Kymenlaakso
Region of Finland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kymenlaakso (Finnish: [ˈkymenˌlɑːkso]; Swedish: Kymmenedalen; lit. "Kymi/Kymmene Valley") is a region in Finland. It borders the regions of Uusimaa, Päijät-Häme, South Savo and South Karelia and Russia (Leningrad Oblast). Its name means literally The Valley of River Kymi. Kymijoki is one of the biggest rivers in Finland with a drainage basin with 11% of the area of Finland. The city of Kotka with 51,000 inhabitants is located at the delta of River Kymi and has the most important import harbour in Finland. Other cities are Kouvola further in the inland which has after a municipal merger 81,000 inhabitants and the old bastion town Hamina.
Kymenlaakso
Kymmenedalen | |
|---|---|
| Region of Kymenlaakso Kymenlaakson maakunta (Finnish) Landskapet Kymmenedalen (Swedish) | |
 Coat of arms | |
 Kymenlaakso on a map of Finland | |
| Coordinates: 60°30′N 027°00′E | |
| Country | Finland |
| Historical province | Uusimaa, Karelia, Tavastia |
| Former provinces | |
| Capitals | Kotka and Kouvola |
| Other town | Hamina |
| Area | |
• Total | 4,558.54 km2 (1,760.06 sq mi) |
| Population (2019) | |
• Total | 174,167 |
| • Density | 38.2068/km2 (98.9550/sq mi) |
| GDP | |
| • Total | €6.158 billion (2015) |
| • Per capita | €34,350 (2015) |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| ISO 3166 code | FI-09 |
| NUTS | 186 |
| Regional animal | Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) |
| Regional bird | Eurasian bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) |
| Regional fish | European sprat (Sprattus sprattus) |
| Regional flower | Yellow Iris (Iris pseudacorus) |
| Regional stone | Rapakivi granite |
| Regional lake | Lake Vuohijärvi |
| Website | www |
Kymenlaakso was one of the first industrialised regions of Finland. It became the most important region for paper and pulp industry in Finland. Since the late 1900s many plants have closed, which has caused some deindustrialisation, unemployment and population decline in Kymenlaakso, especially in those communities that were built around plants in Kouvola.
Historical provinces
For history, geography and culture see: Uusimaa, Karelia and Tavastia
Municipalities
The region of Kymenlaakso consists of two sub-regions and six municipalities, three of which have city status (marked in bold).
Municipalities on the map
Sub-regions
Municipalities listed
| Coat of arms |
Municipality | Population | Land area (km2) |
Density (/km2) |
Finnish speakers |
Swedish speakers |
Other speakers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Hamina | 19,113 | 610 | 31 | 91 % | 0.3 % | 9 % |
 | Kotka | 50,029 | 272 | 184 | 87 % | 0.9 % | 12 % |
 | Kouvola | 77,625 | 2,558 | 30 | 93 % | 0.4 % | 6 % |
 | Miehikkälä | 1,664 | 423 | 4 | 93 % | 0 % | 7 % |
 | Pyhtää | 5,016 | 325 | 15 | 88 % | 6.5 % | 5 % |
 | Virolahti | 2,751 | 372 | 7 | 93 % | 0.4 % | 7 % |
| Total | 156,198 | 4,559 | 34.3 | 91 % | 0.7 % | 8 % |
Former municipalities
Haapasaari (to Kotka in 1974)
Anjala (formed Anjalankoski with Sippola in 1975)
Sippola (formed Anjalankoski with Anjala in 1975)
Karhula (to Kotka in 1977)
Kymi (to Kotka in 1977)
Vehkalahti (to Hamina in 2003)- Anjalankoski (to Kouvola in 2009)
Elimäki (to Kouvola in 2009)
Jaala (to Kouvola in 2009)
Kuusankoski (to Kouvola in 2009)
Valkeala (to Kouvola in 2009)
Iitti was transferred to Päijät-Häme Region in 2021
Demographics
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1990 | |
| 1995 | |
| 2000 | |
| 2005 | |
| 2010 | |
| 2015 | |
| 2020 | |
| 2025 |
Politics
For parliamentary elections, Kymenlaakso, together with the regions of South Karelia and South Savo, is part of the Southeast Finland constituency. The constituency elects 15 of the 200 members of the Parliament of Finland.[3]
