Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/879

Rh The elections for the Esthonian Diet were held on November 28, 1020 and resulted in the return of the following parties:—Reformist Labour, 22; Agrarians, 21; Populists, 10; Christian Party, 7; Social Democrats, 18; Independent Socialists, 11; Bolshevists, 5; Balts, 4; Russian, 1; Economist Group, 1; making a total of 100.

State Head (Riigiwanem).—Konstantine Paets.

Minister for Foreign Affairs.—Ant. Piip.

Minister of Trade and Industry.—Johan Kukk.

Minister of War.—Jaan Soots.

Minister of Education.—Heinrich Bauer.

Minister of the Interior.—Karl Einbund.

Minister of Agriculture.—Bernard Rostfeld.

Minister of Justice.—Jaak Reichmann.

Minister of finance.—George Westel.

Area and Population.—The boundary line between Esthonia and Russia is defined by the Peace Treaty of February 2, 1920. The boundaries between Esthonia and Latvia were settled on July 3, 1920. The extreme length is about 217 miles, and the breadth about 124 miles, the total area being about 23,160 square miles.

The population of 1,750,000 is composed as to 95 per cent. of Esthonians, 2 per cent. of Germans (Balts), 1 per cent. of Russians, 0.9 per cent. of Letts and Lithuanians, 0.8 per cent. of Swedes, and 0.5 per cent. of Jews, &c.

The Republic is divided into nine districts, as follows (the capitals are given in brackets, and when two are given the second mentioned is the German name):—Harju (Tallinn-Reval), Wiru (Rakwere-Wesenberg), Jarva (Paide-Weisenstein), Laane (Hapsal), Tartu (Tartu-Dorpat), Woru (Woru), Wiljandi (Wiljandi-Fellin), Parnu (Parnu), Saaremaa-Oesel (Kuresaare-Arensburg). The capital, Tallinn (Reval) was founded in 1219 at the mouth of the Gulf of Finland, and in 1917 had 160,000 inhabitants. The university town of Tartu (Dorpat) had 60,000 inhabitants. The population of the port of Parnu, on the Gulf of Riga, was 23,000, and that of the manufacturing town of Narva 35,000.

Religion and Instruction.—There is no State religion in Esthonia. Five-sixths of the population are Lutherans, the rest Orthodox, Catholics, &c.

Elementary education is obligatory and gratuitous. In 1897 the illiterates among the population above the age of 10 years numbered 3 per cent. In 1919 there were 1,257 elementary schools with a four years' course in the Esthonian Republic. Of this number 1,227 were supported by self-government institutions, for example of communities, suburbs, towns or of the State, and 30 were private schools kept by private individuals. The number of higher schools with a seven years' course amounted to 211, seven of which are private. The number of middle schools for general education, gymnasiums, and so on, was 65, of which number 32 were private schools (mostly supported by the Government).

For special or professional education there are teachers' seminaries in Tallinn, Tartu, and Rakvere, navigation schools in Tallinn, Kasmu, Kuresaare, and Parnu, commercial schools with an eight years' course, agricultural schools with a four years' course, mercantile schools with a four years' course, and industrial and art schools with a six years' course.

The minority nationals (Germans, Russians, Swedes, and Letts) are guaranteed education in their mother tongue.

For higher education there are the Dorpat University (founded in 1632),