SafekipediaNorth Karelia
Adapted from Wikipedia · Discoverer experience
North Karelia, also called Northern Karelia, is a region in eastern Finland. It is bordered by the regions of Kainuu, North Savo, South Savo, and South Karelia, and also shares a long border with Russia's Republic of Karelia. The city of Joensuu is the capital and largest city in the area.
In the past, North Karelia had more health problems than other parts of Finland, especially with heart disease. But in 1972, people in the region started a special project to improve health. Their hard work helped many people live healthier lives, and this success is still studied and admired today. North Karelia is also known for being a friendly place where people like to help each other.
History
The borders of North Karelia were shaped over many years. Key agreements like the Treaty of Stolbovo in 1617 and the Treaty of Nystad in 1721 helped set its edges. By the 1700s, people in North Karelia began to see themselves as a unique group. They made their own rules and had their own local government.
During World War II, North Karelia saw fighting. The first shots of the Winter War were fired in Lieksa in 1939. Later, in 1944, a big battle happened in Ilomantsi, marking the end of the Continuation War with a Finnish win.
Historical province
For history, geography and culture, see Karelia.
Heraldry
Main article: Coat of arms of the Province of Karelia
The coat of arms of North Karelia is made from the arms of Karelia.
Municipalities
The region of North Karelia has three sub-regions and 13 municipalities. Five of these are cities, shown in bold.
| Coat of arms | Municipality | Population | Land area (km2) | Density (/km2) | Finnish speakers | Swedish speakers | Other speakers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Heinävesi | 2,888 | 1,030 | 3 | 94 % | 0 % | 5 % |
 | Ilomantsi | 4,293 | 2,763 | 2 | 94 % | 0.2 % | 5 % |
 | Joensuu | 79,129 | 2,382 | 33 | 91 % | 0.1 % | 9 % |
 | Juuka | 4,059 | 1,502 | 3 | 96 % | 0 % | 4 % |
 | Kitee | 9,397 | 1,254 | 7 | 91 % | 0 % | 9 % |
 | Kontiolahti | 15,060 | 800 | 19 | 98 % | 0 % | 2 % |
 | Lieksa | 9,846 | 3,418 | 3 | 93 % | 0 % | 7 % |
 | Liperi | 11,980 | 727 | 16 | 97 % | 0 % | 3 % |
 | Nurmes | 8,760 | 2,401 | 4 | 96 % | 0 % | 4 % |
 | Outokumpu | 6,365 | 446 | 14 | 92 % | 0 % | 8 % |
 | Polvijärvi | 3,942 | 805 | 5 | 98 % | 0 % | 2 % |
 | Rääkkylä | 1,830 | 428 | 4 | 95 % | 0 % | 5 % |
 | Tohmajärvi | 3,869 | 838 | 5 | 93 % | 0 % | 6 % |
| Total | 161,418 | 18,347 | 9 | 93 % | 0.1 % | 7 % |
Education
North Karelia has several places where students can go to learn more after high school. One of them is the University of Eastern Finland. There is also a school called the North Karelia University of Applied Sciences, and another one named Riveria Vocational Education and Training. These schools help people study many different subjects and prepare for jobs.
Demographics
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Politics
North Karelia joins with the region of North Savo to form the Savo-Karelia constituency for elections. This area chooses 15 of the 200 members who serve in the Parliament of Finland.
In popular culture
The song "Pohjois-Karjala" ("North Karelia") by the Finnish pop rock band Leevi and the Leavings tells a story about a man who lives in a big city but dreams of going back to his home region, North Karelia. The song is very popular there and many people think of it as a special song for the area.
Images
Related articles
This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on North Karelia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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