Virrat (; sv, Virdois) is a
town and
municipality of
Finland. It is part of the
Pirkanmaa region, and it is located north of
Tampere and west of
Jyväskylä. The distance between Virrat and
Helsinki is . The town has a population of
()
and covers an area of of
which
is water.
The
population density is
. The municipality is unilingually
Finnish.
The town grew rapidly in the middle years of the twentieth century, and by 1950 the population reached more than 12,000. Virrat acquired town status in 1977, although it had received the right to hold markets three years earlier, in 1974. More recently the population level has been adversely impacted by the drift of employment opportunities and people to the larger towns. Apart from the town of Virrat itself, the administratively defined municipality is largely rural, and includes the villages of Äijänneva, Härkönen Jäähdyspohja, Killinkoski, Koro, Kotala, Kurjenkylä, Liedenpohja, Ohtola, Vaskuu, and Vaskivesi.
Major lakes in the area are
Lake Toisvesi
Toisvesi is a medium-sized lake in Finland. It is situated in the municipality of Virrat in the Pirkanmaa region in western Finland. The lake is part of the Kokemäki River basin and a part of a chain of lakes that consist among others of the lak ...
, beside which the town of Virrat is located, and
Lake Tarjanne
Tarjanne (also Tarjannevesi) is a medium-sized lake in Finland. It is situated in the municipalities of Ruovesi, Virrat and Mänttä-Vilppula in the Pirkanmaa region in western Finland. The lake is part of the Kokemäenjoki basin. The main inflow ...
at the border of the municipalities of Virrat,
Mänttä-Vilppula, and
Ruovesi.
Virrat crater
Virrat is an impact crater on Mars, approximately in diameter. It is located at 31.1°S, 103°W, southwest of the crater Dinorwic (crater), Dinorwic and northeast of Clantas Fossae. Several Virrat crater radii to the north are the craters Koga ( ...
on
Mars is named after it.
Notable people
*
Seppo Hovinen
Seppo Juhani Hovinen (born February 4, 1951 in Virrat) is a retired Finnish javelin thrower. A leading favorite in the 1976 Montréal Olympics, he failed to deliver, finishing 7th.
Rise to elite
Hovinen exploded to international attention in the ...
(born 1951), a Finnish
javelin thrower
*
I. K. Inha
I. K. Inha (''Into Konrad'', born Konrad into Nyström, November 12, 1865 Virrat – April 3, 1930, Helsinki) was a Finnish photographer, author, translator, and journalist. Inha is considered to be one of the grand masters of Finnish photograph ...
(1865–1930), a Finnish photographer, author, translator, and journalist
*
Antti Lieroinen
Antti Lieroinen (died 1643), was a famous Finnish cunning man, who was executed of witchcraft.Nenonen, Marko ja Kervinen, Timo, Synnin palkka on kuolema. Suomalaiset noidat ja noitavainot 1500-1700-luvulla. Otava 1994. Toim. Anne-Riitta Isohella. ...
(?–1643), a famous Finnish
cunning man and death-sentenced for
witchcraft
*
Vesa Rantanen (born 1975), a Finnish
pole vaulter
*
Tom Sukanen Tom Sukanen (born ''Tomi Jaanus Alankola''; 1878 – April 23, 1943), was a Finnish-born sailor, farmer and Canadian. He immigrated to Minnesota at the age of 20, where he married and became a farmer. In 1911, he left his wife and farm and walked t ...
(1873–1943), a Finnish-born
Canadian sailor and farmer
Gallery
File:Virrat Kaupungintalo.jpg, Virrat Town Hall
File:Virrat kirkko2.jpg, Virrat Church
File:Virtain kirjasto (15013995461).jpg, Virrat Library
File:Virrat - beach 2.jpg, A beach at the Kalettomanlahti Bay in Virrat
See also
*
Finnish Lake Road
References
External links
Town of Virrat– Official site
Cities and towns in Finland
Populated places established in 1868
{{WesternFinland-geo-stub