Laukaa

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Laukaa
Laukas
Municipality
Laukaan kunta
Leppävesi is one of many lakes in Laukaa.

Coat of arms
Location of Laukaa in Finland
Coordinates: 62°25′N 025°57′E / 62.417°N 25.950°E / 62.417; 25.950Coordinates: 62°25′N 025°57′E / 62.417°N 25.950°E / 62.417; 25.950
Country Finland
Region Central Finland
Sub-region Jyväskylä sub-region
Charter 1593
Government
 • Municipal manager Esko Koliseva
Area(2011-01-01)[1]
 • Total 825.62 km2 (318.77 sq mi)
 • Land 648.53 km2 (250.40 sq mi)
 • Water 177.09 km2 (68.37 sq mi)
Area rank 143rd largest in Finland
Population (2013-08-31)[2]
 • Total 18,478
 • Rank 63rd largest in Finland
 • Density 28.49/km2 (73.8/sq mi)
Population by native language[3]
 • Finnish 99.2% (official)
 • Swedish 0.1%
 • Others 0.7%
Population by age[4]
 • 0 to 14 21.4%
 • 15 to 64 64.3%
 • 65 or older 14.3%
Time zone EET (UTC+2)
 • Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3)
Municipal tax rate[5] 20%
Website www.laukaa.fi

Laukaa (Swedish: Laukas) is a municipality of Finland.

It is located in the province of Western Finland, next to Jyväskylä and is part of the Central Finland region. The municipality has a population of 18,478 (31 August 2013)[2] and covers an area of 825.62 square kilometres (318.77 sq mi) of which 177.09 km2 (68.37 sq mi) is water.[1] There are all together 129 lakes in Laukaa. Biggest lakes in Laukaa are Lievestuoreenjärvi, Kuusvesi and Lake Uurainen.[6] The population density is 28.49 inhabitants per square kilometre (73.8 /sq mi).

The municipality is unilingually Finnish.

Saraakallio Stone Age rock paintings

Saraakallio.
A rock painting in Saraakallio.
Kuusaankoski rapid.

Saraakallio, the largest Stone Age rock painting site of Fennoscandia is located in Laukaa. The paintings consists of over 100 figures. The oldest paintings are about 6 600 years old. The most common themes in Saraakallio paintings are deer, human, and boat figures. Saraakallio rock paintings are made by using red paint, which is made of hematite-containing soil mixed presumably with blood, urea and eggs.[7]

Keitele Canal

Three of the five locks on the Keitele Canal (Kuusa, Kuhankoski and Kapeenkoski) are located in Laukaa. The canal route combines Lake Päijänne and Lake Keitele. The canal route was finished in 1994. Its original purpose was serving log floating. Nowadays the route is used by inland ships and boaters.[8]

The construction of the canal was executed by the Russian Zarubezhtransstroi Company on a "turn key" basis in 1990-1994. The total length of the Keitele-Paijanne canal is 48 km out of which 2.5 km is canal section. Rest of the route follows river's natural water flow.[9]

Kuusankoski, Kuhankoski and Kapeenkoski are also famous recreational fishing places. The local theatre, Kuusan Kanavateatteri, Kuusa Canal Theatre, is active all year round giving performances in the restored building dating from the year 1914. In summer the Kuusa Canal forms a unique backdrop setting for the outdoor stage. The seating area is designed for 650 people and is covered with a canopy.[10]

Museums in Laukaa

  • Laukaa Museum Village, Kalluntalo, is an open-air museum located in the centre of Laukaa, on the southern hillside of the Laukaa church.The premises of the open-air museum include a croft, a main residential building from the 18th century, and six other wooden folk buildings from the Laukaa area.
  • Hartikka Stone Age Residential Area is located in Tarvaala, 10 km from the centre of Laukaa. The items found in the area, mainly in graves, are estimated to be from the time period of 6000 to 4000 B.C. and indicate that this had been a hunting community. One of the oldest church sites and graveyards in Central Finland, Hartikan kirkkomaa, is located right next to the Stone Age residential area of Hartikka.
  • Croft of Hartikka, Hartikan Torppa, a home museum at Laukkavirta Village.
  • Dugout Museum, Korsumuseo, in Peurunka.
  • Kankaanpää Home Museum at Laukaan Asemankylä. The museum buildings and items on display are mainly from the 19th century farm house residence.

[11]

Sister cities

The following places are twinned with Laukaa:[12]

Gallery

  • Hitonhauta Nature Reserve

  • Kuhankoski Canal

  • Kuhankoski Hydroelectric power plant

  • Laukaa is hosting many rallying events.

  • Lievestuore railway station

  • Lake Saraavesi

  • Peurunka Spa

  • A moose in a rock painting in Saraakallio

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Area by municipality as of 1 January 2011" (PDF) (in Finnish and Swedish). Land Survey of Finland. Retrieved 9 March 2011. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "VÄESTÖTIETOJÄRJESTELMÄ REKISTERITILANNE 31.8.2013" (in Finnish and Swedish). Population Register Center of Finland. Retrieved 15 September 2013. 
  3. ↑ "Population according to language and the number of foreigners and land area km2 by area as of 31 December 2008". Statistics Finland's PX-Web databases. Statistics Finland. Retrieved 29 March 2009. 
  4. ↑ "Population according to age and gender by area as of 31 December 2008". Statistics Finland's PX-Web databases. Statistics Finland. Retrieved 28 April 2009. 
  5. ↑ "List of municipal and parish tax rates in 2011". Tax Administration of Finland. 29 November 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2011. 
  6. ↑ "Laukaa". Järviwiki. Finland's Environmental Administration. 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2012. 
  7. ↑ "Visiting Saraakallio rock paintings". University of Jyväskylä. 2009. Retrieved 2 October 2012. 
  8. ↑ "Via Keitele Canal from Lake Päijänne to Lake Keitele". Päijännettä Pohjoiseen. Retrieved 3 October 2012. 
  9. ↑ "Keitele-Paijanne Canal in Finland". Construction Experience. Zarubezhtransstroi Company. 2007. Retrieved 3 October 2012. 
  10. ↑ "Keitele Canal and fishing in Laukaa". www.laukaa.fi. Laukaa Municipality. 2012. Retrieved 3 October 2012. 
  11. ↑ "Museums in Laukaa". www.laukaa.fi. Laukaa Municipality. 2012. Retrieved 3 October 2012. 
  12. ↑ "Ystävyyskunnat Pohjoismaissa, Venäjällä ja Virossa". Laukaa municipality. Retrieved 2012-02-26.  (Norwegian)

External links

Media related to Laukaa at Wikimedia Commons

Municipalities
Former municipalities
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