Kontiolahti
Kontiolahti
Kontiolax | |
|---|---|
Municipality | |
| Kontiolahden kunta Kontiolax kommun | |
Kontiolahti Church in July 2012 | |
Location of Kontiolahti in Finland | |
| Coordinates: 62°46′N 029°51′E / 62.767°N 29.850°E | |
| Country | Finland |
| Region | North Karelia |
| Sub-region | Joensuu |
| Charter | 1873 |
| Government | |
| • Municipal manager | Jere Penttilä |
| Area (2018-01-01) | |
• Total | 1,029.82 km2 (397.62 sq mi) |
| • Land | 799.82 km2 (308.81 sq mi) |
| • Water | 230.1 km2 (88.8 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 101st largest in Finland |
| Population (2025-03-31) | |
• Total | 15,062 |
| • Rank | 73rd largest in Finland |
| • Density | 18.83/km2 (48.8/sq mi) |
| Population by native language | |
| • Finnish | 97.6% (official) |
| • Swedish | 0.1% |
| • Others | 2.4% |
| Population by age | |
| • 0 to 14 | 21.1% |
| • 15 to 64 | 61% |
| • 65 or older | 17.9% |
| Time zone | UTC+02:00 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+03:00 (EEST) |
| Website | www.kontiolahti.fi |
Kontiolahti (Swedish: Kontiolax; literally meaning "bear bay") is a municipality in Finland. It is located in the North Karelia region, about 20 kilometres (12 mi) north of Joensuu. The municipality has a population of 15,062 (31 March 2025) and covers an area of 1,029.82 square kilometres (397.62 sq mi) of which 230.1 km2 (88.8 sq mi) is water. The population density is 18.83 inhabitants per square kilometre (48.8/sq mi). Neighbouring municipalities are Joensuu, Juuka, Lieksa, Liperi and Polvijärvi. The municipality is unilingually Finnish.
The coat of arms of the municipality is a canting arms; the log driving pike pole, which the bear carries in the picture, refers to the importance of forestry in the region's economy. The coat of arms was designed by Aarno Liuksiala and approved by the Kontiolahti Municipal Council at its meeting on December 8, 1952. The coat of arms was approved for use by the Ministry of the Interior on February 27, 1953.
Kontiolahti hosted the Biathlon World Championships in 1990, 1999 and 2015.