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ESTONIA |
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Last Updated: Sunday 6 March 2005 National anthem |
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The Estonians, who are also known as Esths, are blond and related to the Ural-Altaic Finns. It is known that Estonia had been under the rule of the Danes who held the north from 1219 until they sold it to the German Balts in 1346. These Baltic barons were landholders who already held the south. The land was later owned between Sweden and Poland. Sweden ruled over all Estonia for a century until 1721, Peter the Great won it for Russia. Having with German aid gained its independence from Soviet Russia on the 24th February, 1918, a democratic republic was proclaimed in May 1919 which lasted until 1940 when Soviet forces occupied the three Baltic states. Estonia became a soviet socialist republic and was only to regain its independence from Russia on the 20th August, 1991 when it collapsed as the Soviet Union. The last Russian troops left in 1994.
Latest census puts the population at 1,420,000 of which 65.3% are Estonian, 28.1% Russian, 2.5% Ukrainian, 1.5% Belarusian, 1% Finn and 1.6% other. Most are mainly Evangelical Lutheran but there are also Russian Orthodox, Estonian Orthodox, Baptist, Methodist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Word of Life and Jewish denominations.
Estonian is the official language. It belongs to the Uralic or Finno-Ugric group of languages, Finnish, Lapp, Hungarian and several groups of north-eastern Russia and Siberia. These languages have a Mongolian and not a European origin. Russian, Ukrainian, Finnish and other languages are also spoken.
Amendments were made to the constitution in 1988 which gave the republic the right to veto Soviet laws and made Estonian the official language. An ad hoc congress made up completely of pre-annexation Estonian voters called on the Soviet Union and the U.N. to restore a free and independent republic of Estonia and on the 30th March, 1990, the Estonian parliament approved a declaration of a gradual transition to independence. In a referendum held on the 3rd March, 1991, Estonia voted for total independence from Moscow which was regained from the Soviet Union on the 20th August 1991. A parliamentary republic was adopted on the 28th June, 1992.
Independence Day is celebrated on the 24th February, which is the first date of independence from the workers’ and soldiers’ soviets in Russia in 1918. The president is elected by Parliament for a five-year term. President Arnold Ruutel was elected president on the 21st September and sworn in on the 8th October, 2001. The Riigikogu is a unicameral parliament whose 101 members are elected by popular vote to serve four year terms. Parliamentary elections held 2nd March, 2003 have returned Juhan Parts as prime minister leading a coalition between the Union for the Republic Res Publica (28 seats), the Reform Party (19) and the People's Union (13), holding between them 60 seats. The opposition is led by the leftist Centre Party which also polled 28 seats and includes the Pro Patria Union (7) and the People's Party (6).The capital is Tallinn and there are 15 maakonnad or counties as follows, each maakonnad being followed by the name of the administrative center: 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). On the 1st May, 2004 Estonia joined the European Union. ANTHEM. My Native Land, My Pride and Joy, with words by Johann Voldemar Jansen (1819-1900), was sung publicly for the first time in 1869. The melody is the same as that of the national anthem of Finland, in its Finnish rendering, by Friedrich Pacius (1809-1891).My Native Land, My Pride and Joy My native land, my joy and delight, You are so fair and bright! For in no place around the world can Ever such a place be found So well beloved as I love you, My native country dear! My little cradle stood on thy soil, Whose blessings ease my toil. With my last breath my thanks to you, For true to death I will ever be, Oh worthy, most beloved and fine, Oh You, my dearest country! May God in Heaven defend you, My best land, my dearest land! May He guard you and be your shield, For ever may He bless and wield graciously all your deeds, Oh You, my dearest country! BNS (Baltic News Service) - privately-owned
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