Kirkkonummi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kirkkonummi
Kirkkonummi – Kyrkslätt
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Municipality
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| Kirkkonummen kunta Kyrkslätts kommun |
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Location of Kirkkonummi in Finland
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| Country |  Finland |
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| Region | Uusimaa | |
| Sub-region | Helsinki sub-region | |
| Metropolitan area | Helsinki metropolitan area | |
| Charter | 1330 | |
| Municipal manager | Tarmo Aarnio | |
| Area
(2018-01-01)
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| • Total | 1,017.01 km2 (392.67 sq mi) | |
| • Land | 366.6 km2 (141.5 sq mi) | |
| • Water | 649.91 km2 (250.93 sq mi) | |
| Area rank | 209th largest in Finland | |
| Population
(2023-12-31)
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| • Total | 41,154 | |
| • Rank | 28th largest in Finland | |
| • Density | 112.26/km2 (290.8/sq mi) | |
| Population by native language | ||
| • Finnish | 73.2% (official) | |
| • Swedish | 14.8% (official) | |
| • Others | 11.9% | |
| Population by age | ||
| • 0 to 14 | 19% | |
| • 15 to 64 | 64.1% | |
| • 65 or older | 16.9% | |
| Time zone | UTC+02:00 (EET) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+03:00 (EEST) | |
Kirkkonummi (also known as Kyrkslätt in Swedish) is a town in Finland. It is located on the southern coast of the country, in the western part of the Uusimaa region. Kirkkonummi is part of the larger Helsinki Metropolitan Area. This area is home to millions of people.
The name "Kirkkonummi" means "church heath" in English. It is a bilingual municipality, which means it has two official languages: Finnish and Swedish. Most people in Kirkkonummi speak Finnish, but a good number also speak Swedish. Some residents speak other languages too.
Geography
Kirkkonummi is located right next to Espoo, a large city in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. It is about 30 kilometers (19 miles) from the center of Kirkkonummi to central Helsinki. Many people who live in Kirkkonummi travel to Helsinki for work or school every day. They can use the excellent train and bus connections.
The municipality covers a total area of about 1,017 square kilometers (393 sq mi). A large part of this area is land, but about 289 square kilometers (112 sq mi) is water. The population density is about 100 people per square kilometer. This means that for every square kilometer, there are about 100 people living there. Kirkkonummi has been growing very fast recently, with more people moving there each year.
Some of the main areas where people live in Kirkkonummi include the town center, Masala, Veikkola, Kantvik, and the Upinniemi naval base area. There are also many smaller villages. Kirkkonummi has two famous land areas that stick out into the sea, called peninsulas. These are Porkkala and Upinniemi. Upinniemi is home to an important Finnish naval base. Porkkala is also a popular spot for watching birds, as many birds fly over it during their yearly migrations across the Baltic Sea. Kirkkonummi also has a large flat area in the middle, where a railway line runs from Helsinki to Turku. There are also many lakes and wild areas that are still very natural.
Climate
Kirkkonummi has a climate with four clear seasons. It has long, cold, and snowy winters, and warm summers. Spring and autumn are usually cool and do not last very long. The average daily temperature in January is around -3.9 °C (25.0 °F), and in July, it is about 20 °C (68 °F). Rain and snow fall throughout the year, but late spring and early summer are usually the driest times. Late autumn and winter tend to be the wettest. Because Kirkkonummi is in southern Finland, its climate is milder than northern Finland. This is because of the North Atlantic Current and the Baltic Sea. The coldest temperature ever recorded was -31.4 °C (-24.5 °F) in February, and the hottest was 34.8 °C (94.6 °F) in July.
| Climate data for Kirkkonummi 2010-present normals, records 2010-present | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 8.3 (46.9) |
8.7 (47.7) |
14.5 (58.1) |
21.7 (71.1) |
29.9 (85.8) |
32.5 (90.5) |
34.8 (94.6) |
32.6 (90.7) |
25.4 (77.7) |
18.6 (65.5) |
14.2 (57.6) |
11.4 (52.5) |
34.8 (94.6) |
| Mean maximum °C (°F) | 7.1 (44.8) |
6.7 (44.1) |
10.3 (50.5) |
17.4 (63.3) |
27.1 (80.8) |
31.0 (87.8) |
31.8 (89.2) |
29.4 (84.9) |
23.5 (74.3) |
14.9 (58.8) |
10.4 (50.7) |
7.2 (45.0) |
17.8 (64.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −1.0 (30.2) |
−2.2 (28.0) |
4.6 (40.3) |
9.4 (48.9) |
15.7 (60.3) |
20.5 (68.9) |
22.6 (72.7) |
21.1 (70.0) |
15.7 (60.3) |
8.5 (47.3) |
3.5 (38.3) |
0.0 (32.0) |
9.1 (48.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −2.4 (27.7) |
−4.8 (23.4) |
1.1 (34.0) |
5.6 (42.1) |
12.0 (53.6) |
18.1 (64.6) |
20.0 (68.0) |
18.6 (65.5) |
14.6 (58.3) |
7.6 (45.7) |
2.7 (36.9) |
−1.3 (29.7) |
7.4 (45.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −4.0 (24.8) |
−5.7 (21.7) |
−1.1 (30.0) |
3.0 (37.4) |
8.3 (46.9) |
13.9 (57.0) |
16.2 (61.2) |
14.1 (57.4) |
9.5 (49.1) |
6.8 (44.2) |
1.0 (33.8) |
−2.6 (27.3) |
5.8 (42.4) |
| Mean minimum °C (°F) | −23.9 (−11.0) |
−26.1 (−15.0) |
−17.3 (0.9) |
−7.2 (19.0) |
−2.4 (27.7) |
5.8 (42.4) |
7.3 (45.1) |
6.5 (43.7) |
1.4 (34.5) |
−5.1 (22.8) |
−11.8 (10.8) |
−16.9 (1.6) |
−8.6 (16.5) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −30.2 (−22.4) |
−31.4 (−24.5) |
−24.3 (−11.7) |
−11.8 (10.8) |
−5.1 (22.8) |
2.8 (37.0) |
5.9 (42.6) |
3.2 (37.8) |
−3.7 (25.3) |
−8.3 (17.1) |
−21.7 (−7.1) |
−25.6 (−14.1) |
−31.4 (−24.5) |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 89 | 86 | 77 | 69 | 64 | 66 | 70 | 77 | 83 | 85 | 89 | 89 | 79 |
| Source 1: Past Weather in Kirkkonummi, Finland 2010–2020 | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: record highs and lows | |||||||||||||
History
People have lived in Kirkkonummi for a very long time, even since the Stone Age. We know this because the first Stone Age rock paintings ever found in Finland were discovered here. These paintings are by Lake Vitträsk. Interestingly, the famous Finnish composer Jean Sibelius found these paintings!
A part of southern Kirkkonummi was used by the Soviet Union as a naval base between 1945 and 1956. This was part of the peace agreement after World War II. You can still see old concrete bunkers and other remains from that time.
Attractions
There are several interesting places to visit in Kirkkonummi:
- The old stone church in the town center, which dates back to the Middle Ages.
- The wooden church in the village of Haapajärvi.
- The Hvitträsk manor, a beautiful house designed by famous Finnish architects Eliel Saarinen, Herman Gesellius, and Armas Lindgren.
Notable people
Many interesting people have come from Kirkkonummi:
- Herman Gesellius (1874–1916), a well-known architect.
- Jani Hakanpää (born 1992), a professional ice hockey player.
- Laura Närhi (born 1978), a popular pop singer.
- Riikka Purra (born 1977), a politician.
- Eero Saarinen (1910–1961), another famous architect.
International relations
Kirkkonummi has "twin towns" or "sister cities" in other countries. This means they have special friendly relationships.
Sundbyberg, Sweden
Paldiski, Estonia
See also
In Spanish: Kirkkonummi para niños
