Ranua

Nowadays, Ranua has become a topic of interest to many people around the world. From its impact on society to its implications in science and technology, Ranua has captured the attention of academics, researchers and professionals from various areas. As we continue to explore the dimensions of Ranua, we encounter endless possibilities and challenges that invite us to reflect on its importance in our daily lives. In this article, we will take a closer look at Ranua and its impact on our daily lives, as well as the opportunities it offers for the future.

Ranua
Municipality
Ranuan kunta
Ranua kommun
Ranua Church
Ranua Church
Coat of arms of Ranua
Coat of arms
Location of Ranua in Finland
Location of Ranua in Finland
Coordinates: 65°56′N 026°31′E / 65.933°N 26.517°E / 65.933; 26.517
Country Finland
RegionLapland
Sub-regionRovaniemi
Charter1917
Government
 • Municipal managerTuomas Aikkila
Area
 (2018-01-01)[1]
 • Total
3,694.79 km2 (1,426.57 sq mi)
 • Land3,454.17 km2 (1,333.66 sq mi)
 • Water241.09 km2 (93.09 sq mi)
 • Rank14th largest in Finland
Population
 (2024-12-31)[2]
 • Total
3,571
 • Rank201st largest in Finland
 • Density1.03/km2 (2.7/sq mi)
Population by native language
[2]
 • Finnish98% (official)
 • Others2%
Population by age
[3]
 • 0 to 1417.5%
 • 15 to 6452.8%
 • 65 or older29.7%
Time zoneUTC+02:00 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+03:00 (EEST)
Websitewww.ranua.fi/en

Ranua is a municipality of Finland. It is located in the province of Lapland. The municipality has a population of 3,571 (31 December 2024)[2] and covers an area of 3,694.79 square kilometres (1,426.57 sq mi) of which 241.09 km2 (93.09 sq mi) is water.[1] The population density is 1.03 inhabitants per square kilometre (2.7/sq mi).

The municipality is unilingually Finnish.

Geography

Neighbouring municipalities are Ii, Simo, Tervola, Rovaniemi, Posio and Pudasjärvi.

Villages

Villages within the municipality of Ranua are inclusive of:

Nature of Ranua

There are 569 lakes in Ranua.[5] The biggest of them are lake Ranuanjärvi and lake Simojärvi. There are also quite many rapids and natural salmon living in the rapids.

History

The formation of Ranua.

Ranua was originally the name of a farm established in the 18th century. It gets its name from the lake Ranuanjärvi, which was first mentioned in 1553. Its name is likely of Tavastian origin, as ranu- toponyms are rare and mainly found in Tavastia.[6]

The parish of Ranua was formed from parts of Simo, Pudasjärvi and Rovaniemen maalaiskunta in 1899. The area became a separate municipality in 1917. A part of it was given to the newly formed Posio municipality in 1926. It is the only municipality in Lapland where the dialect is a Northern Ostrobothnian one, albeit with some influence from the Kainuu dialects, which are a subset of Savonian dialects.[7]

Tourism

Perhaps the most well known attraction is the Ranua Zoo, the northernmost zoo in the world,[8] which has many arctic animals, including the polar bear, which is the mascot of the zoo. Ranua Zoo is the only place where you can see a living polar bear in Finland.

Other notable attractions within the municipality of Ranua are inclusive of the Saukkojärvi Local History and School Museum located in the village of Saukkojärvi, Finland, the Hillamarkkinat, Poro Island and the Church of Ranua.

Sister cities

Notable people

References

  1. ^ a b "Area of Finnish Municipalities 1.1.2018" (PDF). National Land Survey of Finland. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  2. ^ a b c "Population increased most in Uusimaa in 2024". Population structure. Statistics Finland. 23 January 2025. ISSN 1797-5395. Retrieved 23 January 2025.
  3. ^ "Population according to age (1-year) and sex by area and the regional division of each statistical reference year, 2003–2020". StatFin. Statistics Finland. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Luettelo kuntien ja seurakuntien tuloveroprosenteista vuonna 2023". Tax Administration of Finland. 14 November 2022. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
  5. ^ The number of lakes in Ranua. Jarviwiki.
  6. ^ "SuomalainenPaikannimikirja e-kirja kuvallinen.pdf" (PDF). kaino.kotus.fi (in Finnish). p. 371. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  7. ^ "Savolaismurteiden alue". sokl.uef.fi (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 13 December 2020. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  8. ^ Ranua Zoo - Northernmost Zoo in the World - Nordic Adventures – Visit Rovaniemi