Ida-Viru County

{{Short description|County in northeastern Estonia}} {{Infobox settlement | name = Ida-Viru County | native_name = {{lang|et|Ida-Virumaa}} | settlement_type = County | image_skyline = Narva asv2022-04 img09 Castle.jpg | image_flag = Ida-Virumaa_lipp.svg | flag_size = 125px | image_shield = Ida-Virumaa vapp.svg | shield_size = 75px | image_map = Ida-Viru County in Estonia.svg | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = Estonia | seat_type = Capital | seat = Jõhvi | seat1_type = Largest town | seat1 = Narva | area_total_km2 = 2972 | area_footnotes = <ref name="stat-PO0291U">{{cite web|title=Population number, area and density. administrative division as at 01.01.2018|url=https://andmed.stat.ee/et/stat/rahvastik__rahvastikunaitajad-ja-koosseis__rahvaarv-ja-rahvastiku-koosseis/RV0222U/table/tableViewLayout2|publisher=Statistics Estonia|access-date=30 July 2022}}</ref> | population_total = 130156 | population_as_of = 2025 | population_footnotes = <ref name="stat-PO0291U" /> | population_rank = 3rd | population_density_km2 = auto | demographics_type1 = Ethnicity | demographics1_footnotes = | demographics1_title1 = Russians | demographics1_info1 = 68.5% | demographics1_title2 = Estonians | demographics1_info2 = 20.3% | demographics1_title3 = Ukrainians | demographics1_info3 = 5% | demographics1_title4 = other | demographics1_info4 = 5.7% | demographics_type2 = GDP | demographics2_footnotes = <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://andmed.stat.ee:443/pxweb/en/stat/stat__majandus__rahvamajanduse-arvepidamine__sisemajanduse-koguprodukt-(skp)__regionaalne-sisemajanduse-koguprodukt/RAA0050.px/|title=GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT BY COUNTY|website=stat.ee}}</ref> | demographics2_title1 = Total | demographics2_info1 = €2.631 billion (2022) | demographics2_title2 = Per capita | demographics2_info2 = €19,778 (2022) | registration_plate = I | iso_code = EE-45 | website = | footnotes = }}

'''Ida-Viru County''' ({{langx|et|Ida-Viru maakond}}) 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 {{endash}} the main mineral mined in Estonia. Oil shale is used in the production of shale oil and in thermal power plants. The capital of the county is the town of Jõhvi which is administratively united with the Jõhvi Parish; nevertheless, Narva is the largest town in the county in terms of population and at the same time the third-largest city in Estonia after Tallinn and Tartu.

In January 2019, Ida-Viru County had a population of 136,240 – constituting 10.3% of the total population in Estonia.<ref name="stat-PO0291U" /><ref name="County_population">{{cite web|url=http://pub.stat.ee/px-web.2001/Dialog/varval.asp?ma=PO0222&lang=1|title=Population by sex, ethnic nationality and County, 1 January|date=2010-04-19|work=stat.ee|publisher=Statistics Estonia|access-date=2010-08-19}}</ref> It borders Lääne-Viru County in the west, Jõgeva County in the southwest and Russia (Leningrad Oblast) in the east. It is the only county in Estonia where Russians constitute the majority of population (73.1% in 2010), the second highest being Harju (28%).

== History == On 1 January 1990, Kohtla-Järve County was established within the boundaries of the current Kohtla-Järve district,<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.riigiteataja.ee/akt/28134 |title=Omavalitsusliku haldussüsteemi loomisest |trans-title=The creation of a local government management system |work=ENSV Teataja (Journal of the USSR) |language=Estonian |year=1989 |issue=40 |volume=614}}</ref> which was renamed Ida-Viru County in March of the same year.{{cn|date=March 2026}}

County Government ({{langx|et|maavalitsus}}), led by a governor ({{langx|et|maavanem}}), ceased to exist after administrative reform in 2017. The last governor of Ida-Viru county was Andres Noormägi.<ref name=maavanem>{{cite web|title=Maavanem|url=http://ida-viru.maavalitsus.ee/ida-viru-maavanem|access-date=24 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170315144957/http://ida-viru.maavalitsus.ee/ida-viru-maavanem|archive-date=15 March 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

== Demographics == thumb|The population of Ida-Viru county declined from 221,807 in 1990 to 168,656 in 2010. In January 2017, the population of Ida-Virumaa was 143,880, which makes it the third largest county in Estonia (after Harju and Tartu counties, which include the capital Tallinn and country's second-largest city Tartu). 44.6% of the population are men and 55.4% women.<ref name="County_population"/>

By January 2020, the population of Ida-Virumaa had decreased to 134,259, of whom 33% were of native origin and 67% of foreign origin.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://andmed.stat.ee/en/stat/rahvastik__rahvastikunaitajad-ja-koosseis__rahvaarv-ja-rahvastiku-koosseis/RV071|title=Rv071: Native and Foreign-Origin Population by County After the 2017 Administrative Reform, Sex and Age, 1 January}}</ref>

As a result of migration, Ida-Viru County is now the only county in Estonia where ethnic Russians have become a majority.

By ethnic origin, on 1 January 2017, 73.1% of the population were Russians, 18.9% were Estonians, 2.3% were Ukrainians, 2.1% were Belarusians, and 0.9% were Finns.<ref name="County_population" />

According to the 2021 Estonian census, the population of Ida-Virumaa was 132,741. By ethnic origin, 97,231 (73.25%) were Russians, 24,490 (18.45%) were Estonians, 3,265 (2.46%) were Ukrainians, 2,720 (2.05%) were Belarusians, and 1,065 (0.80%) were Finns. Estonians are predominant in the more rural parishes to the west of country: Alutaguse (69.47%), Toila (64.27%), and Lüganuse (55.07%).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://andmed.stat.ee/en/stat/rahvaloendus__rel2021__rahvastiku-demograafilised-ja-etno-kultuurilised-naitajad__rahvus-emakeel/RL21429/table/tableViewLayout2 |title=Rl21429: Population by Ethnic Nationality, Sex, Age Group and Place of Residence (Administrative Unit), 31 December 2021 }}</ref>

== Religion ==

The following congregations of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church (EELC) operate in Ida-Viru County under the Viru Deanery of the EELC: Iisaku congregation, Illaku congregation, Jõhvi congregation, Lüganuse congregation, Narva congregation, Narva-Jõesuu congregation, Pühajõe congregation and Tudulinna congregation.<ref name="eelk.ee">{{cite web|url=https://eelk.ee/contact/congregations/|title=The Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church. Congregations.|access-date= 7 February 2025}}</ref>

Regarding Eastern Orthodoxy, the following Orthodox congregations operate under the jurisdiction of the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate: Alajõe, Jaama, Jõhvi, Kiviõli, Kohtla-Järve, Lohusuu, Vasknarva, the congregation of the Narva Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ and three other Orthodox parishes in the city of Narva and two congregations in Narva-Jõesuu.<ref name="et.orthodox.ee">{{cite web |url=https://et.orthodox.ee/|title=Moskva Patriarhaadi Eesti Õigeusu Kirik. Kontaktid.|access-date=7 February 2025}}</ref>

A Russian Orthodox convent, Pühtitsa Convent, is located in Ida-Viru County.

The congregations belonging to the Catholic Church in Estonia that operate in Ida-Viru County are: Ahtme, Narva, Sillamäe, Kiviõli and Sompa and Kohtla-Järve.<ref name="katoliku.ee">{{cite web |url=https://www.katoliku.ee/index.php/et/missa-ajad|title=Rooma-katoliku Kirik. Tallinna Piiskopkond. Missade ajad.|access-date=7 February 2025}}</ref>

Baptist congregations operating in Ida-Viru County: Kiviõli, Sillamäe, four congregations in the city of Kohtla-Järve and two congregations in Narva.<ref name="kogudused.ee">{{cite web |url=https://kogudused.ee/kogudused/hiiumaa/|title=Union of Free Evangelical and Baptist Churches of Estonia. Kogudused.|access-date=7 February 2025}}</ref>

Of the other Christian churches, there are four Methodist congregations,<ref name="metodistikirik.ee">{{cite web |url=https://metodistikirik.ee/kogudused/tallinn/|title=Eesti Metodisti Kirik. Kogudused.|access-date=7 February 2025}}</ref> one Pentecostal congregation,<ref name="https://eknk.ee">{{cite web |url=https://eknk.ee/kogudused|title=Eesti Kristlik Nelipühi Kirik. Praostkonnad ja kogudused.|access-date=7 February 2025}}</ref> two Adventist congregations and one Jehovah's Witnesses congregation.

{| class="wikitable" |+ Religious affiliations in Ida-Viru County, census 2000–2021*<ref name=Census>Official census data from Statistics Estonia: * 2000 Census: ** {{cite web|url=https://andmed.stat.ee/en/stat/rahvaloendus__rel2000__usk/RL229/table/tableViewLayout2|title=2000 Census: RL229: Population by religion}} ** {{cite web|url=https://andmed.stat.ee/en/stat/rahvaloendus__rel2000__usk/RL231/table/tableViewLayout2|title=2000 Census: RL231: Population by religion and ethnicity}} * 2011 Census: ** {{cite web|url=https://andmed.stat.ee/en/stat/rahvaloendus__rel2011__rahvastiku-demograafilised-ja-etno-kultuurilised-naitajad__usk/RL0451/table/tableViewLayout2|title=2011 Census: RL0451: Population by religion}} ** {{cite web|url=https://andmed.stat.ee/en/stat/rahvaloendus__rel2011__rahvastiku-demograafilised-ja-etno-kultuurilised-naitajad__usk/RL0454/table/tableViewLayout2|title=2011 Census: RL0454: Population by religion and ethnicity}} * 2021 Census: ** {{cite web|url=https://andmed.stat.ee/en/stat/rahvaloendus__rel2021__rahvastiku-demograafilised-ja-etno-kultuurilised-naitajad__usk/RL21451/table/tableViewLayout2|title=2021 Census: RL21451: Population by religion}} ** {{cite web|url=https://andmed.stat.ee/en/stat/rahvaloendus__rel2021__rahvastiku-demograafilised-ja-etno-kultuurilised-naitajad__usk/RL21454/table/tableViewLayout2|title=2021 Census: RL21454: Population by religion and ethnicity}} </ref> |- ! rowspan="2"|Religion ! style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|2000 ! style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|2011 ! style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|2021 |- ! Number ! % ! Number ! % ! Number ! % |- |style="background:#E0F0FF;" | Christianity || 54,269 || 36.2 || 63,141 || 48.9 || 58,530 || 50.6 |- |style="background:#E0F0FF;"| —Orthodox Christians || 43,302 || 28.5 || 55,840 || 42.2 || 53,180 || 46.0 |- |style="background:#E0F0FF;"| —Lutherans || 7,946 || 5.3 || 4,623 || 3.6 || 2,440 || 2,1 |- |style="background:#E0F0FF;"| —Catholics || 1,145 || 0.7 || 815 || 0.6 || 1,110 || 0.9 |- |style="background:#E0F0FF;"| —Baptists || 675 || 0.4 || 379 || 0.2 || 200 || 0.1 |- |style="background:#E0F0FF;"| —Jehovah's Witnesses || 282 || 0.2 || 342 || 0.2 || 320 || 0.2 |- |style="background:#E0F0FF;"| —Pentecostals || 504 || 0.3 || 318 || 0.2 || 400 || 0.3 |- |style="background:#E0F0FF;"| —Old Believers || 108 || 0.007 || 158 || 0.1 || 130 || 0.1 |- |style="background:#E0F0FF;"| —Methodists || 172 || 0.1 || 140 || 0.1 || 160 || 0.1 |- |style="background:#E0F0FF;"| —Adventists || 135 || 0.1 || 111 || 0.1 || 80 || 0.1 |- |style="background:#E0F0FF;"| —Other Christians || - || - || 415 || 0.2 || 510 || 0.4 |- |style="background:#E0FFD0;"| Islam || - || - || 244 || 0.2 || 700 || 0.6 |- | style="background:#FFFFC0;" | Buddhism|| - || - || 35 || 0.02 || 30 || 0.02 |- | style="background:#F0E0FF;" | Other religions**|| 590 || 0.3 || 438 || 0.2 || 740 || 0.6 |- | style="background:#F5F5F5;" | No religion|| 50,551 || 33.7 || 42,754 || 33.1 || 40,250 || 34.8 |- | style="background:#DCDCDC;" | Not stated***|| 44,362 || 29.5 || 22,436 || 17.4 || 15,400 || 13.3 |- ! Total population* || colspan="2" | 150,049 || colspan="2" | 129,049 || colspan="2" | 115,650 |- | colspan="7" | '''*'''The censuses of Estonia count the religious affiliations of the population older than 15 years of age.<ref name="Census" /> |}

==Municipalities== Ida-Virumaa County is subdivided into seven municipalities, of which four are urban ({{langx|et|linnad}} — cities or towns) and three are rural ({{langx|et|vallad}} — parishes). There are 217 villages in Ida-Virumaa. thumb|right|300px|Municipalities of Ida-Viru County {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Rank !! Municipality !! Type !! Population (2018)<ref name=population>{{cite web|title=Elanike demograafiline jaotus maakonniti|url=http://f.ell.ee/failid/kodukas/rahvastik/2018-01-01_rahvastik_netti_.htm|publisher=Kohaliku omavalitsuse portaal|access-date=2 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190302200029/http://f.ell.ee/failid/kodukas/rahvastik/2018-01-01_rahvastik_netti_.htm|archive-date=2 March 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref>!! Area km2<ref name=population/> !! Density<ref name=population/> |- |1 || Alutaguse Parish || Rural || 4,929 || 1,465 || 3.4 |- |2 || Jõhvi Parish || Rural || 16,452 || 390 || 42.2 |- |3 || Kohtla-Järve || Urban || 35,395 || 39 || 907.6 |- |4 || Lüganuse Parish || Rural || 8,942 || 599 || 14.9 |- |5 || Narva || Urban || 58,610 || 85 || 689.5 |- |6 || Narva-Jõesuu || Urban || 4,828 || 411 || 11.7 |- |7 || Sillamäe || Urban || 13,406 || 11 || 1,218.7 |}

==Landmarks== <gallery> File:Kuremäe nunnaklooster 2014 01.jpg|Pühtitsa Convent File:Uljaste järv oktoobris.jpg|Lake Uljaste File:Ida-Viru Tuhamäed.JPG|Ash hills in Ida-Viru County File:Avinurme kirik.JPG|Avinurme church File:Selisoo raba, Ida-Virumaa.JPG|Selisoo bog File:Narva, Hermann Castle.jpg|Hermann Castle File:Mäetaguse mõisa peahoone.jpg|Mäetaguse manor house File:Sillamäe 2008 2.jpg|Sillamäe town hall </gallery>

== References == {{Reflist}}

== External links == {{Commons category|Ida-Viru County}} *[https://idaviru.ee/ Ida-Virumaa Tourism Portal] *[http://www.ivmv.ee Ida-Virumaa Portal]

Category:Ida-Viru County Category:Counties of Estonia Category:Russian communities