Ranua facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ranua
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Municipality
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| Ranuan kunta Ranua kommun |
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Ranua Church
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Location of Ranua in Finland
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| Country |  Finland |
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| Region | Lapland | |
| Sub-region | Rovaniemi | |
| Charter | 1917 | |
| Area
(2018-01-01)
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| • Total | 3,694.79 km2 (1,426.57 sq mi) | |
| • Land | 3,454.17 km2 (1,333.66 sq mi) | |
| • Water | 241.09 km2 (93.09 sq mi) | |
| Area rank | 14th largest in Finland | |
| Population
(2023-12-31)
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| • Total | 3,599 | |
| • Rank | 202nd largest in Finland | |
| • Density | 1.04/km2 (2.7/sq mi) | |
| Population by native language | ||
| • Finnish | 98.1% (official) | |
| • Swedish | 0.2% | |
| • Others | 1.7% | |
| Population by age | ||
| • 0 to 14 | 17.5% | |
| • 15 to 64 | 52.8% | |
| • 65 or older | 29.7% | |
| Time zone | UTC+02:00 (EET) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+03:00 (EEST) | |
Ranua is a town in Finland. It is located in the Lapland region, which is in northern Finland.
About 3,599 people live in Ranua. It covers a large area of land and water. Most people in Ranua speak Finnish.
Contents
Exploring Ranua's Location
Ranua is surrounded by several other towns. Its neighbors include Ii, Simo, Tervola, Rovaniemi, Posio, and Pudasjärvi.
Villages in Ranua
Ranua is made up of many smaller villages. Some of these villages are:
- Asmunti
- Hosio
- Impiö
- Kelankylä
- Kortteenperä
- Kuha
- Kuukasjärvi
- Mauru
- Nuupas
- Petäjäjärvi
- Pohjaslahti–Piittisjärvi
- Portimo
- Putkivaara
- Raiskio
- Rovastinaho
- Saariharju
- Saukkojärvi
- Sääskilahti
- Teerivaara
- Telkkälä
- Tolja
Ranua's Natural Beauty
Ranua is known for its beautiful nature. It has 569 lakes! The two biggest lakes are Ranuanjärvi and Simojärvi. There are also many fast-flowing rivers with natural salmon living in them.
A Look Back at Ranua's History
The name Ranua first came from a farm built in the 1700s. This farm was named after Lake Ranuanjärvi, which was first mentioned way back in 1553. The name "ranu-" probably comes from an old Finnish dialect spoken in a region called Tavastia.
Ranua became its own church parish in 1899. This happened when parts of Simo, Pudasjärvi, and Rovaniemen maalaiskunta joined together. Then, in 1917, Ranua officially became a separate town (municipality). A small part of Ranua was later given to the new town of Posio in 1926.
Interestingly, the way people speak Finnish in Ranua is unique for Lapland. It's a dialect from Northern Ostrobothnia, but it also has some influences from the Kainuu dialect.
Fun Things to Do in Ranua
Ranua has some cool places to visit!
Ranua Wildlife Park
The most famous place is the Ranua Zoo. It is the northernmost zoo in the world! This zoo is home to many animals that live in cold, arctic places. The polar bear is the zoo's mascot. Ranua Zoo is the only place in Finland where you can see a living polar bear.
Other Attractions
Other interesting spots in Ranua include the Saukkojärvi Local History and School Museum. This museum is in the village of Saukkojärvi. You can also visit the Hillamarkkinat, which is a market event. Poro Island and the beautiful Church of Ranua are also worth seeing.
Ranua's International Friends
Ranua has a special friendship with another town far away.
Iwasaki, Japan (since 1990)
Famous People from Ranua
Many talented people have come from Ranua:
- Eero Lohi (born 1927), a modern pentathlete
- Lauri Impiö (1929–2006), a church leader and politician
- Jouko Kuha (born 1939), a long-distance runner
- Taina Impiö (born 1956), a cross-country skier
- Ilkka Koivula (born 1966), an actor
- Kaisa H. Hietala (born 1971), a business executive
- Jenna Pirttijärvi (born 1994), an ice hockey player
Images for kids
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The formation of Ranua.
See also
In Spanish: Ranua para niños
