Estonia is a Republic.
The Constitution of Estonia is the fundamental law of the Republic of Estonia and establishes the state order as that of a democratic republic where the supreme power is vested in its citizens . Estonia ( [ ɛˈstoʊniə ] Eesti [ ˈeːsti ] ) , officially the Republic of Estonia ( [ Eesti Vabariik , links = no ] ) , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe . During World War II , Estonia was occupied by the Soviet Union in 1940 , then by Nazi Germany a year later and was again annexed by the Soviets in 1944 , after which it was reconstituted as the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic . Estonia is a democratic parliamentary republic divided into fifteen counties . A republic ( [ res publica , links = yes ] ) is a form of government in which the country is considered a `` public matter '' -- not the private concern or property of the rulers -- and where offices of state are elected or appointed , rather than inherited .