Kirkkonummi

Kirkkonummi (ˈkirkːoˌnumːi; Kyrkslätt, ˈtɕyrːkslet, Sweden ˈɕʏ̂rːkslɛt) is a municipality of inhabitants () in southern Finland. The literal meaning of the words "Kirkkonummi" and "Kyrkslätt" in English is "church heath". The municipality is located just outside the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, bordering the city of Espoo in the east. Other neighbouring municipalities are Vihti and Siuntio. The distance from the municipal centre to central Helsinki is some . Kirkkonummi also has excellent train and bus connections to other parts of the Greater Helsinki area, and many of its inhabitants commute daily to Helsinki. The municipality covers an area of of which is water. The population density is . In recent years, Kirkkonummi has faced the highest population growth rate in the country, at over 3% per annum. Major population centres in Kirkkonummi include the municipal centre, Masala, Veikkola, Kantvik and the Upinniemi naval garrison area. In addition to these, there are dozens of smaller villages. Geographically, Kirkkonummi has two famous peninsulas, namely Porkkala and Upinniemi, the latter one of which houses a major Finnish naval base. Porkkala is also on one of the main bird migration routes in the Baltic Sea region. Additionally, Kirkkonummi has a large central plains area, through which a railway goes from Helsinki to Turku as well as extensive lake areas, much of which is relatively untouched wilderness. Kirkkonummi has a four-season humid continental climate (Köppen: Dfb) with long, cold, snowy winters, and warm summers; spring and fall are somewhat cool and brief seasons. Similar to that of Nova Scotia or Hokkaidō. The monthly daily average temperatures range from -3.9 °C (25.0 °F) in January to 20 °C (68 °F) in July. Precipitation is well-spread throughout the year, though late spring to early summer is the driest season while late fall to winter tends to be the wettest. Its location in the very southern tip of Finland gives it a milder climate than that of northern Finland, being influenced by the North Atlantic Current and the Baltic Sea.