View source for Ida-Viru County

{{Short description|County in northeastern Estonia}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!-- See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions -->| name               = Ida-Viru County
| native_name        = {{lang|et|Ida-Virumaa}}
| settlement_type    = [[Counties of Estonia|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    = [[Counties of Estonia|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%
<!-- GDP  --------------->| 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}} or {{lang|et|Ida-Virumaa}}; {{langx|ru|Ида-Вируский уезд|Ida-Viruskij uezd}}) 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 plant]]s. 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 [[Harjumaa|Harju]] (28%).

== History ==
During the latter part of the period of [[Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic|Soviet rule of Estonia]], Ida-Virumaa was called the Kohtla-Järve district, and its administrative capital was [[Kohtla-Järve]].

[[County Governments of Estonia|County Government]] ({{langx|et|maavalitsus}}), led by a [[County Governors of Estonia|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 ==
[[File:Population of Ida-Viru county (1990-2010).png|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 County|Harju]] and [[Tartu County|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 in Estonia|Russian]]s 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>

[[Baptists|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;"| <small>—[[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox Christians]]</small> || 43,302 || 28.5 || 55,840 || 42.2 || 53,180 || 46.0
|-
|style="background:#E0F0FF;"| <small>—[[Lutherans]]</small> || 7,946 || 5.3 || 4,623 || 3.6 || 2,440 || 2,1
|-
|style="background:#E0F0FF;"| <small>—[[Catholics]]</small> || 1,145 || 0.7 || 815 || 0.6 || 1,110 || 0.9
|-
|style="background:#E0F0FF;"| <small>—[[Baptists]]</small> || 675 || 0.4 || 379 || 0.2 || 200 || 0.1
|-
|style="background:#E0F0FF;"| <small>—[[Jehovah's Witnesses]]</small> || 282 || 0.2 || 342 || 0.2 || 320 || 0.2
|-
|style="background:#E0F0FF;"| <small>—[[Pentecostals]]</small> || 504 || 0.3 || 318 || 0.2 || 400 || 0.3
|-
|style="background:#E0F0FF;"| <small>—[[Old Believers]]</small> || 108 || 0.007 || 158 || 0.1 || 130 || 0.1
|-
|style="background:#E0F0FF;"| <small>—[[Methodists]]</small> || 172 || 0.1 || 140 || 0.1 || 160 || 0.1
|-
|style="background:#E0F0FF;"| <small>—[[Adventists]]</small> || 135 || 0.1 || 111 || 0.1 || 80 || 0.1
|-
|style="background:#E0F0FF;"| <small>—Other Christians</small> || - || - || 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<small>**</small>|| 590 || 0.3 || 438 || 0.2 || 740 || 0.6
|-
| style="background:#F5F5F5;" | [[Irreligion|No religion]]|| 50,551 || 33.7 || 42,754 || 33.1 || 40,250 || 34.8
|-
| style="background:#DCDCDC;" | Not stated<small>***</small>|| 44,362 || 29.5 || 22,436 || 17.4 || 15,400 || 13.3
|-
! Total population<small>*</small> || colspan="2" | 150,049 || colspan="2" | 129,049 || colspan="2" | 115,650
|-
| colspan="7" | '''*'''<small>The censuses of Estonia count the religious affiliations of the population older than 15 years of age.</small><ref name="Census" />
|}

==Municipalities==
Ida-Virumaa County is subdivided into eight [[Municipalities of Estonia|municipalities]], of which four are urban ({{langx|et|linnad}} — cities or towns) and four are rural ({{langx|et|vallad}} — [[Parish (administrative division)|parishes]]). There are 217 villages in Ida-Virumaa.
[[File:Ida-Viru municipalities 2017.png|thumb|right|300px|Municipalities of Ida-Viru County]]
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Rank !! Municipality !! Type !! Population<br />(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<br />km<sup>2</sup><ref name=population/> !! Density<ref name=population/>
|-
|1 || [[Alutaguse Parish]] || Rural || 4,929 || 1,465 || 3.4
|-
|2 || [[Jõhvi Parish]] || Rural || 11,645 || 124 || 93.9
|-
|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 municipality)|Narva-Jõesuu]] || Urban || 4,828 || 411 || 11.7
|-
|7 || [[Sillamäe]] || Urban || 13,406 || 11 || 1,218.7
|-
|8 || [[Toila Parish]] || Rural || 4,807 || 266 || 18.1
|}

==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]

{{Counties of Estonia}}
{{Authority control}}

{{coord|59|13|N|27|18|E|type:adm1st_region:EE|display=title}}

[[Category:Ida-Viru County| ]]
[[Category:Counties of Estonia]]
[[Category:Russian communities]]