Iitti

File:Mankalan voimalaitos.jpg

The surroundings of lakes Urajärvi and Pyhäjärvi have been known to be exploited as wilderness since the Stone Age, although no signs of permanent habitation from the era have been found, and the area is presumed to have been entirely uninhabitated in the interim between the Stone Age and the conversion of Finland to Christianity. By the end of paganism, Iitti had gained its first permanent inhabitants first from Hauho and Vanaja, as well as later on from Hollola.{{Cite book |last1=Soikkanen |first1=Mauri |last2=Erävuori |first2=Jukka |last3=Korpela |first3=Kalevi |last4=Penttilä |first4=Antero |last5=Mäkinen |first5=Vesa |title=Suomenmaa 2: maantieteellis-yhteiskunnallinen tieto- ja hakuteos. 2: Heinola–Kaavi|publisher=WSOY|year=1968|location=Helsinki|chapter=Iitti}}

The oldest village in Iitti is presumed to be Kauramaa, though several others are mentioned in documents dating to the Middle Ages. Administratively, Iitti was a chapel subordinated to the parish of Hollola until 1539, after which it became an independent parish that also included Nastola, Jaala, Valkeala and parts of Mäntyharju, by proclamation from Gustav I. At this time, Iitti had 14 villages and 89 estates.

Iitti suffered greatly over the Russo-Swedish War of 1788–1790, becoming a battleground as well as a headquarters for Swedish forces. The battle of Tillolankangas was one of the bloodiest over the entire war in Finland; the Swedes' victory cemented the liberation of the villages around river Kymi. Over the course of the war, 13 villages were destroyed in Iitti.

Until 2021, Iitti was part of the Kymenlaakso region before it became part of Päijänne Tavastia.{{cite web|url=https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-11720202 |title=Iitti vaihtaa maakuntaa huomenna – kaikkiaan viisi kuntaa vaihtaa maakuntaa |last=Korhonen |first=Antti-Jussi |work=Yle |date=31 December 2020 |access-date=26 September 2022 |language=fi}}

In 1968, Iitti had the following villages:

{{div col|colwidth=12em}}

• Haapakimola
• Kauramaa
• Kausala
• Kimola
• Iitti
• Koliseva
• Koskenniska
• Lyöttilä
• Kymentaka
• Muikkula
• Niinimäki
• Perheniemi
• Radansuu
• Saaranen
• Sitikkala
• Säyhde
• Sääskjärvi
• Taasia
• Tapola
• Vuolenkoski

{{div col end}}

In 2020, 14.0% of the population of Iitti was under the age of 15, 55.2% were aged 15 to 64, and 31.5% were over the age of 64. The average age was 48.8, above the national average of 43.4 and regional average of 46.4. Speakers of Finnish made up 97.9% of the population and speakers of Swedish made up 0.2%, while the share of speakers of foreign languages was 1.9%. Foreign nationals made up 1.4% of the total population.{{Cite web|title=Key figures on population by region, 1990-2020|url=https://pxnet2.stat.fi/PXWeb/pxweb/en/StatFin/StatFin__vrm__vaerak/statfin_vaerak_pxt_11ra.px/|url-status=dead|access-date=28 April 2021|website=StatFin|publisher=Statistics Finland|archive-date=6 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190406192005/http://pxnet2.stat.fi/PXWeb/pxweb/en/StatFin/StatFin__vrm__vaerak/statfin_vaerak_pxt_11ra.px/}}

At the end of March 2021, the population of Iitti was 6,590. The chart below, describing the development of the total population of Iitti from 1975 to 2020, encompasses the municipality's area as of 2021.

{{Historical populations

| align = none

| cols = 2

| percentages = pagr

| 1975 |7995

| 1980 |7770

| 1985 |7690

| 1990 |7889

| 1995 |7687

| 2000 |7534

| 2005 |7265

| 2010 |7005

| 2015 |6910

| 2020 |6625

|source=Statistics Finland{{Cite web|title=Population according to age (1-year) and sex by area, 1972-2020|url=https://pxnet2.stat.fi/PXWeb/pxweb/en/StatFin/StatFin__vrm__vaerak/statfin_vaerak_pxt_11re.px/|url-status=dead|access-date=27 April 2021|website=StatFin|publisher=Statistics Finland|archive-date=25 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190525152634/http://pxnet2.stat.fi/PXWeb/pxweb/en/StatFin/StatFin__vrm__vaerak/statfin_vaerak_pxt_11re.px/}}

}}

In 2019, out of the total population of 6,711, 3,946 people lived in urban areas and 2,705 in sparsely populated areas, while the coordinates of 60 people were unknown. This made Iitti's degree of urbanization 59.3%.{{Cite web|title=Degree of urbanisation by area, 2019|url=https://pxnet2.stat.fi/PXWeb/pxweb/en/StatFin/StatFin__vrm__vaerak/statfin_vaerak_pxt_11s7.px/|url-status=dead|access-date=26 April 2021|website=StatFin|publisher=Statistics Finland|archive-date=26 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191126094642/http://pxnet2.stat.fi/PXWeb/pxweb/en/StatFin/StatFin__vrm__vaerak/statfin_vaerak_pxt_11s7.px/}} The urban population in the municipality was divided between two urban areas as follows:{{Cite web|title=Population in urban settlements and sparsely populated areas by age, sex and municipality, 2019|url=https://pxnet2.stat.fi/PXWeb/pxweb/en/StatFin/StatFin__vrm__vaerak/statfin_vaerak_pxt_11s6.px/|url-status=dead|access-date=26 April 2021|website=StatFin|publisher=Statistics Finland|archive-date=26 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191126094635/http://pxnet2.stat.fi/PXWeb/pxweb/en/StatFin/StatFin__vrm__vaerak/statfin_vaerak_pxt_11s6.px/}}

In 2018, 10.2% of the workforce of Iitti worked in primary production (agriculture, forestry and fishing), 35.9% in secondary production (e.g. manufacturing, construction and infrastructure), and 50.8% in services. In 2019, the unemployment rate was 9.2%, and the share of pensioners in the population was 35.8%.{{Cite web|title=Municipal key figures 1987-2020 (with the 2021 regional division)|url=https://pxnet2.stat.fi/PXWeb/pxweb/en/Kuntien_avainluvut/Kuntien_avainluvut__2021/kuntien_avainluvut_2021_aikasarja.px|access-date=26 April 2021|website=StatFin|publisher=Statistics Finland|archive-date=26 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210426165318/https://pxnet2.stat.fi/PXWeb/pxweb/en/Kuntien_avainluvut/Kuntien_avainluvut__2021/kuntien_avainluvut_2021_aikasarja.px|url-status=dead}} (2018, 2019 and 2020)

The ten largest employers in Iitti in 2019 were as follows:{{Cite web|title=Kunnittainen toimipaikkatilasto|url=https://www.stat.fi/tup/yritystietopalvelu/kunnittainen-toimipaikkatilasto|access-date=29 April 2021|publisher=Statistics Finland|language=fi}}

{{columns-list|colwidth=25em|style=max-width:70em;|

1. Halton Oy, 257 employees
2. Municipality of Iitti, 199 employees
3. Päijät-Häme Health Care Municipal Consortium, 149 employees
4. Kiitokori Oy, 61 employees
5. Kymen Seudun Osuuskauppa, 46 employees
6. SharpCell Oy, 42 employees
7. Dinair Clean Air Oy, 40 employees
8. Iitin Ehtookotiyhdistys ry, 31 employees
9. Kausalan Matkakeidas Oy, 29 employees
10. Kaupe Oy, 21 employees

}}

File:Saukonkallion lava.JPG

The Iitti Music Festival (Iitin musiikkijuhlat), which focuses on both classical and contemporary music, is held annually in Iitti's church village.{{cite web|url=https://iittifestival.fi/en/|title=Home|publisher=Iitti Music Festival|access-date=31 December 2023}}{{Cite web |title=Iitti Music Festival |url=https://festivals.fi/en/festivals/iitti-music-festival/ |access-date=2024-12-22 |website=Finland Festivals |language=en-US}}

In the 1980s, a lamb meat called lampahkäppä, a sweetened potato casserole called potaattiloota, a rye lingonberry pastries baked with cabbage leaves called lehikäiset served with plum saftsuppe, and a local baked cheese were named traditional dishes of Iitti parish.{{cite book| last=Kolmonen| first=Jaakko | title=Kotomaamme ruoka-aitta: Suomen, Karjalan ja Petsamon pitäjäruoat | page= 99 | location=Helsinki | publisher=Patakolmonen | year=1988 | isbn= 951-96047-3-1 | language = fi}}

Iitti has its own local newspaper called Iitinseutu, whose editorial office is located in Kausala.{{cite web|url=https://www.iitinseutu.fi/|title=Etusivu|work=Iitinseutu|access-date=31 December 2023|language=fi}}

The 2023 Finnish slasher horror film The Island of Doom (Tuomion saari), directed by Keke Soikkeli, was shot in Iitti.{{cite web|url=https://www.ess.fi/paikalliset/5750933|title=Kouvolassa ja Iitissä kuvataan elokuvateatterilevitykseen tuleva kauhuelokuva – Mukana on tv:stä tuttuja näyttelijöitä ja paikallisia harrastajia|first=Tuomo|last=Mannonen|work=Etelä-Suomen Sanomat|url-access=subscription|date=24 February 2023|access-date=31 December 2023|language=fi}}{{cite web|url=https://www.hameensanomat.fi/paikalliset/5968578|title=Konsta Hietanen elää kauhun ja humoristisuuden tasapainossa Tuomion saari -elokuvan kuvauksissa|first=Elina|last=Sironen|work=Hämeen Sanomat|url-access=subscription|date=31 May 2023|access-date=31 December 2023|language=fi}}{{cite web|url=https://www.iitinseutu.fi/artikkelit/tuomion-saari-arvostelu/|title=Tuomion saari on ohjaajansa työnäyte|first=Johannes|last=Niemeläinen|work=Iitinseutu|url-access=subscription|date=30 December 2023|access-date=31 December 2023|language=fi}}

{{Unreferenced section|date=May 2024}}

• Viljo Heino (1914–1998) – athlete
• Albert Järvinen (1950–1991) – guitarist; member of Hurriganes
• Lasse J. Laine (1946–2023) – naturalist
• Mikko Pesälä (born 1938) – politician
• Anders Johan Sjögren (1794–1855) – linguist and explorer

{{Reflist}}

• {{commons category-inline|Iitti}}
• {{wikivoyage-inline|Iitti}}
• [https://www.iitti.fi/ Municipality of Iitti] – Official website {{In lang|fi}}

{{Geographic location

| Centre = Iitti

| N = Heinola

| E = Kouvola (Kymenlaakso)

| S = Lapinjärvi (Uusimaa)

| W = Lahti
Orimattila

}}

{{PäijänneTavastia}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Populated places established in 1865