Municipalities of Estonia

Municipalities of Estonia

Estonia

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A Municipality (Estonian: omavalitsus) 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 in Estonia are of two types: urban municipalities, or towns (Est.: linnad, sg. – linn) and rural municipalities, or parishes (Est.: vallad, sg. – vald). There is no other status distinction between them.

Municipality may contain one or several populated places. Some urban municipalities are divided into districts (Est.: linnaosad, sg. – linnaosa) with limited self-government, e.g. Tallinn consists of 8 districts (Haabersti, Kesklinn, Kristiine, Lasnamäe, Mustamäe, Nõmme, Pirita, Põhja-Tallinn).

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

Since October 2005 there are total of 227 municipalities in Estonia, 34 of them are urban and 193 are rural. The municipalities are listed below, by county:

Harju County

Municipalities of Harju County

Urban municipalities:

• Keila
• Loksa
• Maardu
• Paldiski
• Saue
• Tallinn

Rural municipalities:

• Aegviidu (borough)
• Anija Parish (includes the town of Kehra)
• Harku Parish
• Jõelähtme Parish
• Keila Parish
• Kernu Parish
• Kiili Parish (includes the borough of Kiili)
• Kose Parish
• Kuusalu Parish
• Kõue Parish
• Nissi Parish
• Padise Parish
• Raasiku Parish
• Rae Parish
• Saku Parish
• Saue Parish
• Vasalemma Parish
• Viimsi Parish

Hiiu County

Municipalities of Hiiu County

Urban municipality:

• Kärdla

Rural municipalities:

• Emmaste Parish
• Kõrgessaare Parish
• Käina Parish
• Pühalepa Parish

Ida-Viru County

Municipalities of Ida-Viru County

Urban municipalities:

• Kiviõli
• Kohtla-Järve
• Narva
• Narva-Jõesuu
• Püssi
• Sillamäe

Rural municipalities:

• Alajõe Parish
• Aseri Parish
• Avinurme Parish
• Iisaku Parish
• Illuka Parish
• Jõhvi Parish (includes the town of Jõhvi)
• Kohtla Parish
• Kohtla-Nõmme (borough)
• Lohusuu Parish
• Lüganuse Parish
• Maidla Parish
• Mäetaguse Parish
• Sonda Parish
• Toila Parish
• Tudulinna Parish
• Vaivara Parish

Järva County

Municipalities of Järva County

Urban municipalities:

• Paide

Rural municipalities:

• Albu Parish
• Ambla Parish
• Imavere Parish
• Järva-Jaani Parish (includes the borough of Järva-Jaani)
• Kareda Parish
• Koeru Parish
• Koigi Parish
• Paide Parish
• Roosna-Alliku Parish
• Türi Parish (includes the town of Türi)
• Väätsa Parish

Jõgeva County

Municipalities of Jõgeva County

Urban municipalities:

• Jõgeva
• Mustvee
• Põltsamaa

Rural municipalities:

• Jõgeva Parish
• Kasepää Parish
• Pajusi Parish
• Pala Parish
• Palamuse Parish
• Puurmani Parish
• Põltsamaa Parish
• Saare Parish
• Tabivere Parish
• Torma Parish

Lääne County

Municipalities of Lääne County

Urban municipality:

• Haapsalu

Rural municipalities:

• Hanila Parish
• Kullamaa Parish
• Lihula Parish (includes the town of Lihula)
• Martna Parish
• Noarootsi Parish
• Nõva Parish
• Oru Parish
• Ridala Parish
• Risti Parish
• Taebla Parish
• Vormsi Parish

Lääne-Viru County

Municipalities of Lääne-Viru County

Urban municipalities:

• Kunda
• Rakvere

Rural municipalities:

• Haljala Parish
• Kadrina Parish
• Laekvere Parish
• Rakke Parish
• Rakvere Parish
• Rägavere Parish
• Sõmeru Parish
• Tamsalu Parish (includes the town of Tamsalu)
• Tapa Parish (includes the town of Tapa)
• Vihula Parish
• Vinni Parish
• Viru-Nigula Parish
• Väike-Maarja Parish

Pärnu County

Municipalities of Pärnu County

Urban municipalities:

• Pärnu
• Sindi

Rural municipalities:

• Are Parish
• Audru Parish
• Halinga Parish (includes the borough of Pärnu-Jaagupi)
• Häädemeeste Parish
• Kihnu Parish
• Koonga Parish
• Lavassaare (borough)
• Paikuse Parish
• Saarde Parish (includes the town of Kilingi-Nõmme)
• Sauga Parish
• Surju Parish
• Tahkuranna Parish
• Tootsi (borough)
• Tori Parish
• Tõstamaa Parish
• Varbla Parish
• Vändra Parish
• Vändra (borough)

Põlva County

Municipalities of Põlva County

Urban municipality:

• Põlva

Rural municipalities:

• Ahja Parish
• Kanepi Parish
• Kõlleste Parish
• Laheda Parish
• Mikitamäe Parish
• Mooste Parish
• Orava Parish
• Põlva Parish
• Räpina Parish (includes the town of Räpina)
• Valgjärve Parish
• Vastse-Kuuste Parish
• Veriora Parish
• Värska Parish

Rapla County

Municipalities of Rapla County

Rural municipalities:

• Juuru Parish
• Järvakandi (borough)
• Kaiu Parish
• Kehtna Parish
• Kohila Parish (includes the borough of Kohila)
• Käru Parish
• Märjamaa Parish (includes the borough of Märjamaa)
• Raikküla Parish
• Rapla Parish (includes the town of Rapla)
• Vigala Parish

Saare County

Municipalities of Saare County

Urban municipality:

• Kuressaare

Rural municipalities:

• Kaarma Parish
• Kihelkonna Parish
• Kärla Parish
• Laimjala Parish
• Leisi Parish
• Lümanda Parish
• Muhu Parish
• Mustjala Parish
• Orissaare Parish
• Pihtla Parish
• Pöide Parish
• Ruhnu Parish
• Salme Parish
• Torgu Parish
• Valjala Parish

Tartu County

Municipalities of Tartu County

Urban municipalities:

• Elva
• Kallaste
• Tartu

Rural municipalities:

• Alatskivi Parish
• Haaslava Parish
• Kambja Parish
• Konguta Parish
• Laeva Parish
• Luunja Parish
• Meeksi Parish
• Mäksa Parish
• Nõo Parish
• Peipsiääre Parish
• Piirissaare Parish
• Puhja Parish
• Rannu Parish
• Rõngu Parish
• Tartu Parish
• Tähtvere Parish
• Vara Parish
• Võnnu Parish
• Ülenurme Parish

Valga County

Municipalities of Valga County

Urban municipalities:

• Tõrva
• Valga

Rural municipalities:

• Helme Parish
• Hummuli Parish
• Karula Parish
• Otepää Parish (includes the town of Otepää)
• Palupera Parish
• Puka Parish
• Põdrala Parish
• Sangaste Parish
• Taheva Parish
• Tõlliste Parish
• Õru Parish

Viljandi County

Municipalities of Viljandi County

Urban municipalities:

• Mõisaküla
• Viljandi
• Võhma

Rural municipalities:

• Abja Parish (includes the town of Abja-Paluoja)
• Halliste Parish
• Karksi Parish (includes the town of Karksi-Nuia)
• Kolga-Jaani Parish
• Kõo Parish
• Kõpu Parish
• Paistu Parish
• Pärsti Parish
• Saarepeedi Parish
• Suure-Jaani Parish (includes the town of Suure-Jaani)
• Tarvastu Parish
• Viiratsi Parish

Võru County

Municipalities of Võru County

Urban municipality:

• Võru

Rural municipalities:

• Antsla Parish (includes the town of Antsla)
• Haanja Parish
• Lasva Parish
• Meremäe Parish
• Misso Parish
• Mõniste Parish
• Rõuge Parish
• Sõmerpalu Parish
• Urvaste Parish
• Varstu Parish
• Vastseliina Parish
• Võru Parish

Structure of local authorities

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

The council (Estonian: 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 (Estonian: volikogu esimees), who organises the council’s work and represents the municipality.

The government (Estonian: valitsus) is an executive body formed by the council. It is headed by a mayor (Estonian: 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.

See also

• Counties of Estonia
• Populated places in Estonia

References

External links

• Local Government Reform an Estonian Institute publication
• Local Government Reform an Institute of Baltic Studies publication
• Administrative Division of Estonia Institute of the Estonian Language website

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