Puolanka ( sv, Puolanka, also ) is a
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...
in
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bot ...
located in the
Kainuu
Kainuu ( sv, Kajanaland) is one of the 19 regions of Finland (''maakunta'' / ''landskap''). Kainuu borders the regions of North Ostrobothnia, North Savo and North Karelia. In the east, it also borders Russia (Republic of Karelia).
Culturally ...
region
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics ( physical geography), human impact characteristics ( human geography), and the interaction of humanity an ...
. The municipality has a population of
()
and covers an area of of
which
is water.
The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...
is
.
The municipality is unilingually
Finnish.
History
The first permanent settlers in Puolanka came in the 1550s.
The municipality of Puolanka was established in the year of 1867. In that same year the Puolanka parish became independent from the
Hyrynsalmi church to which it had previously belonged to administratively. The municipal council of Puolanka was formed in the year of 1916.
At its peak Puolanka had a population of about 7,520 in 1960. Towards the end of the 1960s, however, Puolanka's population began to decline, alike other municipalities within Kainuu.
Geography
The highest
waterfall
A waterfall is a point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf.
Waterfalls can be formed in several ...
in Finland, the ''Hepoköngäs'', is located from the center of Puolanka.
Villages
Villages within Puolanka are as follows:
* Aittokylä
* Auho
*
Joukokylä
*
Kivarinjärvi
* Kotila
*
Kongasmäki
* Leipivaara
* Lylykylä
* Naulaperä
*
Puokio
* Puolanka
*
Rasinkylä
*
Suolijärvi
* Vihajärvi
* Väyrylä
* Yli-Oterma
*
Törmänmäki
Notable individuals
*
Juha Sipilä
Juha Petri Sipilä (; born 25 April 1961) is a Finnish politician who served as Prime Minister of Finland from 2015 to 2019. A relative newcomer to politics, he has a successful background in business. He was the leader of the Centre Party fr ...
, the
Prime Minister of Finland
The prime minister of Finland ( fi, Suomen pääministeri; ) is the leader of the Finnish Government. The prime minister and their cabinet exercise executive authority in the state. The prime minister is formally ranked third in the protocol ...
2015−2019
*
Kalle Määttä, volleyball player
*
Kaarina Mähönen, poet
*
Kari Hiltunen, sports journalist
*
Kimmo Saneri, writer
* Lasse Väisänen, footballer
*
Louis Moilanen, giant
*
Markku Kukkoaho
Markku Juhani Kukkoaho (born 11 November 1946) is a Finnish former sprinter. Kukkoaho placed fourth in men's 400 metres at the 1971 and 1974 European Championships and sixth at the 1972 Summer Olympics, where he set the still-standing Finnish n ...
, sprinter
*
Santeri Haapanen, politician
*
Tauno Tarkkinen, writer
*
Tuulikki Pyykkönen, Olympic cross-country skier
*
Unto Väisänen, baseball player
Gallery
File:Kalettomanlampi Puolanka.JPG, Lake Kalettomanlampi in Puolanka, seen from the southernmost shore towards northeast.
File:Hepoköngäs.jpg, With its drop of 24 meters Hepoköngäs is the highest waterfall in Finland.
File:Keskijoki Puolanka.JPG, The river Keskijoki in Puolanka.
File:Pirttijärvi Puolanka.JPG, The lake of Pirttijärvi in Puolanka, seen from the beach at the North-Western end of the lake towards southeast.
References
External links
Official website of Puolanka municipality
Municipalities of Kainuu
{{OuluProvince-geo-stub