ESTONIA

officially Republic of Estonia, Estonian Eesti, or Eesti Vabariik, country in northeastern Europe, the northernmost of the three Baltic states. It is bounded on the west and north by the Baltic Sea and on the east by Lake Peipus (Peipsi; Russian: Chudskoye Ozero) and the Narva River; it is bordered on the east and southeast by Russia and on the south by Latvia. Estonia has an area of 17,462 square miles (45,227 square kilometres), of which about one-tenth is made up of some 1,500 islands and islets. The larger islands are Saaremaa (1,044 square miles) and Hiiumaa (395 square miles). The capital is Tallinn (Reval). A street in the picturesque old town of Tallinn, Estonia. Estonia has been dominated by foreign powers through much of its history. In 1940 it was incorporated into the U.S.S.R. as one of its constituent republics. Estonia remained a Soviet republic until 1991 when, along with the other Baltic states, it declared its independence. The U.S.S.R. agreed to independence for Estonia and the other Baltic states on Sept. 6, 1991, and United Nations membership followed shortly thereafter. officially Republic of Estonia, Estonian Eesti, or Eesti Vabariik country in northeastern Europe. It consists of a mainland area and some 1,500 islands and islets in the Baltic Sea. Estonia is bounded on the north by the Gulf of Finland (an inlet of the Baltic Sea), on the east by Russia, on the south by Latvia, and on the west by the Baltic Sea. The capital is Tallinn. Area 17,462 square miles (45,227 square km). Pop. (1995 est.) 1,487,000. Additional reading Estonia's geography is surveyed in publications prepared by the Estonian Geographical Society on the occasions of International Geographical Congresses: see L. Merikalju et al. (eds.), Estonia: Regional Studies (1976); Estonia: Selected Studies on Geography (1980); Estonia: Nature, Man, Economy (1984); and J.-M. Punning (ed.), Estonia: Geographical Researches (1988). For culture, see Ivar Paulson, The Old Estonian Folk Religion (1971); Endel Nirk, Estonian Literature, 2nd ed. (1987; originally published in Estonian, 1983); and Monika Topman, An Outline of Estonian Music, trans. from Estonian (1978). Developments of the late 1980s are found in Pia Pajur, Hello, Perestroika: Nine Interviews with Individual and Cooperative Workers (1989; originally published in Estonian, 1989).Toivo U. Raun, Estonia and the Estonians, 2nd ed. (1991), is a comprehensive survey of Estonian history, spanning the period from the first human settlements to the end of the 1970s. An older but still important work is Evald Uustalu, The History of Estonian People (1952). Works focusing on specific periods and topics include J. Selirand and E. Tnisson, Through Past Millennia: Archaeological Discoveries in Estonia, trans. from Estonian (1984); Juhan Kahk, Peasant and Lord in the Process of Transition from Feudalism to Capitalism in the Baltics (1982); Igor Sedykh (compiler), Estonia: Choice of a Path, 19171940: A Documentary Survey (1987); Heino Arume, At the Crossroads: The Foreign Policy of the Republic of Estonia in 19331939, trans. from Estonian (1983); and Villem Raud, Developments in Estonia, 19391941, 2nd ed. (1987). The impact of Soviet occupation is discussed in Vello Salo (ed.), Population Losses in Estonia, June 1940August 1941 (1989). See also Tnu Parming and Elmar Jrvesoo (ed.), A Case Study of a Soviet Republic: The Estonian SSR (1978). James H. Bater Romuald J. Misiunas Administration and social conditions Government After independence from the U.S.S.R. was declared in August 1991, Estonia continued to be administered by its president and its elected parliament. Among the many initiatives of the new government were preparation of a constitution, including the protection of minority group rights; proposed negotiations with Russia over territory lost during border adjustments following the Soviet occupation of 1940; and the development of legislation that would assist in the conversion to a market economy. A new constitution, based largely on the 1938 document that provided the basis for Estonia's pre-Soviet government structure, was approved by voters in a June 1992 referendum and came into effect in early July. Guaranteeing the preservation of the Estonian nation and its culture, this document established a unicameral legislature, the Riigikogu (state assembly), consisting of 101 members who are directly elected through proportional representation to four-year terms. The president, who serves as the head of state and supreme commander of the armed forces, is elected to not more than two consecutive five-year terms by the Riigikogu. (The first election under the new constitution was to have been an exception to this rule. It was to have been decided by a direct vote, but, when no candidate received the mandated majority of the popular vote, the election was decided by the Riigikogu.) Executive power rests with the prime minister, who is nominated by the president, and the Council of Ministers. The government is responsible for implementing domestic and foreign policies and for coordinating the work of government institutions. Estonia is divided into 15 counties (maakonnad), which are divided into 255 parishes (vallad). In addition to parish governments, there are administrative bodies for 48 towns and 6 independent municipalities. The parishes are further divided into villages (klad) and townships (asulad). Political parties Estonia's government approved a multiparty system in 1990 and was no longer under the domination of the Communist Party of Estonia, which previously had controlled all aspects of political life. At the forefront of the many political groups formed in the postindependence period was the Estonian Popular Front, founded in 1988. under the leadership of Edgar Savisaar and Marju Lauristin and dedicated to a fundamental restructuring of Estonian society. It was soon joined by a wide variety of political parties from across the political spectrum, including a number of single-issue parties. Shifting coalitions of these parties, however, have come to dominate not only the formation of governments in the Riigikogu but also the slates organized to contest elections. Among the most important of these coalitions are the generally conservative Coalition and Rural People's Union, which includes many former Communists; the centre-right Estonian Reform Party; the anticommunist Pro PatriaEstonian National Independence Party Bloc; the Moderates; and Our Home Is Estonia, which represents the interests of ethnic Russians. Cultural life The scope and importance of Estonian literature has steadily increased since the period of national awakening in the 19th century. Open to cultural and literary influences of western Europe, Estonian literature developed a diversity of styles, ranging from Neoclassicism to bold experimentation. After World War II, Socialist Realism dominated literary expression. Both Estonian classics and the works of contemporary authors have been translated into many languages. The beginning of professional theatrical art in Estonia is closely connected with the creation of the Vanemuine Theatre in Tartu in 1870. Tallinn has several theatres, including an opera and ballet theatre, a drama theatre, a youth theatre, and a puppet theatre. While more than 100 newspapers were published in Estonia during the Soviet era, some with circulations in excess of 100,000, acute shortages of newsprint after independence restricted output. In addition, market economics resulted in substantial increases in publishing costs and therefore in drastic price increases. Arno Artur Krna Vello Julius Tarmisto James H. Bater