Kirkkonummi

Kirkkonummi ([ˈkirkkoˌnummi], or Kyrkslätt ([tɕyrkslɛt] in Swedish), is a municipality of 34,389 inhabitants (2006-12-31) in southern Finland. The literal meaning of the words "Kirkkonummi" and "Kyrkslätt" in English is "church on the moor".

The municipality is located just outside the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, bordering the municipality of Espoo in the east. Other neighbouring municipalities are Vihti and Siuntio. The distance from the municipal centre to central Helsinki is some 30 kilometres. Kirkkonummi also has excellent train and bus connections to other parts of the Greater Helsinki area, and many of its inhabitants commute daily to Helsinki.

The municipality covers an area of 393.30 km² (excluding sea) of which 28.29 km² is inland water. The population density is 89.78 inhabitants per km². Over the recent years, Kirkkonummi has faced the highest population growth rate in the country, over 3% per annum.

Major population centres in Kirkkonummi include the municipal centre, Masala, Veikkola, Kantvik and the Upinniemi naval garrison area. In addition to these, there are dozens of smaller villages. Geographically, Kirkkonummi has two famous peninsulas, namely Porkkala and Upinniemi, the latter one of which houses a major Finnish naval base. Porkkala is also on one of the main bird migration routes in the Baltic Sea region. Additionally, Kirkkonummi has a large central plains area, through which a railway goes from Helsinki to Turku as well as extensive lake areas, much of which are quite untouched wilderness.

Kirkkonummi has been populated from the Stone Age to the present day as evidenced by the very first Stone Age rock paintings found in Finland that are located by lake Vitträsk in the central lake region of Kirkkonummi. Incidentally, these paintings were found by the famous Finnish composer Jean Sibelius himself. The southern half of the municipality was leased to the Soviet Union between 1945 and 1956 for use as a naval base as part of the peace settlement that ended the hostilities between the Soviet Union and Finland during World War II. Signs of this time include concrete bunkers, other fortifications and the remains of an airbase.

Other places of interest located in Kirkkonummi include the ancient stone church in the municipal centre, the wooden church in the village of Haapajärvi as well as the Hvitträsk manor designed by three of the most famous Finnish architects ever - Eliel Saarinen, Herman Gesellius and Armas Lindgren.

[edit] External links

http://www.kirkkonummi.fi - Official website
http://www.kirkkonummi.com - kirkkonummi Guide

	Municipalities of Uusimaa
	Ekenäs \| Espoo \| Hanko \| Helsinki \| Hyvinkää \| Ingå \| Järvenpää \| Karis \| Karjalohja \| Karkkila \| Kauniainen \| Kerava \| Kirkkonummi \| Lohja \| Mäntsälä \| Nummi-Pusula \| Nurmijärvi \| Pohja \| Pornainen \| Sammatti \| Siuntio \| Tuusula \| Vantaa \| Vihti
	Uusimaa Region \| Southern Finland \| Finland