Rantsila

Rantsila
Village, former municipality
Rantsilan kunta
Rantsila kommun
Coat of arms of Rantsila
Location of Rantsila in Finland
Location of Rantsila in Finland
Coordinates: 64°30′N 025°39′E / 64.500°N 25.650°E / 64.500; 25.650
CountryFinland
RegionNorthern Ostrobothnia
Sub-regionSiikalatva sub-region
Charter1867
Consolidated2009
Area
 • Total
746.64 km2 (288.28 sq mi)
 • Land732.23 km2 (282.72 sq mi)
 • Water14.41 km2 (5.56 sq mi)
Population
 (2015-12-31)[2]
 • Total
812
 • Density1.1/km2 (2.8/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)

Rantsila (Swedish: Rantsila, also Frantsila) is a village and former municipality of Finland.

It is located in the province of Oulu and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The village had a population of 812 (31 December 2015),[2] while the former municipality covered a land area of 732.23 km2 (282.72 sq mi).[1] The population density was 2.73 inhabitants per square kilometre (7.1/sq mi). The municipality was unilingually Finnish.

During the Finnish War (1808–1809), which resulted in Finland being ceded to the Russian Empire, the last battle engaged within Finland was held in the Kerälä village of Rantsila, between the Russian and Swedish-Finnish armies. General J.A. Sandels was perhaps the most highly respected commander of the Finnish troops, and in honour of him and his noble and highly renowned horse Bijou, an equestrian statue was erected in the center of Rantsila in 1989.

The municipality was consolidated with Kestilä, Piippola and Pulkkila on 1 January 2009 to form a new municipality of Siikalatva.[3]

Rantsila is famous for its heavy metal bands such as Hater, Hamarapuoli and Kolera, as well as internet personality Ari Kivikangas, better known as Cyberman.[4][5][failed verification]

  1. ^ a b "Area by municipality as of 1 January 2008" (PDF) (in Finnish and Swedish). Land Survey of Finland. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-08-07. Retrieved 27 March 2010.
  2. ^ a b "Taajamat väkiluvun ja väestöntiheyden mukaan 31 December 2015". Population Information System (in Finnish and Swedish). Population Register Center of Finland. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
  3. ^ "Pohjois-Pohjanmaalle tulee uusi Siikalatvan kunta". YLE Uutiset (YLE News) (in Finnish). Yleisradio Oy. 2008-02-25. Retrieved 2008-08-03.
  4. ^ "cyberman.tv". 26 July 2014. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
  5. ^ Clifton, Jamie (21 May 2014). "This Guy Spends His Entire Life in Front of a Webcam". VICE. Retrieved 21 November 2019.