Perho facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Perho
Municipality
Perhon kunta Perho kommun
The municipal office of Perho
Coat of arms
Location of Perho in Finland
Country	Finland
Region	Central Ostrobothnia
Sub-region	Kaustinen sub-region
Charter	1868
Area  (2018-01-01)
• Total	775.19 km2 (299.30 sq mi)
• Land	747.87 km2 (288.75 sq mi)
• Water	27.25 km2 (10.52 sq mi)
Area rank	114th largest in Finland
Population  (2023-12-31)
• Total	2,578
• Rank	233rd largest in Finland
• Density	3.45/km2 (8.9/sq mi)
Population by native language
• Finnish	98.4% (official)
• Swedish	0.5%
• Others	1%
Population by age
• 0 to 14	25.5%
• 15 to 64	50%
• 65 or older	24.6%
Time zone	UTC+02:00 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+03:00 (EEST)
Website	www.perho.com

Perho is a small town, also called a municipality, in Finland. It's found in the province of Western Finland and is part of the Central Ostrobothnia region. The main city nearby, Kokkola, is about 100 kilometers (62 miles) away.

Perho has a population of about 2,578 people (as of 31 December 2023). It covers an area of 775.19 square kilometres (299.30 sq mi) (about 775.19 square miles (2,007.7 km²)), with 27.25 km² (10.52 sq mi) (about 27.25 sq mi (70.6 km²)) of that being water. This means there are about 3.45 inhabitants per square kilometre (8.9/sq mi) people living in each square kilometer.

The official language spoken in Perho is Finnish. Perho shares its borders with several other towns. These include Alajärvi, Halsua, Kinnula, Kivijärvi, Kyyjärvi, Lestijärvi, Veteli, and Vimpeli.

The name "Perho" comes from the Finnish word perhonen, which means butterfly. Because of this, you can see a golden butterfly on the town's coat of arms. The silver "nail cross" above the butterfly on the coat of arms is a nod to a poem by J. L. Runeberg called The Tomb in Perho. Gustaf von Numers designed this coat of arms, and it was officially approved on March 6, 1953.

Perho's Past: A Look at History

In 1860, a very large church area called Kokkola split up. This area covered most of what is now Central Ostrobothnia. From this, the church area of Veteli was created. Veteli included smaller church areas like Kaustinen, Halsua, and Perho.

Becoming an Independent Parish

Perho officially became a chapel parish (a smaller church area) five years later. Then, in 1879, Perho became its own independent church parish. The first pastor (church leader) started working there in 1885.

The First Public Library

Perho was also home to the first public library in the Kokkola region. Important people who helped set it up were preacher Emanuel Snellman, locksmith Erkki Lakanen, and Tuomas Taittonen. Taittonen had previously worked as a librarian in Vähäkyrö in the 1850s. He helped make that library the biggest public library in Finland at the time.

Getting Around: Transport in Perho

Highway 13 goes right through Perho. This highway connects the Central Finland region with the town of Kokkola. It also acts as the main street in Perho's village center. You'll find two roundabouts in the middle of the village.

If you want to travel by bus, OnniBus.com has a route that stops in Perho. This route connects Helsinki, Jyväskylä, and Kokkola.

Local Flavors: Culture and Food

Traditional Dishes of Perho

In the 1980s, some special dishes were named as traditional foods of Perho. These included:

• Rieskas made from turnips.
• Porridge made from flour and potatoes.
• Mashed lingonberry sauce.

Famous People from Perho

Many talented people have come from Perho, including:

• Arsi Harju (born 1974), a former track and field athlete.
• Rami Hietaniemi (born 1982), a wrestler.
• Lauri Linna (1930–2018), a politician.
• Marita Liulia (born 1957), a visual artist.
• Eero Tuomaala (1926–1988), a long-distance runner.

Town Partnerships: Twinnings

Perho has a special partnership with another town:

• Antsla, Estonia

Images for kids

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  Perho church

• 

  A roundabout in the village center

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  Osuuspankki bank

• 

  Perho's municipality border