Harju County
Harju County | |
---|---|
Country | Estonia |
Capital | Tallinn |
Government | |
• Governor | Ülle Rajasalu[1] |
Area | |
• Total | 4,333 km2 (1,673 sq mi) |
Population (2023) | |
• Total | 638,076[2] |
• Rank | 1st |
• Density | 147.26/km2 (381.4/sq mi) |
Ethnicity | |
• Estonians | 59.34% |
• Russians | 27.1% |
• other | 13.56% |
GDP | |
• Total | €21.680 billion (2022) |
• Per capita | €34,615 (2022) |
ISO 3166 code | EE-37 |
Website | harju |
Harju County (
Harju is the largest county in Estonia in terms of population, as almost half (45%) of the Estonia's population lives in Harju County.History
Ancient history
The territory of modern Harju County consists mostly of two
Conquest
In 1219, the
The Danes built the Toompea Castle (Castrum Danorum) on Toompea Hill in Tallinn, which quickly became the biggest settlement in Estonia. In 1248, it was the first settlement in Estonia to receive its town rights, and in 1285 it became the northernmost member of the Hanseatic League.
German dominance led to the
During the Great Northern War, Harju was one of the few regions in Estonia untouched by warfare for a long time.[citation needed] Nonetheless, Harju County was greatly affected by the 1710-1713 Plague that killed more than eighty percent of the county's population. Russian forces finally arrived in 1710 and laid siege to Tallinn for a month until the Swedish garrison surrendered, thus ending the Great Northern War in Estonia. Russian rule was secured with the Treaty of Nystad in 1721. The plague raged on for several years, eventually leaving several parts of the county completely empty of human habitation.
Russian rule
Imperial Russian rule started with the construction of naval harbours in Tallinn and Paldiski (Swedish: Rogerwiek). Russian Tsar Peter I visited Tallinn at least nine times between 1711 and 1723. He personally opened the construction for Tallinn Naval Harbour in 1714 and Paldiski Naval Harbour in 1718.
In 1870, the
During
Republic of Estonia
The Republic of Estonia was proclaimed in Tallinn on 24 February 1918 while German occupation followed on the next day. German rule ended with the
Occupation era
Soviet occupation
On 18 September 1939, after both
The Soviet Union demanded that Estonia allow the Soviet military bases and stationed 25,000 troops on Estonian soil for the duration of the European war. On 28 September 1939, the government of Estonia accepted the ultimatum and signed the
On 14 June 1940, the Soviet Navy set up a naval blockade in the Gulf of Finland and the Baltic Sea and stationed a navy squadron west of Naissaar island near Tallinn. Soviet bombers shot down the passenger airplane "Kaleva" near Keri island, killing all nine on board, which had included foreign diplomats.
On 16 June 1940, the
Summer War
Germany
German forces started its Tallinn Offensive on 19 August 1941, capturing
German occupation
Northern Estonia was the site of several
Tallinn
After the Red Army
German forces started
Before the Soviet reoccupation in 1944, thousands fled to Sweden across the Baltic Sea, including the entire Estonian Swedish population, who had been settling also on Pakri islands in Harju County.
Second Soviet occupation
The
In 1962, Paldiski became a Soviet Navy nuclear submarine training centre and had two land-based nuclear reactors with 16,000 employees. It was a closed town until the last Russian warship left in August 1994. Until then it was the last Russian military base in Estonia. Russia relinquished control of the nuclear reactor facilities in September 1995.
Administrative history
Formation of the county
The ancient counties of Harjumaa and Revala were merged into Harju County in 1266. It remained within most of its borders until 1949 (with the exclusion of 1783–1796, when Paldiski County was separated).
During the Soviet occupation, in 1940, Tallinn became a city of republic significance. Loksa was transferred to Viru County in 1949. The rest of Harju County was replaced with four raions during the Soviet occupation in 1950. Harju Raion around Tallinn gradually absorbed the former areas of Harju County as Loksa Raion was abolished in 1957, Kose Raion in 1959 and Keila Raion in 1962 and most of their territories transferred to Harju Raion. Aegviidu, Aegviidu Village Council and Kohila Village Council were transferred to Harju Raion in 1962. Harju Raion and the remaining Rapla Raion became Harju County and Rapla County in 1990. Tallinn was reincorporated into Harju County in 1993.
Municipal history
Urban municipalities
Tallinn was the first settlement in Harju County to receive town rights in 1248. Municipally, it consisted of the "upper town" of Toompea and the "lower town". The two municipalities were merged in 1877. The naval harbour town of Paldiski received its town rights in 1783. Nõmme was given a town status in 1926 and Keila in 1938.
Soviet powers merged Nõmme with Tallinn already in 1940. They also separated Tallinn from Harju County and it became a centrally administered town. The same was applied to Paldiski in 1941. The German occupation of 1941-1944 left only Tallinn separated from Harju County. The Soviet reoccupation brought Paldiski back to central administration. Tallinn was divided into four urban raions in 1945 and it gained several new territories from its surrounding parishes. Aegviidu (then in Järva County), Järvakandi and Kohila (both now in Rapla County) and Kehra were named boroughs. The central administration of Paldiski was abolished in 1950 when Paldiski was merged with Keila Raion. Tallinn absorbed Saue in 1960 and Maardu in 1962 and the latter became a town within the municipality of Tallinn in 1980.
Maardu and Saue were separated from Tallinn in 1991 and Kehra, Loksa and Saue were given town status in 1993. The central administration of Tallinn was abolished and the town was re-transferred into Harju County. Its urban raions were abolished in 1993 and replaced with eight modern districts.
Rural municipalities
Ancient Estonian counties were divided into parishes (Estonian language: kihelkond), that became centered on local churches from the 13th century. Modern municipal parishes (Estonian: vald) were created in the 19th century. They were created within the old parishes, that were still centered on the local church.
Soviet rule brought major changes in rural municipalities as local village councils were created throughout 1945. The parishes were abolished with the creation of raions in 1950. Naissaar Parish had been abolished and given to the Red Army already in 1940 and Pakri Parish had been abolished and merged with Paldiski in 1947.
Village councils were renamed "parishes" in 1990–1993.
in 2013.Demography
Population
On 31 December 2021, there were 614,567 people living permanently in Harju county, which was 11.2% more than at the same time ten years ago. Ethnic Estonians made up 60.57% (372,245) of the population, Russians 28.99% (178,169), Ukrainians 3.07% (18,886), Belarusians 1.22% (7,473), Finns 0.69% (4,226), Latvians 0.29% (1,812) and others 5.17% (31,756). [1]
Religion
Religion | 2000 | 2011 | 2021 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | |
Christianity | 134,164 | 30.5 | 143,555 | 31.2 | 149,990 | 29.5 |
—Orthodox Christians | 71,674 | 16.3 | 91,829 | 20.0 | 101,410 | 20.0 |
— Lutherans |
53,043 | 12.1 | 41,771 | 9.1 | 33,920 | 6.7 |
— Catholics |
3,071 | 0.7 | 2,612 | 0.6 | 5,180 | 1.0 |
—Baptists | 2,175 | 0.5 | 1,777 | 0.4 | 2,100 | 0.4 |
—Jehovah's Witnesses | 1,766 | 0.4 | 1,778 | 0.3 | 1,730 | 0.3 |
— Pentecostals |
989 | 0.2 | 757 | 0.1 | 1,030 | 0.2 |
—Old Believers | 282 | 0.06 | 507 | 0.08 | 380 | 0.1 |
— Methodists |
643 | 0.15 | 545 | 0.1 | 620 | 0.1 |
— Adventists |
525 | 0.1 | - | - | 380 | 0.1 |
—Other Christians | - | - | 1,980 | 0.4 | 3,240 | 0.6 |
Islam | 929 | 0.2 | 1,034 | 0.2 | 4,620 | 0.9 |
Buddhism | - | - | - | - | 1,170 | 0.2 |
Other religions** | 3,544 | 0.8 | 1,572 | 0.3 | 6,640 | 1.3 |
No religion | 172,813 | 39.4 | 226,975 | 49.4 | 275,480 | 54.2 |
Not stated*** | 127,491 | 20.0 | 88,026 | 19.1 | 69,230 | 13.6 |
Total population* | 438,945 | 459,589 | 508,150 | |||
*The censuses of Estonia count the religious affiliations of the population older than 15 years of age.[5] |
Geography
Harju County lies on the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland. Its shores are dominated by the North-Estonian coastal plain and the North-Estonian Klint separates the plain from Harju plateau in central and southern Harju County. The forested Kõrvemaa area is situated in eastern Harju County and the West-Estonian plain in western Harju County.
Shoreline
The shoreline is mostly low, but is at some places close to the high North-Estonian Klint. The coastal cliff is the highest in
Islands
The shoreline is dotted with several islands, with the largest ones being
Lakes and rivers
The largest lakes in Harju County are
Geographical extremes
- Northernmost point: Keri island, Kelnase village, Viimsi Parish
- Mainland: Cape Purekkari, Pärispea village, Kuusalu Parish(Northernmost point of mainland Estonia)
- Mainland:
- Easternmost point: Kolgu village, Kuusalu Parish
- Southernmost point: Aela village, Kose Parish
- Westernmost point: Keibu village, Lääne-Harju Parish
- Highest point: 102 m (335 ft) - Määrasmägi, Vetla village, Anija Parish
- Lowest point: 0 m (sea level) - Baltic Sea
Protected areas
There are a number of protected areas in Harju County. Lahemaa National Park was the first national park in the Soviet Union, when it was created in 1971. The park was intended for the protection of the natural and cultural heritage of the coastal landscapes of Northern Estonia. There are 21 nature reserves and 25 landscape protection areas, that are at least partly situated in Harju County. The largest is the Põhja-Kõrvemaa Nature Reserve in Kuusalu Parish and Anija Parish.
Transportation
Highways
The Harju County highway system is determined by roads leading out from Tallinn.
- T1 / E20 runs from Tallinn to Lääne-Viru County towards Narva. Expressway for 80 km out of Tallinn.
- T2 / E263 runs from Tallinn to Järva County towards Tartu. Expressway for 26 km out of Tallinn.
- T4 / E67 runs from Tallinn to Rapla County towards Pärnu. Expressway for 14 km out of Tallinn.
- T8 / E265 runs from Tallinn to Paldiski via Keila.
- T9runs from Ääsmäe, Saue Parish to Lääne County towards Haapsalu.
- T11 / E265 runs from Lasnamäe to Keila and forms the Tallinn ring road.
Rail
Air
Harju County and Estonia are serviced by
.Ports and harbours
The biggest cargo port is Muuga Harbour in Maardu and Viimsi Parish. Other large ports include Paldiski North Harbour and Paldiski South Harbour, Miiduranna Harbour in Viimsi Parish and Bekkeri-Meeruse Port, Hundipea Harbour, Lennusadama Harbour, Paljassaare Harbour, Patarei Harbour, Peetri Harbour and Vene-Balti Port in Tallinn.
Media
The official newspaper of Harju County is Harju Elu.
County government
The
Harju County received municipal functions on 30 March 1917. Members of the Harju County Council were elected by the delegates of county municipalities and the first meeting was held on 1 July 1917 in Tallinn's Toompea Castle. Johannes Reinthal won the election for the Chair of the Council. The language of the proceedings was decided to be Estonian.
Harju County Government became the Executive Committee of Harju County Soviet in January 1941. The County Government was restored during the German occupation from autumn 1941 until autumn 1944. In 1950, the Executive Committee of Harju County Soviet became the Executive Committee of Harju District Labour Soviet. The Harju County Government was re-formed in 1990. The Chairs of Harju County Councils, the Heads of County Governments and the County Governors:
- 1917–1920 Johannes Reinthal
- 1920–1922 Oskar Suursööt
- 1922–1927 Martin Kruusimaa (Krusemann)
- 1927–1936 Rudolf Kuris
- 1936–1940 Karl Robert Ruus
- 1940–1941 Gustav Abel
- 1940; 1941–1944 Paul Männik
- 1990–1991 Anti Oidsalu
- 1991–1994 Mati Zernand
- 1994–1999 Mait Kornet
- 1999–2004 Orm Valtson
- 2005–2006 Jaan Mark
- 2006–2009 Värner Lootsmann
- 2009–present Ülle Rajasalu
Settlements
Harju County has seven
Rank | Settlement | Municipality | Population (2022)[7] |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Tallinn | Tallinn | 437,817 |
2 | Maardu | Maardu | 16,170 |
3 | Keila | Keila | 10,499 |
4 | Haabneeme | Viimsi Parish | 7,265 |
5 | Peetri | Rae Parish | 6,352 |
6 | Laagri | Saue Parish | 6,117 |
7 | Saue | Saue | 5,826 |
8 | Saku | Saku Parish | 4,706 |
9 | Paldiski | Paldiski | 3,719 |
10 | Jüri | Rae Parish | 3,718 |
Municipalities
Harju County is subdivided into 16 municipalities, of which 4 are urban (Estonian: linnad — cities or towns) and 12 are rural (Estonian: vallad — parishes).
Rank | Municipality | Type | Population (2018)[8] |
Area km2[8] |
Density[8] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Anija Parish | Rural | 6,280 | 533 | 11.8 |
2 | Harku Parish | Rural | 14,356 | 159 | 90.3 |
3 | Jõelähtme Parish | Rural | 6,424 | 211 | 30.4 |
4 | Keila City | Urban | 9,956 | 11 | 905.1 |
5 | Kiili Parish | Rural | 5,302 | 100 | 53.0 |
6 | Kose Parish | Rural | 7,196 | 533 | 13.5 |
7 | Kuusalu Parish | Rural | 6,547 | 708 | 9.2 |
8 | Loksa | Urban | 2,663 | 4 | 665.8 |
9 | Lääne-Harju Parish | Rural | 12,881 | 644 | 20.0 |
10 | Maardu | Urban | 15,722 | 23 | 683.6 |
11 | Raasiku Parish | Rural | 5,050 | 159 | 31.8 |
12 | Rae Parish | Rural | 17,968 | 207 | 86.8 |
13 | Saku Parish | Rural | 9,864 | 171 | 57.7 |
14 | Saue Parish | Rural | 21,711 | 615 | 35.3 |
15 | Tallinn | Urban | 448,758 | 158 | 2,840.2 |
16 | Viimsi Parish | Rural | 19,784 | 73 | 271.0 |
Gallery
-
Tallinn St. Olaf's Church and Fat Margaret tower
-
Pirita Conventruins in Tallinn
-
Tallinn Lasnamäe district
-
Maardu Manor
-
Paldiski railway station
-
Jõelähtme Church
-
Kose Church
-
Vasalemma Manor
-
Ääsmäe Manor
-
Tuhala "Witch's Well"
-
Jägala Falls
-
Laitse manor
-
Tarvasjõgi river
-
Kakerdaja bog
References
- ^ a b "Maavanem". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
- ^ "RV0222U: RAHVASTIK SOO, RAHVUSE JA MAAKONNA JÄRGI, 1. JAANUAR. HALDUSJAOTUS SEISUGA 01.01.2018".
- ^ "GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT BY COUNTY". stat.ee.
- ^ "Harjumaa Turism". www.visitharju.ee. Retrieved Nov 25, 2020.
- ^ a b Official census data from Statistics Estonia:
- 2000 Census:
- 2011 Census:
- 2021 Census:
- ^ Postimees - Seadusemuudatus muudab kaks linna aleviks. 27 November 2013.
- ^ City Population: ESTONIA: Harju.
- ^ a b c "Elanike demograafiline jaotus maakonniti". Kohaliku omavalitsuse portaal. Archived from the original on 2 March 2019. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
External links
- Official website (in Estonian)
- Harjumaa Tourism