Laihia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Laihia Laihela
Municipality
Laihian kunta Laihela kommun
Coat of arms
Location of Laihia in Finland
Country	Finland
Region	Ostrobothnia
Sub-region	Vaasa sub-region
Charter	1576
Area  (2018-01-01)
• Total	508.44 km2 (196.31 sq mi)
• Land	505.16 km2 (195.04 sq mi)
• Water	4.14 km2 (1.60 sq mi)
Area rank	172nd largest in Finland
Population  (2023-12-31)
• Total	8,020
• Rank	124th largest in Finland
• Density	15.21/km2 (39.4/sq mi)
Population by native language
• Finnish	97.1% (official)
• Swedish	1.1%
• Others	1.8%
Population by age
• 0 to 14	19.8%
• 15 to 64	56.7%
• 65 or older	23.5%
Time zone	UTC+02:00 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+03:00 (EEST)

Laihia (also called Laihela in Swedish) is a town in Finland. It was founded in 1576. Laihia was formed from parts of two other towns, Isokyrö and Korsholm.

It is located in the Ostrobothnia region of Finland. About 8,020 people live there (as of July 31, 2020). The town covers an area of about 509 square kilometers (197 sq mi). A small part of this area is water. Laihia has 37 different villages within its borders.

Laihia is close to the city of Vaasa, which is an important economic center. Most people in Laihia speak Finnish. Only a small number of people speak Swedish as their first language. The town's leader is called the municipal manager, and their name is Juha Rikala. Many farms are found in Laihia, showing its strong connection to agriculture.

Laihia is also part of the Blue Highway. This is a special tourist road that connects Norway to Russia. It passes through Sweden and Finland, including Laihia.

Discover Laihia's Unique Culture

People from Laihia are known in Finland for being very clever with their money. This quality is often called frugality or thriftiness. There are many funny stories and jokes about how good Laihians are at saving. But people from Laihia usually don't mind these jokes. In fact, they are often proud of their smart money habits! They even have a special place called the Museum of Frugality (Nuukuuren museo). Even with their focus on saving, Laihia offers excellent public services. These include good schools, healthcare, sports facilities, and support for older people.

Famous People from Laihia

Many interesting people have come from Laihia. Here are a few of them:

• Santeri Alkio was a politician and a journalist.
• Mark Hoppus (born in 1972) is an American singer and musician. His family has roots in Laihia, as his great-grandparents moved from there.
• Toivo Kärki was a well-known musician.
• Matti Vanhala was the Governor of the Bank of Finland from 1998 to 2004.
• Keijo Suila used to be the CEO of Finnair, a big airline company.
• Sara Siipola (born in 1997) is a popular singer.

Common Surnames in Laihia

It's interesting to see which family names are most common in a place. Here are some of the most frequent surnames in Laihia, based on data from 2014:

• Kallio
• Puska
• Kinnari
• Koskela
• Luoma
• Niemelä
• Kauppi
• Mäkinen
• Mäkelä
• Kankaanpää

Getting Around Laihia

If you want to travel to or from Laihia, you can use a private bus service. The OnniBus company has a route that stops in Laihia. This route connects Helsinki, Seinäjoki, and Vaasa.