Ylihärmä

Ylihärmä is a former municipality in the Ostrobothnia region of Finland. It merged with the municipalities of Alahärmä, Kauhava, and Kortesjärvi on January 1, 2009, to form the new municipality of Kauhava. Ylihärmä was located in the southern part of the Ostrobothnia region, known for its flat, agricultural landscape.

The history of Ylihärmä dates back to the 16th century. It was originally a chapel community of the Lapua parish and became an independent parish in 1859. The name Ylihärmä is believed to derive from the Härmä river, with "yli" meaning "upper" in Finnish, indicating its position upstream.

Economically, Ylihärmä was largely based on agriculture and small-scale industry. The municipality was known for its strong entrepreneurial spirit and a significant number of small businesses. Like many rural Finnish municipalities, it faced challenges related to population decline and economic restructuring in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, which ultimately led to its merger with neighboring municipalities.

The cultural heritage of Ylihärmä included its rural traditions and local dialect. The area was characterized by its open fields and scattered villages. After the merger, the administrative center of Ylihärmä no longer exists as an independent municipal unit, but its legacy continues within the larger municipality of Kauhava.