LOCATION

Municipality of Tervo is located in the central Finland in Itä-Suomi province. Neighbouring municipalities are Karttula, Maaninka, Pielavesi, Rautalampi, Suonenjoki and Vesanto. The nearest towns are Kuopio (58 km from Tervo) and Suonenjoki (50 km from Tervo). It is 420 km from Helsinki. The total area of Tervo covers 494.04 km2 of which land area amounts to 347.66 km2. Tervo has 553.4 km of coast-line. Because there are so many lakes in Tervo, it is partially so called archipelago municipality enjoying government support. So called Sininen tie -road (road 559; Petrozavodsk - Värtsilä - Vaasa - Umeå - Mo i Rana) runs through Tervo. The nearest railway stations are in Kuopio and Suonenjoki, and the nearest airport is Rissala airport in Kuopio (70 km from Tervo).

POPULATION

The population of Tervo was 1702 in January 1st 2012. The amount of people living in Tervo was greatest right after the Second World War when 400 evacuees from Karelia were settled here. The Karelian people brought with them new cultural influences e.g. new dishes. However, the most apparent difference to the local population was the evacuees religion; they belonged to the Orthodox Church. The most of the population are Lutheran, as in the rest of Finland. But still about 5% of the people in Tervo belong to the Orthodox Church.

SETTLEMENT

There are evidence of settlement dating from the Stone Age. The earliest discoveries are from "Comb-Ceramic" era. In addition the excavations of 1987 run by National Board of Antiquities and Historical Monuments showed some evidence of pre-metal age settlement. In the Middle Ages Tervo and surrounding areas were hunting ground for the people from south. The beginning of permanent settlement in Tervo dates back to the middle of the 16th century.

 Today most of the people in Tervo earn their living from agriculture. However, Tervo offers much more. The people who live here can enjoy the abundance of fish in the lakes and the surrounding wood-lands give us both recreational and commercial opportunities. Tervo offers great opportunities for e.g. wood processing and fish processing industry, horticultural industry and telecommuting.

MEANS OF LIVELIHOOD

Nearly 36% of people in Tervo earn their living in primary production. Secondary production provides living for 12% of population and 52% of people work in service sector. In addition to municipality organisation the most important employers in Tervo are Lohimaa sports fishing centre, Tarvaisen puutarha -green houses and Game and Fishery Research Institute's breeding unit. Tervo offers an ideal surroundings and opportunities for enterprises.

TRAVELLER'S TERVO - THE SIGHTS OF TERVO

Lutheran church designed by Ilmari Launis, completed in 1925

Orthodox church dedicated to Saint Elijah(Elias), completed in 1956
Tervo pine tree designed by Eeva Ryynänen
Haapamäki tower; a sight seeing tower made of wood
Tervonsalmi -strait area
Kolun kanava -channel, the longest inland water channel in Finland
Lohimaa sports fishing centre