Sonkajärvi
Sonkajärvi | |
|---|---|
Municipality | |
| Sonkajärven kunta Sonkajärvi kommun | |
Sonkajärvi town hall | |
Location of Sonkajärvi in Finland | |
| Coordinates: 63°40′N 27°31′E / 63.667°N 27.517°E | |
| Country | Finland |
| Region | Northern Savonia |
| Sub-region | Upper Savonia |
| Charter | 1922 |
| Government | |
| • Municipal manager | Simo Mäkinen |
| Area (2018-01-01) | |
• Total | 1,576.78 km2 (608.80 sq mi) |
| • Land | 1,465.93 km2 (566.00 sq mi) |
| • Water | 110.86 km2 (42.80 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 44th largest in Finland |
| Population (2025-03-31) | |
• Total | 3,555 |
| • Rank | 202nd largest in Finland |
| • Density | 2.43/km2 (6.3/sq mi) |
| Population by native language | |
| • Finnish | 98.3% (official) |
| • Others | 1.7% |
| Population by age | |
| • 0 to 14 | 12.2% |
| • 15 to 64 | 53.4% |
| • 65 or older | 34.5% |
| Time zone | UTC+02:00 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+03:00 (EEST) |
| Website | www |
Sonkajärvi (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈsoŋkɑˌjærʋi]; formerly known as Rutakko) is a municipality of Finland. It is located in Northern Savonia region, 105 kilometres (65 mi) north of Kuopio. The municipality has a population of 3,555 (31 March 2025) and covers an area of 1,576.78 square kilometres (608.80 sq mi) of which 110.86 km2 (42.80 sq mi) is water. The population density is 2.43 inhabitants per square kilometre (6.3/sq mi). The municipality is unilingually Finnish.
The coat of arms of Sonkajärvi is inspired by the many watermills in the region, which the picture of the water wheel refers to, and the slash-and-burn cultivation of the past, which the flames on top of the wheel refer to. The coat of arms was designed by Ahti Hammar, and the Sonkajärvi municipal council approved it at its meeting on July 15, 1954. The Ministry of the Interior approved the coat of arms for use on October 15 of the same year.