Sonkajärvi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sonkajärvi
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Municipality
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| Sonkajärven kunta Sonkajärvi kommun |
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Sonkajärvi town hall
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Location of Sonkajärvi in Finland
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| Country |  Finland |
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| Region | Northern Savonia | |
| Sub-region | Upper Savonia | |
| Charter | 1922 | |
| Area
(2018-01-01)
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| • Total | 1,576.78 km2 (608.80 sq mi) | |
| • Land | 1,465.93 km2 (566.00 sq mi) | |
| • Water | 110.86 km2 (42.80 sq mi) | |
| Area rank | 44th largest in Finland | |
| Population
(2023-12-31)
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| • Total | 3,637 | |
| • Rank | 199th largest in Finland | |
| • Density | 2.48/km2 (6.4/sq mi) | |
| Population by native language | ||
| • Finnish | 98.7% (official) | |
| • Swedish | 0.1% | |
| • Others | 1.2% | |
| Population by age | ||
| • 0 to 14 | 12.2% | |
| • 15 to 64 | 53.4% | |
| • 65 or older | 34.5% | |
| Time zone | UTC+02:00 (EET) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+03:00 (EEST) | |
Sonkajärvi (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈsoŋkɑˌjærʋi]) is a small town, also called a municipality, in Finland. It used to be known as Rutakko. You can find it in the Northern Savonia region, about 105 kilometers (65 miles) north of Kuopio.
Sonkajärvi is home to about 3,637 people. It covers a total area of 1,576.78 square kilometres (608.80 sq mi), with 110.86 km2 (42.80 sq mi) of that being water. This means there are many lakes and natural areas to explore! The main language spoken here is Finnish.
The coat of arms for Sonkajärvi tells a story about the area. The picture of the water wheel shows how important watermills were in the past. The flames above the wheel remind us of an old farming method called slash-and-burn cultivation. Ahti Hammar designed this coat of arms, and it was officially approved in 1954.
Contents
Exploring Sonkajärvi's Nature
Sonkajärvi is surrounded by beautiful nature and shares borders with towns like Iisalmi, Kajaani, and Lapinlahti.
Lakes and Forests
There are 204 lakes in the Sonkajärvi area, making it a great place for water activities. The biggest lakes are Laakajärvi, Sälevä, and Kiltuanjärvi.
You can also find special natural spots here. For example, some of the northernmost wild small-leaved lime trees in Finland grow near Kangaslampi lake and Salmisenmäki hill. These trees are quite rare this far north!
A Look at Sonkajärvi's Past
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Sonkajärvi became its own municipality in 1922. Before that, it was part of a larger area called Iisalmen maalaiskunta. The Sonkajärvi Church, shown in the picture, is an important historical building.
Getting Around Sonkajärvi
Highway 5 (E63) is a major road located about 10 kilometers (6 miles) west of Sonkajärvi's town center. This highway helps connect Sonkajärvi to other parts of Finland.
The Famous Wife Carrying Competition
Sonkajärvi is known around the world for a very unique and fun sport called wife-carrying (in Finnish, akankanto or eukonkanto). The first Wife Carrying World Championship was held here in 1994.
How the Competition Started
The idea for this funny contest comes from local stories. Long ago, in the late 1800s, there was a local legend named Rosvo-Ronkainen. He was said to only let strong men join his group if they could prove themselves on a tough obstacle course. It was also a common practice back then for men to "steal" women from nearby villages. These old stories inspired the modern competition.
Rules of the Game
In the Wife Carrying competition, each team has one male and one female member. The goal is for the man to carry the woman through a special obstacle course. Here are some of the main rules:
- The woman must be over 17 years old.
- She must weigh at least 49 kilograms (about 108 pounds). If she weighs less, she has to wear a backpack to make up the difference.
- The only equipment allowed is a belt for the carrier and a helmet for the person being carried.
- The track used for the World Championship in Sonkajärvi is 253.5 meters (about 832 feet) long. It's a challenging and exciting race!
Well-Known People from Sonkajärvi
- Kalevi Eskelinen, a racing cyclist
- Päivi Räsänen, a politician
- Jussi Vatanen, an actor
Sonkajärvi's Global Connections
Sonkajärvi has a special connection with another town far away.
Sister Cities
Väike-Maarja Parish, Estonia (since 1997)
See also
In Spanish: Sonkajärvi para niños
