Kohtla-Järve, city in northeastern Estonia, capital of Ida-Viru District, located near the Gulf of Finland. Kohtla-Järve is a center for the mining and processing of oil shale, which is used to produce oil, gas, and electricity. The city also manufactures fertilizers, construction materials, furniture, and food products. A railway and highway run through Kohtla-Järve between Estonia's capital of Tallinn and Saint Petersburg.
The area now occupied by Kohtla-Järve belonged to Russia until 1918, then to Estonia. During World War II (1939-1945) it was occupied first by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), then by Germany, and again by the USSR. From 1944 until Estonia's independence in 1991 Kohtla-Järve was part of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic of the USSR. In 1947 several towns and villages were united to form Kohtla-Järve. The majority of its residents are Russian-speaking immigrants from the former USSR who came to the city for industrial employment. Industrial emissions have severely polluted Kohtla-Järve. Population (1997 estimate) 53,485.Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
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