Salla facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Salla Kyelijävri
Municipality
Sallan kunta Salla kommun
Coat of arms
Location of Salla in Finland
Country	Finland
Region	Lapland
Sub-region	Eastern Lapland
Charter	1857
Area  (2018-01-01)
• Total	5,873.08 km2 (2,267.61 sq mi)
• Land	5,729.81 km2 (2,212.29 sq mi)
• Water	142.73 km2 (55.11 sq mi)
Area rank	7th largest in Finland
Population  (2023-12-31)
• Total	3,344
• Rank	207th largest in Finland
• Density	0.58/km2 (1.5/sq mi)
Population by native language
• Finnish	96% (official)
• Swedish	0.3%
• Sami	0.1%
• Others	3.6%
Population by age
• 0 to 14	8.7%
• 15 to 64	52%
• 65 or older	39.3%
Time zone	UTC+02:00 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+03:00 (EEST)

Salla is a town and municipality in Lapland, Finland. Until 1936, it was called Kuolajärvi. The local language of the Sami people calls it Kyelijävri.

Salla is home to about 3,344 people. It covers a large area of 5,873.08 square kilometres (2,267.61 sq mi). A small part of this area, 142.73 km² (55.11 sq mi), is water. The town is not very crowded, with only about 0.58 inhabitants per square kilometre (1.5/sq mi) people per square kilometer.

Near Salla, you'll find Sallatunturi, which is famous for the Salla Ski Resort. It's a great place for winter sports!

History of Salla: A Border Town

Areas given to the Soviet Union after World War II.

Salla is located in Eastern Lapland, very close to the border. Because of its location, it was greatly affected by the Second World War.

Salla During the Winter War

During the Winter War in 1939, soldiers from the Red Army (Soviet Union) tried to enter Finland through Salla. However, the Finnish Army stopped them in a battle known as the Battle of Salla.

After the war, some parts of Salla were given to the Soviet Union. This area is sometimes called "Old Salla" or Vanha Salla.

Salla During the Continuation War

Later, during the Continuation War, the old town of Salla was on the Soviet side of the border. German soldiers, working with the Finnish 6th Division, attacked the Soviet positions. They managed to take back all the areas that Finland had lost.

At the end of the war, Finnish troops pushed the German soldiers out of Lapland in what was called the Lapland War.

Villages Given Away

The following villages from Salla were given to the Soviet Union:

• Alakurtti
• Korja (Korya)
• Kuolajärvi (Kuoloyarvi)
• Lampela
• Sallansuu
• Yläkurtti (Yulyakurtti)
• Sovajärvi (Sovayarvi)
• Tuutijärvi (Tuutiyarvi)
• Vuorijärvi (Vuoriyarvi)

Salla's Olympic Bid for Climate Change

In 2021, the mayor of Salla, Erkki Parkkinen, made a surprising announcement. He suggested that Salla should try to host the 2032 Summer Olympic Games. This was not a serious bid to host the games. Instead, it was a way to bring attention to climate change.

The mayor wanted to show how much the climate crisis threatens Salla. The town's nature and way of life depend on very cold temperatures for most of the year. By talking about the Olympics, Salla hoped to make more people aware of this important issue.

Transportation in Salla

Salla has a railway line that connects it to Kemijärvi. This line is currently only used for carrying goods. In 2006, there were talks about closing this railway line.

The railway used to go beyond Salla into Russia. However, it has never been used for travel between the two countries.

Geography of Salla

Salla is surrounded by several other towns. Its neighboring municipalities are Kemijärvi, Kuusamo, Pelkosenniemi, Posio, and Savukoski.

Climate in Salla

Salla has a subarctic climate. This means it has very long, cold winters and mild summers.

• Summers: Summer days are mild. It rains about one-third of the time, and nights are usually cool.
• Winters: Winters are very long and cold. They last from early October through April. There is a lot of snow, and the sky is often cloudy. It's rare for the weather to get warmer in the middle of winter. Very cold periods are common.
• Spring and Autumn: These seasons are short, lasting only a few weeks. They are usually cool and don't change much.

The coldest temperature ever recorded in Salla was -50 °C (-58 °F). This happened in Naruska in 1985. It was the coldest temperature ever recorded in Finland until 1999. On January 28, 1999, an even colder temperature of -54.3 °C (-65.7 °F) was unofficially recorded in Naruska.

Historical Places to Visit

The Salpa Line anti-tank obstacles in Aholanvaara.

Salla has some important historical sites that tell stories of its past.

See also

In Spanish: Salla (Finlandia) para niños