Tapa, Estonia
Tapa | |
|---|---|
Central Tapa | |
| Motto: n/a | |
| Coordinates: 59°16′N 25°57′E / 59.267°N 25.950°E | |
| Country | Estonia |
| County | Lääne-Viru County |
| Municipality | Tapa Parish |
| Area | |
• Total | 17.32 km2 (6.69 sq mi) |
| Population (2024) | |
• Total | 5,492 |
| • Rank | 20th |
| • Density | 320/km2 (820/sq mi) |
| Ethnicity | |
| • Estonians | 59.2% |
| • Russians | 31% |
| • other | 8.8% |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
Tapa is a town in Tapa Parish, Lääne-Viru County, Estonia, located at the junction of the country's Tallinn–Narva (west–east) and Tallinn–Tartu–Valga (north–south) railway lines. Tapa has the Estonian Defense Forces nearby Keskpolügoon. The Valgejõgi River passes Tapa on its northeastern side. Tapa has been known as both a railway and a military town throughout its history.
Tapa developed as a village in the 13th–14th centuries. It was first mentioned in 1482 and the Tapa knight manor (Taps) in 1629. Tapa was officially recognized as a town in 1926. In October 2005, the town merged with the municipalities of Lehtse Parish, Saksi Parish, and Jäneda Parish to form Tapa Parish.