Pelkosenniemi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pelkosenniemi
Pelkosnjargâ
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Municipality
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| Pelkosenniemen kunta Pelkosenniemi kommun |
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Location of Pelkosenniemi in Finland
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| Country |  Finland |
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| Region | Lapland | |
| Sub-region | Eastern Lapland | |
| Charter | 1916 | |
| Area
(2018-01-01)
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| • Total | 1,881.58 km2 (726.48 sq mi) | |
| • Land | 1,836.38 km2 (709.03 sq mi) | |
| • Water | 45.4 km2 (17.5 sq mi) | |
| Area rank | 32nd largest in Finland | |
| Population
(2023-12-31)
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| • Total | 912 | |
| • Rank | 299th largest in Finland | |
| • Density | 0.5/km2 (1/sq mi) | |
| Population by native language | ||
| • Finnish | 98% (official) | |
| • Others | 2% | |
| Population by age | ||
| • 0 to 14 | 9.5% | |
| • 15 to 64 | 53.5% | |
| • 65 or older | 37.1% | |
| Time zone | UTC+02:00 (EET) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+03:00 (EEST) | |
| Website | www.pelkosenniemi.fi | |
Pelkosenniemi (which is Pelkosnjargâ in the Inari Sámi language) is a small municipality in Finland. It is located in the northern part of Finland, in the Lapland region.
Pelkosenniemi is known for being the smallest municipality in Lapland when you look at its population. It covers a total area of about 1,881.58 square kilometres (726.48 sq mi). A small part of this area, around 45.4 km2 (17.5 sq mi), is water. The population density is very low, meaning there are not many people living in each square kilometer.
The official language spoken in Pelkosenniemi is Finnish. For a long time, almost everyone living there spoke Finnish as their first language. The towns and areas nearby include Kemijärvi, Rovaniemi, Salla, Savukoski, and Sodankylä.
One fun fact about Pelkosenniemi is that it hosts a popular competition where people try to swat mosquitoes!
Contents
History of Pelkosenniemi
Early Inhabitants
Long ago, the area where Pelkosenniemi is now was home to the Sámi people. They are an indigenous group who have lived in northern Europe for thousands of years. The Sámi people in this specific area spoke a language called Kemi Sámi language, which is now no longer spoken.
First Settlers and Growth
The first Finnish person to settle in this area was Paavali Pelkonen. He came from a place called Lumijoki in the 1670s. At that time, the area was known as Kilpimaa. Even after Finnish settlers arrived, the land was still considered part of the Sompio siida. A siida was a traditional Sámi community or district.
Later, Pelkosenniemi became part of the Sodankylä parish. A parish is like a church district. In 1857, the community, then called Alaperä, got its first chapel. A chapel is a small church. In 1916, Pelkosenniemi became its own separate parish, just like Savukoski. This was an important step in the area becoming an independent municipality.
Famous People from Pelkosenniemi
Pelkosenniemi is the birthplace of Andy McCoy. He was born as Antti Hulkko. Andy McCoy became a very famous musician. He was the lead guitarist for the well-known rock band called Hanoi Rocks.
See also
In Spanish: Pelkosenniemi para niños
Images for kids
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The center of Pelkosenniemi.
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The coat of arms of Pelkosenniemi.
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A map showing where Pelkosenniemi is located in Finland.
