Ilomantsi


Ilomantsi is a municipality and a village of Finland. It is located in the North Karelia region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is. The easternmost point of Finland is located in Ilomantsi near the village of Hattuvaara.
The nearest town is Joensuu, away; the distance to Helsinki is. Neighbouring municipalities are Lieksa and Joensuu. In the east, Ilomantsi shares a long border with the Russian Republic of Karelia. The municipality is sparsely populated and is mostly characterized by forests and boglands. About of the area is designated as natural reserves, among them the national parks Petkeljärvi and Patvinsuo. The most important bodies of water in Ilomantsi are the lakes Koitere and Nuorajärvi and the river Koitajoki. The Pampalo gold mine is located in Ilomantsi.
The municipality is unilingually Finnish. Local words of Karelian or Russian extraction might be used in Ilomantsi. The local newspaper is called Pogostan Sanomat, i.e. "The Pogosta News".
Ilomantsi has a 17.4% Orthodox minority, which is the largest percentage among Finnish municipalities. The wooden Orthodox church of Ilomantsi is the largest in Finland and is dedicated to the prophet Elijah. There are also five Orthodox chapels in the municipality. The Orthodox community of Ilomantsi is more than 500 years old and has 1,100 members.
Fighting in Ilomantsi took place during both the Winter War and the Continuation War. The latter was the final battle of the Continuation War and ended with a Finnish victory.

Demographics

The following table shows the decrease in population of the municipality since 1980. The regional allocation used is 1 January 2017.
YearPopulation
19808 753
19858 469
19908 054
19957 832
20007 129
20056 422
20105 883
20155 336

Sights

Ilomantsi offers a number of historical sites, natural features and scenery, several cultural sites and events, as well as culinary attractions. Places of interest include: