Kontiolahti facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kontiolahti Kontiolax
Municipality
Kontiolahden kunta Kontiolax kommun
Kontiolahti Church in July 2012
Coat of arms
Location of Kontiolahti in Finland
Country	Finland
Region	North Karelia
Sub-region	Joensuu
Charter	1873
Area  (2018-01-01)
• Total	1,029.82 km2 (397.62 sq mi)
• Land	799.82 km2 (308.81 sq mi)
• Water	230.1 km2 (88.8 sq mi)
Area rank	101st largest in Finland
Population  (2023-12-31)
• Total	15,136
• Rank	74th largest in Finland
• Density	18.92/km2 (49.0/sq mi)
Population by native language
• Finnish	97.6% (official)
• Swedish	0.1%
• Others	2.3%
Population by age
• 0 to 14	21.1%
• 15 to 64	61%
• 65 or older	17.9%
Time zone	UTC+02:00 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+03:00 (EEST)
Website	www.kontiolahti.fi

Kontiolahti (which means "bear bay" in Finnish) is a small town in Finland. It is located in the North Karelia region. The town is about 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of Joensuu.

Kontiolahti is home to about 15,136 people. It covers an area of about 1,029.82 square kilometres (397.62 sq mi). A large part of this area, about 230.1 km² (88.8 sq mi), is covered by water. The town speaks only Finnish.

The coat of arms of Kontiolahti shows a bear holding a pike pole. This design is a "canting arms" because the bear refers to the town's name ("bear bay"). The pike pole shows how important forestry and log driving were to the area's economy. Aarno Liuksiala designed the coat of arms. It was approved in 1953.

Kontiolahti is famous for hosting the Biathlon World Championships. These big sports events happened here in 1990, 1999, and 2015.

History of Kontiolahti

Kontiolahti was once part of the larger Liperi parish. It became its own independent town in 1873.

A big event in Kontiolahti's history was the lowering of Lake Höytiäinen. People wanted to build a canal to control floods. In 1859, the dam broke, and the lake's water level dropped a lot. This changed the landscape dramatically.

After World War II, many people who had to leave their homes in Ruskeala settled in Kontiolahti.

Geography and Nature

Lake Valkealampi in Kontiolahti

Kontiolahti has many lakes, with 183 in total. Water bodies make up about 22.3 percent of the town's area. The biggest lakes are Lake Höytiäinen, Lake Kangasvesi, and Lake Herajärvi.

The area is also home to several important nature sites. There are 11 Natura sites that are partly or fully in Kontiolahti. These special areas help protect nature. Some of them include Teerisaari-Sisuslahti, Soikkeli Forest, and parts of Koli National Park.

Villages in Kontiolahti

Kontiolahti is made up of several smaller villages. These include:

Getting Around Kontiolahti

Public transport in the Kontiolahti area is handled by Joensuu Region's Public Transport. This service helps people get around town and also provides school transport.

Kontiolahti has a railway station. However, trains no longer stop there for passengers. Highway 6, a major road, goes through the town.

Culture and Community

Libraries in Kontiolahti

The town has good library services. You can visit the Kontiolahti Library or the Lehmo Library. There is also a special bookmobile called Runo-Antti. This mobile library serves both Kontiolahti and Eno.

Local Food Traditions

In the 1980s, Kontiolahti was known for some traditional dishes. One popular dish was "shoemaker's roast" (suutarinpaisti). Another was a stockfish soup.

Notable People from Kontiolahti

Many interesting people have come from Kontiolahti:

• Tero Mustonen (born 1976 or 1977) is an environmental leader, scientist, and fisherman.
• Jukka Nevalainen (born 1978) was the former drummer for the famous band Nightwish.
• Markku Pölönen (born 1957) is a film director and screenwriter. He also owns a film production company.
• Antti Puhakka (1816–1893) was a poet known for his national romantic style.

See also

In Spanish: Kontiolahti para niños