Joutseno
Encyclopedia
Joutseno is a former town and municipality of Finland
. It is located in the province
of Southern Finland
and is part of the South Karelia
region
. Joutseno had a population of 10,821 (2004) and covers an area of 498,8 km² of which 187,7 km² is water. The region shares nine kilometers of borderline with Russia
. The population density
is 34,8 inhabitants per km². Joutseno is unilingually Finnish
. Until 2005, Joutseno's status was changed to city. Joutseno was consolidated with Lappeenranta
on 2009-01-01.A referendum was held, by public demand, before the amalgamation and the result was 73.9% against joining Lappeenranta. This should have prevented the amalgamation taking place - but the authorities claimed that the vote was 'advice giving only', and the advice was not taken. Some 'turncoat' action by former anti-amalgamation councillors meant that the democratic will of the Joutseno populace was ignored, and democracy effectively killed off in this pleasant village.
Joutseno is located by the beautiful lake Saimaa
surrounded by idyllic Karelian woods. It is a small town that connects to nearby cities of Imatra
and Lappeenranta
, and further on to the larger Joensuu
through the national thoroughfare, main road number six, and the Karelian railroad. Local industries include a large Botnia mill and a bakery. The notorious Konnunsuo prison
is located in the same district. Joutsenon Opisto houses a branch of Humanistic Polytechnics and has open university programmes.
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. It is located in the province
Provinces of Finland
The state of Finland consisted of six provinces between the years 1997 and 2009. The provincial authority was part of the central government's executive branch, not directly elected. The system was created in 1634, and its makeup was changed drastically in 1997, when the number of the provinces...
of Southern Finland
Southern Finland
Southern Finland was a province of Finland from 1997 to 2010. It bordered the provinces of Western Finland and Eastern Finland. It also bordered the Gulf of Finland and Russia.- History :...
and is part of the South Karelia
South Karelia
South Karelia is a region of Finland. It borders to the regions of Kymenlaakso, Southern Savonia, North Karelia and to Russia. The term "South Karelia" might also be used to refer to the southern parts of the entire Karelia — the Region of South Karelia is termed "South" because it is the...
region
Regions of Finland
Finland consists of 19 regions called in Finnish and in Swedish. The regions are governed by regional councils, which serve as forums of cooperation for the municipalities of a region. The main tasks of the regions are regional planning and development of enterprise and education. In addition,...
. Joutseno had a population of 10,821 (2004) and covers an area of 498,8 km² of which 187,7 km² is water. The region shares nine kilometers of borderline with Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
is 34,8 inhabitants per km². Joutseno is unilingually Finnish
Finnish language
Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a...
. Until 2005, Joutseno's status was changed to city. Joutseno was consolidated with Lappeenranta
Lappeenranta
Lappeenranta is a city and municipality that resides on the shore of the lake Saimaa in South-Eastern Finland, about from the Russian border. It belongs to the region of South Karelia. With approximately inhabitants Lappeenranta is the largest city in Finland...
on 2009-01-01.A referendum was held, by public demand, before the amalgamation and the result was 73.9% against joining Lappeenranta. This should have prevented the amalgamation taking place - but the authorities claimed that the vote was 'advice giving only', and the advice was not taken. Some 'turncoat' action by former anti-amalgamation councillors meant that the democratic will of the Joutseno populace was ignored, and democracy effectively killed off in this pleasant village.
Saimaa
Saimaa is a lake in southeastern Finland. At approximately , it is the largest lake in Finland, and the fourth largest in Europe. It was formed by glacial melting at the end of the Ice Age. Major towns on the lakeshore include Lappeenranta, Imatra, Savonlinna, Mikkeli, Varkaus, and Joensuu. The...
surrounded by idyllic Karelian woods. It is a small town that connects to nearby cities of Imatra
Imatra
Imatra is a town and municipality in eastern Finland, founded in 1948 around three industrial settlements near the Finnish–Russian border. In the course of the last 50 years, this amorphous group of settlements has grown into a modern industrial town dominated by Lake Saimaa, the Vuoksi River and...
and Lappeenranta
Lappeenranta
Lappeenranta is a city and municipality that resides on the shore of the lake Saimaa in South-Eastern Finland, about from the Russian border. It belongs to the region of South Karelia. With approximately inhabitants Lappeenranta is the largest city in Finland...
, and further on to the larger Joensuu
Joensuu
Joensuu is a city and municipality in North Karelia in eastern Finland. It is located in the province of Eastern Finland and is part of North Karelia region. It was founded in 1848...
through the national thoroughfare, main road number six, and the Karelian railroad. Local industries include a large Botnia mill and a bakery. The notorious Konnunsuo prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
is located in the same district. Joutsenon Opisto houses a branch of Humanistic Polytechnics and has open university programmes.
Places to visit
- The Local History Museum
- Joutseno Church
- South Karelian Motor Museum
- The Domestic Animal Park of Korpikeidas
- The storm monument by the library
- Lake Ahvenlampi
- The Myllymäki skiing center
External links
- Joutseno Official website
- Joutseno High School Official website