Joutsa
Joutsa is a municipality located in Central Finland with 4904 inhabitants ( 31 December 2012).
It is located 70 km south-east of Jyväskylä in the midst of the Finnish Lake District. Through the village the boundary of the historic landscapes Häme and Savo runs.
Community
At the beginning of 2008, the neighboring community Leivonmäki was incorporated in Joutsa. Thus, the population is enlarged by more than a quarter, the community area by as much as nearly two-thirds. The community Joutsa includes besides the namesake Kirchdorf places Angesselkä, Etu - Ikola, Hankaa, Havunmäki, Kälä, Kivisuo, Laitjärvi, Lapinkylä, Leivonmäki, Marjotaipale, Martinkylä, Mieskonmäki, Pajumäki, Pappinen, Pylsy, Pärnämäki, Ruokoranta, Ruorasmäki, Rutalahti, Savenaho, Selänpohja, Taka- Iola Tammilahti, Tolvasniemi, Uimaniemi and Vähä Joutsa. With the neighboring community Luhanka to Joutsa has formed an administrative community, town twinning has the community to Finspång in Sweden and Tähtvere in Estonia.
Coat of arms
Description of coat of arms: In a red shield with a silver bow with golden string and inlaid silver gold tipped, and well -feathered arrow on the split with fir, silver sign foot.
Other
By Joutsa the state road leads 4 (E 75), one of the main north -south roads in Finland. Nevertheless, the community is quite structurally weak and barely industrialized. The largest employers are the community itself, the construction company Hentinen. Of great importance are the forestry and tourism. On the territory of the municipality there are nearly 2,000 holiday homes ( Mökkis ); especially during the summer months, therefore, the population Joutsas increased considerably.
Culture
In summer Joutsa annually the three-day music and arts festival Joutsan Joutopäivät, organized, attracting up to 25,000 visitors. In terms of sport, the community for the club Joutsan Pommi is known, the cross-country team is one of the most successful in Finland. In the area of the municipality is 29 km ² Leivonmäki National Park.
Policy
As in most rural areas of Finland is in Joutsa the Centre Party, the largest party. In the 2008 local elections it received just over a third of the votes. In council, the highest decision-making body for local affairs, it presents ten of 27 deputies. The second largest group is the conservative National Coalition Party, with nine seats, followed by the Social Democrats with five seats. Furthermore, represented in the council are the Christian Democrats with two and the Left Alliance with a mandate.