Tartu County

Tartu County ( or Tartumaa) is one of 15 counties of Estonia. It is located in eastern Estonia bordering Põlva County, Valga County, Viljandi County and Jõgeva County. The area of Tartu County is , which covers 6.9% of the territory of Estonia. In 2022 Tartu County had a population of 157,758 – constituting 11.9% of the total population in Estonia. The city of Tartu is the centre of the county located at a distance of from Tallinn. Tartu County is divided into 8 local governments – 1 urban and 7 rural municipalities. Geography Tartu County lies in South Estonia, between Lake Võrtsjärv and Lake Peipsi. Estonia's only navigable river, River Emajõgi (100 km long), flows through the county, connecting Lake Peipsi and Lake Võrtsjärv. Wavy plains are typical landscapes of Tartu County. One third of the county is covered with forests, a third is cultivated. A quarter is made up of wetlands at the headwaters and lower course of the Emajõgi. In the northern part of the county, there are drumlin fields with lakes between them. Nature reserves, such as Pähklisaar Nature Reserve, Emajõe Suursoo and Alam-Pedja take up about 10% of the county's territory.