Kanepi Parish

Kanepi Parish (Estonian: Kanepi vald) is a rural municipality in Estonia, located in Põlva County. It has a population of 4,662 (as of 1 January 2020) and covers an area of 524.68 km² (202.58 sq mi).^[1] The administrative centre is Kanepi.

Kanepi Parish Kanepi vald
Municipality of Estonia
Kanepi church
Flag Coat of arms
Kanepi Parish within Põlva County
Country	Estonia
County	Põlva
Administrative centre	Kanepi
Government
• Municipality Governor	Piret Rammul (unaffiliated)
Area
• Total	524.68 km2 (202.58 sq mi)
Population  (01.01.2020)
• Total	4,662
• Density	8.9/km2 (23/sq mi)
ISO 3166 code	EE-284
Website	www.kanepi.kovtp.ee

Drone video of a hemp themed maze in a hemp (kanep in Estonian) field in Kanepi parish, Estonia (August 2022)

It was established in 2017 through the merger of Valgjärve, Kõlleste, and Kanepi Parish.

Settlements

Watermill in Roti, the village of Hurmi.

Religion in Kanepi Parish (2021) Eesti Statistika

1. Unaffiliated (83.2%)
2. Lutheran (11.2%)
3. Orthodox (2.60%)
4. Other Christians (1.30%)
5. Other Religions or Unknown (1.70%)
6. 0.00%

Small borough

Kanepi

Villages

Abissaare - Aiaste - Erastvere - Hauka - Heisri - Hino - Hurmi - Häätaru - Ihamaru - Jõgehara - Jõksi - Kaagna - Kaagvere - Karaski - Karilatsi - Karste - Koigera - Kooli - Kooraste - Krootuse - Krüüdneri - Lauri - Maaritsa - Magari - Mügra - Närapää - Palutaja - Peetrimõisa - Piigandi - Piigaste - Pikajärve - Pikareinu - Prangli - Puugi - Põlgaste - Rebaste - Saverna - Sirvaste - Sulaoja - Sõreste - Tiido - Tuulemäe - Tõdu - Valgjärve - Varbuse - Veski - Vissi - Voorepalu

Geography

The lakes Aalupi, Erastvere and Hüüdre are located in Kanepi Parish.

2018 flag

After the 2017 merger with Valgjärve and Kõlleste Parishes, the Kanepi Parish was looking for a new flag and coat of arms. As Kanep is the Estonian word for cannabis,^[2] there were several proposed versions of a flag and coat of arms with the cannabis leaf in it.

In an online poll among the seven finalist designs, a cannabis leaf design won with an overwhelming majority of 12,000 votes, far larger than the parish population of 5,000.^[3][4]

In May 2018, the city council, baffled by the ordeal, chose to vote for themselves if they wanted to officially adopt the proposed flag, with a slim majority of 9-8 voting to adopt the flag.^[5] On May 15, 2018, the municipality announced that the cannabis leaf flag will be the official flag of Kanepi, Andrus Seeme (Mayor) said,^[6] and on July 13, 2018, the flag was raised outside the Kanepi municipal building.

See also

• Battle of Erastfer