Municipalities of Estonia

A municipality (Estonian: omavalitsus, plural omavalitsused) 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.

"Vald" redirects here. For the French rapper, see Vald (rapper).
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Municipalities of Estonia

Municipalities in Estonia are of two types:

  • Urban municipalities or towns (linnad, singular linn)
  • Rural municipalities or parishes (vallad, singular vald).

There is no other status distinction between them.

Municipalities may contain one or several settlements. All but 5 urban municipalities (Haapsalu, Narva-Jõesuu, Paide, Pärnu and Tartu) plus 1 rural municipality (Ruhnu) contain only one settlement. As of 2017, there are no longer any "borough-parishes", i.e. rural municipalities with only one borough-type settlement. Ruhnu Parish contains only one village and is therefore a "village-parish".

Some municipalities are divided into districts. The 8 urban districts (linnaosad, singular linnaosa) of Tallinn have limited self-government, while other urban districts are formed for administrative purposes. Some rural districts (osavallad) have limited self-government, while other types of rural districts do not.

Municipalities range in population from Tallinn with 427,500 inhabitants to Ruhnu with 68.[1] Previously, as over two-thirds of the municipalities had a population of under 3,000, many of them found it advantageous to co-operate in providing services and carrying out administrative functions.

After the administrative reform was completed in October 2017, there are total of 79 municipalities, 15 of which are urban and 64 rural. 51 of the present municipalities were the result of mergers, 28 remain unchanged. After the reform small municipalities with under 5,000 inhabitants have been reduced from a number of 169 to 15. The number of councillors was reduced from 2,026 to 1,019. In 2022, 36 municipalities (45.56%) had falling population numbers. The municipalities are:

List
Name Capital Area (km2) Population Type County Flag Coat of

Arms

 Map
Alutaguse Iisaku 1,439.61 4,176 Rural Ida-Viru County
Anija Kehra 520.94 6,456 Rural Harju County
Antsla Antsla 411 4,200 Rural Võru County
Elva Elva 732 14,863 Rural Tartu County
Häädemeeste Häädemeeste 494 4,677 Rural Pärnu County
Haapsalu Haapsalu 272 13,435 Urban Lääne County
Haljala Haljala 183.02 4,072 Rural Lääne-Viru County
Harku Tabasalu 159.77 17,294 Rural Harju County
Hiiumaa Kärdla 1,023 8,474 Rural Hiiu County
Järva Järva-Jaani 1,223 8,725 Rural Järva County
Jõelähtme Jõelähtme 210.86 7,305 Rural Harju County
Jõgeva Jõgeva 458 13,122 Rural Jõgeva County
Jõhvi Jõhvi 124 12,351 Rural Ida-Viru County
Kadrina Kadrina 329.36 4,799 Rural Lääne-Viru County
Kambja Ülenurme 275 13,705 Rural Tartu County
Kanepi Kanepi 524.68 4,453 Rural Põlva County
Kastre Kastre 493 5,718 Rural Tartu County
Kehtna Kehtna 512 5,454 Rural Rapla County
Keila Keila 11.25 10,905 Urban Harju County
Kihnu Sääre 16.88 529 Rural Pärnu County
Kiili Kiili 100.4 6,391 Rural Harju County
Kohila Kohila 230.2 7,726 Rural Rapla County
Kohtla-Järve Kohtla-Järve 68.77 33,675 Urban Ida-Viru County
Kose Kose 532.85 7,754 Rural Harju County
Kuusalu Kiiu 707.97 6,380 Rural Harju County
Lääne-Harju Paldiski 645.71 13,462 Rural Harju County
Lääne-Nigula Taebla 1,449 6,961 Rural Lääne County
Lääneranna Lihula 1,352 5,092 Rural Pärnu County
Loksa Loksa 3.81 2,603 Urban Harju County
Lüganuse Lüganuse 599 8,250 Rural Ida-Viru County
Luunja Luunja 134 5,612 Rural Tartu County
Maardu Maardu 22.76 16,750 Urban Harju County
Märjamaa Märjamaa 1,164 7,405 Rural Rapla County
Muhu Liiva 208 1,640 Rural Saare County
Mulgi Abja-Paluoja 881 7,086 Rural Viljandi County
Mustvee Mustvee 615 4,952 Rural Jõgeva County
Narva Narva 84.54 53,875 Urban Ida-Viru County
Narva-Jõesuu Narva-Jõesuu 405 4,269 Urban Ida-Viru County
Nõo Nõo 170 4,289 Rural Tartu County
Otepää Otepää 520 6,388 Rural Valga County
Paide Paide 443 10,664 Urban Järva County
Pärnu Pärnu 858 52,362 Urban Pärnu County
Peipsiääre Kolkja 652 5,059 Rural Tartu County
Põhja-Pärnumaa Pärnu-Jaagupi and Vändra 1,013 8,088 Rural Pärnu County
Põhja-Sakala Suure-Jaani 1,153 7,748 Rural Viljandi County
Põltsamaa Põltsamaa 889.56 9,665 Rural Jõgeva County
Põlva Põlva 706 13,534 Rural Põlva County
Raasiku Aruküla 158.86 5,284 Rural Harju County
Rae Jüri 206.7 24,276 Rural Harju County
Rakvere (parish) Rakvere 295 5,859 Rural Lääne-Viru County
Rakvere (town) Rakvere 10.64 15,614 Urban Lääne-Viru County
Räpina Räpina 265.93 6,049 Rural Põlva County
Rapla Rapla 859 13,453 Rural Rapla County
Rõuge Rõuge 933 4,865 Rural Võru County
Ruhnu Ruhnu 11.9 88 Rural Saare County
Saarde Kilingi-Nõmme 706.9 4,393 Rural Pärnu County
Saaremaa Kuressaare 2,705 30,191 Rural Saare County
Saku Saku 171.13 11,510 Rural Harju County
Saue Laagri 628 25,370 Rural Harju County
Setomaa Värska 463.18 2,823 Rural Võru County
Sillamäe Sillamäe 10.54 12,452 Urban Ida-Viru County
Tallinn Tallinn 159.2 453,864 Urban Harju County
Tapa Tapa 480 11,082 Rural Lääne-Viru County
Tartu (parish) Kõrveküla 742 12,420 Rural Tartu County
Tartu (city) Tartu 154 100,724 Urban Tartu County
Toila Toila 266 4,310 Rural Ida-Viru County
Tori Sindi 611 12,203 Rural Pärnu County
Tõrva Tõrva 647 5,862 Rural Valga County
Türi Türi 1,008 10,683 Rural Järva County
Väike-Maarja Väike-Maarja 457.39 5,653 Rural Lääne-Viru County
Valga Valga 750 15,864 Rural Valga County
Viimsi Viimsi 72.84 22,472 Rural Harju County
Viljandi (parish) Viljandi 651 13,450 Rural Viljandi County
Viljandi (town) Viljandi 14.62 17,353 Urban Viljandi County
Vinni Pajusti 486.65 6,716 Rural Lääne-Viru County
Viru-Nigula Viru-Nigula 312 5,813 Rural Lääne-Viru County
Vormsi Hullo 92.93 292 Rural Lääne County
Võru (parish) Võru 952 10,374 Rural Võru County
Võru (town) Võru 13.24 12,055 Urban Võru County
  • Municipalities of Harju County
    Municipalities of Harju County
  • Hiiumaa Parish, the only municipality of Hiiu County
    Hiiumaa Parish, the only municipality of Hiiu County
  • Municipalities of Ida-Viru County
    Municipalities of Ida-Viru County
  • Municipalities of Järva County
    Municipalities of Järva County
  • Municipalities of Jõgeva County
    Municipalities of Jõgeva County
  • Municipalities of Lääne County
    Municipalities of Lääne County
  • Municipalities of Lääne-Viru County
    Municipalities of Lääne-Viru County
  • Municipalities of Pärnu County
    Municipalities of Pärnu County
  • Municipalities of Põlva County
    Municipalities of Põlva County
  • Municipalities of Rapla County
    Municipalities of Rapla County
  • Municipalities of Saare County
    Municipalities of Saare County
  • Municipalities of Tartu County
    Municipalities of Tartu County
  • Municipalities of Valga County
    Municipalities of Valga County
  • Municipalities of Viljandi County
    Municipalities of Viljandi County
  • Municipalities of Võru County
    Municipalities of Võru County

Structure of local authorities

In each municipality there is a local government as well as a council.

The council (volikogu) is a representative body elected by the residents of a municipality for a term of three years. The members of the council elect a chairman (volikogu esimees), who organises the council's work and represents the municipality.

The government (valitsus) is an executive body formed by the council. It is headed by a mayor (linnapea in towns, vallavanem in parishes), who is appointed for a four-year term. The mayor cannot be the chairman of the council. Other members of the government are chosen by the mayor with the approval of the council.

Former municipalities

The list of municipalities that have merged or lost existence between 1995 and 2017.

Former municipalities (before 1990)
  • Vaoküla Parish (existed 1939–1950)

See also

References
  1. "Estonian Institute www.einst.ee". Archived from the original on 2002-06-19. Retrieved 2002-06-19.
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