Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/880

828 which on December 1, 1919, was re-opened as an Esthonian seat of learning maintained by the Government; number of students (1920) 2,127; the Technicum at Tallinn is a higher professional school with 500 students in 1920.

Justice.—The supreme judicial power is invested in the State Court of Justice, which is elected by the State Assembly and sits in Tartu (Dorpat).

The laws are being gradually revised by the State Assembly.

Finance.—The total State expenditure for the year 1919 was 1,500,000,000 marks (analogous to the Finnish marks and equal to 100 pence). For 1920 the revenue was estimated at 1,071,500,000 marks, and the expenditure at 979,450,000 marks.

Particulars of the Budget estimates for 1920 are given as follows:—

Defence.—During the war with Soviet Russia all classes from 19 to 35 years were mobilised, and an army of more than 90,000 was created. The army is composed of three divisions. In peace times the army consists of 15,000 men. The Esthonian Fleet consists of two destroyers and two gunboats.

Production.—Agriculture is the chief occupation. Half the area of Esthonia was taken up by large landed properties of more than 2,000 hectares each. By the passing of the Agrarian Reform Bill these estates were parcelled out to the peasants. The arable land is divided as follows:—Fields, 2,318,004 acres; meadows, 2,408,840 acres; pastures, 1,671,837 acres. Twenty per cent. of the surface is forest land. The principal crops, with acreage and yield, are shown as follows:—

In 1920 Esthonia had 363,263 head of cattle, 436,259 sheep, 213,002 pigs, and 155,262 horses.

Commerce.—The chief exports are flax, timber, cellulose, and meat. The trade in 1920 amounted to 3,912,894 pouds (61 pouds = 1 ton) of imports and 7,675,508 pouds of exports. Of the total imports, 1,142,759 pouds came from the United Kingdom and 1,298,670 pouds from Germany; of the total exports, 3,531,362 pouds went to the United Kingdom and 275,905 to Germany.