Kittilä
Kittilä (Northern Sami: Gihttel, Inari Sami: Kittâl, Skolt Sami: Kihttel) is a municipality of Finland and a popular holiday resort.
Kittilä
Gihttel Kittâl Kihttel | |
|---|---|
Municipality | |
| Kittilän kunta Kommunen Kittilä | |
 View from the top of Kätkätunturi | |
 Coat of arms | |
 Location of Kittilä in Finland | |
| Coordinates: 67°39′N 024°54.5′E | |
| Country |  Finland |
| Region | Lapland |
| Sub-region | Fell Lapland |
| Charter | 1854 |
| Government | |
| • Municipality manager | Antti Jämsén |
| Area (2018-01-01)[1] | |
| • Total | 8,262.97 km2 (3,190.35 sq mi) |
| • Land | 8,093.96 km2 (3,125.10 sq mi) |
| • Water | 168.71 km2 (65.14 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 3rd largest in Finland |
| Population (2021-12-31)[2] | |
| • Total | 6,526 |
| • Rank | 146th largest in Finland |
| • Density | 0.81/km2 (2.1/sq mi) |
| Population by native language | |
| • Finnish | 98% (official) |
| • Swedish | 0.3% |
| • Sami | 0.1% |
| • Others | 1.6% |
| Population by age | |
| • 0 to 14 | 15% |
| • 15 to 64 | 63.6% |
| • 65 or older | 21.5% |
| Time zone | UTC+02:00 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+03:00 (EEST) |
| Municipal tax rate[5] | 20.25% |
| Website | www.kittila.fi |
It is located in northern Finland north of the Arctic Circle within the Lapland region. The municipality has a population of 6,526 (31 December 2021)[2] and covers an area of 8,262.97 square kilometres (3,190.35 sq mi) of which 168.71 km2 (65.14 sq mi) is water.[1] The population density is 0.81 inhabitants per square kilometre (2.1/sq mi).
Kittilä is famous for being the location of the lowest recorded temperature in Finnish history: −51.5 °C (−60.7 °F), measured in January 1999 in Pokka. The "midnight sun" is above the horizon from 29 May to 16 July, and the period with continuous daylight lasts a bit longer, polar night from 14 December to 29 December.
Climate
Kittilä has a subarctic climate (Dfc) as a result of its northerly location and being far inland, which renders strong seasonal shifts. The sun does not set between 30 May and 15 July (47 days), and white nights lasts from early May to early August. The period that the sun does not rise lasts from 14 December to 29 December (16 days), the exact boundaries depending on local topography. Although winter temperatures are cold they are still less severe than in similar locations elsewhere in the world due to some Gulf Stream influence. In summer temperatures generally are moderate, although warm days are possible. On 28 January 1999, Pokka, Kittilä recorded the official lowest temperature in Finland, -51,5 °C (-60,7 °F).
| Climate data for Kittilä | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | −9.6 (14.7) |
−9.1 (15.6) |
−3.6 (25.5) |
2.1 (35.8) |
8.8 (47.8) |
16.2 (61.2) |
18.7 (65.7) |
16.2 (61.2) |
10.1 (50.2) |
2.9 (37.2) |
−3.4 (25.9) |
−8.0 (17.6) |
3.4 (38.2) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −14.8 (5.4) |
−14.3 (6.3) |
−9.1 (15.6) |
−2.6 (27.3) |
4.4 (39.9) |
11.5 (52.7) |
13.9 (57.0) |
11.7 (53.1) |
6.3 (43.3) |
−0.2 (31.6) |
−7.3 (18.9) |
−12.8 (9.0) |
−1.1 (30.0) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −20.0 (−4.0) |
−19.5 (−3.1) |
−14.5 (5.9) |
−7.2 (19.0) |
0.1 (32.2) |
6.8 (44.2) |
9.2 (48.6) |
7.3 (45.1) |
2.5 (36.5) |
−3.2 (26.2) |
−11.1 (12.0) |
−17.6 (0.3) |
−5.6 (21.9) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 30 (1.2) |
25 (1.0) |
25 (1.0) |
25 (1.0) |
31 (1.2) |
48 (1.9) |
62 (2.4) |
63 (2.5) |
52 (2.0) |
46 (1.8) |
39 (1.5) |
31 (1.2) |
477 (18.7) |
| Source: en.climate-data.org[6] | |||||||||||||
Economy
The ski resort Levi is situated in the village of Sirkka, Kittilä on Levi Fell (in Finnish "Levitunturi") (elevation 531 metres (1742 feet)). The resort hosts a slalom event early each season on the Alpine World Cup circuit and offers both downhill and cross-country skiing to the public, as well as snow shoeing, including to the next nearest fell, Kätkätunturi, located west of Levitunturi. Kätkätunturi is 504.6 metres (1,656 ft) high and 7 kilometres (4 mi) long.
On 5 June 2006, it was announced that a Canadian mining corporation Agnico-Eagle Mines will start a new gold mine in Kittilä. Once completed, it will be the biggest gold mine in Europe. Experts say that the deposits hold at least three million ounces of gold, by current market price worth 1.8 billion U.S. dollars. The mine is expected to produce an average of 150,000 ounces of gold annually for at least 13 years.
Transportation
Kittilä Airport is served by Finnair and Norwegian Air. TUI Airways also serves the airport from various UK bases as part of their programme of ski flights, as well as Christmas specials and flights in support of the When You Wish Upon A Star children's foundation.
Notable residents
- Kalervo Palsa, artist
- Arto Paasilinna, novelist, born in Kittilä
- Reidar Särestöniemi, artist
See also
References
- "Area of Finnish Municipalities 1.1.2018" (PDF). National Land Survey of Finland. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
- "Preliminary population structure by area, 2021M01*-2021M12*". StatFin (in Finnish). Statistics Finland. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
- "Population according to language and the number of foreigners and land area km2 by area as of 31 December 2008". Statistics Finland's PX-Web databases. Statistics Finland. Retrieved 29 March 2009.
- "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.
- "List of municipal and parish tax rates in 2021" (PDF). Tax Administration of Finland. 1 December 2020. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
- "Kittilä climate: Average Temperature, weather by month, Kittilä weather averages - Climate-Data.org". en.climate-data.org. Retrieved 2021-12-25.
