland League (Isamaaliit) [Mart LAAR, chairman]; United People's Party or UPPE [Viktor ANDREJEV, chairman]
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE, EAPC,
EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC,
IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO
(correspondent), ITU, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNMIBH,
UNMIK, UNTSO, UPU, WEU (associate partner), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Sven JURGENSON
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
Melissa WELLS
embassy: Kentmanni 20, 15099 Tallinn
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [372] 668–8100
FAX: [372] 668–8134
Flag description: pre-1940 flag restored by Supreme Soviet in May 1990 - three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), black, and white
Estonia Economy
Economy - overview: In 2000, Estonia rebounded from the Russian financial crisis by scaling back its budget and reorienting trade away from Russian markets into EU member states. After GDP shrank 1.1% in 1999, the economy made a strong recovery in 2000, with growth estimated at 6.4% - the highest in Central and Eastern Europe. Estonia joined the World Trade Organization in November 1999 - the second Baltic state to join - and continues its EU accession talks. For 2001, Estonians predict GDP to grow around 6%, inflation of between 4.2%-5.3%, and a balanced budget. Substantial gains were made in completing privatization of Estonia's few remaining large, state-owned companies in 2000, and this momentum is expected to continue in 2001. Estonia hopes to join the EU during the next round of enlargement tentatively set for 2004.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $14.7 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 6.4% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $10,000 (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 3.6%
industry: 30.7%
services: 65.7% (1999)
Population below poverty line: 8.9% (1995 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.2%
highest 10%: 28.5% (1996)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.1% (1999 est.)
Labor force: 785,500 (1999 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: industry 20%, agriculture 11%, services 69% (1999 est.)
Unemployment rate: 11.7% (1999 est.)
Budget: revenues: $1.37 billion
expenditures: $1.37 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.)
Industries: oil shale, shipbuilding, phosphates, electric motors, excavators, cement, furniture, clothing, textiles, paper, shoes, apparel
Industrial production growth rate: 5% (2000 est.)
Electricity - production: 7.782 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 99.72%
hydro: 0.09%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0.19% (1999)
Electricity - consumption: 6.807 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports: 530 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports: 100 million kWh (1999)
Agriculture - products: potatoes, fruits, vegetables; livestock and dairy products; fish
Exports: $3.1 billion (f.o.b., 2000)
Exports - commodities: machinery and equipment 24%, wood products 20%, textiles 17%, food products 9%, metals, chemical products (1999)
Exports - partners: Finland 19.4%, Sweden 18.8%, Russia 9.2%, Latvia 8.7%, Germany 7.5%, US 2.5% (1999)
Imports: $4 billion (f.o.b., 2000)
Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment 31%, chemical products 13%, foodstuffs 11%, metal products 8%, textiles 8% (1999)
Imports - partners: Finland 22.8%, Russia 13.5%, Sweden 9.3%,
Germany 9.3%, Japan 4.7% (1999)
Debt - external: $1.6 billion (2000 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $137.3 million (1995)
Currency: Estonian kroon (EEK)
Currency code: EEK
Exchange rates: krooni per US dollar - 16.663 (January 2001), 16.969 (2000), 14.678 (1999), 14.075 (1998), 13.882 (1997), 12.034 (1996); note - krooni are tied to the German deutsche mark at a fixed rate of 8 to 1
Fiscal year: calendar year
Estonia Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 476,078 (yearend 1998)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 475,000 (yearend 2000)
Telephone system: general assessment: foreign investment in the form of joint business ventures greatly improved telephone service; Internet services available throughout most of the country; about 150,000 unfilled subscriber requests
domestic: local - the Ministry of Transport and Communications is expanding cellular telephone services to form rural networks; intercity - highly developed fiber-optic backbone (double loop) system presently serving at least 16 major cities (1998)
international: fiber-optic cables to Finland, Sweden, Latvia, and Russia provide worldwide packet-switched service; two international switches
