Ida-Viru County
Encyclopedia
Ida-Viru County or Ida-Virumaa, is one of 15 counties
of Estonia
. It is the most north-eastern part of the country. The county contains large deposits of oil shale
- the main mineral
mined in Estonia. As oil shale is used in thermal power plants, the earth in Ida-Viru literally holds the largest power capacity in Estonia. The capital of the county is the town of Jõhvi
which is administratively united with the Jõhvi Parish
. 168,656 people live in Ida-Viru County – constituting 12.6% of the total population in Estonia (as of January 2010).
, Ida-Virumaa was called Kohtla-Järve district, and its administrative capital was Kohtla-Järve
.
, who is appointed by the country's government for a term of five years. Since August 2004 the governor's position is held by Ago Silde
. The current governor of Ida-Viru county is Riho Breivel.
, which includes Tallinn
). 44.6% of the population are men and 55.4% women.
By ethnic origin, 71.3% of population are Russians
, 19.7% are Estonians
, 2.7% are Ukrainians
, 2.7% are Belarusians
and 1.4% are Finns (as of January 1, 2009).
. There are 6 urban municipalities ( - towns) and 16 rural municipalities ( - parishes) in Ida-Viru County. There are 217 villages in Ida-Virumaa.
Urban municipalities:
Rural municipalities:
Counties of Estonia
A county is an administrative subdivision of Estonia.Estonia is divided into 15 counties. The government of each county is led by a county governor , who represents the national government at the regional level...
of Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
. It is the most north-eastern part of the country. The county contains large deposits of oil shale
Oil shale
Oil shale, an organic-rich fine-grained sedimentary rock, contains significant amounts of kerogen from which liquid hydrocarbons called shale oil can be produced...
- the main mineral
Mineral
A mineral is a naturally occurring solid chemical substance formed through biogeochemical processes, having characteristic chemical composition, highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties. By comparison, a rock is an aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids and does not...
mined in Estonia. As oil shale is used in thermal power plants, the earth in Ida-Viru literally holds the largest power capacity in Estonia. The capital of the county is the town of Jõhvi
Jõhvi
Jõhvi is a town in north-eastern Estonia, and the capital of Ida-Viru County. The town is also an administrative centre of Jõhvi Parish. It is situated 50 km from the Russian border....
which is administratively united with the Jõhvi Parish
Jõhvi Parish
Jõhvi Parish is an Estonian municipality located in Ida-Viru County. It has a population of 13,174 and an area of 124 km² .-Settlements:Town:JõhviSmall borough:TammikuVillage:...
. 168,656 people live in Ida-Viru County – constituting 12.6% of the total population in Estonia (as of January 2010).
History
During the latter part of the period of Soviet rule of EstoniaEstonian Soviet Socialist Republic
The Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic , often abbreviated as Estonian SSR or ESSR, was a republic of the Soviet Union, administered by and subordinated to the Government of the Soviet Union...
, Ida-Virumaa was called Kohtla-Järve district, and its administrative capital was Kohtla-Järve
Kohtla-Järve
Kohtla-Järve is a city and municipality in north-eastern Estonia, founded in 1924 and incorporated as a town in 1946. The city is highly industrial, and is both a processor of oil shales and is a large producer of various petroleum products. The city is also very diverse ethnically: it contains...
.
County Government
The County Government is led by a GovernorCounty Governors of Estonia
The Governor is the leader of a county in Estonia.-List of governers of Estonian counties:Harju County:*Johannes Reinthal *Oskar Suursööt *Martin Kruusimaa *Rudolf Kuris...
, who is appointed by the country's government for a term of five years. Since August 2004 the governor's position is held by Ago Silde
Ago Silde
Ago Silde is an Estonian politician. 2004–2007 he served as the governor of Ida-Viru County.-Biography:Silde graduated from the Kehtna Vocational Training School with honors in 1983 and continued his studies at the Estonian Agricultural Academy studying amelioration and hydro-techniques...
. The current governor of Ida-Viru county is Riho Breivel.
Population
As of January 2010, the population of Ida-Virumaa is 168,656, which makes the second largest county in Estonia (after HarjumaaHarju County
Harju County , or Harjumaa , nowadays one of 15 counties of Estonia. It is situated in northern Estonia, on the south coast of the Gulf of Finland, and borders Lääne-Viru County to the east, Järva County to the south-east, Rapla County to the south, and Lääne County to the south-west.528,468 people...
, which includes Tallinn
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
). 44.6% of the population are men and 55.4% women.
By ethnic origin, 71.3% of population are Russians
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
, 19.7% are Estonians
Estonians
Estonians are a Finnic people closely related to the Finns and inhabiting, primarily, the country of Estonia. They speak a Finnic language known as Estonian...
, 2.7% are Ukrainians
Ukrainians
Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens...
, 2.7% are Belarusians
Belarusians
Belarusians ; are an East Slavic ethnic group who populate the majority of the Republic of Belarus. Introduced to the world as a new state in the early 1990s, the Republic of Belarus brought with it the notion of a re-emerging Belarusian ethnicity, drawn upon the lines of the Old Belarusian...
and 1.4% are Finns (as of January 1, 2009).
Municipalities
The county is subdivided into municipalitiesMunicipalities of Estonia
A Municipality is the smallest administrative subdivision of Estonia. Each municipality is a unit of self-government with its representative and executive bodies. The municipalities in Estonia cover the entire territory of the country....
. There are 6 urban municipalities ( - towns) and 16 rural municipalities ( - parishes) in Ida-Viru County. There are 217 villages in Ida-Virumaa.
- KiviõliKiviõliKiviõli is an industrial town in Ida-Viru County, Estonia with a population of 7000 . The main industry is oil shale mining, which gives the town its name...
- Kohtla-JärveKohtla-JärveKohtla-Järve is a city and municipality in north-eastern Estonia, founded in 1924 and incorporated as a town in 1946. The city is highly industrial, and is both a processor of oil shales and is a large producer of various petroleum products. The city is also very diverse ethnically: it contains...
- NarvaNarvaNarva is the third largest city in Estonia. It is located at the eastern extreme point of Estonia, by the Russian border, on the Narva River which drains Lake Peipus.-Early history:...
- Narva-JõesuuNarva-JõesuuNarva-Jõesuu is a town in Ida-Viru County, Estonia, located on the country's northern Baltic Sea coast near the Russian border. The name of the town in Estonian and Russian means "mouth of the Narva River"....
- PüssiPüssiPüssi is an urban municipality in Ida-Viru County, Estonia, with a population of 1,838. A large brown heathland is located just to the south of the town, and the Tallinn-Narva railway runs right through the centre of the municipality, before disappearing into the dense forest typical of the...
- SillamäeSillamäeSillamäe is a town in Ida-Viru County in the northern part of Estonia, on the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland. It has a population of 16,183 and covers an area of 10.54 km²...
Rural municipalities:
- Alajõe ParishAlajõe ParishAlajõe Parish is a rural municipality ofIda-Viru County in northern Estonia. It has a population of 1024 and an area of .-Villages:Alajõe - Karjamaa - Katase - Remniku - Smolnitsa - Uusküla - Vasknarva...
- Aseri ParishAseri ParishAseri Parish is a rural municipality of Ida-Viru County in northern Estonia. It has a population of 2210 and an area of .-Settlements:Small borough:AseriVillages:Aseriaru, Kalvi, Kestla, Koogu, Kõrkküla, Kõrtsialuse, Oru and Rannu....
- Avinurme ParishAvinurme ParishAvinurme Parish is a rural municipality of Ida-Viru County in northern Estonia. It has a population of 1536 and an area of .-Settlements:Small borough:AvinurmeVillages:...
- Iisaku ParishIisaku ParishIisaku Parish is a rural municipality of Ida-Viru County in northern Estonia. It has a population of 1425 and an area of 258 km².-Settlements:Small borough:IisakuVillages:...
- Illuka ParishIlluka ParishIlluka Parish is an Estonian municipality located in Ida-Viru County. It has a population of 1013 and an area of 517 km².-Villages:Agusalu, Edivere, Illuka, Jaama, Kaatermu, Kaidma, Kamarna, Karoli, Kuremäe, Kivinõmme, Konsu, Kuningaküla, Kurtna, Ohakvere, Ongassaare, Permisküla, Puhatu, Rausvere,...
- Jõhvi ParishJõhvi ParishJõhvi Parish is an Estonian municipality located in Ida-Viru County. It has a population of 13,174 and an area of 124 km² .-Settlements:Town:JõhviSmall borough:TammikuVillage:...
(including the town of JõhviJõhviJõhvi is a town in north-eastern Estonia, and the capital of Ida-Viru County. The town is also an administrative centre of Jõhvi Parish. It is situated 50 km from the Russian border....
) - Kohtla ParishKohtla ParishKohtla Parish is an Estonian municipality located in Ida-Viru County. It has a population of 1,491 and an area of 101 km².-Villages:Amula, Järve, Kaasikaia, Kaasikvälja, Kabelimetsa, Kohtla, Kukruse, Mõisamaa, Ontika, Paate, Peeri, Roodu, Saka, Servaääre, Täkumetsa, Valaste, Vitsiku.- External...
- Kohtla-NõmmeKohtla-NõmmeKohtla-Nõmme is a borough in northeastern Estonia. Administratively it constitutes Kohtla-Nõmme Parish — a rural municipality within Ida-Viru County. It has a population of 1,047 and an area of 4.64 km².-External links:* *...
(borough) - Lohusuu ParishLohusuu ParishLohusuu Parish is an Estonian municipality located in Ida-Viru County. It has a population of 818 and an area of 102 km².- Villages :Jõemetsa - Kalmaküla - Kärasi - Ninasi - Piilsi - Raadna - Separa - Tammispää - Vilusi- External links :*...
- Lüganuse Parish
- Maidla ParishMaidla ParishMaidla Parish is an Estonian municipality located in Ida-Viru County. It has a population of 772 and an area of 332.3 km².- Villages :...
- Mäetaguse ParishMäetaguse ParishMäetaguse Parish is an Estonian municipality located in Ida-Viru County. It has a population of 1,556 and an area of 285 km² .-Villages:...
- Sonda ParishSonda ParishSonda Parish is an Estonian municipality located in Ida-Viru County. It has a population of 1,019 and an area of 161 km².-Settlements:Small boroughs:Erra - SondaVillages:...
- Toila ParishToila ParishToila Parish is an Estonian municipality located in Ida-Viru County. It has a population of 2,304 and an area of 164 km².-Villages:Altküla, Konju, Martsa, Metsamägara, Päite, Pühajõe, Uikala, Vaivina, Voka.-External links:...
- Tudulinna ParishTudulinna ParishTudulinna Parish is an Estonian municipality located in Ida-Viru County. It has a population of 629 and an area of 270 km².- Villages :Kellassaare, Lemmaku, Oonurme, Peressaare, Pikati, Rannapungerja, Roostoja, Sahargu, Tagajõe.- External links :...
- Vaivara ParishVaivara ParishVaivara Parish is a municipality of Ida-Viru County in northern Estonia. It has a population of 1,800 and an area of 397.97 km².-Settlements:Small boroughs:Olgina , Sinimäe Villages:...
External links
- Ida-Virumaa Online
- Ida-Viru County Government - Official website (in Estonian and Russian, with translation to several other languages)