ABSTRACT
Estonia is the northernmost of the three Baltic States. The land is fairly flat, with numerous lakes and bogs; the latter cover more than one-fifth of the territory. Lake Peipus, Estonia’s largest lake, covers an area of 3, 555 km2 and extends over 150 km, with a maximum depth of only 15 m. The total Estonian territory of 45, 200 km2 includes 45 percent forestland and 32 percent farmland. Estonia’s climate is primarily maritime with some continental influence, particularly in southern parts of the country. Estonia’s history as an independent state is relatively short, as is true of neighboring Latvia. The Soviet Union spent large sums of money on the industrialization of Estonia and developed strong economic ties with the country. Estonia’s agricultural policy is as consistently liberal as the country’s overall economic policy. Since Estonian agriculture traditionally emphasized livestock production, most crops are grown for feed, but they also include potatoes, vegetables, flax and sugar beet.
