Lääne-Viru County ( or ''Lääne-Virumaa'') is one of 15

counties of Estonia The counties of Estonia () are the state administrative subdivisions of Estonia. Estonian territory is composed of 15 counties, including 13 on the mainland and 2 on islands. County governments () were abolished at the end of 2017, with their ...

. It is in northern Estonia, on the south coast of the

Gulf of Finland The Gulf of Finland (; ; ; ) is the easternmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It extends between Finland to the north and Estonia to the south, to Saint Petersburg—the second largest city of Russia—to the east, where the river Neva drains into it. ...

. In Estonian, ''lääne'' means western and ''ida'' means east or eastern. Lääne-Viru borders

Ida-Viru County Ida-Viru County ( or ; ) is one of the 15 counties of Estonia. It is the most northeastern part of the country. The county contains large deposits of oil shale the main mineral mined in Estonia. Oil shale is used in the production of shale oil ...

to the east,

Jõgeva County Jõgeva County ( or ''Jõgevamaa'') is one of 15 counties of Estonia. It is situated in eastern part of the country and borders Ida-Viru County to the north-east, Lake Peipus to the east, Tartu County to the south, Viljandi County to the south-we ...

to the south, and Järva and Harju counties to the west. In January 2013, Lääne-Viru County had a population of 58,806: 4.5% of the population in Estonia.

History

In prehistoric times, Lääne-Virumaa was settled by

Estonians Estonians or Estonian people () are a Finnic ethnic group native to the Baltic Sea region in Northern Europe, primarily their nation state of Estonia. Estonians primarily speak the Estonian language, a language closely related to other Finni ...

of the

Vironian The Vironians () were one of the Baltic Finns, Finnic tribes that later formed the Estonians, Estonian nation. History They lived in Vironia (''Virumaa'' in Estonian, ''Wierland'' in German and ''Virland'' in Scandinavian, now Ida-Viru County a ...

tribe.

County government

Until 2017 the

County Government A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) ''Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denotin ...

(), seated in Rakvere, was led by a

governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

(), who was 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 Cons ...

. Since 2014, the governor position was held by

Marko Torm Marko Torm (born 2 March 1980 in Kohtla-Järve) is an Estonian politician. He is a member of XIV Riigikogu and was Mayor of Rakvere from 2017 until 2019. Since 2010, he is a member of Estonian Reform Party. References

Living people 1980 ...

Municipalities

The county is subdivided into

municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

. There is one urban municipality ( – towns) and seven rural municipalities ( –

parishes A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...

) in Lääne-Viru County.

Religion

The largest number of congregations in the county are of the

Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church The Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church (EELC; Estonian: ''Eesti Evangeelne Luterlik Kirik'', abbreviated EELK) is a Lutheran church in Estonia. The EELC is member of the Lutheran World Federation and belongs to the Community of Protestant Ch ...

(EELC): in

Haljala Haljala () is a Populated places in Estonia, small borough () in Lääne-Viru County, in northern Estonia. It is located about 10 km northwest of the town of Rakvere, by the Tallinn–Narva (Tallinn–Saint Petersburg) road (part of Europea ...

, Kunda, Kadrina, Käsmu, Rakvere, Simuna, Tamsalu, Viru-Jaagupi, Viru-Nigula and Väike-Maarja under EELC's Viru Deanery and in Tapa under EELC's Järva Deanery.

Eastern Orthodox Eastern Orthodoxy, otherwise known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity or Byzantine Christianity, is one of the three main Branches of Christianity, branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholic Church, Catholicism and Protestantism ...

congregations in the county are predominantly under the administration of the Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church but some of them are also under the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. Several congregations of Baptists, a catholic congregation in Rakvere and other Christian churches operate in the county.

Geography

Gallery

File:Porkuni linnuse väravatorn.jpg,

Porkuni Porkuni () is a village in Tapa Parish, Lääne-Viru County, in northern Estonia. The settlement is located around the Lake Porkuni, which is the source of the Valgejõgi River. In 1944, the Battle of Porkuni was fought in the area. Porkuni cas ...

Castle gate tower File:Palmse mõisa peahoone pargi poolt.jpg,

Palmse Palmse is a village in Haljala Parish, Lääne-Viru County, in northern Estonia, on the territory of Lahemaa National Park. Palmse manor Palmse estate () belonged to the convent of St. Michael in Tallinn in the Middle Ages and is referred to as ...

manor File:HPIM2348 Rakvere ajalooline linnus tänapäevas.jpg,

Rakvere Rakvere is the administrative center, or county seat, of Lääne-Viru County in northern Estonia, about 100 km southeast of Tallinn and 20 km south of the Gulf of Finland and the Baltic Sea. Rakvere boasts a distinctive architectural feature: th ...

Castle File:Mõdriku mõisa peahoone.jpg, Mõdriku manor File:Malla mõisa peahoone 2012.jpg, Malla manor File:Vihula mõisa tuuleveski.jpg,

Vihula Vihula () is a village in Haljala Parish, Lääne-Viru County, in northern Estonia, within Lahemaa National Park. Name Vihula was attested in historical sources as ''Viola'' in 1241, ''Vyol'' in 1402, ''Fioell'' in 1516, and ''Wihhola'' in 1796 ...

windmill File:Laekvere mänd 04-2012.JPG, Laekvere pine File:Neeruti Tagajärv.jpg, Lake Neeruti Tagajärv File:Vaade Emumäele.jpg, View from tower on the hill of Emumägi File:Vaade Toolse linnuse varemetele merelt.jpg,

Toolse Toolse is a village in Haljala Parish, Lääne-Viru County, in northeastern Estonia. Toolse Castle Toolse castle () was a crusader castle belonging to the Teutonic Order. It was completed in 1471. At one point of time, it was reportedly the nort ...

Castle File:Vainupea kabel.jpg, Vainupea Chapel File:Main Manor buildings in summer - Vihula Manor Country Club & Spa.jpg, Vihula Manor File:Altja jõgi Lahemaal.jpg, Altja river File:Sagadi manor, Parque Nacional Lahemaa, Estonia, 2012-08-12, DD 03.JPG,

Sagadi Sagadi is a village in Haljala Parish, Lääne-Viru County, in northern Estonia, located within the territory of Lahemaa National Park. Sagadi Manor Sagadi Manor () was first mentioned in written records in 1469. During its history, it belonged ...

manor File:Viru bog - RRiiberg.jpg, Viru bog in

Lahemaa National Park Lahemaa National Park is a park in northern Estonia, 70 kilometers east from the capital Tallinn. The Gulf of Finland is to the north of the park and the Tallinn-Narva highway (E20) to the south. Its area covers 747 km2 (including 274.9 ...

File:Mähu kivid.jpg, Mähu boulders in Lahemaa National Park File:Raps on tärganud.jpg, Rapeseed field near Laekvere

References

External links

Association of Local Authorities of Lääne-Viru County
{{DEFAULTSORT:Laane-Viru County Counties of Estonia