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Ever
wanted to eat blood sausages washed down with a syrupy liquor
of unknown origin, go bog walking, or sleep with 80 untouchable
nuns and novices? You can do it all in Estonia, the small
territory which packs in some charming quirks. Despite the
rapid changes since it recovered its independence in 1991,
there's still a lot of tradition, including a language packed
with deep 'oo's and 'uu's and thriving folk shindigs.
Since
the early years of independence, when ration coupons, bread
queues, fuel shortages and hyper-inflation were the norm,
Estonians have gathered themselves: lifestyle indicators now
approach Western levels, but costs are not yet prohibitive
for budget travellers.
Full
country name: Republic of Estonia
Area: 45,200 sq km (16,272 sq mi)
Population: 1.4 million
Capital city: Tallinn (pop 420,500)
People: Estonian (65%), Russian (28%), Ukrainian (2.5%)
Language: Estonian
Religion: 23% Christian (Lutheranism and Orthodoxy)
Government: parliamentary democracy
President: Arnold Rüütel
Prime Minister: Siim Kallas
GDP:
US$9 billion
GDP per head: US$6450
Annual growth: 5.5%
Inflation: 10%
Major industries: Food, clothing, oil shale, metals, woodworking
Major trading partners: Finland, Sweden, Germany, Latvia,
Lithuania
Member of EU: no
Estonia
Flight from UK
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