Subvaldkonnad

Subvaldkonnad is a designation used in Estonia to classify territories below the level of counties. Oblasts and, until 1939, counties served as the administrative divisions for regions, but subvaldkonnas existed as a layer of administration within those regions. The current subvaldkonnas correspond roughly to urban municipalities, with some exceptions where the territory covers the territory of an entire city or town.

In Latvia, the equivalent term has been "pilseta" meaning city, as well as "pagasts" in the rural areas. In Lithuania, similar entities are known as "miestas" for municipalities that consist of only a single city and "savivaldybė" which may include a city but more often includes several municipalities combined together.

These lower level administrative divisions have some degree of autonomy, governing themselves while maintaining certain obligations to the higher level authorities. In both Estonia and Latvia, they have the responsibility for channeling funding to their municipalities from the counties or the state.