Kunda, Estonia

Kunda is a town in the Viru-Nigula Parish of Estonia, located on the coast of the Gulf of Finland. Kunda is best known for its cement factory, port, and archaeological heritage.^[2]

Kunda
Town
From left to right, clockwise: A cement factory, apartment buildings, the ruins of an old cement factory, a pulp mill, a hydroelectric power plant
Kunda Location of Kunda in the Baltic Sea region Show map of Scandinavia Kunda Location in Estonia Show map of Estonia Kunda Location in Europe Show map of Europe
Coordinates: 59°30′N 26°32′E
Country	Estonia
County	Lääne-Viru County
Municipality	Viru-Nigula Parish
City status	May 1, 1938
Area
• Total	9.85 km2 (3.80 sq mi)
Population  (2021)[1]
• Total	2,865
• Rank	29th
• Density	290/km2 (750/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)

History

Evidence of some of the oldest prehistoric communities in Estonia—hunting, and fishing communities that existed around 6500 BC—were found near Kunda. This settlement gave the name to the Kunda culture.

The first written record of Kunda dates back to 1241, when it was mentioned as a village. In 1443 it was mentioned as a manor.^[3]

Kunda was granted official borough rights on May 1, 1938.

Demographics

Ethnic composition 1922-2021

Ethnicity	1922[4]		1934[5]		1941[6]		1959[7]		1970[8]		1979[9]		1989[9]		2000[10]		2011[11]		2021[12]
	amount	%	amount	%	amount	%	amount	%	amount	%	amount	%	amount	%	amount	%	amount	%	amount	%
Estonians	2102	91.0	1728	92.8	1433	97.5	2768	73.3	3400	65.1	2945	61.0	2513	49.9	2283	58.6	2176	63.6	2043	68.2
Russians	97	4.20	77	4.13	25	1.70	-	-	1442	27.6	1468	30.4	2037	40.4	1278	32.8	1041	30.4	802	26.8
Ukrainians	-	-	0	0.00	-	-	-	-	118	2.26	134	2.78	166	3.30	-	-	82	2.40	55	1.84
Belarusians	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	95	1.82	92	1.91	83	1.65	-	-	34	0.99	26	0.87
Finns	-	-	9	0.48	2	0.14	-	-	102	1.95	106	2.20	104	2.06	-	-	37	1.08	26	0.87
Jews	0	0.00	0	0.00	0	0.00	-	-	3	0.06	2	0.04	2	0.04	-	-	2	0.06	0	0.00
Latvians	-	-	0	0.00	1	0.07	-	-	2	0.04	11	0.23	4	0.08	-	-	5	0.15	5	0.17
Germans	73	3.16	33	1.77	-	-	-	-	-	-	4	0.08	7	0.14	-	-	7	0.20	3	0.10
Tatars	-	-	0	0.00	-	-	-	-	-	-	10	0.21	13	0.26	-	-	1	0.03	3	0.10
Poles	-	-	1	0.05	0	0.00	-	-	-	-	14	0.29	13	0.26	-	-	6	0.18	5	0.17
Lithuanians	-	-	0	0.00	0	0.00	-	-	8	0.15	7	0.14	14	0.28	-	-	11	0.32	7	0.23
unknown	1	0.04	0	0.00	3	0.20	0	0.00	0	0.00	0	0.00	0	0.00	12	0.31	1	0.03	3	0.10
other	37	1.60	15	0.81	5	0.34	1008	26.7	56	1.07	35	0.72	81	1.61	326	8.36	19	0.56	21	0.70
Total	2310	100	1863	100	1469	100	3776	100	5226	100	4828	100	5037	100	3899	100	3422	100	2997	100.08

International relations

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Estonia

Twin towns — Sister cities

The former municipality of Kunda was twinned with:

• Gdynia, Poland^[13]

Climate

Climate data for Kunda, Estonia (normals 1991–2020, extremes 1849–present)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	9.6 (49.3)	11.1 (52.0)	15.8 (60.4)	27.6 (81.7)	33.1 (91.6)	34.1 (93.4)	33.9 (93.0)	34.4 (93.9)	29.0 (84.2)	21.2 (70.2)	13.7 (56.7)	11.8 (53.2)	34.4 (93.9)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	−1 (30)	−1.2 (29.8)	2.6 (36.7)	8.8 (47.8)	14.7 (58.5)	18.9 (66.0)	21.8 (71.2)	20.9 (69.6)	16.1 (61.0)	9.5 (49.1)	4.0 (39.2)	0.9 (33.6)	9.7 (49.5)
Daily mean °C (°F)	−3.3 (26.1)	−4.0 (24.8)	−0.8 (30.6)	4.4 (39.9)	9.8 (49.6)	14.4 (57.9)	17.5 (63.5)	16.5 (61.7)	12.2 (54.0)	6.7 (44.1)	1.9 (35.4)	−1.1 (30.0)	6.2 (43.2)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	−5.7 (21.7)	−6.7 (19.9)	−4 (25)	0.8 (33.4)	5.3 (41.5)	10.1 (50.2)	13.2 (55.8)	12.4 (54.3)	8.6 (47.5)	4.0 (39.2)	−0.2 (31.6)	−3.2 (26.2)	2.9 (37.2)
Record low °C (°F)	−33.1 (−27.6)	−34.9 (−30.8)	−27.7 (−17.9)	−19 (−2)	−5.3 (22.5)	−0.2 (31.6)	2.9 (37.2)	2.7 (36.9)	−3.4 (25.9)	−10.6 (12.9)	−19.7 (−3.5)	−34.9 (−30.8)	−34.9 (−30.8)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	38 (1.5)	29 (1.1)	27 (1.1)	29 (1.1)	41 (1.6)	68 (2.7)	61 (2.4)	76 (3.0)	54 (2.1)	61 (2.4)	52 (2.0)	38 (1.5)	573 (22.6)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm)	9	6	7	7	6	8	9	11	11	11	11	10	105
Average relative humidity (%)	87	85	80	75	72	76	78	80	81	83	86	86	81
Source: Estonian Weather Service (precipitation days, 1971–2000)[14][15][16][17][18]

Notable people

• Argo Aadli (born 1980), theatre and film actor
• Armin Öpik (1898–1983), paleontologist
• Ernst Öpik (1893–1985), astronomer and astrophysicist
• Jüri Parijõgi (1892–1941), writer and scholar
• Knudåge Riisager (1897–1974), composer, son of expatriate Danish parents (his father running the cement factory), spent his first 3 years in Kunda.

References

1. "Population by sex, age group and place of residence after the 2017 administrative reform, 1 January". Statistics Estonia. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
2. Kirss, Odette (1980). Kunda (in Estonian). Tallinn: Eesti Raamat. p. 5.
3. "Kunda". Eesti Entsüklopeedia. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
4. 1922 a. üldrahvalugemise andmed. Vihk IV, Viru maakond (tabelid). Eesti riikline statistika (in Estonian and French). Tallinn: Riigi Statistika Keskbüroo. 1924. pp. 12–13. hdl:10062/4451.
5. Rahvastiku koostis ja korteriolud. 1.III 1934 rahvaloenduse andmed. Vihk II (in Estonian). Tallinn: Riigi Statistika Keskbüroo. 1935. pp. 47–53. hdl:10062/4439.
6. Eesti Statistika : kuukiri 1942-03/04 (in German and Estonian). Tallinn: Riigi Statistika Keskbüroo. 1942. pp. 66–67.
7. Katus, Kalev; Puur, Allan; Põldma, Asta; Sakkeus, Luule (1996). Rahvastiku ühtlusarvutatud sündmus- ja loendusstatistika: Lääne-Virumaa 1965-1990. Sari C (in Estonian and English). Tallinn: Eesti Kõrgkoolidevaheline Demouuringute Keskus. pp. 31–32. ISBN 9985-820-21-5.
8. Население районов, городов и поселков городского типа Эстонской ССР : по данным Всесоюзной переписи населения на 15 января 1970 года (in Russian). Tallinn: Eesti NSV Statistika Keskvalitsus. 1972. p. 78.
9. Eesti Vabariigi maakondade, linnade ja alevite rahvastik: 1989. a. rahvaloenduse andmed: statistikakogumik. 1. osa: Rahvaarv rahvuse, perekonnaseisu, hariduse ja elatusallikate järgi. Tallinn: Statistikaamet. 1990. pp. 30, 35. ISBN 978-9949-71-932-7.
10. 2000. aasta rahva ja eluruumide loendus (PDF) (in Estonian and English). Tallinn: Statistikaamet. 2001. p. 81. ISBN 9985-74-167-6.
11. "RL0429: RAHVASTIK RAHVUSE, SOO, VANUSERÜHMA JA ELUKOHA JÄRGI, 31. DETSEMBER 2011". Estonian Statistical Database (in Estonian).
12. "RL21429: RAHVASTIK RAHVUSE, SOO, VANUSERÜHMA JA ELUKOHA (HALDUSÜKSUS) JÄRGI, 31. DETSEMBER 2021". Estonian Statistical Database (in Estonian).
13. "International co-operation of Gdynia". Gdynia.pl. Archived from the original on 2016-10-19.
14. "Climate normals-Temperature". Estonian Weather Service. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
15. "Climate normals-Precipitation". Estonian Weather Service. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
16. "Climate normals-Humidity". Estonian Weather Service. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
17. "Rekordid" (in Estonian). Estonian Weather Service. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
18. "Kliimanormid-Sademed, õhuniiskus" (in Estonian). Estonian Weather Service. Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 24 February 2021.

External links