Varkaus
Varkaus | |
|---|---|
Town | |
| Varkauden kaupunki Varkaus stad | |
 Varkaus in July 2006 | |
 Coat of arms | |
 Location of Varkaus in Finland | |
| Coordinates: 62°19′N 027°53.5′E / 62.317°N 27.8917°E | |
| Country |  Finland |
| Region | Northern Savonia |
| Sub-region | Varkaus sub-region |
| Market town | 1929 |
| City rights | 1961 |
| Government | |
| • Town manager | Hannu Tsupari |
| Area (2018-01-01)[1] | |
• Total | 524.48 km2 (202.50 sq mi) |
| • Land | 385.62 km2 (148.89 sq mi) |
| • Water | 138.45 km2 (53.46 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 206th largest in Finland |
| Population (2024-10-31)[2] | |
• Total | 19,669 |
| • Rank | 56th largest in Finland |
| • Density | 51.01/km2 (132.1/sq mi) |
| Population by native language | |
| • Finnish | 95% (official) |
| • Swedish | 0.2% |
| • Others | 4.9% |
| Population by age | |
| • 0 to 14 | 12% |
| • 15 to 64 | 56.4% |
| • 65 or older | 31.6% |
| Time zone | UTC+02:00 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+03:00 (EEST) |
| Website | www.varkaus.fi |
Varkaus (before year 1929 Warkaus) is a Middle-Savonian industrial town and municipality of Finland. It is located in the province of Eastern Finland and is part of the Northern Savonia region, between city of Kuopio and town of Savonlinna.
The municipality has a population of 19,669 (31 October 2024)[2] and covers an area of 524.48 square kilometres (202.50 sq mi) of which 138.45 km2 (53.46 sq mi) is water.[1] The population density is 51.01 inhabitants per square kilometre (132.1/sq mi).
The municipality is unilingually Finnish. Oddly enough, 'Varkaus' translates to 'theft', even though it is not the reason for giving that name to the city. In old Finnish the same word also meant strait, and this city is located in the lake district on straits between two parts of Lake Saimaa. An extension of the Saimaa Canal passes through the town.
History
Varkaus was born in the late 19th century as an industrial community of the A. Ahlström paper mills. It was a part of the municipalities of Leppävirta and Joroinen until 1929 when Varkaus became a market town. During the Finnish Civil War in 1918 the town was taken over by the Reds, but because of its isolated location in rural Finland, it was soon taken by the Whites on the Battle of Varkaus 19–21 February. The whites proceeded to execute every tenth Red soldier.
The municipality of Kangaslampi was consolidated to Varkaus on 1 January 2005.
Sport
The bandy team Warkauden Pallo-35, or just WP-35, plays in the highest division, Bandyliiga, and has become Finnish champions 16 times.
Notable people
- Onni Hiltunen (1895–1971), politician
- Jukka Keskisalo (born 1981), steeplechaser
- Antti Kupiainen (born 1954), mathematical physicist
- Esa Pakarinen (1911–1989), actor and musician
- Esa Pakarinen Junior (born 1947), actor
- Piia Pantsu (born 1971), equestrian rider
- Lassi Parkkinen (1917–1994), speed skater
- Erkki Pulliainen (born 1938), biologist and politician
- Pekka Siitoin (1944–2003), occultist and neo-Nazi
- Petri Varis (born 1969), ice hockey forward
Parts of the town of Varkaus
- Kaura-aho
- Käpykangas
- Kuoppakangas
- Kosulanniemi
- Lehtoniemi
- Puurtila
- Taipale
- Luttila
- Könönpelto
- Kangaslampi
- Kurola
- Hasinmäki
- Häyrilä
- Päiviönsaari
- Peltola
Twin towns — sister cities
Varkaus is twinned with:
References
- ^ a b "Area of Finnish Municipalities 1.1.2018" (PDF). National Land Survey of Finland. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
- ^ a b "Finland's preliminary population figure was 5,635,560 at the end of October 2024". Population structure. Statistics Finland. 2024-11-19. ISSN 1797-5395. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
- ^ "Population growth biggest in nearly 70 years". Population structure. Statistics Finland. 2024-04-26. ISSN 1797-5395. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
- ^ "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.
External links
Media related to Varkaus at Wikimedia Commons
Varkaus travel guide from Wikivoyage- Town of Varkaus – Official website
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