Tõstamaa Parish

Tõstamaa Parish (Estonian: Tõstamaa vald) was a rural municipality in southwestern Estonia. It was a part of Pärnu County. The municipality had a population of 1,572 (as of 1 January 2009) and covered an area of 261.01 km².[1]

Tõstamaa Parish Tõstamaa vald
Former municipality of Estonia
Tõrvanõmme pine
Flag Coat of arms
Tõstamaa Parish within Pärnu County.
Country	Estonia
County	Pärnu County
Administrative centre	Tõstamaa
Area
• Total	261.01 km2 (100.78 sq mi)
Population  (01.01.2006)
• Total	1,572
• Density	6.0/km2 (16/sq mi)
Website	www.tostamaa.ee

Tõstamaa Parish covered part of the flat seashore of western Pärnu County, a low, swampy coastal area bordered by an elevated chain of sand dunes. Behind the dunes spreads a slightly wavy drumlin, where higher places have been reclaimed, but lower ones have remained swampy or meadowland and covered with scattered foliage. And, although Tõstamaa should mean "high land", its populace have long lived not off the land, but off the sea.

Several islands and islets in the Gulf of Riga, including Sorgu and Manilaid, belong to Tõstamaa Parish.

Tõstamaa is home to the historic Tõstamaa Keskkool.