from blocks of snow. They also built
houses of stone or logs covered with
earth. In summer they lived in tents
made of animal skins. They wore
clothing made from animal fur and
sealskin.
In the 1800s and 1900s some Eskimo
left the Arctic to work in towns and
cities. Those who stayed began using
foreign goods such as guns, motorboats,
and snowmobiles.
At the end of the 20th century there
were about 117,000 Eskimo throughout
the region. In 1999 Canada created an
Inuit homeland called Nunavut.
#More to explore
Native Americans • Nunavut
An Eskimo family sits inside an igloo.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Eskimo 153
Estonia
Along with Latvia and Lithuania, Estonia
is one of the countries in northeastern
Europe called the Baltic states.
Estonia’s capital is Tallinn.
Geography
Estonia borders the Baltic Sea, Russia,
and Latvia. Two large islands, Saaremaa
and Hiiumaa, lie west of the mainland.
Much of the land is low-lying and
marshy. On the Russian border is the
large Lake Peipus. Estonia has cool summers
and moderately cold winters.
Plants and Animals
Forests cover almost half of Estonia.
Pines, firs, birches, and aspens are common
trees. The forests provide homes
for roe deer, elk, lynx, bears, wild boars,
and flying squirrels. Birds include various
types of eagles and black storks.
People
About two thirds of the people are
ethnic Estonians. The Estonian
language is much like Finnish. Russians
form the next largest group. There are
also small groups of Ukrainians,
Belarusians, and Finns. Christianity is
the main religion, but less than half of
the people are religious. The population
is mainly urban.
Economy
Most Estonians work in services, including
transportation, computer technology,
and telecommunications.
Manufacturers make processed food,
electronics, machinery, cotton cloth, and
wood products. A key part of Estonia’s
industry is a mineral called oil shale,
which is used for fuel.
History
The Estonians survived invasions by
Vikings, Danes, Swedes, and Russians
until the 1200s, when German knights
conquered the area. By 1629 Sweden
had won the Estonian lands. After 1721
Russia ruled Estonia for almost two centuries.
The Estonians declared their
independence in 1918. In 1940,
however, the Soviet Union made
Estonia one of its republics. In 1991
Estonia won full independence from
the Soviet Union, which was breaking
apart. Estonia joined the European
Union in 2004.
..More to explore
Baltic Sea • Tallinn
Facts About
ESTONIA
Population
(2008 estimate)
1,340,000
Area
17,462 sq mi
(45,227 sq km)
Capital
Tallinn
Form of
government
Republic
Major cities
Tallinn, Tartu,
Narva, Kohtla-
Jarve, Parnu
154 Estonia BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Ethiopia
Ethiopia is a country in East Africa. It
has been a country since ancient times.
The capital is Addis Ababa.
Geography
Ethiopia is bordered by Eritrea, Djibouti,
Somalia, Kenya, and Sudan. It
has no coastline. The land is a mixture
of highlands and lowlands. The low
Great Rift Valley runs through the highlands
toward the northeast. The highest
peak in Ethiopia, Mount Ras Dejen,
rises to 15,157 feet (4,620 meters).
The climate is mild in the highlands and
hotter in the lowlands. There are two
rainy seasons, but the country can experience
devastating droughts.
Plants and Animals
Grasslands cover much of Ethiopia.
Tropical forests grow in the highlands,
but many forests have been cleared to
create fields.
National parks and reserves protect
some of Ethiopia’s unique animals.
Among them are the walia ibex (a type
of mountain goat), the Simien jackal,
and the gelada monkey. Ethiopia’s lions,
elephants, leopards, buffalo, zebras,
giraffes, and rhinoceroses are endangered,
or at risk of dying out.
People
The Oromo and the Amhara peoples
each make up about one third of the
population. Other ethnic groups include
the Somali and the Tigray. Amharic and
Oromo are the most common languages.
About half of Ethiopia’s people
belong to the Ethiopian Orthodox
Christian church. About one third of the
population is Muslim. More than three
fourths of the people live in rural areas,
mainly in the highlands.
The walia ibex lives in Ethiopia’s
Simien Mountains National Park.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Ethiopia 155
Economy
Ethiopia is one of the world’s poorest
countries. The economy depends on
agriculture, but poor soil and droughts
make farming difficult. The main food
crops are corn, sugarcane, sorghum,
wheat, and barley. The country grows
coffee to sell to other countries. Cattle,
sheep, and goats provide meat and
leather.
Industry forms only a small part of the
economy. Manufacturers make food
products, beverages, textiles, leather
goods, and chemicals. Mines provide
salt, gold, and other minerals.
History
Fossils of some of the earliest human
ancestors have been found in Ethiopia.
Bones from an apelike creature known
as Lucy are between 3 and 4 million
years old.
The kingdom of Da’amat ruled the
region in the 600s BC. The kingdom of
Aksum seized control by around AD 300.
Aksum soon adopted Christianity.
When Islam started to spread from
nearby Arabia in the 600s, Ethiopia
remained Christian. In the 1500s the
