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