Estonia
Estonia, 1991 to today. Draft, not yet reviewed
Following the 1988–1990 "Singing Revolution" against Soviet rule, full independence was restored on 20 August 1991, and the country joined NATO and the European Union in 2004. Throughout the de facto Soviet occupation, from World War II until 1991, Estonia's de jure state continuity was preserved by diplomatic representatives and the government-in-exile. On 1 January 2011, Estonia joined the eurozone and adopted the euro, the single currency of EU. Estonia is a developed country with a high-income, advanced economy, and Eurozone membership.
Seat of power: Tallinn
Rulers
Edgar Savisaar
Prime Minister of Estonia, 1990–1992
Edgar Savisaar was an Estonian politician, one of the founding members of Popular Front of Estonia and the Centre Party. He served as the acting Prime Minister of Estonia, Minister of the Interior, Minister of Economic Affairs and Communications, and twice mayor of Tallinn.
Portrait of Edgar Savisaar: Riigikogu Kantselei / Chancellery of the Riigikogu, CC BY-SA 4.0, file
Lennart Meri
President of Estonia, 1992–2001
Lennart Meri was an Estonian writer, film director, and statesman. He was the country's foreign minister from 1990 to 1992 and President of Estonia from 1992 to 2001.
Portrait of Lennart Meri: Jaan Künnap, CC BY-SA 4.0, file
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Arnold Rüütel
President of Estonia, 2001–2006
He was the third President of Estonia from 8 October 2001 to 9 October 2006. Rüütel was the second president of the country after the end of the 1944–1991 Soviet occupation, and the restoration of the independent Republic of Estonia on 20 August 1991.
Toomas Hendrik Ilves
President of Estonia, 2006–2016
He was elected as President of Estonia by an electoral college on 23 September 2006 and his term as President began on 9 October 2006. He was reelected by Parliament in 2011.
Portrait of Toomas Hendrik Ilves: Jelena Rudi, CC BY-SA 3.0, file
Kersti Kaljulaid
President of Estonia, 2016–2021
Kaljulaid is Estonia's first female head of state since the country declared independence in 1918. She was also the youngest president, aged 46 at the time of her election.
Portrait of Kersti Kaljulaid: Anna Zaugarova, CC BY-SA 4.0, file
Alar Karis
President of Estonia, 2021 to today
Alar Karis is the sixth president of Estonia, having taken office on 11 October 2021. He previously worked as molecular geneticist, developmental biologist, and Estonian civil servant.
Portrait of Alar Karis: Prime Minister's Office, GODL-India, file
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Culture
- The tradition of Estonian Song Festivals (Laulupidu) started at the height of the Estonian national awakening in 1869.
- Today, it is one of the largest amateur choral events in the world.
- Estonia is among the least corrupt countries in the world and ranks very high in international rankings for education, human development, press freedom, online public services, and the prevalence of technology companies.
- Estonia was a member of the UN Security Council from 2020 to 2021.
Picture
The Estonian National Museum, founded in 1909 in Tartu, is a museum devoted to Jakob Hurt's heritage, Estonian ethnography and folk art.
Image: Estonian National Museum, Public domain, file
Sources
Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.