You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in Finnish. (March 2009) Click [show] for important translation instructions. Machine translation, like DeepL or Google Translate, is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into the English Wikipedia. Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article. You must provide copyright attribution in the edit summary accompanying your translation by providing an interlanguage link to the source of your translation. A model attribution edit summary is Content in this edit is translated from the existing Finnish Wikipedia article at [[:fi:Äänekoski]]; see its history for attribution. You should also add the template {{Translated|fi|Äänekoski}} to the talk page. For more guidance, see Wikipedia:Translation.

Äänekoski
Town
Äänekosken kaupunki Äänekoski stad
Äänekoski town hall and library
Coat of arms
Location of Äänekoski in Finland
Coordinates: 62°36′N 025°43.5′E / 62.600°N 25.7250°E / 62.600; 25.7250
Country	Finland
Region	Central Finland
Sub-region	Äänekoski sub-region
Charter	1932
City rights	1973
Government
•  Town manager	Matti Tuononen
Area  (2018-01-01) [1]
• Total	1,138.39 km2 (439.53 sq mi)
• Land	884.61 km2 (341.55 sq mi)
• Water	253.84 km2 (98.01 sq mi)
• Rank	87th largest in Finland
Population  (2023-12-31) [2]
• Total	17,977
• Rank	64th largest in Finland
• Density	20.32/km2 (52.6/sq mi)
Population by native language [3]
•  Finnish	98% (official)
•  Swedish	0.1%
• Others	1.8%
Population by age [4]
• 0 to 14	15.2%
• 15 to 64	56.8%
• 65 or older	27.9%
Time zone	UTC+02:00 ( EET)
• Summer ( DST)	UTC+03:00 ( EEST)
Website	www.aanekoski.fi

Äänekoski (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈæːneˌkːoski]) is a town in Finland. It is located in the Central Finland region, about 45 kilometres (28 mi) north of Jyväskylä. The town has a population of 17,977 (31 December 2023) ^[6] and covers an area of 1,138.39 square kilometres (439.53 sq mi) of which 253.84 km² (98.01 sq mi) is water. ^[1] The population density is 20.32 inhabitants per square kilometre (52.6/sq mi).

Neighbouring municipalities are Kannonkoski, Konnevesi, Laukaa, Saarijärvi, Uurainen, Vesanto and Viitasaari.

The municipality is unilingually Finnish. ^[3]

The municipality of Äänekosken maalaiskunta was consolidated to Äänekoski in 1969 and the municipality of Konginkangas in 1993. The municipalities of Sumiainen and Suolahti were consolidated to Äänekoski in 2007.

History

Äänekoski is named after the nearby rapids. Folk etymology connects the name to the word ääni "sound", but Terho Itkonen has suggested another origin: a Sámi term meaning "big, large" (compare Northern Sámi eanas, "most").

Swedish sources mention a salmon fishery by the rapids around 1455, Ænækoski laxefiskeri. At the time, it was not a proper settlement and was located in the hunting grounds of the people of Sysmä. The Rautalampi parish was established in 1561, at the time it was a large parish covering most of Central Finland north of the Päijänne. The Laukaa parish, including the area of Äänekoski, was separated from Rautalampi in 1628.

A settlement named Äänekoski has existed at least since 1752. It remained a part of Laukaa until the parish was established in 1907 and the municipality Äänekosken maalaiskunta was established in 1911. At the time, Äänekosken maalaiskunta was called simply Äänekoski. The municipality was divided in 1932: the actual settlement of Äänekoski became the kauppala of Äänekoski, Suolahti became another kauppala while the old Äänekoski municipality was renamed Äänekosken maalaiskunta and its administrative seat was moved to the village of Honkola. Äänekoski and Äänekosken maalaiskunta still shared a parish. ^[7]

The first industrial enterprises appeared in 1896–1900.

Four municipalities have been consolidated with Äänekoski: Äänekosken maalaiskunta in 1969, Konginkangas in 1993 and Sumiainen and Suolahti in 2007. Äänekoski adopted the coat of arms of Suolahti in 2007.

Geography

Äänekoski is located along Finnish national road 4 approximately 40 km north of Jyväskylä. Finnish national road 69 to Suonenjoki begins in Hirvaskangas, 12 km south of Äänekoski center. Finnish national road 13 between Kokkola and Lappeenranta passes through Honkola, 6 km south of Äänekoski center. Äänekoski center is located between the Ääneselkä open water part of Lake Keitele and Lake Kuhnamo.

Villages

Modern Äänekoski is a product of a merger of multiple former municipalities, where the following villages were officially named:

• Konginkangas: Kalaniemi, Konginkangas center, Pyyrinlahti ^[8]
• Sumiainen: Paadentaipale, Raikkaus, Sumiaisten kirkonkylä (Sumiainen church village) ^[9]
• Suolahti: Suolahti center
• Äänekoski ja Äänekosken maalaiskunta (Rural Municipality of Äänekoski): Äänekoski center, Honkola, Kangashäkki (main part of which is in Uurainen), Kiimasjärvi, Koivisto (Koivistonkylä) and Petruma. ^[10]

Besides these official divisions, the following villages or neighborhoods are also informally recognized: Hietama, Hirvaskangas, Laajaranta, Liimattala, Mämme, Parantala ja Rannankylä.

Nature

The area is heavily forested. It is also defined by the fractured Lake Keitele, which stretches generally in the southwest-northeast direction from Äänekoski center to the open waters of Keitele proper in Havusalmi, but which has multiple bays in the perpendicular, southeast-northwest direction.

There are 13 Natura 2000 protected areas in Äänekoski. These include esker areas, waters rich in bird life and part of the Hitonhauta-Kylmähauta-Hirvasjoki ravine area, which extends from Äänekoski to Laukaa. ^{[11] [12]}

There are altogether 170 lakes in Äänekoski. The biggest lakes are Keitele, Kuhnamo and Niinivesi. ^[13]

One of the world's smallest rivers, the Kuokanjoki, is within the area. ^[14] Aatunselkä is also located in this area. ^[15]

Demographics

In 2021, there were 18,318 inhabitants, of which 75.8% lived in urban areas. There are three urban areas: Äänekoski center (12,899 inhabitants), Konginkangas (445) and Sumiaisten kirkonkylä (church village of Sumiainen, 406). Suolahden keskustaajama (the center of Suolahti), Kierälahti and Paatela used to categorized as a separate urban areas, but they are now counted as a part of Äänekoski center.

Economy

Äänekoski is a major industrial center. The largest corporate tax payer is Valtra, a manufacturer of tractors and agricultural machinery, which is a part of AGCO Corporation, followed by Kurikka Timber, a manufacturer of window components. Aura cheese is manufactured in the Valio's Äänekoski dairy. The forest, pulp and paper industry is a major employer. In 1891, a groundwood pulp mill and a cardboard factory was founded in Äänekoski. Currently, sites in Äänekoski include a Metsä Board folding boxboard factory, Metsä Fibre kraft pulp and bioproduct mill, Metsä Wood plywood factory (former Finnforest) and a Nouryon plant (former CP Kelco), which manufactures chemical derivatives of cellulose.

Twin towns – sister cities

The following cities or municipalities are twinned with Äänekoski: ^[16]

• Örnsköldsvik Municipality, Sweden
• Brande, Brande Municipality, Denmark
• Sigdal, Norway
• Alushta, Alushta municipality, Ukraine
• Borovichi, Novgorod Oblast, Russia (status unknown)
• Sestroretsk, Russia
• Niamey, Niger

Gallery

• 
  A porter locomotive of the Äänekoski-Suolahti narrow gauge railway
• 
  A freight train departing from a pulp mill in Äänekoski
• 
  Kapeenkoski Lock of Keitele–Päijänne canal.
• 
  A sunset at Lake Keitele

See also

• Aura cheese – a blue cheese produced in Äänekoski
• Finnish national road 69

References

External links

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Äänekoski.

Media related to Äänekoski at Wikimedia Commons

• Town of Äänekoski – Official website (in Finnish)