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.

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

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

Arms

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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      
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Structure of local authorities

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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

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

Former municipalities (before 1990)

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  • Vaoküla Parish (existed 1939–1950)

See also

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References

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