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Compare Congo, Democratic Republic of the (2005) - Estonia (2003)

Compare Congo, Democratic Republic of the (2005) z Estonia (2003)

 Congo, Democratic Republic of the (2005)Estonia (2003)
 Congo, Democratic Republic of theEstonia
Administrative divisions 10 provinces (provinces, singular - province) and 1 city* (ville); Bandundu, Bas-Congo, Equateur, Kasai-Occidental, Kasai-Oriental, Katanga, Kinshasa*, Maniema, Nord-Kivu, Orientale, Sud-Kivu 15 counties (maakonnad, singular - maakond): Harjumaa (Tallinn), Hiiumaa (Kardla), Ida-Virumaa (Johvi), Jarvamaa (Paide), Jogevamaa (Jogeva), Laanemaa (Haapsalu), Laane-Virumaa (Rakvere), Parnumaa (Parnu), Polvamaa (Polva), Raplamaa (Rapla), Saaremaa (Kuressaare), Tartumaa (Tartu), Valgamaa (Valga), Viljandimaa (Viljandi), Vorumaa (Voru)


note: counties have the administrative center name following in parentheses
Age structure 0-14 years: 48.1% (male 14,513,779/female 14,396,952)


15-64 years: 49.4% (male 14,579,101/female 15,121,297)


65 years and over: 2.5% (male 597,776/female 876,099) (2005 est.)
0-14 years: 15.8% (male 113,239; female 108,876)


15-64 years: 68.8% (male 467,041; female 501,805)


65 years and over: 15.4% (male 71,512; female 146,083) (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber, tea, quinine, cassava (tapioca), palm oil, bananas, root crops, corn, fruits; wood products potatoes, vegetables; livestock and dairy products; fish
Airports 230 (2004 est.) 38 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways total: 24


over 3,047 m: 4


2,438 to 3,047 m: 2


1,524 to 2,437 m: 16


914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2004 est.)
total: 14


2,438 to 3,047 m: 9


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


under 914 m: 4 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 206


1,524 to 2,437 m: 17


914 to 1,523 m: 92


under 914 m: 97 (2004 est.)
total: 24


over 3,047 m: 1


2,438 to 3,047 m: 5


1,524 to 2,437 m: 7


914 to 1,523 m: 5


under 914 m: 6 (2002)
Area total: 2,345,410 sq km


land: 2,267,600 sq km


water: 77,810 sq km
total: 45,226 sq km


land: 43,211 sq km


water: 2,015 sq km


note: includes 1,520 islands in the Baltic Sea
Area - comparative slightly less than one-fourth the size of the US slightly smaller than New Hampshire and Vermont combined
Background Established as a Belgian colony in 1908, the Republic of the Congo gained its independence in 1960, but its early years were marred by political and social instability. Col. Joseph MOBUTU seized power and declared himself president in a November 1965 coup. He subsequently changed his name - to MOBUTU Sese Seko - as well as that of the country - to Zaire. MOBUTU retained his position for 32 years through several subsequent sham elections as well as through the use of brutal force. Ethnic strife and civil war, touched off by a massive inflow of refugees in 1994 from fighting in Rwanda and Burundi, led in May 1997 to the toppling of the MOBUTU regime by a rebellion led by Laurent KABILA. He renamed the country the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DROC), but in August 1998 his regime was itself challenged by an insurrection backed by Rwanda and Uganda. Troops from Zimbabwe, Angola, Namibia, Chad, and Sudan intervened to support the Kinshasa regime. A cease-fire was signed in July 1999 by the DROC, Zimbabwe, Angola, Uganda, Namibia, Rwanda, and Congolese armed rebel groups, but sporadic fighting continued. Laurent KABILA was assassinated in January 2001 and his son Joseph KABILA was named head of state. In October 2002, the new president was successful in negotiating the withdrawal of Rwandan forces occupying eastern Congo; two months later, the Pretoria Accord was signed by all remaining warring parties to end the fighting and establish a government of national unity. A transitional government was set up in July 2003; Joseph KABILA remains as president and is joined by four vice presidents representing the former government, former rebel groups, and the political opposition. After centuries of Danish, Swedish, German, and Russian rule, Estonia attained independence in 1918. Forcibly incorporated into the USSR in 1940, 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. Estonia received invitations to join NATO and the EU in 2002.
Birth rate 44.38 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) 9.24 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget revenues: $269 million


expenditures: $244 million, including capital expenditures of $24 million (1996 est.)
revenues: $1.89 billion


expenditures: $1.89 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2002 est.)
Capital Kinshasa Tallinn
Climate tropical; hot and humid in equatorial river basin; cooler and drier in southern highlands; cooler and wetter in eastern highlands; north of Equator - wet season April to October, dry season December to February; south of Equator - wet season November to March, dry season April to October maritime, wet, moderate winters, cool summers
Coastline 37 km 3,794 km
Constitution new constitution adopted 17 July 2003 adopted 28 June 1992
Country name conventional long form: Democratic Republic of the Congo


conventional short form: none


local long form: Republique Democratique du Congo


local short form: none


former: Congo Free State, Belgian Congo, Congo/Leopoldville, Congo/Kinshasa, Zaire


abbreviation: DROC
conventional long form: Republic of Estonia


conventional short form: Estonia


local long form: Eesti Vabariik


local short form: Eesti


former: Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic
Currency - Estonian kroon (EEK)
Death rate 14.43 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) 13.42 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external $11.6 billion (2000 est.) $3.3 billion (2001 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Aubrey HOOKS


embassy: 310 Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa


mailing address: Unit 31550, APO AE 09828


telephone: [243] (88) 43608


FAX: [243] (88) 43467
chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph M. DeTHOMAS


embassy: Kentmanni 20, 15099 Tallinn


mailing address: use embassy street address


telephone: [372] 668-8100


FAX: [372] 668-8134
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Faida MITIFU


chancery: 1800 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009: note - Consular Office at 1726 M Street, NW, Wasington, DC, 20036


telephone: [1] (202) 234-7690, 7691


FAX: [1] (202) 234-2609
chief of mission: Ambassador Juri LUIK


chancery: 1730 M Street NW, Suite 503, Washington, DC 20036


telephone: [1] (202) 588-0101


FAX: [1] (202) 588-0108


consulate(s) general: New York
Disputes - international heads of the Great Lakes states and UN pledge to end conflict but unchecked tribal, rebel, and militia fighting continues unabated in the northeastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, drawing in the neighboring states of Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda; the UN Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) has maintained over 14,000 peacekeepers in the region since 1999; thousands of Ituri refugees from the Congo continue to flee the fighting primarily into Uganda; 90,000 Angolan refugees were repatriated by 2004 with the remainder in the Democratic Republic of the Congo expected to return in 2005; in 2005, DROC and Rwanda established a border verification mechanism to address accusations of Rwandan military supporting Congolese rebels and the DROC providing rebel Rwandan "Interhamwe" forces the means and bases to attack Rwandan forces; the location of the boundary in the broad Congo River with the Republic of the Congo is indefinite except in the Pool Malebo/Stanley Pool area Russia continues to reject signing and ratifying the joint December 1996 technical border agreement with Estonia
Economic aid - recipient $195.3 million (1995) $108 million (2000)
Economy - overview The economy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo - a nation endowed with vast potential wealth - has declined drastically since the mid-1980s. The war, which began in August 1998, dramatically reduced national output and government revenue, increased external debt, and resulted in the deaths of perhaps 3.5 million people from war, famine, and disease. Foreign businesses curtailed operations due to uncertainty about the outcome of the conflict, lack of infrastructure, and the difficult operating environment. Conditions improved in late 2002 with the withdrawal of a large portion of the invading foreign troops. Several IMF and World Bank missions have met with the government to help it develop a coherent economic plan, and President KABILA has begun implementing reforms. Much economic activity lies outside the GDP data. Economic stability, aided by international donors, improved in 2003-04, although an uncertain legal framework, corruption, and a lack of openness in government policy continues to hamper growth. In 2005, renewed activity in the mining sector, the source of most exports, could boost Kinshasa's fiscal position and GDP growth. Estonia, as a new member of the World Trade Organization, is steadily moving toward a modern market economy with increasing ties to the West, including the pegging of its currency to the euro. The economy benefits from strong electronics and telecoms sectors. A major goal is accession to the EU, possibly by 2004. The economy is greatly influenced by developments in Finland, Sweden, and Germany, three major trading partners. The high current account deficit remains a concern.
Electricity - consumption 4.168 billion kWh (2002) 6.192 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 1.5 billion kWh (2002) 1.19 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 8 million kWh (2002) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 6.086 billion kWh (2002) 7.937 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel: 99.8%


hydro: 0.1%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0.2% (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m


highest point: Pic Marguerite on Mont Ngaliema (Mount Stanley) 5,110 m
lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m


highest point: Suur Munamagi 318 m
Environment - current issues poaching threatens wildlife populations; water pollution; deforestation; refugees responsible for significant deforestation, soil erosion, and wildlife poaching; mining of minerals (coltan - a mineral used in creating capacitors, diamonds, and gold) causing environmental damage air polluted with sulfur dioxide from oil-shale burning power plants in northeast; however, the amount of pollutants emitted to the air have fallen steadily, the emissions of 2000 were 80% less than in 1980; the amount of unpurified wastewater discharged to water bodies in 2000 was one twentieth the level of 1980; in connection with the start-up of new water purification plants, the pollution load of wastewater decreased; Estonia has more than 1,400 natural and manmade lakes, the smaller of which in agricultural areas need to be monitored; coastal seawater is polluted in certain locations
Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ship Pollution, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Ethnic groups over 200 African ethnic groups of which the majority are Bantu; the four largest tribes - Mongo, Luba, Kongo (all Bantu), and the Mangbetu-Azande (Hamitic) make up about 45% of the population Estonian 65.3%, Russian 28.1%, Ukrainian 2.5%, Belarusian 1.5%, Finn 1%, other 1.6% (1998)
Exchange rates Congolese francs per US dollar - 401.04 (2004), 405.34 (2003), 346.49 (2002), 206.62 (2001), 21.82 (2000) krooni per US dollar - 16.61 (2002), 17.56 (2001), 16.97 (2000), 14.68 (1999), 14.07 (1998)
Executive branch chief of state: President Joseph KABILA (since 26 January 2001); note - following the assassination of his father, Laurent Desire KABILA, on 16 January 2001, Joseph KABILA succeeded to the presidency; the president is both the chief of state and head of government


head of government: President Joseph KABILA (since 26 January 2001); note - following the assassination of his father, Laurent Desire KABILA, on 16 January 2001, Joseph KABILA succeeded to the presidency; the president is both the chief of state and head of government


cabinet: National Executive Council, appointed by the president


elections: prior to the overthrow of MOBUTU Sese Seko, the president was elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; election last held 29 July 1984 (next was scheduled to be held in May 1997); formerly, there was also a prime minister who was elected by the High Council of the Republic; note - a Transitional Government is drafting a new constitution with free elections scheduled to be held in NA 2005


election results: MOBUTU Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu wa Za Banga reelected president in 1984 without opposition


note: Joseph KABILA succeeded his father, Laurent Desire KABILA, following the latter's assassination in January 2001, negotiations with rebel leaders led to the establishment of a transitional government in July 2003 with free elections scheduled to be held in NA 2005
chief of state: President Arnold RUUTEL (since 8 October 2001)


head of government: Prime Minister Juhan PARTS (since 10 April 2003)


cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister, approved by Parliament


elections: president elected by Parliament for a five-year term; if he or she does not secure two-thirds of the votes after three rounds of balloting in the Parliament, then an electoral assembly (made up of Parliament plus members of local governments) elects the president, choosing between the two candidates with the largest percentage of votes; election last held 21 September 2001 (next to be held in the fall of 2006); prime minister nominated by the president and approved by Parliament


election results: Arnold RUUTEL elected president on 21 September 2001 by a 367-member electoral assembly that convened following Parliament's failure in August to elect then-President MERI's successor; on the second ballot of voting, RUUTEL received 188 votes to Parliament Speaker Toomas SAVI's 155; the remaining 24 ballots were either left blank or invalid
Exports NA NA (2001)
Exports - commodities diamonds, copper, crude oil, coffee, cobalt machinery and equipment 33%, wood and paper 15%, textiles 14%, food products 8%, furniture 7%, metals, chemical products (2001)
Exports - partners Belgium 47.8%, Finland 21%, US 10.9%, China 7.6% (2004) Finland 19.2%, Sweden 13.2%, UK 10.6%, Latvia 7.4%, Germany 7.2% (2002)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description light blue with a large yellow five-pointed star in the center and a columnar arrangement of six small yellow five-pointed stars along the hoist side pre-1940 flag restored by Supreme Soviet in May 1990 - three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), black, and white
GDP - purchasing power parity - $15.52 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 55%


industry: 11%


services: 34% (2000 est.)
agriculture: 5.8%


industry: 28.6%


services: 65.6% (2001)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $700 (2004 est.) purchasing power parity - $11,000 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 7.5% (2004 est.) 6% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 0 00 N, 25 00 E 59 00 N, 26 00 E
Geography - note straddles equator; has very narrow strip of land that controls the lower Congo River and is only outlet to South Atlantic Ocean; dense tropical rain forest in central river basin and eastern highlands the mainland terrain is flat, boggy, and partly wooded; offshore lie more than 1,500 islands
Highways total: 157,000 km (including 30 km of expressways)


paved: NA km


unpaved: NA km (1999 est.)
total: 51,411 km


paved: 10,334 km (including 94 km of expressways)


unpaved: 41,077 km (2000)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA


highest 10%: NA
lowest 10%: 3%


highest 10%: 29.8% (1998)
Illicit drugs illicit producer of cannabis, mostly for domestic consumption; while rampant corruption and inadequate supervision leaves the banking system vulnerable to money laundering, the lack of a well-developed financial system limits the country's utility as a money-laundering center transshipment point for opiates and cannabis from Southwest Asia and the Caucasus via Russia, cocaine from Latin America to Western Europe and Scandinavia, and synthetic drugs from Western Europe to Scandinavia; increasing domestic drug abuse problem; possible precursor manufacturing and/or trafficking
Imports NA NA (2001)
Imports - commodities foodstuffs, mining and other machinery, transport equipment, fuels machinery and equipment 33.5%, chemical products 11.6%, textiles 10.3%, foodstuffs 9.4%, transportation equipment 8.9% (2001)
Imports - partners South Africa 18.5%, Belgium 15.5%, France 10.8%, Kenya 6.3%, US 6%, Germany 5.8% (2004) Russia 26.6%, Finland 18.9%, Germany 9.2%, Sweden 8.2% (2002)
Independence 30 June 1960 (from Belgium) regained on 20 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
Industrial production growth rate NA 5% (2000 est.)
Industries mining (diamonds, copper, zinc), mineral processing, consumer products (including textiles, footwear, cigarettes, processed foods and beverages), cement, commercial ship repair engineering, electronics, wood and wood products, textile; information technology, telecommunications
Infant mortality rate total: 92.87 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 101.25 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 84.23 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
total: 12.03 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 13.88 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 10.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 14% (2003 est.) 3.7% (2002 est.)
International organization participation ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, CEPGL, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW (signatory), PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNMIBH, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU (associate partner), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - 38 (2001)
Irrigated land 110 sq km (1998 est.) 40 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court or Cour Supreme National Court (chairman appointed by Parliament for life)
Labor force 14.51 million (1993 est.) 608,600 (2001 est.)
Labor force - by occupation NA industry 20%, agriculture 11%, services 69% (1999 est.)
Land boundaries total: 10,730 km


border countries: Angola 2,511 km (of which 225 km is the boundary of Angola's discontiguous Cabinda Province), Burundi 233 km, Central African Republic 1,577 km, Republic of the Congo 2,410 km, Rwanda 217 km, Sudan 628 km, Tanzania 459 km, Uganda 765 km, Zambia 1,930 km
total: 633 km


border countries: Latvia 339 km, Russia 294 km
Land use arable land: 2.96%


permanent crops: 0.52%


other: 96.52% (2001)
arable land: 26.5%


permanent crops: 0.35%


other: 73.15% (1998 est.)
Languages French (official), Lingala (a lingua franca trade language), Kingwana (a dialect of Kiswahili or Swahili), Kikongo, Tshiluba Estonian (official), Russian, Ukrainian, Finnish, other
Legal system based on Belgian civil law system and tribal law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative acts
Legislative branch a 300-member Transitional Constituent Assembly established in August 2000


elections: NA; members of the Transitional Constituent Assembly were appointed by former President Laurent Desire KABILA
unicameral Parliament or Riigikogu (101 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 2 March 2003 (next to be held NA March 2007)


election results: percent of vote by party - Center Party 25.4%, Res Publica 24.6%, Reform Party 17.7%, Estonian People's Union 13%, Pro Patria Union (Fatherland League) 7.3% People's Party Moodukad 7%; seats by party - Center Party 28, Res Publica 28, Reform Party 19, Estonian People's Union 13, Pro Patria Union 7, People's Party Moodukad 6
Life expectancy at birth total population: 51.1 years


male: 49.68 years


female: 52.56 years (2005 est.)
total population: 70.31 years


male: 64.36 years


female: 76.57 years (2003 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write French, Lingala, Kingwana, or Tshiluba


total population: 65.5%


male: 76.2%


female: 55.1% (2003 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 99.8%


male: 99.8%


female: 99.8% (2003 est.)
Location Central Africa, northeast of Angola Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Finland, between Latvia and Russia
Map references Africa Europe
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive economic zone: boundaries with neighbors
exclusive economic zone: limits fixed in coordination with neighboring states


territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine registered in other countries: 1 total: 33 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 200,807 GRT/169,899 DWT


ships by type: bulk 2, cargo 13, container 5, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 6, short-sea passenger 5


note: includes a foreign-owned ship registered here as a flag of convenience: Liberia 1 (2002 est.)
Military branches Army, Navy, Air Force Estonia Defense Forces (including Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force), Republic Security Forces (internal and border troops), Volunteer Defense League (Kaitseliit), Maritime Border Guard, Coast Guard


note: Border Guards and Ministry of Internal Affairs become part of the Estonian Defense Forces in wartime; the Coast Guard is subordinate to the Ministry of Defense in peacetime and the Estonian Navy in wartime
Military expenditures - dollar figure $93.5 million (2004) $155 million (2002 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1.5% (2004) 2% (2002 est.)
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49: 360,440 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49: 283,278 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - military age - 18 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males: 11,123 (2003 est.)
National holiday Independence Day, 30 June (1960) Independence Day, 24 February (1918); note - 24 February 1918 was the date of independence from Soviet Russia, 20 August 1991 was the date of reindependence from the Soviet Union
Nationality noun: Congolese (singular and plural)


adjective: Congolese or Congo
noun: Estonian(s)


adjective: Estonian
Natural hazards periodic droughts in south; Congo River floods (seasonal); in the east, in the Great Rift Valley, there are active volcanoes sometimes flooding occurs in the spring
Natural resources cobalt, copper, niobium, tantalum, petroleum, industrial and gem diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, uranium, coal, hydropower, timber oil shale, peat, phosphorite, clay, limestone, sand, dolomite, arable land, sea mud
Net migration rate -0.17 migrant(s)/1,000 population


note: fighting between the Congolese Government and Uganda- and Rwanda-backed Congolese rebels spawned a regional war in DROC in August 1998, which left 1.8 million Congolese internally displaced and caused 300,000 Congolese refugees to flee to surrounding countries (2005 est.)
-0.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Pipelines gas 54 km; oil 71 km (2004) gas 859 km (2003)
Political parties and leaders Democratic Social Christian Party or PDSC [Andre BO-BOLIKO]; Forces for Renovation for Union and Solidarity or FONUS [Joseph OLENGHANKOY]; National Congolese Lumumbist Movement or MNC [Francois LUMUMBA]; Popular Movement of the Revolution or MPR (three factions: MPR-Fait Prive [Catherine NZUZI wa Mbombo]; MPR/Vunduawe [Felix VUNDUAWE]; MPR/Mananga [MANANGA Dintoka Mpholo]); Unified Lumumbast Party or PALU [Antoine GIZENGA]; Union for Democracy and Social Progress or UDPS [Etienne TSHISEKEDI wa Mulumba]; Union of Federalists and Independent Republicans or UFERI (two factions: UFERI [Lokambo OMOKOKO]; UFERI/OR [Adolph Kishwe MAYA]) Center Party of Estonia (Keskerakond) [Edgar SAVISAAR, chairman]; Estonian People's Union (Rahvaliit) [Villu REILJAN]; Estonian Reform Party (Reformierakond) [Siim KALLAS]; Estonian United Russian People's Party or EUVRP [leader NA]; Moderates (Moodukad) [Ivari PADAR]; Pro Patria Union (Isamaaliit) [Tunne KELAM, chairman]; Res Publica [Juhan PARTS]; Russian Baltic Party [Sergei IVANOV]
Political pressure groups and leaders NA NA
Population 60,085,804


note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2005 est.)
1,408,556 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line NA NA% (2000)
Population growth rate 2.98% (2005 est.) -0.49% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors Banana, Boma, Bukavu, Bumba, Goma, Kalemie, Kindu, Kinshasa, Kisangani, Matadi, Mbandaka Haapsalu, Kunda, Muuga, Paldiski, Parnu, Tallinn
Radio broadcast stations AM 3, FM 11, shortwave 2 (2001) AM 0, FM 98, shortwave 0 (2001)
Railways total: 5,138 km


narrow gauge: 3,987 km 1.067-m gauge (858 km electrified); 125 km 1.000-m gauge; 1,026 km 0.600-m gauge (2004)
total: 968 km


broad gauge: 968 km 1.520-m/1.524-m gauge (132 km electrified)


note:: gauge being increased from 1.520-m to 1.524-m to reduce wear on wheels and rail as lines are modernized (2002)
Religions Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 20%, Kimbanguist 10%, Muslim 10%, other syncretic sects and indigenous beliefs 10% Evangelical Lutheran, Russian Orthodox, Estonian Orthodox, Baptist, Methodist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Word of Life, Jewish
Sex ratio at birth: 1.01 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female


total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.49 male(s)/female


total population: 0.86 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal and compulsory 18 years of age; universal for all Estonian citizens
Telephone system general assessment: poor


domestic: barely adequate wire and microwave radio relay service in and between urban areas; domestic satellite system with 14 earth stations


international: country code - 243; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
general assessment: foreign investment in the form of joint business ventures greatly improved telephone service; substantial fiber-optic cable systems carry telephone, TV, and radio traffic in the digital mode; internet services are available throughout most of the country - only about 11,000 subscriber requests were unfilled by September 2000


domestic: a wide range of high quality voice, data, and internet services is available throughout the country


international: fiber-optic cables to Finland, Sweden, Latvia, and Russia provide worldwide packet-switched service; two international switches are located in Tallinn (2001)
Telephones - main lines in use 10,000 (2002) 501,691 (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular 1 million (2003) 711,000 (yearend 2001)
Television broadcast stations 4 (2001) 3 (2001)
Terrain vast central basin is a low-lying plateau; mountains in east marshy, lowlands; flat in the north, hilly in the south
Total fertility rate 6.54 children born/woman (2005 est.) 1.27 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate NA (2003 est.) 12.4% (2001)
Waterways 15,000 km (navigation on the Congo curtailed by fighting) (2004) 320 km (perennially navigable) (2002)
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