Lääne County

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County of Estonia

title: "Lääne County" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["lääne-county", "counties-of-estonia"] description: "County of Estonia" topic_path: "general/laane-county" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lääne_County" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary County of Estonia ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

FieldValue
name
native_nameLäänemaa
settlement_typeCounty
image_skylineAllikajärve lõkkekoht.jpg
image_flagLäänemaa_lipp.svg
flag_size125px
image_shieldLäänemaa vapp.svg
shield_size75px
image_mapLääne County in Estonia.svg
subdivision_typeCountry
subdivision_name[[File:Flag of Estonia.svg
seat_typeCapital
seat[[File:Haapsalu lipp.svg
area_total_km22383
population_total20227
population_as_of2022
population_footnotes
population_rank14th
population_density_km210.3
demographics_type1Ethnicity
demographics1_title1Estonians
iso_codeEE-56
registration_plateS
demographics1_info189.3%
demographics1_title2Russians
demographics1_info27.4%
demographics1_title3other
demographics1_info33.3%
demographics_type2GDP
demographics2_footnotes
demographics2_title1Total
demographics2_info1€320 million (2022)
demographics2_title2Per capita
demographics2_info2€15,658 (2022)
::

| name = Lääne County | native_name = Läänemaa | settlement_type = County | image_skyline = Allikajärve lõkkekoht.jpg | image_flag = Läänemaa_lipp.svg | flag_size = 125px | image_shield = Läänemaa vapp.svg | shield_size = 75px | image_map = Lääne County in Estonia.svg | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = [[File:Flag of Estonia.svg|20px]] Estonia | seat_type = Capital | seat = [[File:Haapsalu lipp.svg|20px]] Haapsalu | area_total_km2 = 2383 | population_total = 20227 | population_as_of = 2022 | population_footnotes = | population_rank = 14th | population_density_km2 = 10.3 | demographics_type1 = Ethnicity | demographics1_footnotes = | demographics1_title1 = Estonians | iso_code = EE-56 | registration_plate = S | footnotes = | demographics1_info1 = 89.3% | demographics1_title2 = Russians | demographics1_info2 = 7.4% | demographics1_title3 = other | demographics1_info3 = 3.3% | demographics_type2 = GDP | demographics2_footnotes = | demographics2_title1 = Total | demographics2_info1 = €320 million (2022) | demographics2_title2 = Per capita | demographics2_info2 = €15,658 (2022)

Lääne County ( or Läänemaa, literally "Western land"; ; ) is one of the 15 counties of Estonia. It is located in western Estonia and borders the Baltic Sea to the north, Harju County to the northeast, Rapla County to the east, Pärnu County to the south, and the island counties of Saare and Hiiu to the west. In January 2009, Lääne County had a population of 23,810 – constituting 2.0% of the total population in Estonia.

County government

Until 2017 the County Government () was led by a governor (), who was appointed by the Government of Estonia for a term of five years. Since 15 December 2011, the governorship was held by Innar Mäesalu.

Maavanem 1918–1941

  • Aleksander Saar 1917–1927
  • Artur Kasterpalu 1930–1941

Maavanem 1993–2017

  • Andres Lipstok 14 December 1993 – 12 August 1994
  • Hannes Danilov 1 November 1994 – 3 January 1999
  • Arder Väli 23 February 1999 – 20 July 1999
  • Jaanus Sahk 22 September 1999 – 22 September 2004
  • Sulev Vare 19 November 2004 – 14 September 2007
  • Neeme Suur 18 February 2008 – 4 April 2011
  • Innar Mäesalu 15 December 2011 -

Municipalities

The county is subdivided into municipalities. There is one urban municipality, Haapsalu ( – town) and 2 rural municipalities ( – parishes) in Lääne County. ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bf/Lääne_municipalities_2017.png" caption="Municipalities in Lääne County"] ::

::data[format=table] | Rank | Municipality | Type | 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}} | Area km2 | Density | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | 1 | Haapsalu | Urban | 13,516 | 264 | 51.2 | | 2 | Lääne-Nigula Parish | Rural | 7,239 | 1,451 | 5.0 | | 3 | Vormsi Parish | Rural | 419 | 93 | 4.5 | ::

Religion

The Lääne deanery of Saare-Lääne Diocese of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church in the county includes the Haapsalu St. John's congregation, Kullamaa St. John's congregation, Lääne-Nigula St. Nicholas' congregation, Martna St. Martin's congregation, Noarootsi St. Catherine's congregation, Nõva St. Olav's congregation, Piirsalu congregation and Ridala St. Mary Magdalene's .congregation. Regarding the Orthodox congregations in the county, the St.Prince-Alexander.Nevsky congregation, subordinate to the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, is located in Haapsalu.

Baptist congregations in the county operate in the following places: Haapsalu, Palivere, Ridala, Sutlepa, Vormsi and Mäevalla. Also two Methodist congregations and an Adventist congregation operate in Haapsalu. A Pentecostal congregation operates in Palivere. There is also a Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses in Haapsalu.

::data[format=table title="Religious affiliations in Lääne County, census 2000–2021*Official census data from [[Statistics Estonia]]:"] | Religion | 2000 | 2011 | 2021 | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Total population* || colspan="2" | 22,840|| colspan="2" | 20,673|| colspan="2" |17,170 | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Christianity | 5,109 | 22,3 | 4,418 | 21.3 | 4,050 | 23.6 | | | | | | —Orthodox Christians | 921 | 4.0 | 1,052 | 5.0 | 1,290 | 7.4 | | | | | | —Lutherans | 3,580 | 15.6 | 2,773 | 13.4 | 1,960 | 11.4 | | | | | | —Catholics | 46 | 0.2 | 32 | 0.1 | 40 | 0.2 | | | | | | —Baptists | 358 | 1.5 | 234 | 1.1 | 450 | 2.6 | | | | | | —Jehovah's Witnesses | 74 | 0.3 | 93 | 0.4 | 90 | 0.5 | | | | | | —Pentecostals | 70 | 0.3 | 46 | 0.2 | 80 | 0.4 | | | | | | —Old Believers | - | | 3 | 0.01 | - | | | | | | | —Methodists | 73 | 0.3 | 36 | 0.1 | 20 | 0.1 | | | | | | —Adventists | 61 | 0.2 | 46 | 0.2 | 50 | 0.3 | | | | | | —Other Christians | - | | 103 | 0.5 | 70 | 0.3 | | | | | | Islam | 12 | 0.05 | 8 | 0.02 | - | | | | | | | Buddhism | - | - | 14 | 0.04 | - | | | | | | | Other religions** | 98 | 0.4 | 210 | 1.0 | 200 | 1.1 | | | | | | No religion | 8,632 | 37.8 | 13,126 | 64.5 | 10,920 | 63.6 | | | | | | Not stated*** | 8,914 | 39.0 | 2,798 | 13.5 | 1,940 | 11.3 | | | | | | *****The censuses of Estonia count the religious affiliations of the population older than 15 years of age. ". | | | | | | | | | | | ::

History

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8b/Koluvere_linnus_vallikraaviga.jpg" caption="Sakala]] (Saccala), and Ugandi ([[Ugaunia]])." alt="Koluvere castle in Lääne County."] ::

Läänemaa (, Low German: Wiek) was an independent country on the east coast of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Revala, Harjumaa, Alempois, and Sakala. Läänemaa had an area of approximately 1900 hides. Early in 1220 troops from Sweden, initially led by King John I, had invaded Läänemaa. The Swedish army took the Lihula stronghold and set up a small garrison. Swedish Jarl Karl Döve and Bishop Karl Magnusson of Linköping, both from the powerful House of Bjälbo, also remained in the castle. On August 8, 1220, the united Œselian and Rotalian armies encircled the castle at dawn. It was set ablaze in the course of the fierce battle that ensued. The Swedish troops tried to make their way out, but were killed on site apart from a few who succeeded in escaping to Tallinn, held by Denmark. The Jarl, the Bishop, and almost 500 other Swedes were killed, leaving no Swedish presence in Estonia at all. The short-lived Swedish attempt to gain foothold in Estonia was motivated by the quickly advancing Danish and Low German crusaders who had been able to conquer most of the area in the early 13th century. Defeat in the Battle of Lihula discouraged the Swedish expansion to Estonia for more than 300 years, and the country was left for the Teutonic Knights, Low German Bishops and Denmark to divide. In the meantime, Sweden focused on Finland and the Swedish-Novgorodian Wars. After the Livonian Crusade Läänemaa became the main territory of the Bishopric of Ösel-Wiek, an independent Bishopric. Parts of the Bishop's castle are still preserved in Haapsalu.

Historic parishes (''kihelkonnad'')

After the German conquest in 1227, Lääne County became the center of the Bishopric of Ösel-Wiek, an independent principality within the Livonian Confederation. Parts of Bishop's castle are still preserved in Haapsalu.

References

References

  1. "GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT BY COUNTY".
  2. (1 January 2009). "Population by sex, ethnic nationality and County, 1 January". [[Statistics Estonia]].
  3. "Endised maavanemad - Lääne Maavalitsus".
  4. "Maavanem - Lääne Maavalitsus".
  5. "Elanike demograafiline jaotus maakonniti". Kohaliku omavalitsuse portaal.
  6. "The Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church. Congregations.".
  7. "Moskva Patriarhaadi Eesti Õigeusu Kirik. Kontaktid.".
  8. "Union of Free Evangelical and Baptist Churches of Estonia. Kogudused.".
  9. Raun, Toivo. (2001). "Estonia and the Estonians". Hoover Press.

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