Salla

Salla [ sɑl ː ɑ ] ( until 1936 Kuolajärvi ) is a municipality in the Finnish part of Lapland. It is located about 150 km east of the town of Rovaniemi, on the border with Russia.

The municipality consists of the main town nebe Salla (also Märkäjärvi ) the settlements Aatsinki, Ahola, Ahvenselkä, Hautajärvi, Hietajärvi, Hirvasvaara, Kallunki, Kelloselkä, Kotala, Koutelo, Kursu, Käsmä, Naruska, Niemelä, Onkamo, Pahkakumpu, Paloperä, Saija, Salmivaara, Selkälä, Tuohikylä, Tuutijärvi, Vallovaara, Varvikko and Vittikko.

Through the municipal area a railway line from Rovaniemi to Russia with connection leads to Murmanskbahn; the border crossing is at the settlement Kelloselkä. However, the track has only been released for freight trains. Passenger trains run only to the location west of Salla Kuusamo.

As generally in structurally weak Lapland unemployment in Salla is a big problem: In January 2007 the municipality had 25.8 %, the highest unemployment rate of all Finnish municipalities on.

History

In the Winter War Salla was overrun on 30 November 1939 by Soviet troops that should advance from there over to Rovaniemi by Tornio on the Baltic Sea. In the last until February 28 Battle of Salla succeeded the Finnish defenders with heavy losses to stop the attacker. However, Finland had after the Peace of Moscow and cede again after the Continuation War of 1944, the eastern half of the municipality of Salla with the villages Kuolajärvi, Tuutijärvi, Vuorijärvi, Korji, Sovajärvi, Sallansuu, Lampela and Kurtin to the Soviet Union. This area is now part of the Russian Murmansk Oblast. Following Altfinnland it is called in Finland today as " Old Salla " ( Vanha Salla ).

Coat of arms

Description: In blue with a silver shield to the main curved beams.

Policy

As generally in the rural areas of northern Finland, the Centre Party is also in Salla the strongest political force. In the local elections 2008, she received just less than half of the votes, but has the local council, the highest decision-making authority in local affairs, with 14 of 27 seats on an absolute majority. The second strongest force is the Left Alliance, which is as generally disproportionately represented in Lapland. It could unite 27.5 % of the vote and seven seats are held by the local council. The Social Democrats and the National Coalition Party play, although the country belonging to the three major parties in Salla with election results to the twelve percent and three deputies in the municipal council a subordinate role.

Pictures

Bar with the longest name in Finland

View from Karhutunturi Fell about Salla

Landscape near Salla