Tõstamaa Parish () was a rural

municipality 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' ...

in southwestern

Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Ru ...

. It was a part of

Pärnu County Pärnu County ( or ''Pärnumaa''; ) is one of 15 counties of Estonia. It is situated in the south-western part of the country, on the coast of Gulf of Riga, and borders Lääne and Rapla counties to the north, Järva and Viljandi counties to ...

. The municipality had a population of 1,572 (as of 1 January 2009) and covered an area of 261.01 km². Tõstamaa Parish covered part of the flat seashore of western Pärnu County, a low, swampy coastal area bordered by an elevated chain of sand

dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, flat ...

s. Behind the dunes spreads a slightly wavy

drumlin A drumlin, from the Irish word ("little 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 till or groun ...

, where higher places have been reclaimed, but lower ones have remained

swamp A swamp is a forested wetland.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Swamps are considered to be transition zones because both land and water play a role in ...

y or

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 they maintain an open character. Meadows can occur naturally under favourable con ...

land and covered with scattered foliage. And, although Tõstamaa should mean "high land", its populace have long lived not off the land, but off the sea. Several islands and islets in the

Gulf of Riga The Gulf of Riga, Bay of Riga, or Gulf of Livonia (, , ) is a bay of the Baltic Sea between Latvia and Estonia. The island of Saaremaa (Estonia) partially separates it from the rest of the Baltic Sea. The main connection between the gulf and t ...

, including

Sorgu Sorgu (Estonian Swedish, Swedish: ''Sorkholm'') is a uninhabited Estonian islet in the Gulf of Riga, southeast of the island of Manilaid. Administratively Sorgu belongs to the Manija, Estonia, Manija village in Pärnu (urban municipality), P� ...

and

Manilaid Manilaid is a Estonian islet in the Gulf of Riga, located between the island of Kihnu and the mainland's Tõstamaa peninsula. Together with the neighbouring smaller uninhabited islets Sorgu and Annilaid, Manilaid forms the village of Manija. ...

, belong to Tõstamaa Parish. Tõstamaa is home to the historic Tõstamaa Keskkool.

Settlements

;Small borough:

Tõstamaa Tõstamaa is a small borough () in Pärnu municipality, Pärnu County, southwestern Estonia. Tõstamaa has a population of 466 (as of 1 January 2020). Tõstamaa St. Mary's Lutheran church was built in 1763–1768. Tõstamaa Manor Tõstamaa Man ...

;Villages: Alu -

Ermistu Ermistu is a village in Pärnu urban municipality, Pärnu County, in southwestern Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, t ...

- Kastna - Kavaru -

Kiraste Kiraste is a village in Pärnu (urban municipality), Pärnu urban municipality, Pärnu County, in southwestern Estonia. (retrieved 28 July 2021) It has a population of 19 (as of 1 January 2011). References External linksWebsite of Tõhela regi ...

- Kõpu - Lao -

Lõuka Lõuka is a village in Pärnu urban municipality, Pärnu County, in southwestern Estonia. It is located just east of Tõstamaa, the administrative centre of the municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having m ...

- Manija -

Männikuste Männikuste is a village in Pärnu urban municipality, Pärnu County, in southwestern Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finlan ...

- Päraküla -

Peerni Peerni is a village in Pärnu urban municipality, Pärnu County, in southwestern Estonia, on the coast of the Gulf of Riga The Gulf of Riga, Bay of Riga, or Gulf of Livonia (, , ) is a bay of the Baltic Sea between Latvia and Estonia. The i ...

Pootsi Pootsi () is a village in Pärnu, Pärnu County, in southwestern Estonia. It has a population of 79 (as of 1 January 2011). Notable people *Platon Platon is a masculine given name and surname which may refer to: Given name * Plato (exarch) ...

- Rammuka -

Ranniku Ranniku is a village in Pärnu urban municipality, Pärnu County, in southwestern Estonia. It is located just west of Tõstamaa, the administrative centre of the municipality, on the coast of Gulf of Riga The Gulf of Riga, Bay of Riga, or G ...

- Seliste - Tõhela - Tõlli - Värati

Gallery

Tõstamaa vallamaja 2010.JPG, Tõstamaa community house Tõstamaa mõis.jpg, Tõstamaa manor house Manija külakeskus.jpg, Manija village centre on

island Seliste kirik, vaade edelast.jpg, Seliste church Pootsi-Kõpu kirik.jpg, Pootsi-Kõpu church File:Ermistu järv.JPG,

Lake Ermistu Lake Ermistu (; also known as Lake Tõstamaa) is a lake in southwestern Estonia. Administratively it belongs to the Ermistu village in Pärnu municipality, Pärnu County. See also *List of lakes of Estonia ''This is a list of lakes (includin ...

Tõstamaa kirik 01.jpg, Tõstamaa church Peerni sadam.JPG,

harbor

References

External links

Official website
Former municipalities of Estonia {{Estonia-geo-stub