Tervola is a municipality in the southwestern part of the
province of Lapland. The municipality is home to 3,003 people and
covers an area of 1,592.02 km2, of which 32.29 km2 are water bodies.
The population density is 1.93 inhabitants / km2.
The
neighboring municipalities are Keminmaa, Ranua, Rovaniemi, Simo,
Tornio and Ylitornio. Tervola is located between Kemi and Rovaniemi,
about 75 kilometers from the center of Tervola and about 45
kilometers from Kemi.
The parties that hold power in Tervola
in the municipal council are the Center Party and the Left Alliance.
In the long run, the municipality is divided into a political center
and the left.
Highway 4 runs through the municipality on the west side of Kemijoki
and Seututie 926 on the east side of the river, and is therefore called
"east side". There are two ways to get to Rovaniemi from the center of
Tervola, either the four-way road or the east-side road. Around 75 km is
accumulated along both routes.
Keminmaa can be reached by three
roads: nelostie, regional road 926 or road number 9291 passing through
Paakkola, which is also called "länsipuolentie". The distance to
Keminmaa is 37 km via Nelostie or the western half. About 45 km via the
eastern road. Regional road 929 also leaves from Tervola via Mellakoski
to Ylitornio, where the distance is 87 km. Ylitornio can also be reached
via Arpela, regional road 927. This way, the distance is the same 87 km,
if you go through the village of Aapajoki. The fastest route to Tornio
is Highway 4 + Highway 29. The distance to Tornio is 51 km along the
highways and 52 km via Arpela. In terms of time, the motorway is only a
few minutes faster.
Regional road 923 goes east from the center
of Tervola via Sompujärvi to the village of Simon Alaniemi. The road is
partly gravel.
Tervola is located along the Laurila-Kelloselkä
railway, and almost all VR passenger trains operating on the railway
section stop at the Tervola railway station. There are several train
services per day. There are also several bus routes from Kemi and
Rovaniemi per day. The main operator was Veljekset Salmela Oy.
There are four functioning elementary schools in Tervola. They are located in Lapinniemi, Kaisajoki, Loue and Mattinen. The only middle school in the municipality is in Lapinniemi. There is also a high school in Tervola, as well as a vocational college in Loue, the Lappian educational institution, with a rural and handicraft side and a dog kennel.
Tervola's economy has been in the positive for many years in a row.
About 15% of Tervola's jobs are located in primary production, i.e.
agriculture and forestry. Of the economic structure, processing accounts
for approximately 20% and services for approximately 63%. The
municipality's business tasks are handled centrally by the business
company Riverbank Oy, which is wholly owned by the municipality of
Tervola.
In addition to the municipality, the largest employers
in Tervola are Millog Oy, Veljekset Vaara Oy, Paakkola Conveyors Oy,
Tervolan Saha ja Höyläämö Oy and Tervolan Konepaja Oy.
Popular pastimes in Tervola have become a tradition at the Maaseudulta häsin fair, which has a record attendance of around 11,000 visitors. Tervola's biggest winter event Paakkolan Pilkit. In addition, Tervola organizes Ämpäripääpäivät, where, among other things, world championship-level competitions for bucket throwing are held. The Ämpäripää competitions have their roots in the name Ämpäripää given to the people of Tervola, whose origin there are several stories about. In addition, Tervola has, among other things, an autumn market.
There are three churches of the Tervola Evangelical Lutheran
congregation in the central area of Tervola, of which the oldest wooden
church (called the Old Church) was built in 1687. The newer church
(1864) was built next to the Old Church on the banks of the Kemijoki
River. The newest church is located in the parish center, which was put
into use in 1974. All the churches are still in use, although the large
cross church is rarely used due to, among other things, its high heating
costs. For the same reason, the Old Church is rarely used during the
cold seasons. As a rule, the big church is only used for Christmas Eve
devotions and for the confirmation service at Midsummer. The churches
belong to road churches.
The prayer room of St. Trifon
Petsamolainen of the Oulu Orthodox congregation, built in 1950, is
located in Tervola's Varejoki. The prayer room was built for the use of
the Orthodox evacuees of Petsamo, which were handed over to the Soviet
Union in the Paris Peace Agreement, and were settled in Varejoki. A
replica of the belfry of the Petsamo monastery has been built next to
Tsasouna as a memorial to the emigrants of Petsamo.
In Tervola, the landscape begins to take on Lappish features with its
dangers and pitfalls. The landscape is dominated by Finland's longest
river, Kemijoki, along which, among other things, the municipal center
is located.
Kätkävaara is located in Tervola, which is about 189
meters high. Kätkävaara is a popular nature destination. The Kätkävaara
nature trail is a total of 7 km long and marked. Along the nature trail,
there is a nature tower, two fire places, and a firing hut at the top of
the danger.
Tervola's natural attractions include, for example,
the Pyhäporti rapids on the Suolijoki river and the riverside landscape
through the municipality. Other attractions include Kivikylä in the
village of Varejoki, Tervola's old church and Ylipaakkola's riverside
village in the maritime Lapland landscape.
About two percent of
Tervola's surface area is inland water. There are 76 lakes with a
surface area of at least one hectare. The largest lakes are the upper
basin of the Ossauskoski power plant, Lake Konttijärvi, Lake Haapajärvi
and Lake Akkunusjärvi.
In Tervola, on Seututie 928, there is also
the seventh longest road bridge in Finland[14], which acts as a traffic
intermediary over the Kemijoki from highway 4 to the municipal center
and Seututie 926. The bridge is 494 meters long and was completed in
1975.
Digita Oy's radio and television station is located in Törmävaara,
Tervola, with a 302 meter high mast.
The Tervola office of Millog
Oy serving the Defense Forces also operates in the Anttilankanka area,
which is the former Tervola depot (TerV) under the Material Department
of the Defense Forces. The Tervola warehouse under the Northern Finland
Maintenance Regiment is also located in the area.
Of the Kemijoki
hydropower plants, the Ossauskoski hydropower plant is located within
the municipality.
The 10-mill wind farm of TuuliWatti Oy,
completed in 2013, is located in Varevaara, Tervola. Wind power is also
planned for Löylyvaara next to Varevaara, Hevosselkä on the border of
Tervola and Simon municipalities, and Valkiavaara on the border of
Tervola and Tornio.