Laukaa
Laukaa [ lɑu̯kɑ ː ] (Swedish: Laukas ) is a municipality in Finland with 18 496 inhabitants ( 31 December 2012). It is located 22 km north-east of Jyväskylä in Central Finland landscape. Neighboring municipalities are Äänekoski in the north, Konnevesi in the northeast, Hankasalmi in the east, Toivakka in the south, southwest, and Jyväskylä Uurainen in the West.
The parish was founded in 1593 Laukaa, making it one of the oldest in Central Finland. To the parish originally included large parts of the neighboring communities. In Laukaa the state roads cross 4 (E 75 ), 9 ( E 63 ) and 13 and the railway line between Pieksämäki and Haapajärvi. The community benefits from the proximity of Jyväskylä, the largest city in the region and has a positive population development for years.
The most famous sons Laukaas are the four-time world rally champion Juha Kankkunen and communist politician Otto Wille Kuusinen. Laukaa maintains community partnerships with Modum in Norway, Östra Göinge in Sweden, Vallø in Denmark, Pereslawl- Saleskij in Russia and Rõngu in Estonia.
Coat of arms
Description of coat of arms: " In a silver coat of arms bestecktes with a stylized fir tree branch red heart ".
Policy
As in most rural areas of Finland is in Laukaa the Centre Party, the largest party. In the 2008 local elections, she received more than a third of the votes. In council, the highest decision-making body for local affairs, it represents 16 of 43 deputies. The second largest group are the Social Democrats with nine seats, followed by the conservative National Coalition Party with seven. Five mandates won the Left Alliance, the two right-wing populist base Finns and the Green fret.
Personalities
Sons and daughters
- Simo Peura ( b. 1957 ), Bishop
- Juha Kankkunen ( born 1959 ), rally driver
- Otto Wille Kuusinen (1881-1964), communist politician
Died in Laukaa
- Mikko Hietanen (1911-1999), long-distance runner
- Sylvi Saimo (1914-2004), canoeist