Puolanka

Puolanka (, also ) is a municipality in Finland located in the Kainuu region. The municipality has a population of 
() and covers an area of of
which 
is water. The population density is
The highest waterfall in Finland, "Hepoköngäs" is located from the center of Puolanka.
The municipality is unilingually Finnish.
History.
The first permanent settlers in Puolanka came in the 1550s.
The municipality of Puolanka was established in the year of 1867. In that same year the Puolanka parish became independent from the Hyrynsalmi church to which it had previously belonged to administratively. The municipal council of Puolanka was formed in the year of 1916.
At its peak Puolanka had a population of about 7,520 in 1960. Towards the end of the 1960s, however, Puolanka's population began to decline, alike other municipalities within Kainuu.
Villages.
Villages within Puolanka are as follows: Aittokylä, Auho, Joukokylä, Kivarinjärvi, Kotila, Kongasmäki, Leipivaara, Lylykylä, Naulaperä, Puokio, Puolanka, Rasinkylä, Suolijärvi, Vihajärvi, Väyrylä, Yli-Oterma, Törmänmäki.