Ii, Finland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ii
Ijo
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Municipality
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| Iin kunta Ijo kommun |
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Roadsign marking the entrance to Ii (in uppercase)
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Location of Ii in Finland
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| Country |  Finland |
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| Region | North Ostrobothnia | |
| Sub-region | Oulunkaari | |
| Charter | 1445 | |
| Area
(2018-01-01)
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| • Total | 2,872.44 km2 (1,109.06 sq mi) | |
| • Land | 1,615.71 km2 (623.83 sq mi) | |
| • Water | 1,256.69 km2 (485.21 sq mi) | |
| Area rank | 42nd largest in Finland | |
| Population
(2023-12-31)
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| • Total | 9,766 | |
| • Rank | 98th largest in Finland | |
| • Density | 6.04/km2 (15.6/sq mi) | |
| Population by native language | ||
| • Finnish | 98.9% (official) | |
| • Swedish | 0.2% | |
| • Others | 0.9% | |
| Population by age | ||
| • 0 to 14 | 22.5% | |
| • 15 to 64 | 56.2% | |
| • 65 or older | 21.3% | |
| Time zone | UTC+02:00 (EET) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+03:00 (EEST) | |
Ii (pronounced ee) is a small town, or municipality, in Finland. It is located by the Bothnian Bay, where the Iijoki river flows into the sea. Ii is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region in Finland.
As of 31 December 2023, about 9,766 people live in Ii. The total area of the municipality is 2,872.44 km2 (1,109.06 sq mi). A small part of this area, 1,256.69 km2 (485.21 sq mi), is water. This means there are about 6.04/km2 (15.6/sq mi) people living in each square kilometer.
The main language spoken in Ii is Finnish.
In 2007, Ii joined with another municipality called Kuivaniemi. The new, bigger municipality kept the name Ii. It also started using Kuivaniemi's special coat of arms.
Since 2008, Ii has hosted the ART Ii Biennale of Northern Environmental and Sculpture Art. This is an international art event that showcases environmental and sculpture art.
Ii has a big goal: it wants to become the world's first "zero waste" town. This means they aim to produce as little trash as possible. The town's manager even says that Ii does not use fossil fuels for its energy.
Contents
What Does the Name "Ii" Mean?
Ii is famous for having the shortest place name in all of Finland. It's also one of the shortest place names in the entire world!
No one is completely sure where the name "Ii" came from. It might be from a Germanic language or from a Sami language. If it's from Sami, it could mean "a place to stay overnight." For example, in Northern Sami, the word idja means "night."
A Brief History of Ii
Ii gets its name from the Iijoki river. The area was first called Iijoen kylä, which means "Ii River village." This village was first mentioned in records in 1374. At that time, it was a small church community within a larger area called Pedersöre.
The marketplace called Iin Hamina has been around since the 1300s. Ii became its own separate church parish sometime before 1445.
The Ii parish used to be much larger than the municipality is today. It included areas like Pudasjärvi and Taivalkoski until 1639. Later, Kiiminki, Ylikiiminki, and Haukipudas were also part of Ii until 1858.
Over time, some parts of Ii became their own municipalities. Kuivaniemi separated in 1919, and Yli-Ii separated in 1924.
In 2007, Kuivaniemi rejoined Ii. When Yli-Ii later merged with the city of Oulu, a small part of Yli-Ii was given to Ii. This small piece of land is an exclave, meaning it's a part of Ii that is separated from the main area. This exclave is home to the Pahkakoski hydroelectric power plant, which generates electricity from water.
In 2018, the village of Jakkukylä and its nearby areas decided to join Ii. Jakkukylä was originally part of Yli-Ii and then Oulu.
Who Lives in Ii?
Population Growth Over Time
The municipality has a population of 9,766 as of 31 December 2023.
The chart below shows how the number of people living in Ii has changed from 1980 to 2020.
| Population development 1980–2020 | ||||
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| Year | Residents | |||
| 1980 | 7 651 | |||
| 1985 | 7 925 | |||
| 1990 | 8 246 | |||
| 1995 | 8 540 | |||
| 2000 | 8 439 | |||
| 2005 | 8 868 | |||
| 2010 | 9 382 | |||
| 2015 | 9 663 | |||
| 2020 | 9 834 | |||
| Source: Statistics Finland. This data shows the population on December 31st of each year, based on the municipal borders as of January 1st, 2022. | ||||
What Languages are Spoken in Ii?
This section shows the languages spoken by people in Ii as of December 31, 2022. The numbers are based on people's mother tongue.
Finnish, Swedish, and Sami are considered official languages in Finland. Other languages are counted as foreign. If fewer than 10 people speak a language, the exact number is not shown to protect privacy.
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Famous People from Ii
Many interesting people have come from Ii, including:
- Juhamatti Aaltonen – a professional ice hockey player.
- Arvi Ahmavaara – a politician (someone who works in government).
- Pekka Ahmavaara – also a politician, and the father of Arvi Ahmavaara.
- Liisa Hyssälä – a politician.
- Hannu Järvenpää – an ice hockey player and coach.
- Helena Kaikkonen – a textile artist, who creates art using fabrics.
- Tanja Kari – a Paralympic gold medalist in cross-country skiing.
- Sanna Koivisto – a sculptor, who makes art from materials like stone or metal.
- Maija Lavonen – another textile artist.
- Pentti Liedes – a member of parliament (a person elected to make laws).
- Fanni Luukkonen – the chairman of Lotta Svärd, a women's organization.
- Leo Skurnik – a physician (doctor).
- Eila Torvela – a popular singer.
See also
In Spanish: Ii para niños
