Pihtipudas

Pihtipudas [ ˌ Picti pudɑs ] is a municipality with 4442 inhabitants ( 31 December 2012) in Central Finland. It is located 135 km north of Jyväskylä on the northern edge of the Finnish Lake District.

In Kirchdorf Pihtipudas lives about half of the residents of the community. It is located on an isthmus between the lakes Alvajärvi in the northwest and Kolima in the southeast, which are connected by the river Heinäjoki. About the River performs a stone bridge was built in 1919-24 in the community center. Furthermore, the municipality include the widely scattered villages Alvajärvi, Elämäjärvi, Ilosjoki, Kärväskylä, Muurasjärvi, Peninki, Rönny, Saani and Seläntaus.

The area around Pihtipudas has been inhabited since the Stone Age, the original nomadic Sami population was displaced or assimilated by the Finnish settlers from eastern Finland Savo later than the 16th century. The wooden church of the village church was built in 1783.

In sporting terms Pihipudas is the birthplace of lauric Pihkala, the inventor of the Finnish National Sports pesäpallo, known also for a summer discharged annually javelin competition, keihäskarnevaalit Pihtiputaan. Finland is known far Pihtipudas the home of the emblematic "Grandma from Pihtipudas " ( Pihtiputaan mummo ), a kind of Finnish equivalent of " John Doe ".

Coat of arms

Description of coat of arms: In silver black oblique crest gevierten two silver arrowheads.

Policy

As in most rural areas of Finland is in Pihtipudas the Centre Party, the largest party. In the 2008 local elections it received almost half of the votes. In council, the highest decision-making body for local affairs, it represents 13 of 27 deputies. The second largest group are the Social Democrats, with eight seats, two seats won, the Left Alliance and the conservative National Coalition Party.

Sons and daughters

• Jorma Kinnunen ( b. 1941 ), javelin thrower