Varkaus, Northern Savonia Region, Finland

🇫🇮 Varkaus is a Middle-Savonian industrial town and municipality of Finland. It is located in the province of Eastern Finland and is part of the Northern Savonia region, between city of Kuopio and town of Savonlinna. The municipality covers an area of 524.48 square km (202.50 sq mi) of which 138.45 km² (53.46 sq mi) is water. The population density is 51.13 inhabitants per square kilometre (132.4/sq mi).

The municipality is unilingually Finnish. In old Finnish 'Varkaus' meant strait, and this city is located in the lake district on straits between two parts of Lake Saimaa. An extension of the Saimaa Canal passes through the town.

History Varkaus was born in the late 19th century as an industrial community of the A. Ahlström paper mills. It was a part of the municipalities of Leppävirta and Joroinen until 1929 when Varkaus became a market town. During the Finnish Civil War in 1918 the town was taken over by the Reds, but because of its isolated location in rural Finland, it was soon taken by the Whites on the Battle of Varkaus 19–21 February. The whites proceeded to execute every tenth Red soldier.

The municipality of Kangaslampi was consolidated to Varkaus on 1 January 2005.

Sport The bandy team Warkauden Pallo-35, or just WP-35, plays in the highest division, Bandyliiga, and has become Finnish champions 16 times.

Parts • Kaura-aho • Käpykangas • Kuoppakangas • Kosulanniemi • Lehtoniemi • Puurtila • Taipale • Luttila • Könönpelto • Kangaslampi • Kurola • Hasinmäki • Häyrilä • Päiviönsaari • Peltola.