Estonia 7

Country Name: Estonia, officially Republic of Estonia
Year Founded: February 24, 1918
Population: 2009 estimate 1,340,602, 2000 census 1,376,743
Primary Language: Estonian
Ethnic Make-up: 68.8% Estonian, 25.&% Russian, 2.1% Ukranian and 4.5% other groups
Political System: Parliamentary republic
Year Entered the European Union: 1 May 2004
Representative of the European Union (include party): Estonia has 6 representatives in the European Parliament: Mrs. Katrin Saks,Mrs. Marianne Mikko and Mr. Andres Tarand of the Estonian Social Democratic Party (Socialist Group);Mrs. Siiri Oviir of the Centre Party (Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe);Mr. Toomas Savi of the Reform Party (Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe)and Mr. Tunne Kelam of the Pro Patria Union (European People's Party).
Type of Economy:Estonia's economy is rated as high income by the World Bank,mostly supported by agriculture and mining.Currency: Estonian Kroon
Current Exchange rate for American Currency: $11.5482
GDP: 2008 estimate Total $27.813 billion
Percentage of Trade within the European Union: 2.4%
Unemployment Rate: 6.2%
Chief Exports: food and animal products, textiles, and timber products.
Key Imports: machinery and equipment 29%, wood and paper 13%, metals 10%, food products 8%, textiles 5%, chemical products (2007)
Major 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)Surrounding Countries: Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Finland, between Latvia and Russia.
Literacy Rate: definition: age 15 and over can read and write.
total population: 99.8%, male: 99.8%, female: 99.8% (2000 census)One Interesting Fact:
> 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
> Cuisine: The most typical foods in Estonia are black bread, pork, potatoes and dairy products. Traditionally in summer and spring, Estonians like to eat everything fresh - berries, herbs, vegetables and everything else that comes straight from the garden.Hunting and fishing have also been very common, although currently hunting and fishing are enjoyed mostly as hobbies.Today it is also very popular to grill outside in summer. Traditionally in winter jams, preserves and pickles are brought to the table.Estonia has been through rough times in the past and thus gathering and conserving fruits, mushrooms and vegetables for winter has always been essential.Today gathering and conserving is not that common because everything can be bought from stores, but preparing food for winter is still very popular in the countrysideand still has somewhat ritual significance. Being a country with a large coastal line, fish has also been very important.The oldest university is the University of Tartu which was established by the Swedish king Gustav II Adolf in 1632.In 1919, university courses were first taught in the Estonian language.