Äänekoski

Äänekoski (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈæːnekˌkoski]) is a town in Finland.

Äänekoski
Town
Äänekosken kaupunki Äänekoski stad
Äänekoski town hall and library
Coat of arms
Location of Äänekoski in Finland
Coordinates: 62°36′N 025°43.5′E
Country	Finland
Region	Central Finland
Sub-region	Äänekoski sub-region
Charter	1911
City rights	1973
Government
• Town manager	Matti Tuononen
Area  (2018-01-01)[1]
• Total	1,138.39 km^2 (439.53 sq mi)
• Land	884.54 km^2 (341.52 sq mi)
• Water	253.84 km^2 (98.01 sq mi)
Area rank	87th largest in Finland
Population  (2019-01-31)[2]
• Total	18,871
• Rank	56th largest in Finland
• Density	21.33/km^2 (55.2/sq mi)
Population by native language [3]
• Finnish	98.7% (official)
• Swedish	0.1%
• Others	1.2%
Population by age [4]
• 0 to 14	17.4%
• 15 to 64	64%
• 65 or older	18.7%
Time zone	UTC+02:00 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+03:00 (EEST)
Municipal tax rate[5]	20.5%
Website	www.aanekoski.fi

It is located in the Central Finland region. The town has a population of 18,871 (31 January 2019)[6] and covers an area of 1,138.39 square kilometres (439.53 sq mi) of which 253.84 km² (98.01 sq mi) is water.[1] The population density is 21.33 inhabitants per square kilometre (55.2/sq mi).

Neighbouring municipalities are Kannonkoski, Konnevesi, Laukaa, Saarijärvi, Uurainen, Vesanto and Viitasaari.

The municipality is unilingually Finnish.[3]

The municipality of Äänekosken maalaiskunta was consolidated to Äänekoski in 1969 and the municipality of Konginkangas in 1993. The municipalities of Sumiainen and Suolahti were consolidated to Äänekoski in 2007.

Nature

There are altogether 170 lakes in Äänekoski. The biggest lakes are Keitele, Kuhnamo and Niinivesi[7]

Twin towns – sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Finland

The following cities or municipalities are twinned with Äänekoski:[8]

• Örnsköldsvik Municipality, Sweden
• Brande, Brande Municipality, Denmark
• Sigdal, Norway
• Alushta, Alushta municipality, Ukraine
• Borovichi, Novgorod Oblast, Russia (status unknown)
• Sestroretsk, Russia
• Niamey, Niger

Gallery

• 
  Falu red log building in Äänekoski
• 
  Finnish Skittles game in Äänekoski
• 
  A pulp mill factory in Äänekoski.
• 
  A lake and a bridge near the Äänekoski city centre.
• 
  A porter locomotive of the Äänekoski-Suolahti narrow gauge railway.
• 
  A harbour in Äänekoski.
• 
  A freight train departing from a pulp mill in Äänekoski.
• 
  Konginkangas Church.
• 
  Kapeenkoski Lock of Keitele–Päijänne canal.
• 
  A fisherman catching a small pike on Lake Kiimasjärvi.
• 
  A sunset at the Lake Keitele.
• 
  Sumiainen Church.
• 
  Suolahti Church.
• 
  Hietama Church.
• 
  Äänekoski Church.
• 
  Suolahti Harbour.

See also

• Aura cheese – a blue cheese produced in Äänekoski

References

1. "Area of Finnish Municipalities 1.1.2018" (PDF). National Land Survey of Finland. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
2. "Suomen virallinen tilasto (SVT): Väestön ennakkotilasto [verkkojulkaisu]. Tammikuu 2019" (in Finnish). Statistics Finland. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
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. "Population by municipality as of 31 December 2006". Population Information System (in Finnish and Swedish). Population Register Center of Finland. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
7. "Äänekoski". Järviwiki. Finland's Environmental Administration. 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
8. "Äänekosken kaupungin ystävyyskuntatoiminnan edistäminen" (in Norwegian). City of Äänekoski. Archived from the original on 19 July 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2012.

External links

Media related to Äänekoski at Wikimedia Commons

• Town of Äänekoski – Official website, finnish