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Estonia: Estonia Government Profile 2012

2012/03/09

Estonia Government Profile 2012

Country name

Conventional long form:

Republic of Estonia

Conventional short form:

Estonia

Local long form:

Eesti Vabariik

Local short form:

Eesti

Government type:

parliamentary republic

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

Administrative divisions:

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

Independence:

20 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

National holiday:

Independence Day, 24 February (1918); note - 24 February 1918 was the date Estonia declared its independence from Soviet Russia; 20 August 1991 was the date it declared its independence from the Soviet Union

Constitution:

adopted 28 June 1992

Legal system:

based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal for all Estonian citizens

Executive branch

Chief of state:

President Toomas Hendrik ILVES (since 9 October 2006)

head of government:

Prime Minister Andrus ANSIP (since 12 April 2005)

Cabinet:

Ministers appointed by the prime minister, approved by Parliament

Elections:

president elected by Parliament for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); if a candidate 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 councils) elects the president, choosing between the two candidates with the largest number of votes; election last held 23 September 2006 (next to be held in the fall of 2011); prime minister nominated by the president and approved by Parliament

Election results:

Toomas Hendrik ILVES elected president on 23 September 2006 by a 345-member electoral assembly; ILVES received 174 votes to incumbent Arnold RUUTEL's 162; remaining 9 ballots left blank or invalid

Legislative branch:

unicameral Parliament or Riigikogu (101 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 4 March 2007 (next to be held in March 2011) election results: percent of vote by party - Estonian Reform Party 27.8%, Center Party of Estonia 26.1%, Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica 17.9%, Social Democratic Party 10.6%, Estonian Greens 7.1%, Estonian People's Union 7.1%, other 5%; seats by party - Estonian Reform Party 31, Center Party 28, Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica 19, Social Democratic Party 10, Estonian Greens 6, Estonian People's Union 6, independent 1

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court (chairman appointed for life by Parliament)

Political parties and leaders :

Center Party of Estonia (Keskerakond) [Edgar SAVISAAR]; Estonian Greens (Rohelised) [Marek STRANDBERG]; Estonian People's Union (Rahvaliit) [Karel RUUTLI]; Estonian Reform Party (Reformierakond) [Andrus ANSIP]; Social Democratic Party [Juri PIHL]; Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica (Isamaa je Res Publica Liit) [Mart LAAR]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Nochnoy Dozor/Night Watch anti-fascist movement (leader Alexander KOROBOV)

International organization participation:

Australia Group, BA, BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, ESA (cooperating state), EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NATO, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD (accession state), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNITAR, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Flag description:

pre-1940 flag restored by Supreme Soviet in May 1990 - three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), black, and white

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