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Saaremaa Parish

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Saaremaa Municipality
Saaremaa vald
Municipality of Estonia
Kuressaare town and harbour
Kuressaare town and harbour
Flag of Saaremaa Municipality
Flag
Coat of arms of Saaremaa Municipality
Coat of arms
Saaremaa Parish
Saaremaa Parish
CountryEstonia
CountySaare
Administrative centerKuressaare
Government
 • MayorRainer Antsaar
Area
 • Total
2,718 km2 (1,049 sq mi)
Population
 (2024)
 • Total
30,304
 • Density11.15/km2 (28.88/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)
ISO 3166 codeEE-714
Websitewww.saaremaavald.ee

Saaremaa Parish, also known as Saaremaa Municipality (Estonian: Saaremaa vald), is a municipality in Saare County in western Estonia. It is the largest municipality by land area and largest rural municipality – or parish – by population in Estonia. The administrative centre of the municipality is its only town Kuressaare.

It is one of three parishes comprising the county, along with Muhu and Ruhnu Parish. It was formed following the 2017 Estonian municipal reform on 21 October 2017 on the basis of all twelve former Saaremaa municipalities: Kuressaare town and Kihelkonna, Laimjala, Leisi, Lääne-Saare, Mustjala, Orissaare, Pihtla, Pöide, Salme, Torgu and Valjala parishes.[1][2]

History

[edit]

Saaremaa Municipality was formed following the 2017 Estonian municipal reform on 21 October 2017 on the basis of all twelve former Saaremaa municipalities: Kuressaare town and Kihelkonna, Laimjala, Leisi, Lääne-Saare, Mustjala, Orissaare, Pihtla, Pöide, Salme, Torgu and Valjala parishes.[1][2]

Previously, in 2014, the municipalities of Kaarma, Kärla, and Lümanda had already merged, and initially wanted to use the name Saaremaa municipality for the merged municipality,[3] but later decided in favour of the name of Lääne-Saare municipality.[4][5]

In 2014, it became clear at a meeting of the heads of Saaremaa municipalities that other county municipalities would also not be against a merger,[6] and the respective merger committees began their work as early as 2015.[7] Although Pöide municipality did not initially join the merger agreement signed on 1 December 2016,[8] the Government of Estonia, based on the proposal of the regional committee, decided to forcibly merge Pöide municipality with the upcoming Saaremaa municipality.[9][10] As a result, the Pöide municipality council also decided to join the merger negotiations.[11]

Government

[edit]

The municipality is governed by the Saaremaa Municipality Council, which consists of 31 members elected to four-year terms via party list. The mayor and the cabinet are elected by the municipality council.

The current mayor is Rainer Antsaar.[12] The current chairman of the municipality council is Koit Voojärv.[13]

Districts

[edit]
Map of districts of Saaremaa and the town of Kuressaare
Districts of Saaremaa and the town of Kuressaare

Saaremaa Municipality is divided into thirteen (rural) districts – osavallad. The aim of the districts is to maintain local initiative and identity, to involve residents in deciding local issues and to represent local interests. The town of Kuressaare is a separate territorial unit, not being part of any district.

Service centres have been established in every district to provide and manage public services.[14]

Settlements

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Town

[edit]

Kuressaare

Boroughs

[edit]

Aste, Kihelkonna, Kudjape, Kärla, Leisi, Nasva, Orissaare, Salme, Valjala

Villages

[edit]

Notable people

[edit]
Arnold Rüütel, 2013

References

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  1. 1 2 "Ülevaade KOVid 14.07.2017" (PDF). Estonian Ministry of Finance. 14 July 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 October 2017. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
  2. 1 2 "Number of officials in Saaremaa not reduced by administrative reform". ERR. 8 November 2017. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
  3. ↑ ERR, Mari Rebane | (2014-07-17). "Saaremaa valdade ühinemine seisab nime taga". ERR (in Estonian). Retrieved 2025-01-02.
  4. ↑ "Kaarma valla, Kärla valla ja Lümanda valla haldusterritoriaalse korralduse ja Vabariigi Valitsuse 3. aprilli 1995. a määruse nr 159 "Eesti territooriumi haldusüksuste nimistu kinnitamine" muutmine–Riigi Teataja". www.riigiteataja.ee. Retrieved 2025-01-02.
  5. ↑ ERR, Maarja Roon | (2014-08-22). "Kolm Saaremaa valda andsid nimevaidluses järele". ERR (in Estonian). Retrieved 2025-01-02.
  6. ↑ ERR, Margus Muld, Saaremaa | (2014-04-08). "Kõik Saaremaa omavalitsused on ühinemiskõnelusteks valmis". ERR (in Estonian). Retrieved 2025-01-02.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ↑ ERR (2015-01-13). "Saaremaa liigub ühise omavalitsuse loomise poole". ERR (in Estonian). Retrieved 2025-01-02.
  8. ↑ ERR (2016-12-01). "Pöide only municipality not to join Saaremaa-wide merger for now". ERR. Retrieved 2025-01-02.
  9. ↑ ERR (2017-01-10). "Komisjon soovitab Pöide ja Ruhnu ühendada Saaremaa vallaga". ERR (in Estonian). Retrieved 2025-01-02.
  10. ↑ ERR (2017-02-09). "Government unveils forced merger plan for small municipalities". ERR. Retrieved 2025-01-02.
  11. ↑ ERR, Margus Muld, Pöide | (2017-03-30). "Saaremaa Pöide vald tahab naabritega ühinemisläbirääkimisi". ERR (in Estonian). Retrieved 2025-01-02.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  12. ↑ "Koosseis ja kontakt | Saaremaa vald". saaremaavald.ee (in Estonian). Retrieved 2026-09-24.
  13. ↑ "Vallavolikogu koosseis ja kontakt | Saaremaa vald". saaremaavald.ee (in Estonian). Retrieved 2026-09-24.
  14. ↑ "Tutvustus ja asukoht | Saaremaa vald". www.saaremaavald.ee (in Estonian). Retrieved 2025-01-02.
  15. ↑ "Bechler, John Christian" . Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography. Vol. I. 1900. p. 212.
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