Rapla County (Estonian: Rapla maakond or Raplamaa) is one of the fifteen counties of Estonia. It is situated in the western part of the country and borders Järva County to the east, Pärnu County to the south, Lääne County to the west, and Harju County to the north. In 2022 Rapla County had a population of 33,529 – constituting 2.5% of the total population of Estonia.[1]
Rapla County Raplamaa | |
|---|---|
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 Coat of arms | |
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| Coordinates: 59°15′N 26°20′E / 59.250°N 26.333°E | |
| Country | Estonia |
| Capital | Rapla |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Tiit Leier |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2,979.7 km2 (1,150.5 sq mi) |
| Population (2022)[1] | |
| • Total | 33,529 |
| • Rank | 7th |
| • Density | 11/km2 (29/sq mi) |
| Ethnicity | |
| • Estonians | 94% |
| • other | 6% |
| GDP | |
| • Total | €540 million (2022) |
| • Per capita | €15,985 (2022) |
| ISO 3166 code | EE-71 |
| Vehicle registration | L |
| Website | www |
History
The first written records of Rapla date back to the 1241 Danish census (Liber Census Daniae).
County government
The County Government (Estonian: Maavalitsus) is led by a governor (Estonian: maavanem), who is appointed by the Government of Estonia for a term of five years. Since 2009, the Governor position is held by Tiit Leier.
Municipalities
The county is subdivided into municipalities. There are 4 rural municipalities (Estonian: vallad – parishes) in Rapla County:
| Rank | Municipality | Type | Population (2018)[3] | Area km2[3] | Density[3] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kehtna Parish | Rural | 5,605 | 512 | 10.9 |
| 2 | Kohila Parish | Rural | 7,096 | 230 | 30.9 |
| 3 | Märjamaa Parish | Rural | 7,739 | 1,174 | 6.6 |
| 4 | Rapla Parish | Rural | 13,334 | 849 | 15.7 |
Religion
Religion in Rapla County (2021) [1]
| Religion | 2000 | 2011 | 2021 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | |
| Christianity | 7,747 | 26.1 | 5,144 | 17.6 | 4,370 | 15.7 |
| —Orthodox Christians | 775 | 2.6 | 912 | 3.1 | 740 | 2.7 |
| —Lutherans | 6,439 | 21.7 | 3,761 | 12.8 | 2,980 | 10.7 |
| —Catholics | 68 | 0.2 | 50 | 0.1 | 240 | 0.8 |
| —Baptists | 232 | 0.7 | 155 | 0.5 | 140 | 0.5 |
| —Jehovah's Witnesses | 58 | 0.1 | 72 | 0.2 | 80 | 0.2 |
| —Pentecostals | 95 | 0.2 | 37 | 0.1 | 30 | 0.1 |
| —Old Believers | 4 | 0.01 | 7 | 0.01 | - | - |
| —Methodists | 36 | 0.1 | 13 | 0.02 | - | - |
| —Adventists | 40 | 0.1 | 29 | 0.1 | - | - |
| —Other Christians | - | 108 | 0.3 | 160 | 0.55 | |
| Islam | 9 | 0.02 | 11 | 0.02 | - | - |
| Buddhism | - | - | 15 | 0.02 | 60 | 0.2 |
| Other religions** | 177 | 0.6 | 232 | 0.8 | 340 | 1.2 |
| No religion | 11,739 | 39.6 | 19,695 | 67.5 | 19,660 | 70.6 |
| Not stated*** | 9,860 | 33.2 | 4,091 | 14.0 | 3,330 | 11.9 |
| Total population* | 29,632 | 29,187 | 27,820 | |||
| *The censuses of Estonia count the religious affiliations of the population older than 15 years of age.[4] ".[4] | ||||||
Geography
Natural resources found in Rapla county include limestone, dolomite, peat, and clay.
Miscellaneous topics
The church of Rapla was built in 1901. However, much of the interior dates back to several hundred years earlier and is of high structural quality and historical value. In the churchyard there are several crosses remaining from the 17th century.
Gallery
Porkuni Castle gate tower
Palmse manor
Rakvere Castle
Mõdriku manor
Malla manor
Vihula windmill
Laekvere pine
Lake Neeruti Tagajärv
View from tower on the hill of Emumägi
Toolse Castle
Vainupea Chapel
Vihula Manor
Altja river
Sagadi manor
Viru bog in Lahemaa National Park
Mähu boulders in Lahemaa National Park
Rapeseed field near Laekvere
References
External links
