Kannonkoski Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Kannonkoski

Municipality

Kannonkosken kunta
Kannonkoski kommun

Coat of arms

Location of Kannonkoski in Finland

Country

Finland

Region

Central Finland

Sub-region

Saarijärvi–Viitasaari sub-region

Charter

1934

Area

(2018-01-01)

• Total

549.88 km² (212.31 sq mi)

• Land

445 km² (172 sq mi)

• Water

104.87 km² (40.49 sq mi)

Area rank

196th largest in Finland

Population

(2023-12-31)

• Total

1,217

• Rank

285th largest in Finland

• Density

2.73/km² (7.1/sq mi)

Population by native language

• Finnish

98.4% (official)

• Swedish

0.1%

• Others

1.6%

Population by age

• 0 to 14

12%

• 15 to 64

50.9%

• 65 or older

37.1%

Time zone

UTC+02:00 (EET)

• Summer (DST)

UTC+03:00 (EEST)

Kannonkoski is a small town, also known as a municipality, in Finland. It's located in the middle part of Finland, in a region called Central Finland. About 1,217 people live here (as of December 2023).

The municipality covers an area of about 549.88 square kilometres (212.31 sq mi). A big part of this area, about 19%, is water, mostly lakes. This means there are many beautiful lakes around Kannonkoski! The population density is about 2.73 inhabitants per square kilometre (7.1/sq mi), which means there aren't too many people living in each square kilometer.

Kannonkoski is surrounded by other municipalities like Karstula, Kivijärvi, Saarijärvi, Viitasaari, and Äänekoski. The main language spoken in Kannonkoski is Finnish.

A Look at Kannonkoski's Past
Nature and Lakes
Famous People from Kannonkoski
Images for kids
Kannonkoski's Twin Town
See Also

A Look at Kannonkoski's Past

Kannonkoski is a fairly new name for a town. It originally referred to some fast-flowing water, called rapids, that connect two lakes: Kannonjärvi and Kivijärvi.

How Kannonkoski Got Its Name

Long ago, in 1552, this area was known as "kannonn Maa." It was a hunting ground for people from a place called Sysmä. People from Pälkäne also hunted here. The name Kannonkoski might come from Kantokylä, a village in Pälkäne.

By 1558, people from Savonia started to settle here permanently. They created a village called Kantojärvi. In 1561, the area became part of a separate church parish called Rautalampi.

Becoming Its Own Municipality

Over time, Kannonkoski's area was part of different larger parishes. First, it was part of Viitasaari starting in 1635. Later, in 1904, Kivijärvi separated from Viitasaari.

In 1919, people decided that the Kannonkoski area should have its own church parish. This finally happened in 1931. The new parish was made up of parts from Viitasaari and Kivijärvi.

Just a few years later, in 1934, the area officially became its own municipality. The main church and town center were built in a village called Pudasjärvi. However, because there was already a municipality named Pudasjärvi in Finland, the new municipality was named Kannonkoski, after the nearby rapids.

Valamo Monks in Kannonkoski

During a war called the Winter War in 1939, a group of 117 monks had to leave their home at the Valamo monastery near Lake Ladoga. They traveled to Kannonkoski, bringing with them many important religious items like icons and relics.

The monks stayed in the Piispala school, which was closed because of the war. They lived there until the autumn of 1940. After that, they bought an old manor in Heinävesi and established a new monastery called New Valamo. Sadly, 27 monks passed away during their journey and were buried in the graveyard of the Kannonkoski Church.

Nature and Lakes

Kannonkoski is a great place for nature lovers, especially if you like lakes! There are a total of 81 lakes in the area. The biggest ones are Kivijärvi, Vuosjärvi, and Kannonselkä. These lakes are perfect for fishing, boating, or just enjoying the peaceful scenery.