Perho is a municipality of Finland. It is located in the province of Western Finland and is part of the Central Ostrobothnia region. The distance between Perho and the regional center Kokkola is about 100 kilometres (62 mi). The municipality has a population of 2,578 (31 December 2023)[6] and covers an area of 775.19 square kilometres (299.30 sq mi) of which 27.25 km2 (10.52 sq mi) is water.[1] The population density is 3.45 inhabitants per square kilometre (8.9/sq mi).

Perho
Municipality
Perhon kunta
Perho kommun
The municipal office of Perho
The municipal office of Perho
Coat of arms of Perho
Location of Perho in Finland
Location of Perho in Finland
Coordinates: 63°13′N 024°25′E / 63.217°N 24.417°E / 63.217; 24.417
Country Finland
RegionCentral Ostrobothnia
Sub-regionKaustinen sub-region
Charter1868
Government
 • Municipal managerLauri Laajala
Area
 (2018-01-01)[1]
 • Total775.19 km2 (299.30 sq mi)
 • Land747.87 km2 (288.75 sq mi)
 • Water27.25 km2 (10.52 sq mi)
 • Rank114th largest in Finland
Population
 (2023-12-31)[2]
 • Total2,578
 • Rank233rd largest in Finland
 • Density3.45/km2 (8.9/sq mi)
Population by native language
 • Finnish98.7% (official)
 • Swedish0.5%
 • Others0.9%
Population by age
 • 0 to 1425.5%
 • 15 to 6450%
 • 65 or older24.6%
Time zoneUTC+02:00 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+03:00 (EEST)
Websitewww.perho.com

The municipality is unilingually Finnish. It neighbourhood municipalities are Alajärvi, Halsua, Kinnula, Kivijärvi, Kyyjärvi, Lestijärvi, Veteli and Vimpeli.

The name of Perho refers to the word perhonen, which means butterfly in Finnish; due to this, the golden butterfly appears in the coat of arms of the municipality. In the same coat of arms, the silver "nail cross" above the butterfly refers to J. L. Runeberg's poem The Tomb in Perho. The coat of arms was designed by Gustaf von Numers and was confirmed for use on March 6, 1953.[7]

History edit

In 1860, the large parish of Kokkola, which covers almost present-day Central Ostrobothnia, disintegrated and the parish of Veteli, which included the smaller parishes of Kaustinen, Halsua and Perho, was separated from it. Perho officially became a chapel parish five years later. Perho became an independent parish in 1879, and the first pastor took office in 1885. The first public library in the Kokkola region was established in Perho. Preacher Emanuel Snellman, locksmith Erkki Lakanen and Tuomas Taittonen [fi] were the handlers. As the former librarian of Vähäkyrö's library in the 1850s, Taittonen had made it the largest public library in the country.[8]

Transport edit

Highway 13, which connects the Central Finland region and the town of Kokkola, passes through Perho and also serves as a main street of village. There are two roundabouts in the village center.

Perho is served by OnniBus.com route Helsinki—Jyväskylä—Kokkola.

Culture edit

Food edit

In the 1980s, turnip rieskas, flour-potato porridge and mashed lingonberry sauce were named Perho's traditional parish dishes.[9]

Notable people edit

Twinnings edit

Gallery edit

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Area of Finnish Municipalities 1.1.2018" (PDF). National Land Survey of Finland. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  2. ^ "Immigration record high in Finland in 2023". StatFin. Statistics Finland. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  3. ^ "Demographic Structure by area as of 31 December 2022". Statistics Finland's PX-Web databases. Statistics Finland. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  4. ^ "Population according to age (1-year) and sex by area and the regional division of each statistical reference year, 2003–2020". StatFin. Statistics Finland. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  5. ^ a b "Luettelo kuntien ja seurakuntien tuloveroprosenteista vuonna 2023". Tax Administration of Finland. 14 November 2022. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
  6. ^ "Population by municipality as of 31 December 2009". Population Information System (in Finnish and Swedish). Population Register Center of Finland. Archived from the original on 2010-12-02. Retrieved 13 January 2010.
  7. ^ Suomen kunnallisvaakunat (in Finnish). Suomen Kunnallisliitto. 1982. ISBN 951-773-085-3.
  8. ^ Olavi Antila, Anja Salminen & Olli Vilen (1980). Perinnealbumi. Keski-Pohjanmaa 2 (in Finnish). Kuopio: Kimy-kustannus. ISBN 951-840-003-2.
  9. ^ Jaakko Kolmonen (1988). Kotomaamme ruoka-aitta: Suomen, Karjalan ja Petsamon pitäjäruoat (in Finnish). Helsinki: Patakolmonen. p. 164. ISBN 951-96047-3-1.
  10. ^ "Antsla valla arengukava 2003–2012" (in Estonian). Antsla vald. p. 81. Retrieved 23 July 2011.[permanent dead link]

External links edit

  Media related to Perho at Wikimedia Commons