country profile of estonia in english

8/20/2019 Country Profile of ESTONIA in English

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/country-profile-of-estonia-in-english 1/19

Info4Migrants

ESTONIACountry prole

Project number: UK/13/LLP-LdV/TOI-615



45,227 km2

1,315mlnPOPULATION

GDP per capita

CURRENCY

$26,555

Language

ESTONIAN

Recognized regional languages

VÕRO, SETU



Estonia is a Western Europe country bordering the Balc Sea

and Gulf of Finland, between Latvia and Russia.

As a result of centuries of Danish, Swedish, German, and Rus-sian rule, the idea of an independent Estonian state had alreadybeen raised in the late 19th century and came true in 1918when Estonia aained independence from the Russian Empire.

Forcibly incorporated into the USSR in 1940, it regained itsfreedom in 1991, with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Sincethe last Russian troops le in 1994, Estonia has been free to

promote economic and polical es with Western Europe. Since

April 2004 Estonia is a member of NATO and member of theEuropean Union since May 2004.

Estonia has a modern market-based economy and one of thehigher per capita income levels in Central Europe and the Balc

region. Estonia’s successive governments have pursued a freemarket, pro-business economic agenda and have wavered lile

in their commitment to pro-market reforms. The current gov-

ernment has followed sound scal policies that have resulted inbalanced budgets and low public debt. The economy benets

from strong electronics and telecommunicaons sectors and

strong trade es with Finland, Sweden, Russia, and Germany.

Naonal Flag

Coat of arms

COUNTRY BACKGROUND

FINLAND

LATVIA

ESTONIA

Tallinn

R

U S S I A

3 Country profle ESTONIALearnmera Oy www.thelanguagemenu.com



ESTONIA FACTS

Size and populaonEstonia is small, but it is bigger than Slovenia, Holland, Den-mark, and Switzerland. Despite its small size, it feels bigbecause only 1.3 million people live here. This makes Estoniaone of the most sparsely populated countries in Europe, with

just 32 people per square kilometer.

History“Ees” can be traced to a rst-century menon by the Ro-man historian Tacitus of a people or place called Aesi or

Aestui. The name may derive from a German word referringto the east. Place names have been traced to this period,suggesng a link between language and homeland.

Estonia is home to one of the oldest universies in Europe,

the University of Tartu, founded in 1632. The region hasbeen a major center of conict for centuries, and has been

ruled by all sorts of powers, such as Sweden and Poland-Lith-uania. Only in the 19th century did a naonalist movement

emerge that would later lead to independence.

Independence daysEstonia celebrates two Independence Days; the rst is the

24th of February, 1918, and the second is the 20th of August,

1991, both commemorang independence from the Soviet

Union.




ESTONIA FACTS

TechnologyEstonia is incredibly tech savvy. Not only is Estonia the home-land of wildly successful soware programs Skype and Kazaa,

but you can nd Wi-Fi all over, including public parks. Estonia

was the rst country to use online vong for polical elec-ons.

ReligionEstonia has one of the highest rates of atheism in theworld, with only 16% expressing a belief in a god in a 2005poll. Religious tradions remain, however, including pagan

rituals, which are sll celebrated as secular cultural tradi-ons.

Family supportEstonia is a great place to be a mom. It has the highest sur-vival rate in the world for mothers giving birth, and oers

new mothers 100% of their former salary for 18 months, andother child support services as well.

TerrainEstonia is home to the tallest mountain in the Balc re-gion, Suur Munamägi, which reaches 318 meters. Estoniais famous for its meteorite craters, especially around Kaali,

where several craters can be found that formed just withinthe last several thousand years. Estonia’s relave atness

makes it a great place for Nordic ski training.

Due to the low populaon density, half the country is for-ested, which makes for great hiking opportunies. Esto-nia’s forests keep geng bigger, perhaps due to the declin-ing populaon.




1 January: New Year’s Day

Usually a very quiet day aer celebraons.

24 February: Independence Day

Celebrated with the military parade in the morning and fes-

ve family dinners in the evening.

Moveable Friday during spring: Good FridayChurch holiday, a day for mourning and fasng.

Moveable Sunday during spring: Easter Sunday

Commonly known as lihavõed or munade pühad in Esto-

nian. Celebrated by spring me (dairy based) treats, eggs and

folk fesvies.

1 May: May Day

The night before (Walpburg night) is celebrated with paresand witchcra.

Moveable day during late spring: Whitsun

Church holiday, celebrated 7 weeks aer Easter Sunday.

23 June: Victory Day

Celebrang the decisive bale (1919) during the War of Inde-

pendence.

24 June: Midsummer Day

Commonly known as Jaanipäev. Celebrated with bonres,

dierent events and fesvies taking place all around Estonia.

One of the most important dates of the year for Estonians.

20 August: Day of Restoraon of Independence

Celebrated with naonal fesvies, events and family gather-

ings.

24-26 December: Christmas

Christmas holidays are usually spent with the family.

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS




ESTONIAN FOOD

Bean SoupBean Soup made with broad beans,

smoked meat, potatoes and onion. It is

served hot with sour cream.

Estonian Chilled Cucumber SoupChopped onion is combined with peeled,

seeded and grated cucumbers and dill in

chicken stock. Once the soup is pureed

sour cream and egg yolks are added. Then

the soup is chilled for at least 4 hours.

Boiled pork in jelly (Sült)The jelly is made by boiling the pork bones,

somemes hooves and heads. It is oen

made in large batches; so many Estonian

families have stacks of jars of solidifying

sült all over the house.

Fish in Tomato MarinadeWhitesh llets are cut into pieces and

sprinkled with salt and pepper and coated

in our. The sh is browned and put into amarinade for about 6 hours. When ready

for serving, a sauce is made with vinegar,

tomato paste, sugar and spices.

Brown bread with garlicThis dish made from the country’s perfect-

ed brown bread recipe, which is rubbed

with garlic, deep fried, and served with a

very garlicky and refreshing tzatziki-like

cucumber sauce.

Black pudding (Verivorst)Blood and barley sausage, similar to what

the English diplomacally call ‘black pud-

ding’ due to its colour. In Estonia, this is

tradional Christmas food and is served

with a red berry jam.

Estonian Ground Meat Paes

(Hakkliha kotlet)Ground veal, beef and pork are combined

with eggs and spices. This is made into

paes, dipped in bread crumbs and fried.

In addion, it might be served with braised

red cabbage.

Estonian porkSauerkraut, pork loin, apple, onion, pearl

barley and spices are combined and sim-

mered for about 4 hours.

Tradional Estonian cuisine has substanally been based on meat and potatoes,

and on sh in coastal and lakeside areas, but is inuenced by many other cuisines

by now. In the present day it includes a variety of internaonal foods and dishes,

with a number of contribuons from the tradions of nearby countries. German,

Scandinavian, Russian and other inuences have played their part. The most typ-

ical foods in Estonia have been rye bread, pork, potatoes and dairy products. Es-

tonian eang habits have historically been closely linked to the seasons. In terms

of staples, Estonia belongs rmly to the beer, vodka, rye bread and pork “belt” ofEurope.




ESTONIAN FOOD

Sauerkraut stew (Mulgikapsad)Estonian sauerkraut side dish. Sauerkraut

stew with pork, served with boiled pota-

toes.

Unleavened barley bread (Karask)One of our desert items was this cake-like

barley bread.

Jellied VealVeal shoulder, fresh pig’s knuckles, onion

and carrot are placed in a pot to boil with

whole peppercorns and bay leaves for

about 3 hours. Then the meat is removed

and cut up. The meat is placed into molds.

The boiled stock is poured into each mold,

and then the molds are placed into thefridge unl the stock has jellied.

KamaThere’s really no equivalent in most other

tradions. Basically it’s a thick desert drink

made with sour milk (keer), and a mixture

of ground grains – rye, oat barley, and pea

our.

Vanaema’s kook (Grandmother’s

Cake)It’s a layer of pastry crust, jam, and some

wonderful crumbly topping.

Root Beer (Kali)The Estonian, non-alcoholic beverage called

Kali. Referred to as “the Estonian Coca-Co-la,” Kali is a kind of unfermented beer. It’s

sweet and has a very light zz to it.

Strong drinkVana Tallinn is a dark brown strong liqueur

with a mild rum taste. The liqueur has a

vanillin, slightly exoc and velvety taste,

characterized by several natural ingredi-

ents, including citrus oils, cinnamon, vanilla,

as well as rum.

Vana Tallinn should be drank straight, with-

out any addional components, with a

cup of coee. Oen Vana Tallinn is served

straight, adding just crushed ice. The liquor

is also an excellent component in cocktails.




IMPORTANT TIPS

Languages in Estonia

The ocial language of Estonia is Esto-

nian, a Uralic language which is related

to Finnish but unrelated to neighboring

Russian and Latvian, which are of In-

do-European root.

Russian is by far the most spoken mi-

nority language in the country. There

are towns in Estonia with large Rus-

sian-language communies, as well as

towns where speakers of Estonian are

in minority (especially in North-East of

Estonia, e.g. Narva). The Balc Germans

(German: Deutsch-Balten, or Balten-

deutsche) were ethnically mainly Ger-man inhabitants of the eastern shore of

the Balc Sea, which today forms the

countries of Estonia and Latvia. The Ger-

man language is the third most popular

foreign language among Estonians today.

The Estonian Swedes are a Swed-

ish-speaking linguisc minority tradi-

onally residing in the coastal areasand islands of what is now western and

northern Estonia.

Almost all of Estonia’s Swedish-speaking

minority ed to Sweden during World

War II, and only the descendants of a

few individuals who opted to stay are

permanently resident in Estonia today.

Equee

Estonians are socially introverted and

maintain a distance in public and private

spaces. People move relavely quickly,

seldom make eye contact, and talk in

hushed tones in public.

Business Customs

Business greengs are formal and re-

served, greengs are usually with a rm

handshake. People should be addressed

by the proper tles and you should wait

to be invited to use rst names. Trust

is seen as important as is keeping your

word, meengs can oen take place atlunch. Decisions sll tend to be made at

the top, so it can take several meengs

to get decisions made.




Manners

• Estonians on the whole are quiet and

reserved.

• They tend to speak soly and do not like

to draw aenon to themselves.

• Being raonal, calm and not going to

emoonal extremes are all respected qual-ies.

• At rst, Estonians can come across as

aloof. Once a relaonship warms up this

becomes less so.

Meeng and Greeng

• Greengs can come across as rather for-

mal and rather reserved.• Men should iniate greengs with wom-

en and the younger person always greets

the older person.

• When meeng someone make sure you

are stood up, oer direct eye contact and

give a nice rm handshake.

• The most common greeng is “tere”

(“hello”).

• Titles are very important. “Härra” is forMr, “Prova” is Mrs and “Preili” is Miss. All

should be followed with the surname.

• Only use rst names once you have been

invited to do so.

Gi Giving Equee

• Gis are usually exchanged for birthdays

and at Christmas.

• Gis need not be expensive as it is more

about the thought than monetary worth.

• If you are invited to an Estonian’s house,

a decent gi is a box of chocolates or ow-

ers.

• Flowers should be given in odd numbers.

• Gis are usually opened when received.

Dining Equee

• Arrive on me. Punctuality is expected.

Call if running late.

• Check to see if shoes are being worn in

the house.

• Do not expect a tour of the house –

homes are private.

• Dress conservavely.

• Try and oer to help the hostess with

the preparaon or clearing up aer a mealis served. This will be turned down but is

nonetheless polite.

• Do not discuss business.

• Reciprocate any hospitality received.

Table Manners

• Table manners are relavely formal in

Estonia.• Remain standing unl invited to sit down.

• Table manners are Connental, i.e. the

fork is held in the le hand and the knife in

the right while eang.

• Do not begin eang unl the hostess

starts or someone says “head isu” (“good

appete”).

• Avoid resng your elbows on the table.

• Compliment the hostess on the meal.

• Try to nish everything on your plate.

ETIQUETTE AND CUSTOMS




Estonians have strong es to the Nordic countries stemming from important cultural

and religious inuences gained over centuries during Scandinavian and German rule and

selement. Indeed, Estonians consider themselves Nordic rather than Balc, in parcularbecause of a close ethnic and linguisc anity with the Finns.

PEOPLE IN ESTONIA

Estonians are part of the Finno-Ugric eth-

nic group, making them cousins of Finns,

and somewhat more distantly, Hungarians.

This group holds a rather unique place in

Europe, as their languages have no connec-

on to those around them. The country is

considered more Nordic than Balc, and

parcipates in a number of economic co-

operaon agreements with other Nordic

countries.

Estonians have strong connecons to lo-

cal tradions related primarily to dier-

ent dialects and reinforced by variaons

in customs and dress. Islands, includingSaaremaa, have their own tradions, and

people speak disncve dialects. Other

local cultures with dierent dialects include

the mulgid (in southern Viljandimaa), the

vorukad (from Voru), and the setud (from

Setumaa, currently divided by the border

between Estonia and Russia). Despite local

aachments, people feel that they share a

common culture. The country has a sizable

community of ethnic Russians whose con-

necons to Estonia have begun to develop

only recently.

The country is extremely well educated,with one of the highest literacy rates in theworld, and a top-performing school systemwhen compared internaonally. Out of the

nearly 200 countries in the world, Estoniaranks number two in adult literacy with itsrate of 99.8 percent




Free Public Transportaon

The mayor of Tallinn oered free public

transportaon to anyone who is a registered

resident of his city. Despite the costs to thecity for providing the inial transport, it also

means more people register as residents.

This, in turn, means more tax revenue forTallinn’s administraon. Furthermore, since

people can move around the city freely andwith aordable prices, the business of local

shop owners improves. More people areusing public transport and fewer cars are onthe road, which also benets the environ-ment.

Online Vong

While many countries are sll debang

the concept of online vong due to secu-rity concerns, Estonia has already been atit since 2005. Estonia is a very tech-savvycountry, with most classrooms and homeshaving an Internet connecon. For the sake

of convenience, then, Estonians decided to

automate vong. The Estonian governmentissues all cizens unique pins and logins for

online government services, so they alreadyhave a secure infrastructure in place.

Flat Tax

The Estonian government was the rst in

Europe to put a at tax system into pracce.

While Estonia is a small sample, the resultshave been quite good so far. However, manycountries that adopted a at tax aer Esto-

nia have not done very well in the economiccrisis, and they have now switched their taxsystems back. Estonia, on the other hand,believes that the at tax is sll the best sys-tem, and Estonian economy has recoveredfrom the crisis.

Safety reectors

Estonia is concerned with keeping theirroads safe. Due to Estonia spending a lot ofme in darkness, the authories are oen

worried about pedestrians geng hit by

vehicles. To avoid this, you must wear safetyreectors to make sure that people can see

you. Estonia expects pedestrians to act re-

sponsibly, and you can be ned if you don’thave reectors.

OUTSTANDING FACTS




DOS AND DON’TS

Table Manners

DON’T sit unl invited to sit down.

DON’T eat unl the host begins or unl

someone says “head isu” which means

“good appete.”

DON’T put your elbows on the table.DO compliment the host and nish every-

thing served to you.

Greengs

DO shake hands rmly upon meeng some-one. Maintain eye contact.DON’T remain seated while greeng some-one. Stand up!DO wait for a woman to extend her handrst.

Gi Giving and Accepng Gis

DO give odd numbers of owers, not even.

DO open a gi upon receipt.

Visitors Equee

DON’T be late! And if you think you will berunning late, call to explain.DO take your shoes o.

DON’T ask for a tour of the house. In Esto-nia, homes are considered private.DO oer your hosts help with preparaon or

with cleaning up.DON’T discuss business.DO bring a gi for your host, such as choco-lates or owers.

Business Meeng

DO have one side of your business cardtranslated into Estonian. Present the busi-ness card in a way that the recipient can

read it.DO understand that Estonians prefer to dobusiness with friends. Business lunches anddinners will be primarily social so that yourEstonian colleagues can get to know youbeer.

DO remember that business is very formal inEstonia.DO be paent. It may take a few meengs

for a decision to be made.

Socializing and Conversaon

DON’T raise your voice. Estonians tend tospeak in a so voice.

DON’T oer compliments unless they are

genuine. Estonians aren’t quick to give outcompliments, so if you give too many itmight be considered suspicious.DON’T refer to Estonia as “Eastern Europe.”

Estonians consider themselves to be Nordic.DO be careful when bringing up the USSR.DON’T confuse being Estonian with beingRussian

Estonians are proud of their

heritage, and it’s very import-

ant to follow their equee. As

a visitor to their country, it will

help you not only t in bet -

ter, but also it shows a great

amount of respect.

Learnmera Oy www.thelanguagemenu.com13 Learnmera Oy www.thelanguagemenu.com13 Country profle ESTONIALearnmera Oy www.thelanguagemenu.com



CORPORATE CULTURE

Meeng & Greeng

A good rm handshake accompanied with

direct eye contact is the norm. The most

common greeng is “tere” (hello). Esto-

nians as a people, especially in business,

can come across as slightly cool and de-

tached. This is merely an extension of their

leaning towards being level headed and not

displaying emoons, so do not misinterpret

a lack of smiles as unfriendliness.

As a culture that sll respects hierarchy, it is

important to show due deference to those

in senior posions when doing business in

Estonia. Titles are therefore very important.

Use “Härra” (Mr.), “Prova” (Mrs.), or “Preili”

(Miss) followed by the surname. Business

cards are essenal but there is no ritual sur-

rounding their exchange. It is always a nicegesture to have one side translated into the

local language.

Communicaon

Estonians are direct communicators. They

say what they mean and mean what they

say.

However, there is a certain diplomacy in

their communicaon style which means

they will temper their comments if they feel

it could harm a relaonship or cause some-

one embarrassment. Silence is oen usedto collect thoughts in order to respond to

delicate quesons.

Conversaons at the start of a relaonship

will be pragmac and reserved. Estonians

are not emove speakers and may nd

those that are overbearing. A certain lev-

el of professionalism and respect should

always be demonstrated unl a relaonshipwarms up, so politeness is key when doing

business in Estonia.

When doing business in Esto-

nia you will note that greet-

ings are formal and rather

reserved. There are certain

protocols that should be ob-

served such as men inianggreengs with women and

the younger with the older.




CORPORATE CULTURE

Meengs and Negoaons:

Meengs in Estonia are formal. It is prop-

er equee for the most senior gure of

the team to open proceedings with a short

speech and introducons.

Similarly the most senior member of the

other team should give a short speech

thanking their hosts and introducing them-

selves. Small talk, if it occurs, is short andsimple.

Prior to doing business in Estonia and hav-

ing a meeng, it is recommended to send

an agenda. If possible, have all wrien ma-

terials translated. Presentaons should be a

blend of visual and oral informaon backed

with accurate gures.

Estonians do not appreciate hype, exagger-

ated claims or gimmicks. Good eye contact

with all the aendees is important.

Decisions are made at the top in any busi-

ness, and it will take more than one meet-

ing to accomplish tangible results.

The key to success is a good, rm proposal

that oers long-term gains accompanied by

building of trust.

It generally takes several meengs to reach

a decision. When negoang, Estonians

can be direct to the point of bluntness and

may appear quite stubborn.

It is important to always keep to your word

and deliver on what you promise. Failure to

do so will damage your reputaon. Try your

best to mirror the Estonian preference for

tacul language in tricky situaons so as

not to cause individuals embarrassment.

Never lose your temper or raise your voice

as this will damage your standing.




WAY OF LIFE

A typical Estonian would like to portray himself as hard-working, reliable, smart, innova-

ve and friendly. Though these qualies are all true, they are oen kept as a hidden trea-

sure. In aempt to avoid being seen as obtrusive or aggressive, Estonians (even service

sta) keep to themselves and wait for you to make the rst move. Once there, you will be

greeted with an honest and kind atude.

Sense of HumourThe Estonian sense of humour is dry, sarcasc and quite

oen polically incorrect. In Europe, it is most simi-

lar to the Brish one – jokes at our own expense

are popular, though you are much more likely

to get a grin and not open laughter as a

response.

ChoirWhen asked to sing out loud, you’re

met with shy refusal. Yet, many

Estonians have sung in a choir and

our Naonal Song and Dance fes-

vals (once every 5 years) are the

biggest gatherings in Estonia: hun-

dreds of thousands of Estonians will

come together to hear choirs of up

to 20,000-strong sing and see thou-

sands of people perform folk dances.

TechnologyIn contrast, the same modern Estonians

are the ones behind Skype, mobile parking,

e-elecons and many of the innovave technol-

ogies and soluons. Various e-services like e-bank-

ing, online medical and document registries; digital

ckets; full wireless connecvity and excellent mobile coverage

are considered to be as elementary as air and water by most modern Estonians.

Compliments given by an Estonian are genuine, handshakes are valid and invita-

ons hearelt. No wonder many people claim Estonians make the best of friends.




IN EVERYDAY SITUATIONS

TradionsEstonia is one of the most non-religious countries in the world, but Estonians value

tradions. Chrisan holidays and rituals are oen observed or mixed with pagan ones.

A good example is All Saints Day on the 2nd of November: the day before, many people

visit churches and graves of lost family members, and at night,

candles are lit on the windows of thousands of Estonian

homes to greet the wandering souls.

Tradional handicra and cooking skills are

passed on from one generaon to another:

each year, from July to the end of Septem-

ber, Estonians are busy picking berries and

wild mushrooms.

Local homemade jam, pickled vegeta-

bles and mushrooms are a real treat!

Favorite foods are sauce made ofminced meat (“hakklihakaste”), cab-

bage stews, meat in jelly and oven

baked potatoes with pork. Also, poul-

try and sh (smoked or fresh-salted)

are well-loved dishes. During summer,

grilling and barbecue are an important

part of the family gatherings.

Be sure to try Estonian beer and the non-al-coholic “kali” (an Estonian style cola) and take

home some smoked hams and sausages (deer,

wild boar, moose and horse) to your friends!

SchoolChildren go to school for 12 years, starng from the age of 7, and even though maths,

physics and science are a huge part of the curriculum, they all learn at least 2 other lan-

guages. Most commonly, Russian and English are taught at school; French, German and

Swedish are popular alternaves.

It is typical for young Estonians to start their careers at an early age, whilst sll at univer-




IN EVERYDAY SITUATIONS

sity – economy, law and medicine being the most valued areas of

study. Tartu University, known for its medical and science

elds, is one of the oldest in Europe. The number of

people in Estonia with a university degree is pro-

poronally one of the highest in Europe.

Art

Theatre, art and reading are also an im-portant part of Estonian culture: there

is a theatre in every city and you might

be surprised by the volume of books in

Estonian homes. There are numerous

art galleries in Estonia – the most fa-

mous and largest is the KUMU Mod-

ern Art Museum.

SaunaMost of the country houses (and

many private houses and even apart-

ments in cies) have a sauna, and

heang up before jumping into a lake

during summer or rolling in the snow

during winter, to cool down, are an im-

portant part of our bonding and cleansing

rituals. But prepare yourself if you plan to join

in: heat is high (80° Celsius is considered to be“warm”) and nudity is normal.

Nature and sportsEstonians love nature and feel part of it: weekends are oen

spent hiking, camping or just walking in the forests or by the sea – both have

played an important role throughout history and Estonians are proud of their wild, clean

nature, rich in varied – and even rare – ora and fauna. Fishing and sailing are popular and

during winter, cross-country skiing captures the mind of most Estonians.




Veronica Gelfgren

Yulia Bazyukina

Marja-Liisa Helenius

Research

Research, layout

Proofreading

Learnmera Oy

country profile of estonia in english

Documents