Haapajärvi is a
town
A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city.
The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...
and
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality' ...
of
Finland
Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...
.
It is located in the
province
A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
of
Oulu
Oulu ( , ; ) is a city in Finland and the regional capital of North Ostrobothnia. It is located on the northwestern coast of the country at the mouth of the Oulujoki, River Oulu. The population of Oulu is approximately , while the Oulu sub-regio ...
and is part of the
Northern Ostrobothnia
North Ostrobothnia (; ) is a region of Finland. It borders the Finnish regions of Lapland, Kainuu, North Savo, Central Finland and Central Ostrobothnia, as well as the Russian Republic of Karelia. The easternmost corner of the region between ...
region
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...
. The town has a population of ()
and covers an area of of which is water.
The population density is .
Neighbour municipalities are
Haapavesi,
Kärsämäki,
Nivala
Nivala (formerly known as ''Pidisjärvi'') is a town and municipality of Finland. It is located in the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The town has a population of
() and covers an area of of
which
is water. The population density is
. The muni ...
,
Pihtipudas,
Pyhäjärvi,
Reisjärvi and
Sievi.
The municipality is unilingually
Finnish.
History
Haapajärvi was first mentioned in 1548 as ''Hapaierffue'' (a
Swedish transcription of the Finnish name), when it was a part of the parish of
Kalajoki.
Many of the initial settlers of the area were
Savonians, including the Herranen and Ronka(i)nen families already mentioned in 1543 as settlers in Kalajoki. According to the oldest known (1547) tax documents regarding the area, at least half of Haapajärvi's inhabitants were Savonians. Due to this, the area of Haapajärvi (including Pidisjärvi) was known as ''Kalajoen Savo'' in the 16th century.
Savonian influence is still present in the
Central Ostrobothnian dialect spoken in Haapajärvi.
The men of
Jämsä held hunting grounds in the area; opposed to the settlement on their lands, men from Jämsä attacked the Savonian settlements of the Kalajoki and Pyhäjoki valleys in 1551. The settlers soon notified the king of Sweden (
Gustav Vasa), who forbade the
Tavastians from disturbing the new settlements, however also stating that the Tavastians were allowed to settle on their own hunting grounds as well.
The first church was built in 1649 or 1653. Haapajärvi acquired chapel rights in 1698 and became an independent parish in 1838, also including the chapel communities of Pidisjärvi and
Reisjärvi. Both Reisjärvi and Pidisjärvi (
Nivala
Nivala (formerly known as ''Pidisjärvi'') is a town and municipality of Finland. It is located in the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The town has a population of
() and covers an area of of
which
is water. The population density is
. The muni ...
) were separated in 1868.
A chapel was built in the village of Olkkola for the
Laestadian community in the 1920s, however it has never been officially designated as a church or a chapel. Olkkola was a chapel community from 1927 to 1978.
Haapajärvi became a town (''kaupunki'') in 1977.
Villages
Sport
Haapajärven Speedway track () is a
motorcycle speedway
Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to simply as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four clockwise, anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. The motorcycles are specialist machines that ...
venue located approximately 6 kilometres east of the town in a remote forested area, off the Kauniskankaantie road, adjacent to the motocross facility. The speedway track has held the final of the
Finnish Individual Speedway Championship on five occasions from 2008 to 2023.
Notable people
*
Petri Tapio Mattson (born 1973), Finnish violinist and ensemble director
*
Johan Gabriel Ståhlberg (1832–1873), Finnish priest and father of President
K. J. Ståhlberg
Gallery
File:KunnalliskotiHaapajarvi.jpeg, A "municipal home" (kunnaliskoti) for those unable to provide themselves in Haapajärvi in pre-war Finland
See also
*
Finnish national road 58
References
External links
Town of Haapajärvi– Official website
Cities and towns in Finland
Municipalities of North Ostrobothnia
Populated places established in 1868
{{OuluProvince-geo-stub