Sotkamo Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Sotkamo

Municipality

Sotkamon kunta
Sotkamo kommun

Coat of arms

Location of Sotkamo in Finland

Country

Finland

Region

Kainuu

Sub-region

Kajaani

Area

(2018-01-01)

• Total

2,951.86 km² (1,139.72 sq mi)

• Land

2,648.88 km² (1,022.74 sq mi)

• Water

302.61 km² (116.84 sq mi)

Area rank

20th largest in Finland

Population

(2023-12-31)

• Total

10,274

• Rank

94th largest in Finland

• Density

3.88/km² (10.0/sq mi)

Population by native language

• Finnish

95% (official)

• Swedish

0.2%

• Others

4.8%

Population by age

• 0 to 14

14.9%

• 15 to 64

58%

• 65 or older

27.1%

Time zone

UTC+02:00 (EET)

• Summer (DST)

UTC+03:00 (EEST)

Sotkamo is a cool town in Finland. It's in the Kainuu region, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) east of Kajaani. Kajaani is the main city of Kainuu.

Vuokatti, a village in Sotkamo, is a very popular place for skiing and other fun activities. You can also find two amazing national parks here: Hiidenportti National Park and Tiilikkajärvi National Park.

Around 10,274 people live in Sotkamo. The area of Sotkamo is about 2,951.86 square kilometres (1,139.72 sq mi). A big part of it, 302.61 km² (116.84 sq mi), is water! This means there are lots of lakes and rivers.

Sports and Fun in Sotkamo
A Look at Sotkamo's Past
Sotkamo's Economy
Famous People from Sotkamo
Images for kids
See also

Sports and Fun in Sotkamo

Sotkamo is famous for its pesäpallo team, Sotkamon Jymy. Pesäpallo is a bit like baseball, but it's Finland's national sport! The team plays at the Hiukka Stadium. Their biggest rival is Vimpelin Veto from Vimpeli.

One of the best spots in Sotkamo is the sandy beach of Hiukka. It's right by the Iso Sapsojärvi lake, near the town center. In the Vuokatti ski center, you'll find Nuasjärvi lake and the famous Vuokatti Hill.

A Look at Sotkamo's Past

Sotkamo grew up around a natural water route. This route is made of many lakes and rivers. The water from Sotkamo flows into Kajaaninjoki, then into Oulujärvi, and finally reaches the Baltic Sea. Long ago, this water route was also important for trade. It even connected to the White Sea in the east.

For many centuries, soldiers from Russia, Sweden, and Denmark used these waterways. They would travel through this area. The name Sotkamo might come from the Finnish word "sotku," meaning a mess. This could refer to the confusing water routes. Or, it might come from "sotka," an old Finnish word for water birds. Today, "sotka" means the common goldeneye duck.

In the 1800s, famous Finnish artists visited Sotkamo. These included Akseli Gallen-Kallela and Hugo Simberg. They came to enjoy the beautiful nature.

On November 17, 2007, something special happened in Sotkamo. Marko Mikkilä took the first pictures ever of a rare light show called the Kern arc.

Sotkamo's Economy

Besides tourism, mining is very important for Sotkamo's economy. One of Europe's largest nickel deposits is in Talvivaara. The Talvivaara Mining Company started mining there in 2008. Later, in 2015, the mining operations were sold to Terrafame.

Another company, Sotkamo Silver, mines silver in the area. It's even listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki stock exchange! Also, Mondo Minerals mines talc in a place called Lahnaslampi.

Famous People from Sotkamo

Anders Chydenius was a priest and politician.

Anders Chydenius (1729–1803) was a Lutheran priest. He was also a member of the Swedish Riksdag, which is like a parliament.
Kalle Arantola (1913–1940) was a talented skier.
Veikko Huovinen (1927–2009) was a well-known author and forester.
Pirjo Häggman (born 1951) is a famous sprinter.