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Parikkala (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈpɑrikːɑlɑ]) is a municipality of Finland located in the province of Southern Finland and is part of the South Karelia region, 97 kilometres (60 mi) from Lappeenranta and 139 kilometres (86 mi) from Joensuu. The town center of Parikkala is about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from the Russian border. The municipality has a population of 4,335 (31 August 2024)[2] and covers an area of 760.71 square kilometres (293.71 sq mi) of which 167.78 km2 (64.78 sq mi) is water.[1] The population density is 7.32 inhabitants per square kilometre (19.0/sq mi).
Parikkala | |
|---|---|
Municipality | |
| Parikkalan kunta Parikkala kommun | |
 Church of Parikkala | |
 Coat of arms | |
 Location of Parikkala in Finland | |
| Coordinates: 61°33′N 029°30′E / 61.550°N 29.500°E | |
| Country |  Finland |
| Region | South Karelia |
| Sub-region | Imatra sub-region |
| Charter | 1635 |
| Government | |
| • Municipality manager | Mervi Pääkkö |
| Area (2018-01-01)[1] | |
| • Total | 760.71 km2 (293.71 sq mi) |
| • Land | 591.91 km2 (228.54 sq mi) |
| • Water | 167.78 km2 (64.78 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 141st largest in Finland |
| Population (2024-08-31)[2] | |
| • Total | 4,335 |
| • Rank | 184th largest in Finland |
| • Density | 7.32/km2 (19.0/sq mi) |
| Population by native language | |
| • Finnish | 96.7% (official) |
| • Swedish | 0.2% |
| • Others | 3.1% |
| Population by age | |
| • 0 to 14 | 10.2% |
| • 15 to 64 | 49.1% |
| • 65 or older | 40.8% |
| Time zone | UTC+02:00 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+03:00 (EEST) |
| Climate | Dfc |
| Website | parikkala |
Parikkala is located around lake Simpele and it is a part of a countryside rich with hills and chains of ridges. The municipality is unilingually Finnish.
History
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Settlements and artifacts dated to the Stone Age and Bronze Age have been found in Parikkala. A permanent settlement was established around the 15th century.
Many demarcations had a significant impact to Parikkala's development from the Treaty of Nöteborg on August 12, 1323, to peace treaties signed in 1947 with the Soviet Union; for example, in the Treaty of Nystad from 1721, which in practice defined roughly Finland's current border with Russia, Parikkala remained the only current Finnish municipality on the Russian side before the formation of the Grand Duchy of Finland.[5] After World War II, one third (199.3 km2) of Parikkala's area was handed over to the Soviet Union. The Orthodox Church has been very influential in this area since the Middle Ages. Later, Parikkala has become known for its many dairies. Parikkala became independent in 1617.
In 2004, three municipalities (Parikkala, Saari and Uukuniemi) merged to form one municipality called Parikkala.
Education
editA comprehensive school, one of the first rural schools in Karelia of Ladoga, was founded in 1907. In 1910 the first three-class school building was built; later it expanded to include a gymnasium, hall and kitchen.[clarification needed] A grand piano was provided in the hall, and Finnish artists Toivo Kuula and Oskar Merikanto held their concerts there when visiting Parikkala. Upper secondary school started in the year 1940 and the first class graduated in 1943. The largest number of pupils was in the 1950s, when over 500 pupils attended school there.
Traveling and routes
editParikkala is located on the main railway line from Helsinki to Joensuu. A railway station is located in the middle of Parikkala village center. Traveling time is about three and half hours from Helsinki, and all passenger trains stop at Parikkala. The city of Imatra is about 60 km south of Parikkala.
Attractions
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One of Parikkala's most famous attractions is the park of more than 500 sculptures worked by Veijo Rönkkönen, located along the Highway 6. This sculpture park has been called one of the "most terrifying places on Earth".[6]
Notable people
edit- Hjalmar Dahl (1891–1960), journalist, translator and writer
- Pietari Hannikainen (1813–1899), writer, journalist and surveyor
- Sirpa Pietikäinen (born 1959), politician
- Aimo Pulkkinen (1928–2018), footballer
- Arto Räty (born 1955), lieutenant general
- Oskari Reinikainen (1885–1969), physician and politician
- Hannu Siitonen (born 1949), javelin thrower
- Lisa Sounio (born 1970), CEO and chairperson of Dopplr
See also
edit- Niukkala – village in Parikkala
References
edit- ^ a b "Area of Finnish Municipalities 1.1.2018" (PDF). National Land Survey of Finland. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
- ^ a b c "Finland's preliminary population figure was 5,625,011 at the end of August 2024". Population structure. Statistics Finland. 24 September 2024. ISSN 1797-5395. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
- ^ "Population according to age (1-year) and sex by area and the regional division of each statistical reference year, 2003–2020". StatFin. Statistics Finland. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
- ^ a b "Luettelo kuntien ja seurakuntien tuloveroprosenteista vuonna 2023". Tax Administration of Finland. 14 November 2022. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
- ^ YLE: Rajakivestä löytyi "hymiö", jonka alkuperää ei tiedetä – kyseessä voi olla 300 vuotta vanha ruotsalaisvitsi (in Finnish)
- ^ Morton, Caitlin (17 October 2023). "The 23 Most Terrifying Places on Earth". Condé Nast Traveller. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
External links
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Media related to Parikkala at Wikimedia Commons
Parikkala travel guide from Wikivoyage