Valga County ( et, Valga maakond or ''Valgamaa'') is a first-level
administrative unit
Administrative division, administrative unit,Article 3(1). country subdivision, administrative region, subnational entity, constituent state, as well as many similar terms, are generic names for geographical areas into which a particular, ind ...
and one of 15
counties of Estonia
Counties ( et, maakond, plural ') are the first-level administrative subdivisions of Estonia. Estonian territory is composed of 15 counties, including 13 on the mainland and 2 on islands. The government (') of each county is led by a ' (gover ...
. It comprises the former area of Valga District. The present-day county was created on 1 January 1990. The capital and largest town of Valga County is
Valga, followed by
Tõrva and
Otepää
Otepää (formerly Nuustaku) is a town in Valga County, southern Estonia, it is the administrative centre of Otepää Parish. Otepää is a popular skiing resort, popularly known as the "winter capital" of Estonia (in contrast to the "summer ca ...
. It is situated in the southern part of the country and borders
Põlva
Põlva () is a town in southeastern Estonia, the capital of Põlva County, and the centre of Põlva Parish.
Põlva is home for the Intsikurmu Song Festival Grounds, which regularly hosts concerts and summer activities, situated in a small f ...
and
Võru County
Võru County ( et, Võru maakond or ''Võrumaa''; vro, Võro maakund) is a county in southern Estonia. It is bordered by Valga County and Põlva County and is the only Estonian county bordering two countries - Latvia (Alūksne Municipality and ...
to the east,
Latvia
Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...
to the south and west, and
Viljandi
Viljandi (, german: Fellin, sv, Fellin) is a town and municipality in southern Estonia with a population of 17,407 in 2019. It is the capital of Viljandi County and is geographically located between two major Estonian cities, Pärnu and Tartu ...
and
Tartu County
Tartu County ( et, Tartu maakond or ''Tartumaa'') is one of 15 counties of Estonia.
It is located in eastern Estonia bordering Põlva County, Valga County, Viljandi County and Jõgeva County.
The area of Tartu County is , which covers 6.9% ...
to the north. 29,944 people live in Valga County (as of 1 January 2015).
General
Valga County is located in the southern part of Estonia. By the economic-geographical and regional-political distribution it belongs to the area of South-East Estonia (together with Põlva and Võru County). By historical ties and landscape the county belongs to the region of South Estonia (together with Põlva, Võru, Viljandi, Tartu and
Jõgeva Counties). With a population of 30,176 people (as of 1 January 2014), the total area of the county is 2,043.53 km
2 (2,046.49 km
2 together with the area of
Võrtsjärv
Lake Võrtsjärv (; german: Wirzsee) is a lake in southern Estonia with an area of 270 km² (104 mi²).
It is the second largest lake in Estonia (behind Lake Peipus), and the largest lake situated entirely within Estonia. The shallow ...
), it reaches 65 km in the north–south direction and 59 km in the east–west direction. Valga County ranks the 12th in Estonia by population and the 14th by the area.
The distances from the county centre, Valga, are the following:
Tallinn
Tallinn () is the most populous and capital city of Estonia. Situated on a bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, Tallinn has a population of 437,811 (as of 2022) and administratively lies in the Harju ' ...
267 km,
Tartu
Tartu is the second largest city in Estonia after the Northern European country's political and financial capital, Tallinn. Tartu has a population of 91,407 (as of 2021). It is southeast of Tallinn and 245 kilometres (152 miles) northeast of ...
86 km,
Viljandi
Viljandi (, german: Fellin, sv, Fellin) is a town and municipality in southern Estonia with a population of 17,407 in 2019. It is the capital of Viljandi County and is geographically located between two major Estonian cities, Pärnu and Tartu ...
88 km,
Võru
Võru (; vro, Võro; german: Werro) is a town and a municipality in south-eastern Estonia. It is the capital of Võru County and the centre of Võru Parish.
History
Võru was founded on 21 August 1784, according to the wish of the Empress Cather ...
73 km,
Põlva
Põlva () is a town in southeastern Estonia, the capital of Põlva County, and the centre of Põlva Parish.
Põlva is home for the Intsikurmu Song Festival Grounds, which regularly hosts concerts and summer activities, situated in a small f ...
96 km,
Pärnu
Pärnu () is the fourth largest city in Estonia. Situated in southwest Estonia, Pärnu is located south of the Estonian capital, Tallinn, and west of Estonia's second largest city, Tartu. The city sits off the coast of Pärnu Bay, an inlet o ...
141 km,
Narva
Narva, russian: Нарва is a municipality and city in Estonia. It is located in Ida-Viru County, Ida-Viru county, at the Extreme points of Estonia, eastern extreme point of Estonia, on the west bank of the Narva (river), Narva river which ...
264 km and
Riga
Riga (; lv, Rīga , liv, Rīgõ) is the capital and largest city of Latvia and is home to 605,802 inhabitants which is a third of Latvia's population. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga at the mouth of the Daugava river where it meets the Ba ...
157 km.
Valga County borders with Viljandi County in the north-west, with Tartu County in the north and Põlva and Võru County in the east. Valga County has a borderline with the Republic of Latvia in the south and west (102.4 km).
History
Medieval Period
It can be read from the
Livonian Chronicle of Henry
The ''Livonian Chronicle of Henry'' ( la, Heinrici Cronicon Lyvoniae) offers a Latin narrative of events in Livonia (roughly corresponding to today's inland Estonia and the northern part of Latvia) and surrounding areas from 1180 to 1227. It was ...
that the history of the county goes back to the 13th century when the
Germans
, native_name_lang = de
, region1 =
, pop1 = 72,650,269
, region2 =
, pop2 = 534,000
, region3 =
, pop3 = 157,000
3,322,405
, region4 =
, pop4 = ...
conquered the settlement. By the Chronicle the
Ümera River
Rivers of Latvia include:
Longest rivers
Rivers over 100 km:
List of rivers
A
Abava
-
- Aiviekste
- Amata
-
B
Bārta
- Bērze
-
C
Cena
- Ceraukste
D
- Daugava
- Dienvidsusēja
-
- Dubna
- Dvina
E
Engure
-
F
Feimanka
...
was the borderline between Estonia and Latvia. Historians suggest that the
Säde River
Seda River ( et, Säde River) is a river in Latvia. The river is 62 km long. The river flows into Burtnieks Lake.
Historians suggest that in the Middle Ages, the Säde River was the borderline between Estonia and Latvia.
References
{{A ...
was the borderline, flowing through the northern part of Tireli Bog and falling into
Lake Burtnieks
Lake Burtnieks ( lv, Burtnieka ezers, et, Asti järv) is the fourth largest lake in Latvia. It is shallow with an average depth of 2.9 m. The lake bed is mainly sandy, in places a little muddy. In the southeast part of the lake there is Devonian ...
. Meadows and forests surrounding the big Tireli Bog and the upper stream of the River Säde were probably even wider and impassable at that time and therefore functioning perfectly as a border.
The ancient (13th century) national border ran in a totally different place. Assumably the area of Härgmäe belonged to Estonian settlements and the national border went from the springs of the River Säde, passed the forests until the northernmost oxbow of the
Koiva River
The Gauja River ( et, Koiva jõgi, german: Livländische Aa) is a river in the Vidzeme region of Latvia. It is the only large river of Latvia that begins and ends its flow in Latvia. Its length is 460 km, of which 93.5 km (approxi ...
and onwards alongside the river. Most likely the area of
Kaagjärve
Kaagjärve (german: Kawershof) is a village in Valga Parish, Valga County, in southeastern Estonia, located about 9 km east of the bordertown Valga. (retrieved 28 July 2021) As of 2011 Census, the settlement's population was 246.
The curr ...
and Valga Town belonged to ancient
Latgalians
Latgalians (, nds, Letti, Lethi, modern ; variant translations also include Latgallians, Lettigalls or Lettigallians) were an ancient Baltic tribe.
They likely spoke the Latvian language, which probably became the ''lingua franca'' in present-d ...
.
After the crusades and the Ancient Freedom Fight in the 13th century, Valga County became a natural centre of the historical
Old Livonia
Terra Mariana (Medieval Latin for "Land of Mary") was the official name for Medieval Livonia or Old Livonia ( nds, Oolt-Livland, liv, Jemā-Līvõmō, et, Vana-Liivimaa, lv, Livonija). It was formed in the aftermath of the Livonian Crusade, a ...
where the most important roads from north, south and east went through, gaining strategical importance.
Early Modern Period
City rights were given to Valga by a Polish King
Stefan Batory
Stefan may refer to:
* Stefan (given name)
* Stefan (surname)
* Ștefan, a Romanian given name and a surname
* Štefan, a Slavic given name and surname
* Stefan (footballer) (born 1988), Brazilian footballer
* Stefan Heym, pseudonym of German writ ...
in 1584.
On the 3rdof July, 1783, the
Empress Catherine II
, en, Catherine Alexeievna Romanova, link=yes
, house =
, father = Christian August, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst
, mother = Joanna Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp
, birth_date =
, birth_name = Princess Sophie of Anhal ...
established a new administration order in the
Baltic provinces
The Baltic governorates (russian: Прибалтийские губернии), originally the Ostsee governorates (german: Ostseegouvernements, russian: Остзейские губернии), was a collective name for the administrative units ...
. A new kreis (county), Valga Kreis, was constituted mainly from the territories of Riga and Võnnu Kreises. Valga Town which formerly belonged to Riga Kreis, went over to Valga Kreis. Valga Kreis consisted of eleven parishes, nine of them located on the present Latvian territory, and just two – Luke (Lugaži in Latvian, Luhde in German) and Härgmäe (Ērģeme in Latvian, Ermes in German) – had an edge on the present Estonian area, mostly near Valga, which became an attraction centre of the new kreis.
In 1789, there were 891 citizens in Valga. As Valga became the centre of the kreis,
Valga St. John's Church was founded and also the building of kreis institutions was built in 1783-1786 (later it became a prison).
Recent history
On 12 February 1919, the Government of the Republic of Estonia issued a regulation of constitution of Valga County, consisting of the territories gained during the
Estonian War of Independence
The Estonian War of Independence ( et, Vabadussõda, literally "Freedom War"), also known as the Estonian Liberation War, was a defensive campaign of the Estonian Army and its allies, most notably the United Kingdom, against the Bolshevik westwa ...
. Several parts of Võru, Tartu and Viljandi Counties were close to Valga from the other side. On 19 April the first county governor was elected – Johann Kurvits, a farmer of
Karula. He held this position until July 1921, when
August Sild followed his position.
Until the 1920s the surroundings of Härgmäe and Valga belonged to the mixed area of Estonia-Latvia as there was no exact national border. Half of the citizens were Latvians, the other half were Estonians. In 1920 the national border was fixed and that helped to differentiate between the nations. Valga Kreis was divided so that Estonia got the areas of Paju and Sooru Manors and the majority of Valga (where the citizens were mostly Estonians), the rest belonged to Latvia.
Independence
Valga County, almost in its present shape, was formed on 6 September 1920 when the course of the War of Independence and the situation at that time required Valga's separation from the other counties.
On 11 February 1921 the Estonian Government fixed the area of Valga County. Võru County gave
Kaagjärve
Kaagjärve (german: Kawershof) is a village in Valga Parish, Valga County, in southeastern Estonia, located about 9 km east of the bordertown Valga. (retrieved 28 July 2021) As of 2011 Census, the settlement's population was 246.
The curr ...
,
Karula,
Laanemetsa
Laanemetsa ( vro, Lannamõtsa; german: Lannemetz) is a village in Valga Parish, Valga County in southeastern Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the nor ...
and
Taheva
Taheva is a settlement in Valga Parish, Valga County in southeastern Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from ...
parishes, Tartu County gave
Tõlliste,
Laatre
Laatre is a small borough (') in Valga County in southern Estonia, located about 16 km northeast of the town of Estonia. Between 1992 and 2017, until the 2017 administrative reform of Estonian local governments, Laatre was the administrativ ...
,
Sangaste
Sangaste ( vro, Sangastõ) is a small borough ( et, alevik) in Otepää Parish, Valga County, southern Estonia. Sangaste has a population of 228 (as of 1 January 2010).
Sangaste castle
Sangaste castle or manor (german: Schloss Sagnitz) traces i ...
,
Keeni and
Kuigatsi
Kuigatsi is a village in Otepää Parish, Valga County in Estonia. (retrieved 13 March 2020)
Kuigatsi was first mentioned in 1366. The Kuigatsi manor was located there, which was first mentioned in 1509. The manor's main building and several aux ...
parishes, Viljandi County gave
Jõgeveste,
Patküla,
Koorküla,
Taagepera
Taagepera is a village in Tõrva Parish, Valga County, in southern Estonia. It has a population of 109 (as of 1 January 2011).
The village was first documented in 1420 as Wafencul, later as Waagenkül. The current Estonian name of the place is ...
,
Leebiku,
Helme
The Helme is river in central Germany that is about long and which forms a left-hand, western tributary of the Unstrut in the states of Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt.
Course
The river rises in Thuringia south of the Harz mountains in the dis ...
,
Lõve and
Hummuli parishes. Later on, several administrative territorial changes were carried through. In 1921
Patküla parish was separated from
Holdre
Holdre a village in Tõrva Parish, Valga County (previously in Viljandi County) in Estonia. (retrieved 28 July 2021)
Holdre manor
As a landed estate, the manor of Holdre (german: Hollershof) has a history that goes back to at least 1597. Through ...
parish and
Tõrva borough.
Puraküla, which formerly belonged to
Paju
Paju () is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Paju was made a city in 1997; it had previously been a county (''gun'').
The city area of Paju is ,"Paju (Gyeonggi-do Province)." ''Naver Encyclopedia of Knowledge''. Naver, 2015. 4 Mar. 2016. ...
parish was united to the town of
Valga in 1922. In 1924
Paju
Paju () is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Paju was made a city in 1997; it had previously been a county (''gun'').
The city area of Paju is ,"Paju (Gyeonggi-do Province)." ''Naver Encyclopedia of Knowledge''. Naver, 2015. 4 Mar. 2016. ...
parish was united to
Sooru
Sooru is a village in Valga Parish, Valga County in southern Estonia. It's located about 10 km northeast of the town of Valga, Estonia, Valga. Sooru has a population of 295 (as of 2011) and an area of 14.62 km². Sooru borders the Väi ...
parish and on 2 July 1926, it started to bear the name
Tõrva. Since the second half of the 1920s until 1939 there were 19 parishes in Valga County.
In 1939 many smaller parishes were united by the administrative reform. Ten parishes were left:
Helme
The Helme is river in central Germany that is about long and which forms a left-hand, western tributary of the Unstrut in the states of Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt.
Course
The river rises in Thuringia south of the Harz mountains in the dis ...
,
Hummuli,
Kaagjärve
Kaagjärve (german: Kawershof) is a village in Valga Parish, Valga County, in southeastern Estonia, located about 9 km east of the bordertown Valga. (retrieved 28 July 2021) As of 2011 Census, the settlement's population was 246.
The curr ...
,
Karula,
Kuigatsi
Kuigatsi is a village in Otepää Parish, Valga County in Estonia. (retrieved 13 March 2020)
Kuigatsi was first mentioned in 1366. The Kuigatsi manor was located there, which was first mentioned in 1509. The manor's main building and several aux ...
,
Põdrala,
Sangaste
Sangaste ( vro, Sangastõ) is a small borough ( et, alevik) in Otepää Parish, Valga County, southern Estonia. Sangaste has a population of 228 (as of 1 January 2010).
Sangaste castle
Sangaste castle or manor (german: Schloss Sagnitz) traces i ...
,
Taheva
Taheva is a settlement in Valga Parish, Valga County in southeastern Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from ...
,
Tõlliste and
Vaoküla.
World War II and occupation
The last pre-occupation County Governor Värdi Vellner had to give up his power on 8 July 1940. Nevertheless, the administrative division of 1939 lasted until 1950 when 39 county districts were formed. They were divided into 636
village soviets.
The present territory of Valga County was divided into three parts:
Valga,
Tõrva and
Otepää
Otepää (formerly Nuustaku) is a town in Valga County, southern Estonia, it is the administrative centre of Otepää Parish. Otepää is a popular skiing resort, popularly known as the "winter capital" of Estonia (in contrast to the "summer ca ...
districts. In 1952 the oblasts of
Tallinn
Tallinn () is the most populous and capital city of Estonia. Situated on a bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, Tallinn has a population of 437,811 (as of 2022) and administratively lies in the Harju ' ...
,
Tartu
Tartu is the second largest city in Estonia after the Northern European country's political and financial capital, Tallinn. Tartu has a population of 91,407 (as of 2021). It is southeast of Tallinn and 245 kilometres (152 miles) northeast of ...
and
Pärnu
Pärnu () is the fourth largest city in Estonia. Situated in southwest Estonia, Pärnu is located south of the Estonian capital, Tallinn, and west of Estonia's second largest city, Tartu. The city sits off the coast of Pärnu Bay, an inlet o ...
were formed on the territory of the
Estonian SSR
The Estonian SSR,, russian: Эстонская ССР officially the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic,, russian: Эстонская Советская Социалистическая Республика was an ethnically based adminis ...
.
In 1959 the liquidation of smaller districts began.
Antsla
Antsla is a town in Võru County, southern Estonia, it is the administrative centre of Antsla Parish.
Antsla borough was renamed town of third rank by Konstantin Päts from 1 May 1938. The settlement is known since 1405. The town has a furnitur ...
,
Otepää
Otepää (formerly Nuustaku) is a town in Valga County, southern Estonia, it is the administrative centre of Otepää Parish. Otepää is a popular skiing resort, popularly known as the "winter capital" of Estonia (in contrast to the "summer ca ...
and
Tõrva districts were liquidated. Tõrva and the village soviets of
Haabsaare,
Helme
The Helme is river in central Germany that is about long and which forms a left-hand, western tributary of the Unstrut in the states of Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt.
Course
The river rises in Thuringia south of the Harz mountains in the dis ...
,
Koorküla,
Mõniste,
Riidaja and
Taagepera
Taagepera is a village in Tõrva Parish, Valga County, in southern Estonia. It has a population of 109 (as of 1 January 2011).
The village was first documented in 1420 as Wafencul, later as Waagenkül. The current Estonian name of the place is ...
were united to Valga district.
Otepää
Otepää (formerly Nuustaku) is a town in Valga County, southern Estonia, it is the administrative centre of Otepää Parish. Otepää is a popular skiing resort, popularly known as the "winter capital" of Estonia (in contrast to the "summer ca ...
town and the village soviets of Otepää and
Pühajärve
Pühajärve (german: Heiligensee) is a village in Otepää Parish, Valga County in southern Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf ...
were united to
Elva
Elva may refer to:
Places
*Elva, Estonia, town in Tartu County, Estonia
*Elva Parish, municipality in Estonia
*Elva (river), a river in Estonia
*Elva, Illinois, unincorporated community in DeKalb County, Illinois, United States
*Elva, Manitoba, u ...
district. In 1961
Mõniste was united to
Võru
Võru (; vro, Võro; german: Werro) is a town and a municipality in south-eastern Estonia. It is the capital of Võru County and the centre of Võru Parish.
History
Võru was founded on 21 August 1784, according to the wish of the Empress Cather ...
district.
Next year, in 1962, Otepää and village soviets of
Aakre, Otepää and
Palupera
Palupera is a village in Elva Parish, Valga County in southeastern Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Fi ...
were reunited to Valga district. One year later some areas of
Põlva
Põlva () is a town in southeastern Estonia, the capital of Põlva County, and the centre of Põlva Parish.
Põlva is home for the Intsikurmu Song Festival Grounds, which regularly hosts concerts and summer activities, situated in a small f ...
District were united to Valga district. In 1966 the area of
Valtina was added and thus the final border of Valga district was fixed.
In December 1989 the Chairman of the former Executive Committee of Valga District, Uno Heinla, was elected as the inaugural county governor following Estonia's reestablished independence. On 22 February 1990, the RSN Executive Committee of Valga District was reorganized and it became Valga County Government.
Regaining Independence
After the reindependence, there were three towns (
Valga,
Tõrva and
Otepää
Otepää (formerly Nuustaku) is a town in Valga County, southern Estonia, it is the administrative centre of Otepää Parish. Otepää is a popular skiing resort, popularly known as the "winter capital" of Estonia (in contrast to the "summer ca ...
) and 11 parishes formed in Valga County:
Helme
The Helme is river in central Germany that is about long and which forms a left-hand, western tributary of the Unstrut in the states of Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt.
Course
The river rises in Thuringia south of the Harz mountains in the dis ...
,
Hummuli,
Karula,
Õru,
Palupera
Palupera is a village in Elva Parish, Valga County in southeastern Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Fi ...
,
Põdrala,
Pühajärve
Pühajärve (german: Heiligensee) is a village in Otepää Parish, Valga County in southern Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf ...
,
Puka,
Sangaste
Sangaste ( vro, Sangastõ) is a small borough ( et, alevik) in Otepää Parish, Valga County, southern Estonia. Sangaste has a population of 228 (as of 1 January 2010).
Sangaste castle
Sangaste castle or manor (german: Schloss Sagnitz) traces i ...
,
Taheva
Taheva is a settlement in Valga Parish, Valga County in southeastern Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from ...
and
Tõlliste. On 1 January 1999, the town of
Otepää
Otepää (formerly Nuustaku) is a town in Valga County, southern Estonia, it is the administrative centre of Otepää Parish. Otepää is a popular skiing resort, popularly known as the "winter capital" of Estonia (in contrast to the "summer ca ...
and Pühajärve Parish were merged and a new
Otepää Parish
Otepää Parish ( et, Otepää vald) is a rural municipality in Valga County, southern Estonia. It includes the town of Otepää.
Settlements
;Town
Otepää
;Small boroughs
Puka - Sangaste
;Villages
Ädu - Arula- Ilmjärve - Kääriku - ...
was formed. Despite that, the town of Otepää kept holding the town rights, but is officially part of the rural municipality (parish).
County Government
The
County Government
A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
(Estonian: ''Maavalitsus'') is led by
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
(Estonian: ''maavanem''), who is appointed by the
Government of Estonia
The Government of the Republic of Estonia (''Estonian language, Estonian: Vabariigi Valitsus'') is the cabinet (government), cabinet of Estonia. Under the Constitution of Estonia, Constitution, it exercises executive power pursuant to the Constit ...
for a term of five years. Currently the Governor position is held by
Margus Lepik.
Municipalities, settlement and population
There are 3 local municipalities in Valga County including Valga (county capital), Tõrva, Helme, Hummuli, Karula, Otepää, Palupera, Puka, Põdrala, Sangaste, Taheva, Tõlliste and Õru Parishes.
Settlement units
There are 3 towns, 7 boroughs and 150 villages in Valga County.
Villages
Aakre -
Aitsra -
Ala Ala, ALA, Alaa or Alae may refer to:
Places
* Ala, Hiiu County, Estonia, a village
* Ala, Valga County, Estonia, a village
* Ala, Alappuzha, Kerala, India, a village
* Ala, Iran, a village in Semnan Province
* Ala, Gotland, Sweden
* Alad, S ...
-
Alamõisa -
Arula
Arula is a village in Otepää Parish, Valga County in southeastern Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from ...
-
Astuvere -
Atra -
Hargla
Hargla ( vro, Harglõ) is a village in Valga Parish, Valga County in southern Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland acr ...
-
Hellenurme
Hellenurme (german: Hellenorm) is a village in Valga County in southeastern Estonia. (retrieved 28 July 2021) It is located about south of the town of Elva and about northwest of the town of Otepää. Hellenurme was the administrative centre o ...
-
Holdre
Holdre a village in Tõrva Parish, Valga County (previously in Viljandi County) in Estonia. (retrieved 28 July 2021)
Holdre manor
As a landed estate, the manor of Holdre (german: Hollershof) has a history that goes back to at least 1597. Through ...
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Iigaste -
Ilmjärve -
Jaanikese
Jaanikese is a village in Valga Parish, Valga County in southern Estonia. It is located just north of the neighbouring town Valga. Jaanikese also borders Latvia in the west, and is situated between Valga– Uulu (road to Viljandi and Pärnu) an ...
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Jeti
Jeti is a village in Tõrva Parish, Valga County in Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the ...
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Jõgeveste -
Kaagjärve
Kaagjärve (german: Kawershof) is a village in Valga Parish, Valga County, in southeastern Estonia, located about 9 km east of the bordertown Valga. (retrieved 28 July 2021) As of 2011 Census, the settlement's population was 246.
The curr ...
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Kalliküla
Kalliküla is a village in Valga Parish, Valga County in southeastern Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from ...
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Kalme -
Karjatnurme
Karjatnurme is a village in Tõrva Parish, Valga County in Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, t ...
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Karu -
Karula -
Kassiratta -
Kastolatsi
Kastolatsi (german: Kastolatz) is a village in Otepää Parish, Valga County in southeastern Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf ...
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Kaubi -
Kaurutootsi -
Keeni -
Kibena
Kibena is a village in Otepää Parish, Valga County in Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to ...
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Killinge -
Kirbu -
Kirikuküla -
Kiviküla -
Koigu -
Koikküla
Koikküla (german: Koiküll) is a settlement in Valga Parish, Valga County in southeastern Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of ...
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Koiva -
Kolli -
Komsi -
Koobassaare
Koobassaare is a settlement in Valga Parish, Valga County in southeastern Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across f ...
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Koorküla -
Korijärve
Korijärve is a village in Valga Parish, Valga County, in southeastern Estonia. (retrieved 28 July 2021) It has a population of 51 (as of 2011) and an area of 21.3 km².
Korijärve was first mentioned in 1582 as ''Korrigerwe''.
The current ...
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Korkuna -
Kuigatsi
Kuigatsi is a village in Otepää Parish, Valga County in Estonia. (retrieved 13 March 2020)
Kuigatsi was first mentioned in 1366. The Kuigatsi manor was located there, which was first mentioned in 1509. The manor's main building and several aux ...
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Kulli -
Kungi -
Kurevere -
Käärikmäe
Käärikmäe is a settlement in Valga Parish, Valga County in southern Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from ...
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Kääriku -
Kähri -
Kähu -
Laanemetsa
Laanemetsa ( vro, Lannamõtsa; german: Lannemetz) is a village in Valga Parish, Valga County in southeastern Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the nor ...
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Lauküla -
Leebiku -
Lepa -
Linna -
Liva -
Londi
Londi is a village in Valga Parish, Valga County, in southeastern Estonia. (retrieved 28 July 2021) It borders the town of Valga in the northwest, Estonia–Latvia border in the southwest and Valga–Pechory railway in the north. It has a popula ...
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Lossiküla -
Lota -
Lusti -
Lutike
Lutike is a village in Otepää Parish, Valga County, in southeastern Estonia, about northeast of the town of Otepää
Otepää (formerly Nuustaku) is a town in Valga County, southern Estonia, it is the administrative centre of Otepää P ...
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Lutsu -
Lõve -
Lüllemäe -
Makita
() is a Japanese manufacturer of power tools. Founded on March 21, 1915, it is based in Anjō, Japan and operates factories in Brazil, China, Japan, Mexico, Romania, the United Kingdom, Germany, United Arab Emirates, Thailand, Canada and th ...
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Meegaste
Meegaste is a village in Otepää Parish, Valga County in Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, t ...
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Miti -
Muhkva -
Mustumetsa
Mustumetsa is a village in Valga Parish, Valga County in Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to ...
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Mäeküla -
Mäelooga
Mäelooga is a village in Elva Parish, Valga County, in southeastern Estonia. It is located just northeast of Hellenurme, former administrative centre of the municipality. The town of Elva
Elva may refer to:
Places
*Elva, Estonia, town in Tar ...
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Mägestiku
Mägestiku is a village in Otepää Parish, Valga County in southeastern Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across fr ...
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Mägiste -
Mäha
Mäha is a village in Otepää Parish, Valga County in Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to th ...
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Märdi -
Möldre -
Neeruti -
Nõuni -
Nüpli
Nüpli (german: Knippelshof) is a village in Otepää Parish, Valga County in southeastern Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf o ...
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Otepää
Otepää (formerly Nuustaku) is a town in Valga County, southern Estonia, it is the administrative centre of Otepää Parish. Otepää is a popular skiing resort, popularly known as the "winter capital" of Estonia (in contrast to the "summer ca ...
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Paju
Paju () is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Paju was made a city in 1997; it had previously been a county (''gun'').
The city area of Paju is ,"Paju (Gyeonggi-do Province)." ''Naver Encyclopedia of Knowledge''. Naver, 2015. 4 Mar. 2016. ...
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Palamuste
Palamuste is a village in Elva Parish, Tartu County in Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to th ...
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Palupera
Palupera is a village in Elva Parish, Valga County in southeastern Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Fi ...
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Pastaku -
Patküla -
Pedajamäe -
Pedaste
Pedaste is a village in Elva Parish, Tartu County in Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the ...
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Piiri -
Pikasilla -
Pikkjärve -
Pilkuse -
Pilpa -
Plika
Plika is a village in Otepää Parish, Valga County in Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to th ...
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Pori
)
, website www.pori.fi
Pori (; sv, Björneborg ) is a city and municipality on the west coast of Finland. The city is located some from the Gulf of Bothnia, on the estuary of the Kokemäki River, west of Tampere, north of Turku and north-w ...
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Prange Prange is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
*Ashley Prange (born 1981), American golfer
* Eugene Prange (c. 1918 – 2006), American coding theorist
*Gordon Prange (1910–1980), American writer
*Greg Prange
Gregory Prange is ...
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Priipalu -
Pringi -
Pugritsa
Pugritsa is a village in Valga Parish, Valga County, in southeastern Estonia. It is located about 10 km southeast of the town of Valga, it also borders Latvia
Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially ...
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Puide -
Purtsi
Purtsi is a village in Elva Parish, Valga County in southern Estonia. It's located east of the end of the Väike-Emajõgi River, before it drains into the Lake Võrtsjärv. Viljandi
Viljandi (, german: Fellin, sv, Fellin) is a town and mu ...
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Põru -
Päidla -
Pühajärve
Pühajärve (german: Heiligensee) is a village in Otepää Parish, Valga County in southern Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf ...
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Pühaste
Pühaste is a village in Elva Parish, Tartu County in Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the ...
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Raavitsa
Raavitsa (also known as Raavitse) is a village in Valga Parish, Valga County, in southeastern Estonia. (retrieved 28 July 2021) It borders the town of Valga in the west, Tartu–Valga railway in the northwest and Valga–Pechory
Pechory ...
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Rampe -
Ransi -
Raudsepa -
Rebasemõisa
Rebasemõisa (german: Repsberg) is a settlement in Valga Parish, Valga County in southern Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of ...
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Rebaste -
Restu -
Reti -
Riidaja -
Ringiste
Ringiste is a settlement in Valga Parish, Valga County in southeastern Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from ...
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Risttee -
Roobe
Roobe is a village in Tõrva Parish, Valga County in Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the ...
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Rulli -
Ruuna
Ruuna is a village in Otepää Parish, Valga County in Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to th ...
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Räbi
Räbi is a village in Otepää Parish, Valga County in southeastern Estonia. It's located about north of the town of Otepää
Otepää (formerly Nuustaku) is a town in Valga County, southern Estonia, it is the administrative centre of Otep ...
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Sarapuu -
Sihva -
Sooblase
Sooblase is a settlement in Valga Parish, Valga County in southeastern Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from ...
-
Soontaga
Soontaga is a village in Tõrva Parish, Valga County in Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to t ...
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Sooru
Sooru is a village in Valga Parish, Valga County in southern Estonia. It's located about 10 km northeast of the town of Valga, Estonia, Valga. Sooru has a population of 295 (as of 2011) and an area of 14.62 km². Sooru borders the Väi ...
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Supa -
Taagepera
Taagepera is a village in Tõrva Parish, Valga County, in southern Estonia. It has a population of 109 (as of 1 January 2011).
The village was first documented in 1420 as Wafencul, later as Waagenkül. The current Estonian name of the place is ...
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Tagula
Tagula is a village in Valga Parish, Valga County in southern Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finla ...
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Taheva
Taheva is a settlement in Valga Parish, Valga County in southeastern Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from ...
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Tiidu -
Tinu
Tinu is a village in Valga Parish, Valga County in southern Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland ...
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Truuta -
Tsirgumäe -
Tõlliste -
Tõrvase -
Tõutsi -
Uniküla -
Uralaane -
Urmi -
Vaalu
''Vaalu'' () is a 2015 Indian Tamil-language romantic action comedy film written and directed by debutante Vijay Chandar. The film stars Silambarasan and Hansika Motwani, with Santhanam, VTV Ganesh and Brahmanandam portraying supporting role ...
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Vaardi
Vaardi is a village in Otepää Parish, Valga County in Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to ...
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Valtina -
Vanamõisa -
Vana-Otepää -
Vidrike
Vidrike is a village in Otepää Parish, Valga County in Estonia. (retrieved 13 March 2020)
References
Villages in Valga County
{{Valga-geo-stub ...
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Vilaski
Vilaski is a village in Valga Parish, Valga County in Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the ...
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Voorbahi
Voorbahi is a village in Tõrva Parish, Valga County, in southern Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Fin ...
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Väheru
Väheru is a village in Valga Parish, Valga County, in southeastern Estonia. It has a population of 83 (as of 1 January 2004).
Väheru has a station on currently inactive Valga–Pechory
Pechory (russian: Печо́ры; Estonian and Set ...
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Väljaküla -
Õlatu -
Õruste -
Ädu
Demographical indicators
As of 1 January 2014, the population of Valga County was 30,176 – 47.5% of men and 52.5% of women. 14.93% were minors (age 0-14), 62.65% were at working age (age 15–64) and 22.41% were at retirement age (65 and older). 82.63% of the population were Estonians and 12.51% were
Russians
, native_name_lang = ru
, image =
, caption =
, population =
, popplace =
118 million Russians in the Russian Federation (2002 ''Winkler Prins'' estimate)
, region1 =
, pop1 ...
. The population density was 14.8 ppl/km
2. Since 2004 the population of the county has decreased by 4154 people. The main reason besides the natural negative
population growth
Population growth is the increase in the number of people in a population or dispersed group. Actual global human population growth amounts to around 83 million annually, or 1.1% per year. The global population has grown from 1 billion in 1800 to ...
is the mechanical growth – the people who have left the county.
Geography
Relief
The
landscape
A landscape is the visible features of an area of land, its landforms, and how they integrate with natural or man-made features, often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal.''New Oxford American Dictionary''. A landscape includes the ...
of Valga County is various. The western part is located in the south-eastern part of
Sakala Upland where the
moraine
A moraine is any accumulation of unconsolidated debris (regolith and rock), sometimes referred to as glacial till, that occurs in both currently and formerly glaciated regions, and that has been previously carried along by a glacier or ice shee ...
plain is being varied by old valleys, some hills and ridges. In the northern part the landscape is characterized by small
drumlin
A drumlin, from the Irish word ''droimnín'' ("littlest ridge"), first recorded in 1833, in the classical sense is an elongated hill in the shape of an inverted spoon or half-buried egg formed by glacial ice acting on underlying unconsolidated ...
s, the low and wet areas are covered with
meadow
A meadow ( ) is an open habitat, or field, vegetated by grasses, herbs, and other non-woody plants. Trees or shrubs may sparsely populate meadows, as long as these areas maintain an open character. Meadows may be naturally occurring or artifi ...
s and forests. The surrounding area of Tõrva-Helme is flatter but separated by the
River Õhne and the valleys of its tributaries (
Valley of Tikste
This is a list of valleys in Estonia.
})
, Valga County, Tõrva Parish
,
,
, -
, Tilleorg Valley
, Põlva County, Põlva Parish
,
,
, -
, Ööbikuorg
, Võru County, Rõuge Parish
,
,
References
{{Europe topic, List of valleys of
V ...
). In many places the sandstone of the substrate can be seen on the hillsides. The territory is quite densely populated. The farmlands are varied by meadows, lakes and a few patches of forest. In the southern part, around Hummuli and Taagepera, some rolling hills can be found.
In the southern part of the county, there is a large sandy area with big forests,
moorland
Moorland or moor is a type of habitat found in upland areas in temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands and montane grasslands and shrublands biomes, characterised by low-growing vegetation on acidic soils. Moorland, nowadays, generally ...
s and
bogs. In the middle part of the county the valley of the
River Väike-Emajõgi runs from north to south. It is continued by Valga Basin with mainly