Title
Abstract
Estonia is the northernmost of the three former Baltic republics of the Soviet Union, with a 2005 population of 1.32 million people. It is not a homogeneous country: While ethnic Estonians make up 67.5 percent of the overall population, Russians come in a strong second with 25.6 percent. Estonian is the official language, but Russian, Latvian, and Lithuanian are significant as well. Despite some ethnic issues, Estonia has enjoyed a relatively stable transition to democracy and a market economy. While political parties have yet to tap deep roots into society and some scandals have marred political life, Estonia is further on the way to a Western-style political and economic system than most of the former Soviet republics.
Document Type
Book Chapter
Publication Date
2006
Publisher Statement
Copyright © 2006 Facts On File. This book chapter first appeared in World Encyclopedia of Political Systems and Parties.
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Recommended Citation
Hass, Jeffrey K. "Republic of Estonia." In World Encyclopedia of Political Systems and Parties, edited by Neil Schlager, Jayne Weisblatt, and Orlando J. Pérez, 420-24. 4th ed. Vol. 1. New York: Facts On File, 2006.