North Karelia

North Karelia

*Pohjois-Karjala*
*Norra Karelen*
North Karelia Pohjois-Karjala; Norra Karelen
Region
	Coat of arms
	North Karelia on a map of Finland
Country	Finland
Historical province	Karelia
Area
• Total	21,584.41 km2 (8,333.79 sq mi)
Population (2009)
• Total	166,500
• Density	7.7/km2 (20/sq mi)
NUTS	133
Regional bird	Cuckoo
Regional fish	Lake salmon
Regional flower	Prickly rose
Website	pohjois-karjala.fi

North Karelia (Finnish: Pohjois-Karjala; Swedish: Norra Karelen) is a region in eastern Finland. It borders to the regions of Kainuu, Northern Savonia, Southern Savonia, South Karelia and to Russia.

The city of Joensuu is the capital of North Karelia.

North Karelia is renowned among public health officials.^[1] In the 1960s Finland led industrialized nations in heart disease mortality rates. North Karelia had Finland's highest incidence. In 1972 a long-term project was undertaken which targeted this risk in North Karelia.^[2] The resulting improvement in public health is still considered remarkable, a model for the rest of the nation.^[3]

Historical province

For history, geography and culture see: Karelia

Municipalities

North Karelia is divided into 13 municipalities.

Heraldry

The coat of arms of North Karelia is composed of the arms of Karelia.

Education

Institutions of higher education in North Karelia include:

both in Joensuu.

Politics

Results of the Finnish parliamentary election, 2011 in North Karelia:

Gallery

Ilomantsi Orthodox Church; North Karelia has percentagely most Orthodox Christians in Finland
Joensuu Town Hall
Lake Pielinen as seen from Koli; one of the most acknowledged landscapes in Finland
Patvinsuo National Park, Lieksa
The Border-Karelian Bomba House, Nurmes
Paateri Church, Lieksa
Lake Kuorinka, Liperi
The old copper mine in Outokumpu, a town that was built around the mine industry
Lake Neitijärvi in Lieksa; forested hills and lakes between them are characteristic of North Karelia
Joensuu Market Place, the urban centre of the region
Buildings of University of Joensuu
River Pielisjoki and Major Pielisjoki, Joensuu
Nurmes Evangelic-Lutheran Church
The modern Evangelic-Lutheran church in Lieksa
River Lieksanjoki, Lieksa
Juuka Evangelic-Lutheran Church
Lake Pyhäselkä, Joensuu
Finnish Forest Research Institute in Joensuu; an example of modern wooden architecture
Railway station in Nurmes; an example of Jugendstil
A road in Lieksa
Joensuu Evangelic-Lutheran Church
The easternmost place in the European Union, Ilomantsi
Old preserved wooden houses in Joensuu
Rural landscape in Valtimo
Viinijärvi Orthodox Church, Liperi

References

^ "The North Karelia Project: 30 years successfully preventing chronic diseases" (PDF). International Diabetes Federation.
^ "Change in risk factors for coronary heart disease during 10 years of a community intervention programme (North Karelia project)" (PDF). After the second world war cardiovascular diseases, predominantly coronary heart disease, became the leading public health problem in most of the industrialised world. Mortality statistics and other studies showed that in the 1960s the highest heart disease mortality rates were observed in Finland, predominantly in men. Within Finland the highest rates were registered in eastern Finland and were particularly high in the county of North Karelia.
^ "THE NORTH KARELIA PROJECT: FROM NORTH KARELIA TO NATIONAL ACTION". National Institute for Health and Welfare (Finland) [1]. In first five years of the North Karelia Project, for example, most of the reduction in cigarette smoking took place in the first year of the programme; most hypertensive individuals who brought their blood pressure under control achieved this by the end of the third year; dietary changes took place gradually over a five-year period; and, as noted earlier, at the end of five years, a net reduction in risk-factor levels was observed. Concerning mortality, CHD incidence and mortality rates started to decline surprisingly quickly after the start of the intervention in North Karelia. In the rest of the country, a similar decline started several years later. Thus a significant net change in favour of North Karelia was observed, especially in 1974 to 1979 (Salonen et al, 1983). Thereafter, although the decline in North Karelia continued, the net decline was gradually reduced. Thus maximal difference in favour of the intervention area was observed some 5-8 years after its start (Puska et al, 1995). For cancer mortality, a net reduction in favour of North Karelia could be observed much later, i.e., 5 to10 years after the intervention commenced. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help); line feed character in |quote= at position 86 (help)

External links

[1] "The North Karelia Project: 30 years successfully preventing chronic diseases" (PDF). International Diabetes Federation.

[2] "Change in risk factors for coronary heart disease during 10 years of a community intervention programme (North Karelia project)" (PDF). After the second world war cardiovascular diseases, predominantly coronary heart disease, became the leading public health problem in most of the industrialised world. Mortality statistics and other studies showed that in the 1960s the highest heart disease mortality rates were observed in Finland, predominantly in men. Within Finland the highest rates were registered in eastern Finland and were particularly high in the county of North Karelia.

[3] "THE NORTH KARELIA PROJECT: FROM NORTH KARELIA TO NATIONAL ACTION". National Institute for Health and Welfare (Finland) [1]. In first five years of the North Karelia Project, for example, most of the reduction in cigarette smoking took place in the first year of the programme; most hypertensive individuals who brought their blood pressure under control achieved this by the end of the third year; dietary changes took place gradually over a five-year period; and, as noted earlier, at the end of five years, a net reduction in risk-factor levels was observed. Concerning mortality, CHD incidence and mortality rates started to decline surprisingly quickly after the start of the intervention in North Karelia. In the rest of the country, a similar decline started several years later. Thus a significant net change in favour of North Karelia was observed, especially in 1974 to 1979 (Salonen et al, 1983). Thereafter, although the decline in North Karelia continued, the net decline was gradually reduced. Thus maximal difference in favour of the intervention area was observed some 5-8 years after its start (Puska et al, 1995). For cancer mortality, a net reduction in favour of North Karelia could be observed much later, i.e., 5 to10 years after the intervention commenced. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help); line feed character in |quote= at position 86 (help)

[1]

[2]

[3]

v t e Regions of Finland
Regions	Åland Central Finland Central Ostrobothnia Kainuu Kymenlaakso Lapland North Karelia North Ostrobothnia North Savo Ostrobothnia Päijät-Häme Pirkanmaa Satakunta South Karelia South Ostrobothnia South Savo Southwest Finland Kanta-Häme Uusimaa
Former regions	Eastern Uusimaa (Itä-Uusimaa)