Siikalatva (pronounced ) is a geographical area and a
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality' ...
of Finland. It lies 90 kilometres to the south of the city of
Oulu
Oulu ( , ; ) is a city in Finland and the regional capital of North Ostrobothnia. It is located on the northwestern coast of the country at the mouth of the Oulujoki, River Oulu. The population of Oulu is approximately , while the Oulu sub-regio ...
and belongs to the
North Ostrobothnia
North Ostrobothnia (; ) is a Regions of Finland, region of Finland. It borders the Finnish regions of Lapland (Finland), Lapland, Kainuu, Northern Savonia, North Savo, Central Finland and Central Ostrobothnia, as well as the Russian Republic of ...
region
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...
.
Siikalatva has a population of approximately 6 000 and the municipality covers an area of of which is water.
Siikalatva consists of four former municipalities:
Kestilä
Kestilä is a village and List of former municipalities of Finland, former municipality of Finland. It is located in the provinces of Finland, province of Oulu (province), Oulu and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region.
Established in 1867, ...
,
Piippola
Piippola is a village and a List of former municipalities of Finland, former municipality of Finland.
Piippola is located in the provinces of Finland, province of Oulu (province), Oulu and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia regions of Finland, ...
,
Pulkkila and
Rantsila, that decided to merge into one in 2009. The merger was encouraged and also funded by the Finnish government,
mainly due to the declining population and the indebted government of Rantsila.
[shop.kunnat.net/uploads/p20100617141806078.pdf] The geographical area had often been referred to as Siikalatva even in the times before the creation of the new municipality.
The seat of the local government is in the Pulkkila urban area. Representatives are elected to the municipal council every four years. The agrarian
Centre Party has been dominant in Siikalatva for several decades, currently holding an absolute majority with 19 out of 27 seats. In the
2012 local elections the
True Finns gained a total of five seats, becoming the second-largest party in the council.
In terms of the economy, Siikalatva has in the past relied on a strong agricultural sector. Even in 2012, it employed as much as 26,9% of the workforce. The services sector has become the largest employer with a share of 54,6%. Industries, such as the
Ruukki factory in Pulkkila, provide jobs to 17,2% of the workforce. The unemployment rate was 10,9% in September 2012.
There are four
Lutheran
Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...
churches in Siikalatva. Also, the
Conservative Laestadian revival movement has a great number of supporters in the area.
The coat of arms of Siikalatva was designed and introduced in 2009. The colours, blue and silver, follow the Northern Ostrobothnian tradition. The wave pattern symbolises the river Siikajoki that flows throughout the municipality, and the swans represent the four former municipalities.
Notable people
*
Yrjö Halonen (1862–1941)
*
Ilmari Kianto (1874–1970)
*
Heikki Huttunen (1880–1947)
*
T. I. Itkonen (1891–1968)
*
Pentti Haanpää (1905–1955)
*
Tapio Junno (1940–2006)
*
Jouko Hassi (born 1959)
References
External links
Municipality of Siikalatva– Official website
Populated places established in 2009
{{OuluProvince-geo-stub