Because of its maritime location, Estonia has a moderate climate with cool summers and mild winters, and heavy rainfall. Estonia became independent on 20 August 1991. There are 265 municipalities.
Public administration is organized at the national, county and municipal levels.
The official language is Estonian. The ethnic composition of the population has changed significantly since the end of the Second World War, when many people from the USSR moved to Estonia. The right to citizenship is a major political issue. Having remained above 2.0 for 22 years, the total fertility rate declined from 2.12 in 1985 to 1.7 in 1992 and 1.45 in 1993. Crude death rate and live births per 1000 population Between 1979 and 1991, the marriage rate per 1000 inhabitants decreased to 6.6 but the divorce rate remained fairly stable at 3.7.