Hankasalmi

Hankasalmi [ ˌ hɑŋkɑ sɑlmi ] is a municipality in the landscape of Central Finland in the west of Finland. It has 5457 inhabitants ( 31 December 2012) and is located approximately 50 km east of Jyväskylä in the midst of the Finnish Lake District.

Villages

Around 1,700 of the 5457 residents of the community live in the eponymous Kirchdorf Hankasalmi, which also houses the town hall. Approximately the same size is the second settlement center, about 6 km south of the center, the " village station " ( Asema ) on the railway line Jyväskylä Pieksämäki. The village has around 700 inhabitants Niemisjärvi, the remaining residents of the community are distributed among the villages Armisvesi, Kallioaho, Kankainen, Kärkkäälä, Murtoinen, Ristimäki, Sauvamäki, Säkinmäki and Venekoski.

Policy

As in most rural areas of Finland is in Hankasalmi the Centre Party, the largest party. In the local elections 2008, she received 41.5 % of votes. In council, the highest decision-making body in local affairs, it represents twelve of 27 deputies. The second largest group are the Social Democrats with six seats, followed by the leftist coalition won four mandates. Furthermore, represented in the council are the conservative National Coalition Party and the Christian Democrats with two seats, and the right-wing populist " True Finns " with a deputy.

Hankasalmi maintains the following twinning:

• Sweden Mjölby (Sweden), since 1945
• Germany High Hameln ( Germany ), since 1982
• Karmøy Norway (Norway ), since 1983
• Häädemeeste Estonia (Estonia), since 1991

The municipal coat of arms was designed by Ahti Hammar and in use since 1957. It shows in black and a silver wave band, is a red birch Dolle. The colors indicate the location Hanka Salmis on the border between two historic landscapes: the black stands for the countryside Savo, the red points out malice.

Attractions

• Neo-Gothic wooden church from 1892 to a design by architect Josef Stenbäck

Culture

In July each year is the three-day Skiffle Festival Kihveli Soikoon! with several thousand spectators instead.

Sons and daughters

• Vilho Ylönen (1918-2000), skiing or sports shooter