Parikkala facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Parikkala
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Municipality
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| Parikkalan kunta Parikkala kommun |
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Church of Parikkala
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Location of Parikkala in Finland
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| Country |  Finland |
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| Region | South Karelia | |
| Sub-region | Imatra sub-region | |
| Charter | 1635 | |
| Area
(2018-01-01)
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| • Total | 760.71 km2 (293.71 sq mi) | |
| • Land | 591.91 km2 (228.54 sq mi) | |
| • Water | 167.78 km2 (64.78 sq mi) | |
| Area rank | 141st largest in Finland | |
| Population
(2023-12-31)
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| • Total | 4,366 | |
| • Rank | 184th largest in Finland | |
| • Density | 7.38/km2 (19.1/sq mi) | |
| Population by native language | ||
| • Finnish | 96.7% (official) | |
| • Swedish | 0.2% | |
| • Others | 3.1% | |
| Population by age | ||
| • 0 to 14 | 10.2% | |
| • 15 to 64 | 49.1% | |
| • 65 or older | 40.8% | |
| Time zone | UTC+02:00 (EET) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+03:00 (EEST) | |
| Climate | Dfc | |
Parikkala is a town in Finland. It is located in the South Karelia region. Parikkala is about 97 kilometers (60 miles) from Lappeenranta. It is also 139 kilometers (86 miles) from Joensuu. The town center is only about 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the Russian border.
Parikkala has a population of 4,366 people (as of 31 December 2023). The total area of Parikkala is 760.71 square kilometers (760.71 square miles). About 167.78 square kilometers (167.78 square miles) of this area is water. This means the population density is about 7.38 people per square kilometer.
Parikkala is located near Lake Simpele. The area has many hills and ridges, making it a beautiful countryside. The official language spoken in Parikkala is Finnish.
Contents
History of Parikkala
People have lived in the Parikkala area for a very long time. Evidence of settlements from the Stone Age and Bronze Age has been found here. A permanent community was first set up around the 15th century.
The borders of Parikkala have changed many times throughout history. This happened because of different peace agreements. For example, the Treaty of Nystad in 1721 set a border that left Parikkala on the Russian side. This was before Finland became the Grand Duchy of Finland. After World War II, about one-third of Parikkala's land was given to the Soviet Union.
The Orthodox Church has been very important in this area for hundreds of years. Parikkala became an independent municipality in 1617. In 2004, three smaller towns, Saari, Uukuniemi, and Parikkala, joined together to form the larger municipality we know today.
Education in Parikkala
Parikkala has a long history of education. One of the first schools in the rural Karelia region was started here in 1907. In 1910, the first school building was built. It had three classrooms and later grew to include a gym and a kitchen.
Famous Finnish artists like Toivo Kuula and Oskar Merikanto even held concerts in the school hall. An Upper secondary school (high school) opened in 1940. The first students graduated in 1943. In the 1950s, the school had its largest number of students, with over 500 attending.
Traveling to Parikkala
Parikkala is easy to reach by train. It is located on the main railway line that goes from Helsinki to Joensuu. There is a railway station right in the middle of Parikkala village. A train ride from Helsinki takes about three and a half hours. All passenger trains stop at Parikkala. The city of Imatra is about 60 kilometers (37 miles) south of Parikkala.
Exploring Parikkala's Attractions
One of the most famous places to visit in Parikkala is a unique sculpture park. It has more than 500 sculptures created by an artist named Veijo Rönkkönen. The park is located along Highway 6. Some people have called this sculpture park one of the "most terrifying places on Earth" because of its unusual art!
Notable People from Parikkala
Many interesting people have come from Parikkala, including:
- Hjalmar Dahl (1891–1960), a journalist and writer
- Pietari Hannikainen (1813–1899), a writer and journalist
- Sirpa Pietikäinen (born 1959), a politician
- Aimo Pulkkinen (1928–2018), a footballer
- Arto Räty (born 1955), a lieutenant general
- Oskari Reinikainen (1885–1969), a doctor and politician
- Hannu Siitonen (born 1949), a javelin thrower
- Lisa Sounio (born 1970), a CEO and businesswoman
