Karkkila

Karkkila is located in the Uusimaa region. The municipality has a population of 8,607 (26 October 2023)[2] and it covers an area of 255.32 square kilometres (98.58 sq mi) of which 12.95 square kilometres (5.00 sq mi) is inland water (2018-01-01).[1] The population density is 36 inhabitants per square kilometre (93/sq mi) (26 October 2023).

The municipality is unilingually Finnish.

The Högfors Ironworks (Högforsin ruukki) from the 1820s in Karkkila

Illustration of the bruk in Finland framstäldt i teckningar edited by Zacharias Topelius and published 1845-1852.

Originally, Karkkila was a village in the municipality of Pyhäjärvi. In the 14th century, the Pyhäjärvi area belonged to the border area of the parishes of Janakkala and Lohja. In 1507, the Pyhäjärvi area became part of the Vihti parish, which was separated from the Lohja parish.[5] Pyhäjärvi became the chapel congregation of the Vihti parish in 1654.[5] The place was originally known as Pahajärvi ("bad lake"), but the name became established as Pyhäjärvi ("holy lake") in the late 17th or 18th century.[5] It was decided to form Pyhäjärvi as an independent parish by a decision of the Imperial Senate in 1861, but the separation did not happen until 1869.[5] Based on the municipal decree of 1865, Pyhäjärvi began its activities as a municipality in 1868.[6]

The borough of Karkkila was formed from the center of Pyhäjärvi by separating it from Pyhäjärvi in 1932.[6] The borough area consisted mainly of the villages of Nyhkälä and Karkkila. The growth and industrialization of Karkkila has been affected by the now closed narrow-gauge Hyvinkää–Karkkila railway.[7] Later, the municipality of Pyhäjärvi was merged with the Karkkila borough in 1969.[6] Until now, the municipality and the borough had belonged to the Pyhäjärvi parish, whose name was changed to the Karkkila parish in connection with the municipal association.[5][8] Officially, the Karkkila borough became a town in 1977.[6]

• Sulattofestival, an art and music festival

Karkkila is famous for having a strong support of red parties. Up to the municipal elections in 2012, the Left Alliance had always been the most voted party in Karkkila.[9] In the 2022 county election of Finland, the Left Alliance rose to the top again making Karkkila the only municipality in Finland where the majority of votes where given to the Left.[10]

Results of the 2019 parliamentary election of Finland in Karkkila:

• Social Democratic Party 25.8%
• The Finns Party 19.7%
• Left Alliance 13.4%
• National Coalition Party 11.1%
• Green League 9.2%
• Centre Party 9.1%
• Movement Now 4.0%
• Christian Democrats 2.4%
• Blue Reform 1.3%
• Swedish People's Party 1.1%

The results of the municipal elections in Karkkila in 2021:[11]

• Joint list of Karkkilaan Sitoutuneet 29%
• Social Democratic Party 16.4%
• National Coalition Party 16%
• Left Alliance 14.2%
• The Finns Party 9%
• Centre Party 7.1%
• The Greens 1%
• Christian Democrats 1%
• Communist Party of Finland 0.4%t

• Movie director Aki Kaurismäki lives in Karkkila.
• Famous Finnish curler Markku Uusipaavalniemi comes from Karkkila.
• Sampsa Astala, better known as Kita from the hard rock band Lordi, spent most of his teenage years living in Karkkila.

• Media related to Karkkila at Wikimedia Commons
• Official site