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.

Source: CIA World Fact Book

Population: 1,315,912 (July 2007 est.)

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Age structure: 0-14 years: 15% (male 101,430/female 95,658) 15-64 years: 67.5% (male 423,664/female 464,813) 65 years and over: 17.5% (male 76,344/female 154,003) (2007 est.)

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Median age: total: 39.4 years male: 36 years female: 42.9 years (2007 est.)

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Population growth rate: -0.635% (2007 est.)

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Birth rate: 10.17 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Death rate: 13.3 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Net migration rate: -3.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.911 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.496 male(s)/female total population: 0.842 male(s)/female (2007 est.)

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Infant mortality rate: total: 7.59 deaths/1,000 live births male: 8.77 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.34 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)

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Life expectancy at birth: total population: 72.3 years male: 66.87 years female: 78.07 years (2007 est.)

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Total fertility rate: 1.41 children born/woman (2007 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 1.1% (2001 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 7,800 (2003 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 200 (2003 est.)

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Nationality: noun: Estonian(s) adjective: Estonian

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Ethnic groups: Estonian 67.9%, Russian 25.6%, Ukrainian 2.1%, Belarusian 1.3%, Finn 0.9%, other 2.2% (2000 census)

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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)

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Languages: Estonian (official) 67.3%, Russian 29.7%, other 2.3%, unknown 0.7% (2000 census)

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Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99.8% male: 99.8% female: 99.8% (2000 census)

Estonia has a modern market-based economy with strong ties to the West. It is a WTO and EU member and pegs its currency to the euro. The economy benefits from strong electronics and telecommunications sectors and is greatly influenced by developments in Finland, Sweden, and Germany, three major trading partners. The current account deficit remains high; however, the state budget is essentially in balance, and public debt is low.

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GDP (purchasing power parity): $26.85 billion (2006 est.)

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GDP (official exchange rate): $13.89 billion (2006 est.)

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GDP - real growth rate: 11.4% (2006 est.)

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GDP - per capita (PPP): $20,300 (2006 est.)

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GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 3.4% industry: 28% services: 68.6% (2006 est.)

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Labor force: 673,000 (2006 est.)

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Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 11% industry: 20% services: 69% (1999 est.)

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Unemployment rate: 4.5% (2006)

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Population below poverty line: 5% (2003)

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Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.9% highest 10%: 28.5% (2000)

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Distribution of family income - Gini index: 33 (2003)

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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.4% (2006 est.)

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Investment (gross fixed): 32.4% of GDP (2006 est.)

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Budget: revenues: $5.994 billion expenditures: $5.718 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.)

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Public debt: 3.6% of GDP (2006 est.)

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Agriculture - products: potatoes, vegetables; livestock and dairy products; fish

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Industries: engineering, electronics, wood and wood products, textile; information technology, telecommunications

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Industrial production growth rate: 8% (2006 est.)

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Electricity - production: 9.29 billion kWh (2004)

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Electricity - consumption: 6.846 billion kWh (2004)

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Electricity - exports: 2.141 billion kWh (2004)

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Electricity - imports: 347 million kWh (2004)

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Oil - production: 6,819 bbl/day (2004 est.)

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Oil - consumption: 60,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

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Oil - exports: 3,958 bbl/day (2004)

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Oil - imports: 54,000 bbl/day (2004)

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Oil - proved reserves: 0 bbl

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Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

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Natural gas - consumption: 1.44 billion cu m (2004 est.)

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Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

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Natural gas - imports: 1.44 billion cu m (2004 est.)

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Current account balance: -$1.919 billion (2006 est.)

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Exports: $9.68 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

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Exports - commodities: machinery and equipment 33%, wood and paper 15%, textiles 14%, food products 8%, furniture 7%, metals, chemical products (2001)

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Exports - partners: Finland 18.4%, Sweden 12.4%, Latvia 8.9%, Russia 8.1%, US 5.5%, Germany 5.1%, Lithuania 4.8%, Gibraltar 4.7% (2006)

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Imports: $12.03 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

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Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment 33.5%, chemical products 11.6%, textiles 10.3%, foodstuffs 9.4%, transportation equipment 8.9% (2001)

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Imports - partners: Finland 18.2%, Russia 13.1%, Germany 12.4%, Sweden 9%, Lithuania 6.4%, Latvia 5.7% (2006)

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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $2.344 billion (2006 est.)

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Debt - external: $13.94 billion (30 June 2006 est.)

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Economic aid - recipient: $108 million (2000)

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Currency (code): Estonian kroon (EEK)

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Exchange rates: krooni per US dollar - 12.473 (2006), 12.584 (2005), 12.596 (2004), 13.856 (2003), 16.612 (2002) note: the krooni is pegged to the euro

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Fiscal year: calendar year