ESTONIA

a republic of NorthWestern Europe, formerly a dependency of Imperial Ru ia. It is situated on the Baltic, and is bounded by the Gulf of Finland, Ru ia, Latvia, and the Baltic Sea. The Republic comprises the former Ru ian government of Estland,the northern part of Livonia, and portions of certain other provinces, the total area being 18,353 sq. miles; pop. (1932), 1,120,000. The boundary with Ru ia was fixed by the Peace Treary of February, 1920, and that with Latvia was demarcated in July of the same year. Estonia is divided into eleven districts. The capital, Tallin (Revel), on the Gulf of Finland, has a population of 134,000, and is a busy port. Other towns are Dorpat Parau, and Narva, the last of which is @ manufacturing town. Physical Features. The Republic has, for the most part, a flat or undulating surface. The whole of the north side, however, rises considerably above the sea, and presents to it ranges of high cliffs. The Narva is the only river of any importance, but there are numerous small rivers and lakes. About a fourth of the surface is covered with forests of pine, birch, and alder, while one-half is devoted to agriculture. Agriculture. The agricultural land was at one time divided into great Janded properties, but a recent Agrarjan Reform Bill has parcelled these estates out to the peasants. The principal crops are rye, wheat, barley, and potatoes; fiax, hops, and tobacco are also grown. Commerce and Industry. Cattle are reared extensively. There are productive sea fisheries, and there are 1270 industrial establishments employing about 35,740 men. In i932 fhe total value of exports was 45,570,900 Est on i an kroons, and of imports 36,860,200 Est on i an kroons. The principal exports were timber, potatoes, paper, flax, cement, and spirits. The Est on i an mercantile marine in 1932 consisted of 97 steamers and 247 sailing-ve els, with a total tonnage of 114,993 tons. There were, in 1931, 777 miles of railway track. The currency unit became, in 1928, the kroon of 100 senfs, the value being the same as that af he Swedish krone (1s. 13d.). Five-sixths of the people are Luther ans and the rest are mainly Greek Catholics. The metric system of weights and measures has been in use since 1929. Hlementary education is free and compulsory, there are numerous secondary, trade, and training schools, and at Dorpat is the Est on i an university (reconstituted 1919), Constitution. By the Constitution adopted in 1920 the power of the State is in the hands of the people, to whom the sovereign power is a ure by means of elections to the Riigikogu or State A embly, the referendum, and the right of initiating new laws. The executive power consists of the Riigiwanem (State Head or Prime Minister) and the ministers, who are chosen by the A embly. It was proposed in 1933 to alter the constitution so as to provice for a President. Military service is compulsory. History. In the tenth and twelfth centuries Estonia belonged to Denmark, and after being annexed by Sweden it was seized by Ru ia in 1710. After the Ru ian Revolution, Estonia declared her independence in Feb., 1918, and was recognized as a de facto independent state by Britain, France, Italy, Japan, Poland, and Sweden in May, 1919. An armistice with the Bolshevists was concluded in Dec., 1919. In Nov., 1924, a Communist rising took place in Revel, and was only put down after much bloodshed.— BIBLIOGRAPHY: John Buchan, The Baltic and Caucasian States; W. Vesterinen, Agricultural Conditions in Estonia.