Official Name: Republic of Estonia
Capital: Tallinn
Total area: 45 227 km2
GDP per capita: $21,713
Native Language: Estonian
Government: Parliamentary republic
Population: 1,286,540
Major Religion: Irreligion, Evangelical Lutheranism
Monetary Unit: Euro (EUR)

Estonia, the northernmost of the Baltic states, regained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. It is a mostly flat country on the east coast of the Baltic Sea with many lakes and islands. Much of the land is farmed or forested.

The Estonian language is closely related to Finnish, but bears no resemblance to the languages ​​of the other Baltic republics, Latvia and Lithuania, or to Russian. About a quarter of the population is of Russian-speaking origin.

The capital Tallinn is one of the best preserved medieval cities in Europe and tourism accounts for 15% of Estonia's GDP. The economy is driven by engineering, food, metals, chemicals and wood products.

Throughout history, many other nations that ruled the region - Danes, Germans, Swedes, Poles and Russians - have influenced Estonian cuisine. Traditional dishes include marinated eel, black pudding and pork sauerkraut stew.

Famous Estonians include the writer Jaan Kross, whose work has been translated into at least 20 languages, the author of the national epic (Kalevipoeg) Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald, and the writer, filmmaker, diplomat and politician Lennart Meri.

Health & Wellbeing
The government pays for national health care, child support and pensions.

Economy & Jobs
industry, trade and tourism.

Main attraction
Hiiumaa Island, Lahemaa National Park and Saaremaa Island.

Business
As a member of the European Union, Estonia is considered a high-income economy by the World Bank. The country ranked 16th in the 2012 Index of Economic Freedom with the freest economy in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Because of its rapid growth, Estonia has often been referred to as the Baltic Tiger. On January 1, 2011, Estonia adopted the euro and became the 17th member state of the euro zone.

According to Eurostat, at the end of 2010, Estonia had the lowest public debt-to-GDP ratio of 6.7% among EU countries. The world media have recently started describing Estonia as a Nordic country, emphasizing the economic, political and cultural differences between Estonia and its less successful Baltic neighbors.

A balanced budget, almost zero government debt, a flat income tax, a free trade regime, a competitive commercial banking sector, innovative e-services and even mobile-based services are all hallmarks of the Estonian market economy.