KESK-EESTI - Geography and history
Most of Kesk-Eesti is situated in Central Estonia but in the north the region also extends to the Gulf of Finland. To the south and south-east Kesk-Eesti borders on LĠUNA-EESTI region (Viljandi and Jõgeva counties), to the east on Kirde-Eesti (Ida-Viru county) and to the north-west on Põhja-Eesti (Harju county). The western and south-western borders are with Lääne-Eesti region (Lääne and Pärnu counties).
Lääne-Viru county was one of the earliest human settlements in Estonia. It was about 8 000 years ago that Stone-Age hunters and fishermen settled here. At the beginning of the 13th century, Kesk-Eesti was quite a densely populated area with a large number of primitive fields.
Around this time Kesk-Eesti, like other regions of Estonia, was turned into a battlefield by foreign invaders. The region yielded first to the Danes, was thereafter ruled by Germans, Swedes and Russians.
In 1710, Kesk-Eesti was, together with other regions of Estonia, incorporated into the Russian Empire.
Kesk-Eesti comprises three counties, Järva, Lääne-Viru and Rapla. There are 6 cities and 38 rural municipalities in Kesk-Eesti. Kesk-Eesti´s largest cities are Rakvere (16 913 inhabitants at 1st of January 2003), Paide (9 698), Tapa (6 664) and Türi (6 220). The region is populated mainly by ethnic Estonians (89%), and the Estonian language prevails.
Two counties, Järva and Rapla, are situated in the heart of Estonia, and have no external border. In the north Lääne-Viru county has access to the sea, with a 95 km long coastline along the Gulf of Finland.
The dominance of the agricultural sector in Kesk-Eesti is both its strengths and weaknesses. On the one hand, the land is very fertile and farms are large, making them more competitive than those in other regions. Although Estonia's agricultural production is declining overall, Kesk-Eesti has managed to retain its share.
Another strength of the region relates to its central location in the country, which gives other regions easy access to its goods and services. Further valuable resources are the availability of cheap labour, and a safe living environment. Current developments in communications enable most of the region to become the hinterland of the capital, Tallinn, which enhances its attractiveness as a place of residence and investment.
With its dependence on agriculture, any further decrease in the share of primary sector activities in the economic structure may lead to higher unemployment, unless this is off-set by the growth of new economic branches. The region lacks large cities and scientific research institutes, therefore the development of the services sector and the distribution of new technological innovation in Kesk-Eesti has been modest. The trend for young people to move to the larger cities, along with the lack of available capital, has made it difficult for enterprises to attract qualified staff. This lop-sided economic structure, combined with the absence of an industrial tradition, has been accompanied by a low level of entrepreneurship.
The area of Kesk-Eesti is 9 067 km2, or 20% of Estonia's territory, and its relief can be characterised as mostly flat, with hills in the southern part of Lääne-Viru county, belonging to the Pandivere heights.
The major landscape regions are the North Estonian Plateau, the Central Estonian Plain, and the Pandivere Upland.
The region's central and western parts have large forested areas. Wooded land covers 52% of Rapla county, 49% of Järva county and 51% of Lääne-Viru county. The forested and boggy Kõrvemaa Area - ten thousand years of wild nature - is situated in Kesk-Eesti.
In Kesk-Eesti, deposits of limestone and cement clay are the base for the cement industry. In 1970 one of the largest phosphate deposits of Europe was discovered in Lääne-Viru county.
Kesk-Eesti is abundant in small lakes, Rapla county in the region ranks last among Estonian counties by number of lakes. There are also numerous swamps and bogs in Kesk-Eesti. The biggest is the Epu-Kakerdi mire complex (364 km2). Estonia´s largest karst springs are also to be found in this region.
The soil is quite fertile and is suitable for agriculture, which plays a significant role in the local economy.
Two-thirds of Estonia's first national park, Lahemaa National Park, is situated in Kesk-Eesti.
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