Kontiolahti (Swedish: Kontiolax; literally meaning "bear bay") is a municipalityofFinland. It is located in the North Kareliaregion, about 20 kilometres (12 mi) north of Joensuu. The municipality has a population of 15,136 (31 December 2023)[2] and covers an area of 1,029.82 square kilometres (397.62 sq mi) of which 230.1 km2 (88.8 sq mi) is water.[1] The population density is 18.92 inhabitants per square kilometre (49.0/sq mi). Neighbouring municipalities are Joensuu, Juuka, Lieksa, Liperi and Polvijärvi. The municipality is unilingually Finnish.
Coat of arms of the municipality of Kontiolahti is a canting arms; the log drivingpike pole, which the bear carries in the picture, refers to the importance of forestry in the region's economy. The coat of arms was designed by Aarno Liuksiala and approved by the Kontiolahti Municipal Council at its meeting on December 8, 1952. The coat of arms was approved for use by the Ministry of the Interior on February 27, 1953.[5][6]
Kontiolahti originally belonged to the parish of Liperi. It became an independent municipality in 1873. The flood nuisance of Lake Höytiäinen and the desire for water abandonment inspired residents to try to build a canal to lower the water level, but the dam broke uncontrollably in 1859, and the landscape changed dramatically.[8] After World War II, the Ruskeala's migrants were stationed in Kontiolahti.
Kontiolahti has 183 lakes, and water bodies cover 22.3 percent (230 km2) of the municipality's surface area. The largest of them are Lake Höytiäinen, Lake Kangasvesi and Lake Herajärvi.[9] There are 11 Natura sites in all or part of Kontiolahti: Teerisaari-Sisuslahti, Soikkeli Forest, Pöllönvaara-Kruununkangas, Paihola Forest, Kolvananuuro and surrounding areas, Koli National Park, Jouhteninen, Huurunlampi-Sammakkolampi-Huurunrinne and Huuhkajanvaara.[10]
Joensuu Region's Public Transport (Joensuun seudun joukkoliikenne; JOJO) is responsible for local and schooltraffic in the Kontiolahti area.[12] Kontiolahti also has a railway station,[13] which, however, no longer has passenger traffic. Highway 6 passes through the municipality.[14][11]
Municipal library services are provided by the Kontiolahti Library, the Lehmo Library, and Runo-Antti, the bookmobile of Kontiolahti and Eno.[15][16][17][18]
^""Kontiolahden Urheilijat" [Kontiolahti Sports Club]. Kontiolahti: Kontiolahden Urheilijat r.y. Archived from the original on 12 November 2013. Retrieved 17 November 2013.
^Jaakko Kolmonen (1988). Kotomaamme ruoka-aitta: Suomen, Karjalan ja Petsamon pitäjäruoat (in Finnish). Helsinki: Patakolmonen. pp. 122–123. ISBN951-96047-3-1.
Finland
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