Orimattila Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Orimattila

Town

Orimattilan kaupunki
Orimattila stad

Orimattila Church

Coat of arms

Location of Orimattila in Finland

Country

Finland

Region

Päijänne Tavastia

Sub-region

Lahti sub-region

Charter

1636

City rights

1992

Area

(2018-01-01)

• Total

814.01 km² (314.29 sq mi)

• Land

785.26 km² (303.19 sq mi)

• Water

28.87 km² (11.15 sq mi)

Area rank

105th largest in Finland

Population

(2023-12-31)

• Total

15,669

• Rank

70th largest in Finland

• Density

19.95/km² (51.7/sq mi)

Population by native language

• Finnish

95.6% (official)

• Swedish

0.6%

• Others

3.8%

Population by age

• 0 to 14

16.4%

• 15 to 64

58%

• 65 or older

25.6%

• Summer (DST)

Orimattila (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈoriˌmɑtːilɑ]) is a town located in the Päijänne Tavastia region of Finland. It's known for its beautiful nature and friendly community. The southern part of Lahti is connected to a village called Pennala, which is in the northern part of Orimattila.

Orimattila is surrounded by several other towns and municipalities. These include Hollola, Iitti, Kärkölä, Lahti, Lapinjärvi, Mäntsälä, Myrskylä, and Pukkila.

As of 31 December 2023, Orimattila has a population of about 15,669 people. The town covers an area of 814.01 square kilometers, with 28.87 square kilometers of that being water. Most people in Orimattila speak Finnish.

The coat of arms of Orimattila shows a stallion horse carrying a scythe. This design represents two important things about the town. The horse (ori in Finnish) refers to the town's name, and the scythe represents the local agriculture (farming). The name Orimattila comes from an old house called Orhimattila, which was mentioned in a book from 1573. The coat of arms was designed by Ahti Hammar and officially approved in 1956.

In the 2021 Finnish municipal elections, the True Finns political party became the largest group on the Orimattila council. This means they had the most representatives helping to make decisions for the town.

History of Orimattila
- How Orimattila Got Its Name
- Becoming a Parish and Town
Population Changes Over Time
Famous People from Orimattila
- People in Culture and Arts
- Athletes from Orimattila
Twin Towns and Sister Cities
See also

History of Orimattila

The area where Orimattila is located has some of the oldest known settlements in Finland. This means people have lived here for a very long time!

How Orimattila Got Its Name

The name Orimattila comes from a local farm that was started by a person named Matti Laurinpoika in 1539. His farm was known as Orih-Mattila. The village itself was first mentioned in 1561 as Orihmattila. The word Orih is an older way to say ori, which means "stallion" (a male horse).

Becoming a Parish and Town

In the late 1500s, a small church community was formed in Orimattila. It became an independent parish (a church district) in 1636, separating from the nearby parish of Hollola. The parish and its main settlement were called Orihmattila until the 1800s.

During the Great Northern War, when Russia occupied Finland, the parishes of Orimattila and Hollola were temporarily joined together.

Orimattila officially became a town in 1992. Later, in 2010, the municipality of Artjärvi merged with Orimattila, making the town even larger.

Population Changes Over Time

The chart below shows how Orimattila's population has changed over several decades. This helps us see how the number of people living in the town has grown or shrunk.

Orimattilas population trends
Year	Residents
1980	15,184
1985	15,246
1990	15,805
1995	15,909
2000	15,629
2005	16,154
2010	16,309
2015	16,326
2020	16,005

Famous People from Orimattila

Many talented individuals have come from Orimattila. Here are some of them:

People in Culture and Arts

Kaj Chydenius: A well-known composer.
Eero Erkko: A Member of Parliament and a newspaperman.
Aki Kaurismäki: A famous film director.
Mika Kaurismäki: Also a film director, brother of Aki.
Pentti Papinaho: A talented sculptor.

Athletes from Orimattila

Taito Haara: A strong power and weight lifter.
Kristiina Mäkelä: A skilled triple jumper.
Satu Mäkelä-Nummela: An Olympic gold medalist in shooting (women's trap).
Huvi Tuiskunen: A sport shooter.
Jaakko Tuominen: A hurdler.

Twin Towns and Sister Cities

Orimattila has special partnerships with other towns around the world. These are called "twin towns" or "sister cities." They work together to share culture and ideas.