Kankaanpää: Finland

Kankaanpää is a town in western Finland. Kankaanpää was founded in 1865, became a township in 1967 and finally a town in 1972. It is located in the crossroads of Hämeenkangas and Pohjankangas ridges. It belongs to the administrative province of Western Finland. Kankaanpää has a population of about 13,000 inhabitants.
History
First signs of man in the area are from the stone age and during the 16th century people started to settle in Kankaanpää area. Oldest houses that area found from the documents of Sweden-Finland are from the 1560 decade.
The oldest passage in the province was from Hämeenkyrö through the ridges to Kauhajoki. In the 1600 century it was the most important road between southern Finland and Ostrobothnia. The king of Sweden-Finland visited Kankaanpää twice. Gustav II Adolph travelled from Ilmajoki to Hämeenlinna through Kankaanpää in 1614 and Adolf Fredrik had a rest in Kuninkaanlähde spring to water his horses and to eat in 1752. The spring was named after this event.
Education
Kankaanpää offers basic education with 12 elementary schools and a high school. There is also a trade school and a polytechnic school.
Culture
Kankaanpää town museum is presenting the life in Kankaanpää during last 100 years