Pernå
Encyclopedia
Pernå (ˈperno; ) is a former municipality of Finland
.
It is located in the province
of Southern Finland
and was part of the Eastern Uusimaa
region
. The municipality had a population of 3,961 (31 December 2009) and covered an area of 1107.07 square kilometres (427.4 sq mi) of which 687.6 km² (265.5 sq mi) is water. The population density
was 9.44 PD/km2.
The municipality was bilingual, with majority being Swedish
and minority Finnish
speakers.
Pernå is the oldest municipality in the Eastern Uusimaa region. Current municipalities Lapinjärvi
Liljendal
and Loviisa
were originally part of it. Mikael Agricola
, the founder of written Finnish born in Pernå in the early 16th century. He is also considered to be the Reformator of Finland in the transfer from Catholicism into Lutheranism.
Situated conveniently by the coast, and engulfing also a small river, the lands of Pernå were attractiv at a time when waterways rather than proper roads provided the means of transport.
Pernå houses numerous manors dating back to the times when Finland was a part of Sweden.
The origin of the name "Pernå" is still being discussed. Some think it links with the Uralic
word "Pern" meaning lime- or lindentree. "Å" is Swedish for a small river, i.e. the name then being Lindenriver if translated.
On January 1, 2010, Pernå was consolidated with Loviisa
, Ruotsinpyhtää
and Liljendal
to form a new town of Loviisa.
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
.
It is located in the province
Provinces of Finland
The state of Finland consisted of six provinces between the years 1997 and 2009. The provincial authority was part of the central government's executive branch, not directly elected. The system was created in 1634, and its makeup was changed drastically in 1997, when the number of the provinces...
of Southern Finland
Southern Finland
Southern Finland was a province of Finland from 1997 to 2010. It bordered the provinces of Western Finland and Eastern Finland. It also bordered the Gulf of Finland and Russia.- History :...
and was part of the Eastern Uusimaa
Eastern Uusimaa
Eastern Uusimaa was a region in Finland, until it was consolidated with the region of Uusimaa on January 1, 2011. It bordered to the regions Uusimaa, Päijänne Tavastia, and Kymenlaakso.- Municipalities :...
region
Regions of Finland
Finland consists of 19 regions called in Finnish and in Swedish. The regions are governed by regional councils, which serve as forums of cooperation for the municipalities of a region. The main tasks of the regions are regional planning and development of enterprise and education. In addition,...
. The municipality had a population of 3,961 (31 December 2009) and covered an area of 1107.07 square kilometres (427.4 sq mi) of which 687.6 km² (265.5 sq mi) is water. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 9.44 PD/km2.
The municipality was bilingual, with majority being Swedish
Finland-Swedish
Finland Swedish is a general term for the closely related cluster of dialects of Swedish spoken in Finland by Swedish-speaking Finns as their mother tongue...
and minority Finnish
Finnish language
Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a...
speakers.
Pernå is the oldest municipality in the Eastern Uusimaa region. Current municipalities Lapinjärvi
Lapinjärvi
Lapinjärvi is a municipality of Finland. It is located in the Uusimaa region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of ofwhich is water...
Liljendal
Liljendal
Liljendal is a former municipality of Finland.It is located in the province of Southern Finland and was part of the Eastern Uusimaa region. The municipality had a population of 1,472 and covered an area of of which is water. The population density was .The municipality was bilingual, with...
and Loviisa
Loviisa
Loviisa is a municipality and town of inhabitants on the southern coast of Finland. About 43 per cent of the population is Swedish-speaking.The municipality covers an area of of which is water...
were originally part of it. Mikael Agricola
Mikael Agricola
Mikael Agricola was a clergyman who became the de facto founder of written Finnish and a prominent proponent of the Protestant Reformation in Sweden . He is often called the "father of the Finnish written language". Agricola was consecrated as the bishop of Turku in 1554, without papal approval...
, the founder of written Finnish born in Pernå in the early 16th century. He is also considered to be the Reformator of Finland in the transfer from Catholicism into Lutheranism.
Situated conveniently by the coast, and engulfing also a small river, the lands of Pernå were attractiv at a time when waterways rather than proper roads provided the means of transport.
Pernå houses numerous manors dating back to the times when Finland was a part of Sweden.
The origin of the name "Pernå" is still being discussed. Some think it links with the Uralic
Uralic languages
The Uralic languages constitute a language family of some three dozen languages spoken by approximately 25 million people. The healthiest Uralic languages in terms of the number of native speakers are Hungarian, Finnish, Estonian, Mari and Udmurt...
word "Pern" meaning lime- or lindentree. "Å" is Swedish for a small river, i.e. the name then being Lindenriver if translated.
On January 1, 2010, Pernå was consolidated with Loviisa
Loviisa
Loviisa is a municipality and town of inhabitants on the southern coast of Finland. About 43 per cent of the population is Swedish-speaking.The municipality covers an area of of which is water...
, Ruotsinpyhtää
Ruotsinpyhtää
Ruotsinpyhtää is a former municipality of Finland. Ruotsinpyhtää, Pernå and Liljendal were consolidated to Loviisa on January 1, 2010.It is located in the province of Southern Finland and was part of the Eastern Uusimaa region. The municipality had a population of 2,893 and covered an area of of...
and Liljendal
Liljendal
Liljendal is a former municipality of Finland.It is located in the province of Southern Finland and was part of the Eastern Uusimaa region. The municipality had a population of 1,472 and covered an area of of which is water. The population density was .The municipality was bilingual, with...
to form a new town of Loviisa.
External links
- Municipality of Pernå – Official website