Editing Vaala (section)

== History ==
The original center of the area was [[Manamansalo]], the largest island in the [[Oulujärvi]] with a village by the same name. Both it and Säräisniemi were first mentioned in 1555 when they were parts of the large [[Liminka]] parish.<ref>{{Cite web|title=SuomalainenPaikannimikirja_e-kirja_kuvallinen.pdf|url=https://kaino.kotus.fi/www/verkkojulkaisut/julk63/SuomalainenPaikannimikirja_e-kirja_kuvallinen.pdf|page=436+485|access-date=December 27, 2022|website=kaino.kotus.fi|language=fi}}</ref> The parish of Oulujärvi, covering all of [[Kainuu]] with its center in Manamansalo, was separated from Liminka in 1559, but merged back into Liminka in the 1580s after Russians raided the island. In 1599, the area became a parish again, this time with its center in [[Paltaniemi]], due to which the parish was now known as [[Paltamo]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Suomen Sukututkimusseura|url=https://hiski.genealogia.fi/seurakunnat/srk?CMD=SRK&ID=380&TYPE=HTML&LANG=FI|access-date=December 27, 2022|website=hiski.genealogia.fi|language=fi}}</ref>

Säräisniemi acquired its own church under Paltamo in 1779 and became a separate parish and municipality in 1864. [[Vuolijoki]] was separated from Säräisniemi as a parish in 1896 and as a municipality in 1915. Some parts of [[Kajaanin maalaiskunta]] were also used in the municipality's formation. The village of Vaala was transferred from [[Utajärvi]] to Säräisniemi in 1954, becoming the new administrative center of the municipality. The municipality itself was also renamed Vaala in the process.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Suomen Sukututkimusseura|url=https://hiski.genealogia.fi/seurakunnat/srk?CMD=SRK&ID=529&TYPE=HTML&LANG=FI|access-date=December 27, 2022|website=hiski.genealogia.fi|language=fi}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Suomen Sukututkimusseura|url=https://hiski.genealogia.fi/seurakunnat/srk?CMD=SRK&ID=638&TYPE=HTML&LANG=FI|access-date=December 27, 2022|website=hiski.genealogia.fi|language=fi}}</ref>

Vaala was transferred from Kainuu to [[North Ostrobothnia]] in 2016.