South Karelia

Coordinates: 61°N 28°E / 61°N 28°E / 61; 28
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
South Karelia
Etelä-Karjala (Finnish)
Södra Karelen (Swedish)
Region of South Karelia
Etelä-Karjalan maakunta
Landskapet Södra Karelen
NUTS
FI187
Regional birdThrush nightingale
Regional fishLake salmon
Regional flowerSpring pasque flower
Regional stoneSpectrolite
Regional lakeLake Saimaa
WebsiteEtelä-Karjala

South Karelia (or Southern Karelia,

).

Historical province

For history, geography and culture see:

Finnish Karelia

Regional Council

The Regional Council of South Karelia is a joint municipal authority of nine member municipalities. The council operates as the authority for regional development and unit for regional planning and looks after regional interests and to promote economic development and cultural well-being in South Karelia. The council has statutory responsibility for regional development and planning.[1]

The EU's regional Objective Programmes for South Karelia have partly been prepared in the council as it also implements and coordinates various projects. The council is also represented in several international organisations, such as AEBR.[2]

Municipalities

The region of South Karelia is made up of nine municipalities, of which two have city status (marked in bold).

Tourism

South Karelia is a popular tourist area in Finland with its special features – its nature, its location between Lake Saimaa and the border as well as its cultural heritage and history as a border region. Thanks to the natural attractions, waterways and islands, tourism has natural prerequisites for developing in South Karelia. The provincial centres are continuously improving their services. Lappeenranta has in recent years focused particularly on tourism services for families, and Imatra on fishing and spa tourism. There is a good selection of agritourism attractions and tourism services available around the region.[2]

The most interesting attractions include Lake Saimaa,

St. Petersburg.[3] Lappeenranta Fortification and its museums portray the history of the border zone and border arrangements over several centuries. Cruises on Lake Saimaa and along Saimaa Canal up to Vyborg are a unique tourist attraction for Finns and foreigners alike. The high quality guest marinas draw yachters to Lake Saimaa all the way from international waters.[citation needed][4]

The region also features an interesting cross-section of churches that represent various centuries, architectural styles and denominations. The internationally best-known of these is the Church of the Three Crosses in Imatra designed by Alvar Aalto.[5]

The South Karelian nature has played a key role in the history of tourism. The rapids of

River Vuoksi, Imatra Rapids and Lake Saimaa.[citation needed][6]

The Rauha – Tiuruniemi area by the Lake Saimaa has long traditions in spa and hotel activities. As early as 1894 the area's first hotel spa - Rauha pensionat för turister - was established. In 1912 a Russia-born physicist Dimitri Gabrilovitsch bought the place to transform it into a sanatorium. The clinic's services at the time were different kinds of baths as well as galvanic and bright light treatments. The clinic had visitors from Russia, Europe and even the Americas. The spa in Lappeenranta, which is still in business today, was founded in 1871.

Tourism in South Karelia went into a decline for some time after the

Second World War. The unspoilt nature and Lake Saimaa attracted tourists especially from Central Europe and the Nordic countries. The Germans discovered the rented holiday houses on the shores of Saimaa.[citation needed
]

Nature

The ground in the region consists of loose soil types accumulated on top of bedrock during the

Lake Saimaa in Kyläniemi village of Taipalsaari.[citation needed
]

The variable terrain and great local height differences make South Karelia exceptional in

Southern Finland. As a contrast to the rugged rocky islands of Saimaa and flat pinewoods, the region features lush deciduous woodlands reaching out from the Ladogian Karelia around Parikkala, Imatra and Lappeenranta. Parikkala and Rautjärvi are clearly different from other areas in the region, with the Ladogian Karelia even affecting their climate. The lush deciduous zone with great biodiversity shelters the most valuable wetlands of Finland. Bird wetland habitats of national importance are found in Siikalahti and Tarassiinlahti of Parikkala and Kuokkalampi in Ruokolahti. These wetlands harbour endangered habitats – birds, dragonflies, bats and butterflies.[citation needed
]

Education

Lappeenranta University of Technology decided to include business studies in the curriculum. The university and Saimaa University of Applied Sciences were the first in Finland
to suggest mutual co-operation between these two types of third-level educational institutes.

Heraldry

The coat of arms of South Karelia is composed of the arms of

]

Politics

Results of the

Finnish parliamentary election, 2019
in South Karelia:

References

  1. .
  2. ^ a b "Etusivu". Etelä-Karjalan liitto. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  3. ^ "South Karelia - A Popular Holiday Destination". Archived from the original on 2012-05-06. Retrieved 2014-08-08.
  4. ISSN 0140-0460
    . Retrieved 2022-11-09.
  5. ^ "South Karelia - Museums, Churches". Archived from the original on 2014-08-09. Retrieved 2014-08-08.
  6. ^ "Shop frontiers: the rise of cross-border buying around the world". the Guardian. 2015-07-02. Retrieved 2022-11-09.

External links