Esthonia
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| Flag of Esthonia | |
| Motto: Our Unity Is Our Strength! | |
| No Map | |
| Region | Scandinavia |
|---|---|
| Capital | Reval |
| Official Language(s) | Esthonian |
| Leader | National Convention |
| Population | 614 million (02.01.07) |
| Currency | Esthonian Florin (ETF) |
| NS Sunset XML | |
The Free State of Esthonia is a nation located in the southeastern part of the Region of Scandinavia. It has a population of more than 600 million people, most of them living in the industrialised and urbanised north. The country has a long coast line reaching from southwest to northeast and is well-known for its beautiful islands, numbering more than 1,000.
The capital of the Free State is Reval, the biggest city in the country. It is the government and business centre of Esthonia and has a population of about 20 million people.
Contents
General information
People
The main ethnic group in Esthonia are Esthonians who comprise about 70% of the whole population. They are Caucasian people whose historical roots are still unclear, but they populated the area independently of other early Scandinavian tribes and had originally very little Scandinavian blood. Apparently they migrated into the area from eastern territories.
The other 30% of the population is made up of different minority groups. Those groups are mostly historical minorities some of whose existence in the territory of Esthonia dates back as far as to the 13th and 14th century. There are Finnish (7%), Swedish (3%) and Philippian (1%) ethnic groups living in Esthonia. Most of them have been fully assimilated over the centuries.
The most distinct ethnic minority is comprised of different Slavic people who make up about 20% of the population of Esthonia.
Due to very restricted immigration policy there have been no significant changes in Esthonian demographics after the year 1995.
Language
The only official language of Esthonia is Esthonian. All citizens of Esthonia are required to master that difficult language with no apparent ties to any other major Scandinavian languages except Finnish and some other smaller languages spoken mostly in eastern part of Scandinavia.
75% of people living in Esthonia consider Esthonian their native language. 19% speak different Slavic languages (mostly Russian) as their first or native language. The remaining 6% is made up of different Scandinavian (Finno-Ugric and Germanic) languages.
There are a few municipalities in Esthonia where minority groups have the right to use their native language for conducting business and managing their affairs, but none of the minority languages has a state-wide recognition.
The main foreign languages for Esthonians are English, Russian, Finnish, Swedish and German. The schoolchildren are required to have basic skills in five foreign languages by the time they graduate from secondary school.
Time zone
The Free State of Esthonia is in the East-European time zone (EET).
Currency
The only official currency in the territory of Esthonia is the Esthonian Florin (ETF). It has been used since 1989 and is subdivided into 100 cents.
Politics
The Free State of Esthonia is a parliamentary republic with highest executive and legislative powers vested in the National Convention. Executive power has been delegated largely to the Convention committees acting behalf of the people and the parliament. There are no political parties in Esthonia.
National Convention
The National Convention is the parliament of the Free State and the highest authority in the country. It has one chamber comprised of 749 members elected by the people of Esthonia for five years. A member can be recalled if at least 51% of his or her voters demand it.
The National Convention is also de jure Head of State of Esthonia. De facto Head of State is the President of the Convention. The President and the two Vice-Presidents are elected by the members of the Convention for one year.
All citizens with at least 18 years of age are eligible to participate in the Convention election. People can elect only individuals, not political parties or social organisations. Every candidate gets a fixed amount of funding for his or her campaign; fundraising for election is not allowed.
Convention Committees
The executive power is delegated to the Convention committees, comprised of the members of the National Convention. The chairman of each committee acts as a de facto minister. Currently there are 12 regular committees with 12 members in each and 1 special committee with 7 members. Committees are assisted by Directorates comprised of clerks, not politicians.
Regular committees
- Committee of Public Safety (CPS) – security and justice, including all branches of police
- Committee of Public Welfare (CPWF) – social issues
- Committee of Public Education (CPED) – all levels of education plus research-related issues
- Committee of Public Enlightenment (CPEN) – culture, entertainment and sports
- Committee of Public Defence (CPD) – defence forces
- Committee of Public Wealth (CPWE) – financial issues, including budgets
- Committee of Public Property (CPP) – environment and natural resources
- Committee of Public Industry (CPI) – all branches of heavy and light industry
- Committee of Public Morals (CPM) – government of the Church of Esthonia
- Committee of Public Relations (CPR) – foreign affairs, information and communication
- Committee of Public Transport (CPT) – all issues pertaining to transport
- Committee of Public Farming (CPF) – all issues pertaining to agriculture
Special committees
- Committee of General Security (CGS) – watchdog of the current political order
Public administration
A new programme has been implemented since 1 October 2006 to downgrade the bureaucracy-choked government and to establish a more effective system of public administration with the same amount of central power, but with less officials.
International affairs
The Free State of Esthonia is a member of the United Nations, but is well-known for being a vocal opponent of all tries by that international organisation to regulate the internal politics of individual countries. In all international conflicts Esthonia has adopted neutrality, but it has granted asylum to a number of ousted heads of states.
Economy
The Commonwealth struggles with economy due to its centralised and autarchic approach. Almost all enterprises are owned by the government, but they operate on the same principles as private companies. All profit needs to be reinvested though. The share of private ownership is limited to 40% in all companies and is considerably lower in strategically important sectors (transportation, health, energy, etc). Foreign citizens and companies cannot do business in Esthonia.
There are some private enterprises in Esthonia, mostly insurance companies. The share of private ownership is relatively high also in car parts manufacturing and information technology sectors. Little privatisation has been allowed also in arms manufacturing, especially in companies producing for export.
There is an extensive safety-testing programme for all products manufactured in Esthonia. The same programme serves also as a protection against import products.
Electricity is produced mainly in two huge nuclear power stations getting their fuel from the national uranium mines. More nuclear plants will be built in next 10 years to start energy export to neighbouring countries.
Esthonia has a proportional income tax. The overall tax burden on Esthonian citizens including both direct and indirect taxes is in average 79%. Esthonia's currency is the Esthonian Florin (ETF). It is freely convertable.
Environment
Considered for years an environmentally stunning country, rich of forests and natural pure water reserves, Esthonia's environment was seriously damaged when uranium was found there and a uranium mining company established. Recently numerous nature protection and environment restoration programmes have been started to alleviate the situation, but it has resulted in considerable raise of the income tax and other taxes. City development has been seriously restricted to provide the citizens with green holiday areas and uncontaminated natural reservates as near as possible to their urban settlements. The first results are already visible.
Infrastructure
A new programme for building roads and highways was started in September 2006 to improve the transportation network of Esthonia.
In city centres traffic jams have remained a problem, but a new tax was applied to all cars entering major city centres in October 2006. Only public transport, emergency and government vehicles are allowed to pass and park in the centres without having to pay a fee.
Public transport is well funded. Preference is given to sea transport and trains where possible.
Public Health
All citizens of the Commonwealth have an access to free healthcare. Medical products are heavily subsidised by the government and therefore affordable to all people.
National embryo-screening programme has been introduced to remove embryos with severe genetic disorders. Population growth is controlled by the government. Due to the embryo-screening programme abortions are legal, but only in cases approved by medical staff. Abortion can be performed in case of a damaged embryo, on grounds of direct threat to mother's health or to terminate rape-resulted pregnancies. Once past the embryo-screening programme maternity is encouraged and supported by the state in every way, including six-month fully paid maternity leave.
Euthanasia is legal and encouraged by the government for severely impaired people with incurable illnesses. Elderly people without serious disabilities or incurable illnesses can opt for a life without a pension in luxurious retirement homes with 24 hour free services provided by the government or they can continue living at their homes and receive medium-size pensions.
Smoking has been banned in all public places in the interest of public health.
Media and Publishing
Most media channels, including television, radio, newspapers and journals are owned by the government. Esthonian News Agency (ENA) is the official news resource for Esthonian publications. Some private journals and newspapers exist, but they are monitored by government-appointed boards and provide mostly reading material for entertainment.
There are both private and state-owned publishing companies, but their production is monitored by censorship boards appointed by the Committee of Public Safety. Non-approved books can be sold in theory, but in practice they will not be included in library collections or sold by any major book stores.
Education and Science
Education
Education is free for everyone from kindergarten till post-graduate studies. In October 2006 new secondary education laws were implemented. Size of classes has been downgraded and more funds are being poored in training teachers and renovating schoolhouses.
An extensive language study programme has been implemented, requiring all citizens to obtain at least basic knowledge in five foreign languages by the graduation of secondary school.
Science
The government has legalised cloning which has become the main focus of Esthonia's scientific research and experiments. Special attention is being paid to reviving extinct species including the feather-bellied vulture, a species related to the national bird of Esthonia, the vulture.
Culture and Customs
Culture
The State in general does not fund cultural activities. People are expected to deal with cultural activities in their spare time or to produce only works that are profitable. This is part of the new policy to cut subsidies to all special interest groups. Creators can apply for so-called cultural loans from the State or to try to get their works published/staged under the National Prosperity Programme which mainly subsidises cultural works on topics determined by Government. This policy is the result of trying to keep balance between tax rates and free public services.
Religion
Most people in Esthonia belong to various Protestant churches. However, recently the Committee of Public Safety has started to favour Catholic functionaries as advisors to the Government. Both the Committee and the Convention have been rumoured to have divided in the question of religion: it has been proposed to create the Church of Esthonia operated and governed by state-appointed officials and curb down the activities of all other churches. So far the proponents of religious diversity and freedom have prevailed.
Churches are not supported by the State, but they are also not subject to taxation.
Sexuality
Legal age of consent is the same for heterosexual and homosexual relationships – 16 years of age. Homosexual relationships are legal, but gay marriages are not recognised.
Prostitution is legalised in the Commonwealth of Esthonia. It is completely government controlled. Directorate of Public Health is responsible for establishing and operating brothels.
Law and Order
The police and security are the top priorities of the government, receiving the most funding. Thanks to the all-pervasive police force crime is almost unknown. The omnipresent officials of the Committee of General Security (CGS) keep an eye on all suspicious activities and monitor the internet usage of Esthonian citizens. A number of web sites are blocked on security reasons.
A new law approved on 10 October 2006 called The Watchman Edict has brought along further improvement of security in the country and has increased the influence of the police. It states that all public areas in cities are to be surveilled by audio-video devices 24 hours a day and a central network of those surveillance systems is to be established in the next two years. Another law from 4 December 2006 makes identity cards equipped with traceable microchips mandatory for all citizens.
The People's Convention has legalised death sentence for all crimes that cause the loss of other person's life, including drunk driving. Sexual crimes can be punished by castration. It is quite usual for the courts and law enforcement agencies to seize the property of criminals and use it to compensate the victims of crimes.
The judges to the (supreme) People's Court are appointed for lifetime by the Committee of Public Safety. In September 2006 people and international community were surprised by nomination of a well-known liberal and civil rights activist to the People's Court.
Having always had a very strict immigration policy, in 2006 a decision was adopted by the Committee of Public Safety to grant political asylum only by the decision of the People's Convention. This basically cut the number of common immigrants to zero. Refuge has been granted to influential businessmen and politicians seeking protection from international courts and legal proceedings in their own countries. All illegal immigrants will be deported to the country of their origin in 3 working days and in cases of disobedience can be executed on location by border guard.
Armed Forces
The Armed Forces of Esthonia are based on conscription, with men serving 12 months. It is well funded, but not as powerful as police and security units. Navy is the preferred branch of armed forces receiving the most funding and exercising the greatest power. The attempts of Air Forces and Army to change the situation have been futile.
There are rumours of an extensive nuclear and biological weapon programme being in progress.
