Sysmä facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sysmä
Municipality
Sysmän kunta Sysmä kommun
Sunset at Lake Päijänne and Päijätsalo natural park
Coat of arms
Location of Sysmä in Finland
Country	Finland
Region	Päijänne Tavastia
Sub-region	Heinola sub-region
Founded	1442
Area  (2018-01-01)
• Total	936.18 km2 (361.46 sq mi)
• Land	666.76 km2 (257.44 sq mi)
• Water	269.14 km2 (103.92 sq mi)
Area rank	128th largest in Finland
Population  (2023-12-31)
• Total	3,496
• Rank	204th largest in Finland
• Density	5.24/km2 (13.6/sq mi)
Population by native language
• Finnish	96.7% (official)
• Swedish	0.3%
• Others	3%
Population by age
• 0 to 14	8.3%
• 15 to 64	48.4%
• 65 or older	43.2%
Time zone	UTC+02:00 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+03:00 (EEST)

Sysmä (pronounced like sis-mah) is a small town, or municipality, in Finland. It is located in the Päijät-Häme region. Imagine a place with lots of beautiful lakes and forests – that's Sysmä!

As of 31 December 2023, about 3,496 people live here. Sysmä covers an area of 936.18 square kilometres (361.46 sq mi), and a big part of that, 269.14 km² (103.92 sq mi), is water! This means there are many lakes and rivers.

The word Sysmä might mean "dark forest" or "wild, empty land." It's a name that fits the beautiful nature around it. Sysmä is also the name of two other lakes in Finland.

History of Sysmä

Sysmä has a long and interesting past. The first people to settle here came from a place called Sääksmäki. You can still see their influence in village names today. For example, the village of Voipala in Sysmä is named after a place in Sääksmäki.

Sysmä was first mentioned in official records in 1442. By then, it was already its own church area, called a parish. Back then, Sysmä was very large, but many of its northern areas were empty. Over time, people from a region called Savonia moved into these northern parts.

In 1561, a new parish called Rautalampi was created from Sysmä's northern lands. This new area was huge, covering most of what is now Central Finland!

Long ago, people in Sysmä spoke a dialect called Tavastian. But after a big event called the Cudgel War, many farms in Sysmä were left empty. New settlers from Savonia moved in, and soon, the Savonian dialect became more common.

Sysmä was sometimes called Sysmäki in old documents. This was because mäki means "hill" in Finnish, and people often linked the name to hills.

A nearby town, Hartola, was once part of Sysmä until 1784. Hartola's parish used to include other towns like Joutsa and Luhanka.

Population Changes

Over the last 50 years, the number of people living in Sysmä has slowly gone down. However, Sysmä is a very popular place for holiday homes! Many people from bigger cities have a second home here. During the summer, the population can even triple because so many visitors come to enjoy the beautiful nature.

Villages in Sysmä

Sysmä is made up of several smaller villages. Each village has its own unique charm. Some of these villages include:

• Joutsjärvi
• Karilanmaa
• Kinnarila
• Koivisto
• Liikola
• Nikkaroinen
• Nuoramoinen
• Onkiniemi
• Otamo
• Rapala
• Ravioskorpi
• Taipale
• Unaja
• Valittula
• Vintturi

Fun Things to Do

Sysmä is a lively place, especially in the summer! Many events happen here that attract lots of visitors.

• Sysmän suvisoitto: This is a very popular summer music festival.
• Kammiovuori mountain: Here you can find a huge rock called Sysmän Linta. It's a seven-meter-high rock left behind by a glacier!
• Onkiniemen liikkuva kivi: Another amazing glacial rock formation in Sysmä.

Famous People from Sysmä

Sysmä has been home to some well-known people:

• Usko Kantola: An actor.
• Pekka Streng: A musician.
• Olavi Virta: A famous singer.
• Lauri Rapala: The person who started the well-known fishing lure company, Rapala.
• Onni Schildt: A politician.
• Ernst Tandefelt: A nobleman.

See also

In Spanish: Sysmä para niños