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Äänekoski

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Äänekoski (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈæːneˌkːoski]) is a town in Finland. It is located in the Central Finland region, about 45 kilometres (28 mi) north of Jyväskylä, the region's capital city. Äänekoski has a population of 17,818, as of 31 October 2024,[6] and covers an area of 1,138.39 square kilometres (439.53 sq mi) of which 253.84 km2 (98.01 sq mi), or 22%, is water.[1] The population density is 20.14 inhabitants per square kilometre (52.2/sq mi).

Äänekoski
Town
Äänekosken kaupunki
Äänekoski stad
Äänekoski town hall and library
Äänekoski town hall and library
Coat of arms of Äänekoski
Coat of arms
Location of Äänekoski in Finland
Location of Äänekoski in Finland
Coordinates: 62°36′N 025°43.5′E / 62.600°N 25.7250°E / 62.600; 25.7250
Country Finland
RegionCentral Finland
Sub-regionÄänekoski sub-region
Charter1932
City rights1973
Government
 • Town managerMatti Tuononen
Area
 (2018-01-01)[1]
 • Total
1,138.39 km2 (439.53 sq mi)
 • Land884.61 km2 (341.55 sq mi)
 • Water253.84 km2 (98.01 sq mi)
 • Rank87th largest in Finland
Population
 (2024-10-31)[2]
 • Total
17,818
 • Rank65th largest in Finland
 • Density20.14/km2 (52.2/sq mi)
Population by native language
[3]
 • Finnish97.1% (official)
 • Swedish0.1%
 • Others2.8%
Population by age
[4]
 • 0 to 1415.2%
 • 15 to 6456.8%
 • 65 or older27.9%
Time zoneUTC+02:00 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+03:00 (EEST)
Websitewww.aanekoski.fi

Neighbouring municipalities are Kannonkoski, Konnevesi, Laukaa, Saarijärvi, Uurainen, Vesanto and Viitasaari.

The municipality is unilingually Finnish.[3]

The municipality of Äänekosken maalaiskunta was consolidated to Äänekoski in 1969 and the municipality of Konginkangas in 1993. The municipalities of Sumiainen and Suolahti were consolidated to Äänekoski in 2007.

History

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Coat of arms of Äänekoski until 2007. The modern coat of arms was originally used by Suolahti.

Äänekoski is named after the nearby rapids. Folk etymology connects the name to the word ääni "sound", but Terho Itkonen has suggested another origin: a Sámi term meaning "big, large" (compare Northern Sámi eanas, "most").

Swedish sources mention a salmon fishery by the rapids around 1455, Ænækoski laxefiskeri. At the time, it was not a proper settlement and was located in the hunting grounds of the people of Sysmä. The Rautalampi parish was established in 1561, at the time it was a large parish covering most of Central Finland north of the Päijänne. The Laukaa parish, including the area of Äänekoski, was separated from Rautalampi in 1628.

A settlement named Äänekoski has existed at least since 1752. It remained a part of Laukaa until the parish was established in 1907 and the municipality Äänekosken maalaiskunta was established in 1911. At the time, Äänekosken maalaiskunta was called simply Äänekoski. The municipality was divided in 1932: the actual settlement of Äänekoski became the kauppala of Äänekoski, Suolahti became another kauppala while the old Äänekoski municipality was renamed Äänekosken maalaiskunta and its administrative seat was moved to the village of Honkola. Äänekoski and Äänekosken maalaiskunta still shared a parish.[7]

The first industrial enterprises appeared in 1896–1900.

Four municipalities have been consolidated with Äänekoski: Äänekosken maalaiskunta in 1969, Konginkangas in 1993 and Sumiainen and Suolahti in 2007. Äänekoski adopted the coat of arms of Suolahti in 2007.

Geography

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Municipalities merged into Äänekoski: Konginkangas, Sumiainen, Suolahti and Äänekosken maalaiskunta.

Äänekoski is located along Finnish national road 4 approximately 40 km north of Jyväskylä. Finnish national road 69 to Suonenjoki begins in Hirvaskangas, 12 km south of Äänekoski center. Finnish national road 13 between Kokkola and Lappeenranta passes through Honkola, 6 km south of Äänekoski center. Äänekoski center is located between the Ääneselkä open water part of Lake Keitele and Lake Kuhnamo.

Villages

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Modern Äänekoski is a product of a merger of multiple former municipalities, where the following villages were officially named:

  • Konginkangas: Kalaniemi, Konginkangas center, Pyyrinlahti[8]
  • Sumiainen: Paadentaipale, Raikkaus, Sumiaisten kirkonkylä (Sumiainen church village)[9]
  • Suolahti: Suolahti center
  • Äänekoski ja Äänekosken maalaiskunta (Rural Municipality of Äänekoski): Äänekoski center, Honkola, Kangashäkki (main part of which is in Uurainen), Kiimasjärvi, Koivisto (Koivistonkylä) and Petruma.[10]

Besides these official divisions, the following villages or neighborhoods are also informally recognized: Hietama, Hirvaskangas, Laajaranta, Liimattala, Mämme, Parantala ja Rannankylä.

Nature

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The area is heavily forested. It is also defined by the fractured Lake Keitele, which stretches generally in the southwest-northeast direction from Äänekoski center to the open waters of Keitele proper in Havusalmi, but which has multiple bays in the perpendicular, southeast-northwest direction.

There are 13 Natura 2000 protected areas in Äänekoski. These include esker areas, waters rich in bird life and part of the Hitonhauta-Kylmähauta-Hirvasjoki ravine area, which extends from Äänekoski to Laukaa.[11][12]

There are altogether 170 lakes in Äänekoski. The biggest lakes are Keitele, Kuhnamo and Niinivesi.[13]

One of the world's smallest rivers, the Kuokanjoki, is within the area.[14] Aatunselkä is also located in this area.[15]

Demographics

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In 2021, there were 18,318 inhabitants, of which 75.8% lived in urban areas. There are three urban areas: Äänekoski center (12,899 inhabitants), Konginkangas (445) and Sumiaisten kirkonkylä (church village of Sumiainen, 406). Suolahden keskustaajama (the center of Suolahti), Kierälahti and Paatela used to categorized as a separate urban areas, but they are now counted as a part of Äänekoski center.

Economy

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Äänekoski is a major industrial center. The largest corporate tax payer is Valtra, a manufacturer of tractors and agricultural machinery, which is a part of AGCO Corporation, followed by Kurikka Timber, a manufacturer of window components. Aura cheese is manufactured in the Valio's Äänekoski dairy. The forest, pulp and paper industry is a major employer. In 1891, a groundwood pulp mill and a cardboard factory was founded in Äänekoski. Currently, sites in Äänekoski include a Metsä Board folding boxboard factory, Metsä Fibre kraft pulp and bioproduct mill, Metsä Wood plywood factory (former Finnforest) and a Nouryon plant (former CP Kelco), which manufactures chemical derivatives of cellulose.

Twin towns – sister cities

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See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Finland

The following cities or municipalities are twinned with Äänekoski:[16]

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  •  
    A porter locomotive of the Äänekoski-Suolahti narrow gauge railway
  •  
    A freight train departing from a pulp mill in Äänekoski
  •  
    Kapeenkoski Lock of Keitele–Päijänne canal.
  •  
    A sunset at Lake Keitele

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Area of Finnish Municipalities 1.1.2018" (PDF). National Land Survey of Finland. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  2. ^ "Finland's preliminary population figure was 5,635,560 at the end of October 2024". Population structure. Statistics Finland. 19 November 2024. ISSN 1797-5395. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Population growth biggest in nearly 70 years". Population structure. Statistics Finland. 26 April 2024. ISSN 1797-5395. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  4. ^ "Population according to age (1-year) and sex by area and the regional division of each statistical reference year, 2003–2020". StatFin. Statistics Finland. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  5. ^ a b "Luettelo kuntien ja seurakuntien tuloveroprosenteista vuonna 2023". Tax Administration of Finland. 14 November 2022. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
  6. ^ "Population by municipality as of 31 December 2006". Population Information System (in Finnish and Swedish). Population Register Center of Finland. Retrieved 2 May 2010.[permanent dead link‍]
  7. ^ "SuomalainenPaikannimikirja_e-kirja_kuvallinen.pdf" (PDF). kaino.kotus.fi (in Finnish). p. 531. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  8. ^ Tarmio, Hannu; Papunen, Pentti ja Korpela, Kalevi (ed.). Suomenmaa: maantieteellis-yhteiskunnallinen tieto- ja hakuteos. 4, Kokkola – Lestijärvi, p. 17, WSOY, Porvoo 1971.
  9. ^ Suomenmaa 7 (1978): s. 160
  10. ^ Suomenmaa 7 (1978): s. 500
  11. ^ "Natura 2000 -alueet turvaavat Euroopan luonnon monimuotoisuuden" [Natura 2000 sites safeguard Europe's biodiversity]. ymparisto.fi (in Finnish). 19 May 2022. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  12. ^ "Hitonhauta-Kylmähauta-Hirvasjoki". ymparisto.fi (in Finnish). 23 February 2023. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  13. ^ "Äänekoski". Järviwiki. Finland's Environmental Administration. 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  14. ^ "Sumiaisten kyläyhdistys". sumiainen.fi. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  15. ^ "Aatunselkä (14.332.1.007)". Järvi-meriwiki (in Finnish). 1 February 2011. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  16. ^ "Äänekosken kaupungin ystävyyskuntatoiminnan edistäminen" (in Norwegian). City of Äänekoski. Archived from the original on 19 July 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2012.
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Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Äänekoski.

  Media related to Äänekoski at Wikimedia Commons

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