Juuka

Juuka [ ju ː kɑ ] (Swedish historically juga ) is a municipality in eastern Finland with 5322 inhabitants ( 31 December 2012). It is located in the countryside of North Karelia on the western shore of the lake Pielinen. The nearest towns are Nurmes about 35 km to the north, Lieksa about 40 km to the east on the other side of the Pielinen and Joensuu, about 75 km to the south.

In Kirchdorf of Juuka live about 3200 people. Juuka one of the few places in eastern Finland, where the old wooden building has been preserved. The old center of the village church is called Puu - Juuka ( " wood Juuka " ) and with its sometimes over 100 years old wooden houses, a culturally and historically valuable ensemble. The landscape of Juuka is surrounded by hills ( vaara ) and the Pielinen lake shaped. The Paalasmaa Island group whose highest peak rises nearly 130 meters above the surrounding Pielinen, located in the municipality of Juuka.

The mining of soapstone, a soft rock, are prepared from the elements, inter alia, for the furnace construction, at Nunnanlahti in Juuka, is the main economic activity of the municipality. Overall, the soapstone industry employs 550 people. In Nunnalahti there is a soapstone Museum.