Suomussalmi
Suomussalmi is a municipality in Finland located in the Kainuu region about northeast of Kajaani, the capital of Kainuu and south of Kuusamo. The municipality has a population of
and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is. The municipality is unilingually Finnish. Ämmänsaari is the biggest built-up area in the municipality.
Suomussalmi is the second southernmost part of the reindeer-herding area in Finland.
History
During the Winter War of 1939–40, several battles were fought in the area around Suomussalmi, the most important ones being the Battle of Suomussalmi and the Battle of Raate Road. In these battles, Finnish forces defeated numerically superior Soviet forces.Suomussalmi hosted the 2016 World Berry Picking Championship.
Villages
- Alajärvi
- Ala-Vuokki
- Hossa
- Jumaliskylä
- Juntusranta
- Kaljuskylä
- Kerälä
- Kiannanniemi
- Korpela
- Korvua
- Kuivajärvi
- Kurimo
- Lomakylä
- Myllylahti
- Näljänkä
- Näätälä
- Peranka
- Pesiökylä
- Pesiönlahti
- Piispajärvi
- Pisto
- Pitämä
- Pyhäkylä
- Raate
- Ruhtinansalmi
- Sakara
- Selkoskylä
- Siikaranta
- Suomussalmi
- Tervakangas
- Vaaranniva
- Vasara
- Vuokki
- Yli-Vuokki
- Ämmänsaari
Transport
comes from Hyrynsalmi via Suomussalmi to Kuusamo. The rest of the municipality's most important roads are mainly smaller regional roads; regional road 912 from Kuhmo comes to Suomussalmi, regional road 843 from Palovaara to Suomussalmi continues to Kuusamo's Poussuu, regional road 892 runs from Suomussalmi through Korpikylä and Kytömäki to Hyrynsalmi, regional road 897 offers a link between Suomussalmi's Alajärvi and Yli-Näljänkä via Hattuvaara, and connecting road 9125 or Raatteentie is a connecting road from Raatteenportti to Raate in the municipality of Suomussalmi, which was named after the Battle of Raate in 1940.Politics
Results of the 2023 Finnish parliamentary election in Suomussalmi:- Centre Party 35.6%
- Finns Party 24.5%
- Left Alliance 19.6%
- National Coalition Party 7.0%
- Social [Democratic Party of Finland|Social Democratic Party] 5.7%
- Christian Democrats 3.2%
- Green League 1.4%
- Movement Now 1.3%
Notable people
- K. J. Ståhlberg, first president of Finland
- Hannes Tauriainen, politician
- Alho Alhoniemi, linguist
- Toini Gustafsson, former cross-country skier
- Matti Makkonen, engineer
- Osmo Tapio Räihälä, composer
- Tero Penttilä, former professional footballer
- Merja Kyllönen, politician
- Heikki Kovalainen, racing driver
- Janne Pesonen, former professional ice hockey player
International relations
Twin towns — Sister cities
Suomussalmi is twinned with:- Kalevala, Russia
- Nordmaling Municipality, Sweden