Jõhvi

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Jõhvi linn
Jõhvi

Flag

Coat of arms

Location of Jõhvi

Coordinates: 59°21′N 27°25′E / 59.35, 27.417

Country

Estonia

County

Ida-Viru County

Area

- Total

7.62 km² (2.9 sq mi)

Population (2004)

- Total

11,600

- Density

1,522.3/km² (3,942.7/sq mi)

Time zone

EET (UTC+2)

- Summer (DST)

EEST (UTC+3)

Jõhvi (German: Jewe) is a town in north-eastern Estonia, and the capital of Ida-Viru County. The town is also an administrative centre of Jõhvi Commune. It is situated 50 km from the Russian border.

Ethnic Estonians are a minority in Jõhvi, as about 58 percent of the town's population are either ethnic Russian immigrants who arrived in Estonia during the last period of Soviet occupation (1944-1991) or their descendants.

[edit] History

Central square of Jõhvi, as of 2005

Jõhvi was first mentioned as a village in 1241 in a Danish book when it was ruled by Denmark. Historical names of Jõhvi were Gewi and Jewi. In the 13th century a church was built here and Jõhvi became the centre of the local church parish.

On 1 May 1938 Konstantin Päts renamed the Jõhvi borough a town along with nearly all Estonian boroughs. In 2005 the town of Jõhvi was united with the parish of Jõhvi.