Kauhava
Template:Expand Finnish Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox settlement Kauhava is a town and municipality of Finland. It is part of the Southern Ostrobothnia region, Template:Convert northwest of Helsinki and by the main railway from Helsinki to Oulu. The town has a population of Template:Data Finland municipality/population count ({{#time: j F Y|Template:Data Finland municipality/population count }})<ref name="population_count" /> and covers an area of Template:Convert of which Template:Convert is water.<ref name="total_area" /> The population density is Template:Convert.
The popular amusement park, PowerPark, is located in Alahärmä, Kauhava.<ref>PowerPark - Official website in English</ref>
The municipality is unilingually Finnish.
History
Kauhava was the home of the Finnish Training Air Wing from 1929 until the end of 2014.Template:Citation needed
The surrounding municipalities of Alahärmä, Kortesjärvi and Ylihärmä were consolidated with Kauhava on 1 January 2009.
Geography
The surrounding country is flat and well suited for agriculture, alternating between fields and forests. The town probably takes its name from the small river which passes through it.
Climate
Knife making
A traditional industry in Kauhava is knife making, and many Finns recognize the name of this small town because of knives made there. At one time, as many as five different knife-making enterprises were underway in the town, but today there is only one – Iisakki Järvenpää Oy, which has been making knives in Kauhava since 1879.Template:Citation needed
The puukko (one of the styles of Finnish knife) made in Kauhava are sometimes referred to as being in the Ostrobothnian style.Template:Citation needed
Each June sees the Kauhava International Knife Festival, lasting a couple of days and including knife exhibitions, knife making and knife throwing.Template:Citation needed
Museums
As with many Finnish localities, there are museums in Kauhava (Kauhava-Seura). One in the center of town features both the knifemaking tradition as well as the local textiles. An out-of-place fishing lure is one interesting feature of this museum. Another museum on the outskirts of Kauhava features the 19th century home and farm of Iisakin Jussi. It provides a view of late 19th century life in Western Finland. The Iisakin Jussi House is not open during the winter months.Template:Citation needed
International relations
Twin towns — Sister cities
Kauhava is twinned with:
- Template:Flagicon Rapla, Estonia
- Template:Flagicon Rygge, Norway
- Template:Flagicon Skærbæk, Denmark
- Template:Flagicon Vimmerby Municipality, Sweden
- Template:Flagicon Þorlákshöfn, Iceland
Notable people
- Susanna Haapoja (1966–2009), politician
- Jussi Pernaa (born 1983), professional ice hockey player
- Antti Tuuri (born 1944), writer
- Kyösti Virrankoski (born 1944), politician
- Raimo Vistbacka (born 1945), politician
See also
- Finnish national road 19 – a highway passing through Kauhava
References
External links
Template:Commons category-inline
- Town of Kauhava — Official website