Asikkala facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Asikkala
Municipality
Asikkalan kunta Asikkala kommun
Vääksy Canal
Coat of arms
Location of Asikkala in Finland
Country	Finland
Region	Päijänne Tavastia
Sub-region	Lahti sub-region
Charter	1848
Seat	Vääksy
Area  (2018-01-01)
• Total	755.55 km2 (291.72 sq mi)
• Land	563.39 km2 (217.53 sq mi)
• Water	192.13 km2 (74.18 sq mi)
Area rank	151st largest in Finland
Population  (2023-12-31)
• Total	7,968
• Rank	120th largest in Finland
• Density	14.14/km2 (36.6/sq mi)
Population by native language
• Finnish	96.6% (official)
• Swedish	0.2%
• Others	3.2%
Population by age
• 0 to 14	13.3%
• 15 to 64	52.7%
• 65 or older	34%
Time zone	UTC+02:00 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+03:00 (EEST)

Asikkala is a town in Finland. It is located in the southern part of Finland, in a region called Päijänne Tavastia. The main town in Asikkala is Vääksy, which sits by the beautiful Lake Päijänne.

Asikkala is surrounded by other towns like Hämeenlinna, Heinola, Hollola, Lahti, Padasjoki, and Sysmä. The town has about 7,968 people living there. It covers an area of 755.55 square kilometres (291.72 sq mi), with a lot of that area being water. Since 1996, Finnish has been the only official language spoken here.

Asikkala's Past: A Glimpse into History

The oldest things found in Asikkala are tools from around 3000 BCE. That's about 5,000 years ago! An island called Kotasaari in the village of Kalkkinen has been a great place for finding old items from the Stone Age.

During the Middle Ages, hunters from Asikkala traveled north on Lake Päijänne. The oldest villages are thought to be Kalkkinen and Anianpelto. Kalkkinen also had the biggest farm in the area, known as Iisakkila.

Asikkala was first written about in 1443. This was in a document about a border problem with the town of Sysmä. In 1445, it was mentioned as a place that collected taxes from villages like Viitaila, Asikkala, and Urajärvi. Later, in the early 1600s, Asikkala became its own church parish, separate from the larger parish of Hollola.

Exploring Asikkala's Geography

Villages: The Heart of Asikkala

Asikkala is made up of many small villages. In 1967, there were 24 villages officially recognized. These villages are important parts of the community.

Weather in Asikkala

Asikkala has a climate with cold winters and mild to warm summers. It's a bit milder than the nearby city of Lahti. This is because of the influence from Lake Päijänne, which helps to keep temperatures from getting too extreme.

People of Asikkala

Population Changes Over Time

In 2020, about 13% of the people in Asikkala were under 15 years old. About 53% were between 15 and 64, and 34% were over 64. The average age was around 50 years old. Most people (97.4%) speak Finnish.

The chart below shows how the number of people living in Asikkala has changed from 1975 to 2020.

Main Living Areas

In 2019, most people in Asikkala lived in urban areas. The two main urban areas are Vääksy and a part of Lahti.

Famous People from Asikkala

Many interesting people have come from Asikkala. They include athletes, actors, and politicians.

Asikkala's Economy

In 2018, most jobs in Asikkala were in services. This includes things like shops, schools, and healthcare. About 29% of jobs were in making things or building. A smaller number (about 10%) were in farming, forestry, and fishing.

The biggest employers in Asikkala in 2019 included the Municipality of Asikkala itself. Other large employers were healthcare providers and companies like JELD-WEN Suomi Oy and Rapala VMC Oyj.

Culture in Asikkala

Traditional Foods

In the 1980s, Asikkala had some special traditional dishes. These included salmon soup and rieskas, which are flatbreads made from barley. People also enjoyed potato egg butter, berry milk, and a traditional Finnish drink called sahti.

Images for kids

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  The Urajärvi Manor Museum

See also

In Spanish: Asikkala para niños