| City of Turku Turun kaupunki – Åbo stad |
|||
 |
|||
|
|||
 |
|||
  City of Turku
|
|||
| Coordinates: | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Country | Finland | ||
| Province | Western Finland | ||
| Region | Finland Proper | ||
| Sub-region | Turku sub-region | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Mikko Pukkinen | ||
| Area | |||
| - City | 306. Wikipedia talkFeatured lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This list of countries, arranged alphabetically Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. The state of Finland consists of 6 provinces ( Finnish: läänit, Swedish: län) The Province of Western Finland is a province of Finland. It borders the provinces of Oulu, Eastern Finland and Southern Finland. Finland is divided into 20 regions ( maakunta in Finnish, landskap in Swedish) Finland Proper or Southwest Finland (Varsinais-Suomi Egentliga Finland is a region in south-western Finland. In 2005 Finland is divided into 77 sub-regions ( seutukunta in Finnish, ekonomisk region in Swedish) The Turku Region (Turun seutukunta The City Region of Turku (Turun kaupunkiseutu and Greater Turku (Suur-Turku all refer to regions of different size surrounding A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning "greater" is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. 42 km² (118. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of 3 sq mi) | ||
| - Land | 245. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. 67 km² (94. 9 sq mi) | ||
| - Urban | 402. 8 km² (155. 5 sq mi) | ||
| - Metro | 2,331. 1 km² (900 sq mi) | ||
| Population (2007) | |||
| - City | 175 286 | ||
| - Density | 722/km² (1,870/sq mi) | ||
| - Urban | 236,226 | ||
| - Urban Density | 586/km² (1,517. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume 7/sq mi) | ||
| - Metro | 303,492 | ||
| - Metro Density | 130. A metropolitan area is a large population center consisting of a large Metropolis and its adjacent zone of influence or of more than one closely adjoining neighboring central 19/km² (337. 2/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+2) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+3) | ||
| Official languages | Finnish, Swedish | ||
| Website: www.turku.fi | |||
Turku, in Swedish Åbo (pronounced [ˈturku] , ['o:bu] ) is the oldest and fifth largest city in Finland, with a population of 175 286 (31. Eastern European Time ( EET) is one of the names of UTC+2 Time zone, 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. UTC+2 corresponds to the following Time zones Eastern European Time Egypt Standard Time Central Africa Time Daylight saving time ( DST Eastern European Summer Time ( EEST) is one of the names of UTC+3 Time zone, 3 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. UTC+3 is used in the following locations Moscow Time Eastern European Summer Time West Asian Summer Time The two official languages of Finland are Finnish and Swedish. Finnish ( or suomen kieli) is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland (92% As of 2006) and by ethnic Finns outside Swedish ( is a North Germanic language spoken by more than nine million people predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along the Finland Swedish is a general term for the closely related cluster of Dialects of Swedish spoken in Finland by Swedish-speaking Finns as their This is a list of towns in Finland. In the year 1977 the juridical difference between cities towns and municipalities were removed Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. 12. 2007). Located ()[1] at the mouth of the Aura river in the south west of the country, it is the capital city of both the region of Finland Proper and the province of Western Finland, as well as being the centre of the country's third largest urban area, with around 300,000 inhabitants. The Aura River ( Finnish Aurajoki; Swedish Aura å) is a River in south-western Finland. Finland Proper or Southwest Finland (Varsinais-Suomi Egentliga Finland is a region in south-western Finland. The Province of Western Finland is a province of Finland. It borders the provinces of Oulu, Eastern Finland and Southern Finland. Turku has one of the largest Finland-Swedish populations in the country. Finland Swedish is a general term for the closely related cluster of Dialects of Swedish spoken in Finland by Swedish-speaking Finns as their Due to its location, the Port of Turku is one of the busiest seaports in Finland with around 3. The Port of Turku ( Turun satama, Åbo hamn and Turku Habour) is a Port located on the south-east of Finland, where the mainland ||-||-|-||-||-||-||-||-||-|} A port is a facility for receiving Ships and transferring cargo 7 million passengers per year[1].
Turku has a cultural identity as Finland's historical centre, as it was the largest city in the country for a very long time and has served as the second city of the Swedish Empire when Finland was under its rule. The second city of a country is the City that is (or was the second-most important usually after the Capital or first city Sweden was between 1611 and 1718 one of the Great powers of Europe After being informally the capital of Finland for hundreds of years, Turku was also the capital of the Grand Duchy of Finland from 1809 to 1812 after which time Helsinki was made the capital, because Helsinki was considered being more loyal and closer to the Russian Empire than Turku. The Grand Duchy of Finland (Magnus Ducatus Finlandiæ Великое княжество Финляндское ' Velikoe knjažestvo finljandskoe) was the Predecessor Helsinki (in Finnish;) or Helsingfors (in Swedish;) is the Capital and largest city of Finland. The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya
Turku also hosted the country's first university, The Royal Academy of Turku until it was transferred to the new capital after the Great Fire of Turku, 1827. The Royal Academy of Turku/Åbo (Regia Academia Aboensis Turun akatemia Åbo Kungliga Akademi was the name of the University of Helsinki until 1809 when it was The Great Fire of Turku (Turun palo and Åbo brand was a conflagration that is still the largest urban fire in the history of Finland and the Nordic countries. Year 1827 ( MDCCCXXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Its belongings are still in the possession of the University of Helsinki, excluding the material of its library, that burnt along with the Great Fire. The University of Helsinki (Helsingin yliopisto Helsingfors universitet is a University located in Helsinki, Finland since 1829 but founded
Turku is one of the leading cities of Finnish Biotechnology[2] and Information and Communications Technology[3]. Biotechnology is Technology based on Biology, especially when used in Agriculture, Food science, and Medicine. Information technology ( IT) as defined by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA is "the study design development implementation support A majority of Finnish medicine manufacturers and researchers operate in Turku.
Turku has been designated by the European Union to be the European Capital of Culture for the year 2011, together with Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in The European Capital of Culture is a city designated by the European Union for a period of one Calendar year during which it is given a chance to showcase its Tallinn (historically known by the German, Swedish and Danish name Reval or the Polish name Rewal, among other names Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia ( Eesti or Eesti Vabariik) is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region
Contents |
History
Turku has a long history as Finland's largest city and administrative centre, but has, over the last two centuries, given up both titles to Helsinki. Helsinki (in Finnish;) or Helsingfors (in Swedish;) is the Capital and largest city of Finland. To this day, the city's identity stems from its status as the oldest city in Finland and the country's former capital. Originally, the word "Finland" referred only to the area around Turku (hence the title, "Finland Proper" for the region). Finland Proper or Southwest Finland (Varsinais-Suomi Egentliga Finland is a region in south-western Finland.
Although archaeological findings in the date back to the Stone Age, Turku in its current location was born no earlier than the late 13th century. The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric time period during which Humans widely used stone for toolmaking [4] Its name originated from an Old East Slavic word, tǔrgǔ, meaning "market place". Old East Slavic, also known as Old Russian (древнерусский or Old Ruthenian, was a vernacular literary language used from the 10th to the 14th centuries The Cathedral of Turku was consecrated in 1300, and together with Turku Castle and the Dominican monastery (founded in 1249), the city became the most important location in medieval Finland. The Turku Cathedral is a Evangelical Lutheran Cathedral in Turku, Finland. Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service usually religious The Turku Castle, ( Finnish: Turun linna Swedish: Åbo slott dating from the 1280s, is a monument of Finnish history. The Order of Preachers ( Latin: Ordo Praedicatorum) after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is This article concerns the buildings occupied by monastics. For the life inside monasteries and its historical roots see Monasticism. Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe.
During the Middle Ages, Turku was the seat of the Bishop of Turku (a title later upgraded to Archbishop of Turku), covering the then eastern Sweden (most of the present-day Finland) until the 17th century, and the only city in Finland to trade with the Hanseatic League. The Archdiocese of Turku, or the Archdiocese of Åbo is the seat of the Archbishop of Turku. The Hanseatic League (also known as the Hansa) was an alliance of trading cities and their Guilds that established and maintained trade Even if Turku had no official capital status, both the Dukes and Governors-General of Finland usually had their Finnish residences there. Duke of Finland (in Finnish Suomen herttua; Swedish hertig av Finland) was an occasional medieval title granted as a Tertiogeniture A Governor-General, or generalguvernör, was appointed by the Swedish monarch as his permanent representative with both civil and military jurisdiction over parts In 1640, the first university in Finland, The Royal Academy of Turku, was founded in Turku. A university is an institution of Higher education and Research, which grants Academic degrees in a variety of subjects The Royal Academy of Turku/Åbo (Regia Academia Aboensis Turun akatemia Åbo Kungliga Akademi was the name of the University of Helsinki until 1809 when it was Turku was also the meeting place for the States of Finland in 1676. The Diet of Finland ( Finnish Suomen maapäivät, later valtiopäivät; Swedish Finlands Lantdagar) was the legislative
After the Finnish War, which ended when Sweden ceded Finland to Imperial Russia at the Treaty of Hamina in 1809, Turku became briefly the official capital, but soon lost the status to Helsinki, as Emperor Alexander I felt that Turku was too far from Russia and too aligned with Sweden to serve as the capital of the Grand Duchy. The Finnish War was fought between Sweden and Russia from February 1808 to September 1809 "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya The Treaty of Fredrikshamn or the Treaty of Hamina was a Peace treaty concluded between Sweden and Imperial Russia on September 17 An emperor (from the Latin " Imperator " is a (male Monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an Empire or another type of Alexander I of Russia ( Russian: Александр I Павлович / Aleksandr I Pavlovich (23 December 1777 – November 19 1825 served as Emperor of The Grand Duchy of Finland (Magnus Ducatus Finlandiæ Великое княжество Финляндское ' Velikoe knjažestvo finljandskoe) was the Predecessor The change officially took place in 1812. The government offices that remained in Turku were finally moved to the new capital after the Great Fire of Turku, which almost completely destroyed the city in 1827. The Great Fire of Turku (Turun palo and Åbo brand was a conflagration that is still the largest urban fire in the history of Finland and the Nordic countries. After the fire, a new and safer city plan was drawn up by German architect Carl Ludvig Engel, who had also designed the new capital, Helsinki. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. An architect is a licensed individual who leads a design team in the Planning and Design of buildings and participates in oversight of Building Construction Carl Ludvig Engel, or Johann Karl Ludwig Engel (1778-1840 was a German Architect known for his neoclassical (empire style Turku remained the largest city in Finland for another twenty years.
In 1918, a new university, the Åbo Akademi – the only Swedish-language university in Finland – was founded in Turku. Åbo Akademi University is a Swedish language University in Turku, Finland ( Åbo is the Swedish name for Turku Swedish ( is a North Germanic language spoken by more than nine million people predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along the Two years later, the Finnish-language University of Turku was founded alongside it. Finnish ( or suomen kieli) is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland (92% As of 2006) and by ethnic Finns outside The University of Turku ( Finnish Turun yliopisto, Swedish Åbo universitet) located in Turku in southwestern Finland These two universities are the second and third to be founded in Finland.
20th century Turku has been called "Finland's gateway to the West" by historians such as Jarmo Virmavirta. The city enjoyed good connections with other Western European countries and cities, especially since the 1940s with Stockholm across the Gulf of Bothnia. Western Europe at its most general meaning means 'all the countries in the West of Europe ' ('stɔkhɔlm is Sweden 's Capital and its largest City. It is the site of the national Swedish government, the parliament, and the The Gulf of Bothnia (Pohjanlahti Bottniska viken ie Bottenviken + Bottenhavet is the northernmost arm of the Baltic Sea. In the 1960s, Turku became the first Western city to sign a twinning agreement with Leningrad in the Soviet Union, leading to greater inter-cultural exchange and providing a new meaning to the city's 'gateway' function. Saint Petersburg ( tr: Sankt-Peterburg,) is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 After the fall of Communism in Russia, many prominent Soviets came to Turku to study Western business practices, among them Vladimir Putin, then Leningrad's deputy mayor. Communism is a Socioeconomic structure that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless Society based Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (; born 7 October 1952 in Leningrad, USSR; now Saint Petersburg, Russia was the second President of Russia A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning "greater" is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government
In the 1960s and 1970s, Turku displayed unprecedented rates of growth, resulting in the construction of many new densely-inhabited suburbs such as Varissuo and Runosmäki, and the annexation of many neighbouring municipalities (e. South San Jose (cropjpg||thumb|A suburban development in San Jose California. Varissuo ( Finnish; Kråkkärret in Swedish) is a District and the largest Suburb of the City of Turku, Runosmäki ( Swedish Runosbacken) is a District and a Suburb of the City of Turku, Finland, located approximately g. Maaria and Paattinen). Maaria ( St Marie in Swedish) is a former municipality of Finland in what is now the northern part of the city of Turku. Paattinen ( Finnish; Patis in Swedish) is a Village in south-west Finland and a District of the city of Turku Many old quarters were completely destroyed in the process, replacing them with more efficient and faster-built concrete buildings. The city's growth has led to problems with unemployment in the new populous suburbs on the one hand, and with the provision of public services (such as education) in more remote parts on the other. Unemployment occurs when a person is available to work and currently seeking work but the person is without work.
Geography
Located at the mouth of the Aura river in the southwestern corner of Finland, Turku covers an area of 245 km² (94 sq mi) of land, spread over both sides of the river. The Aura River ( Finnish Aurajoki; Swedish Aura å) is a River in south-western Finland. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of The eastern side, where the Cathedral of Turku is located, is popularly referred to as täl pual jokke ("this side of the river"), while the western side is referred to as tois pual jokke ("the other side of the river"). The city centre is located close to the river mouth, on both sides of the river, though development has recently been expanding westward.
There are nine bridges over the Aura river in Turku. The first bridge in the city area, known as Pennisilta, was built in 1414, and has since been demolished. The oldest of the current bridges is Auransilta, which was constructed in 1904. The newest bridge is Teatterisilta ('theatre bridge'), a pedestrian-only bridge built in 1997. A pedestrian is a person travelling on foot whether Walking or Running. One of the best-known landmarks of Turku is the Föri, a small ferry that transports pedestrians and bicycles across the river without payment. See also Merchant ship A ferry is a form of transport usually a Boat or Ship, used to carry (or ferry) passengers and The bicycle, cycle, or bike is a pedal-driven, human-powered vehicle with two wheels attached to a frame, one behind
With a population of approximately 300,000, the Turku Region (LAU 1) is the third largest urban region in Finland, after Greater Helsinki and the area around Tampere. The Turku Region (Turun seutukunta The City Region of Turku (Turun kaupunkiseutu and Greater Turku (Suur-Turku all refer to regions of different size surrounding Greater Helsinki (Suur-Helsinki Swedish: Storhelsingfors) Capital Region ( Pääkaupunkiseutu, Huvudstadsregionen) Helsinki Tampere ( ˈtɑmpɛrɛ Swedish: Tammerfors or) is a city in southern Finland located between two lakes Näsijärvi and Pyhäjärvi The region includes, in addition to the city itself the following municipalities: Askainen, Kaarina, Lemu, Lieto, Masku, Merimasku, Mynämäki, Naantali, Nousiainen, Paimio, Piikkiö, Raisio, Rusko, Rymättylä, Sauvo, Vahto, and Velkua. Askainen (ˈɑskɑinen ( Villnäs in Swedish) is a municipality of Finland. Kaarina (ˈkɑːrinɑ ( St Karins in Swedish) is a small city and municipality of Finland. Lemu (ˈlemu or Lemo in Swedish, is a municipality of Finland. Lieto (ˈlieto or Lundo in Swedish, is a municipality of Finland. Masku (ˈmɑsku is a municipality of Finland. It is located in the province of Western Finland and is part of the Finland Merimasku (ˈmeriˌmɑsku is a municipality of Finland. Mynämäki (ˈmynæˌmæki is a municipality of Finland. Naantali (ˈnɑːntɑli (Swedish Nådendal) is a city in south-western Finland, known as one of the most important tourist centres of the Nousiainen (ˈnousiˌɑinen or Nousis in Swedish, is a municipality of Finland. Paimio (ˈpɑimio or Pemar in Swedish, is a municipality of Finland since 1316. Piikkiö (ˈpiːkːiø or Pikis in Swedish, is a municipality of Finland. See also Raisio Group Raisio (ˈrɑisio ( Swedish Reso) is a city in south-western Finland and Rusko (ˈrusko is a municipality of Finland. It is located in the province of Western Finland and is part of the Finland Proper Rymättylä (ˈrymætːylæ or Rimito in Swedish, is a municipality of Finland. Sauvo (ˈsɑuʋo or Sagu in Swedish, is a municipality of Finland. Vahto (ˈʋɑhto is a municipality of Finland. It is located in the province of Western Finland and is part of the Velkua (ˈʋelkuɑ is a municipality of Finland. It is located in the province of Western Finland and is part of the
A more exclusive definition for the urban area is the city region of Turku with a population around 235,000 consisting of four major municipalities Kaarina, Raisio, Naantali and Turku. The Turku Region (Turun seutukunta The City Region of Turku (Turun kaupunkiseutu and Greater Turku (Suur-Turku all refer to regions of different size surrounding The city region is the most urbanised in the Turku Region and it is complete when compared with the rest of the Turku region where urbanisation is concentrated in spots.
Subdivisions
The city is divided into 78 districts and nine wards that do not function as local government units. The city of Turku, in Finland is divided into nine wards ( suuralueet in Finnish, storområden in Swedish) which are The IV District, also known as Martti ( Finnish; Martins in Swedish) is one of the central Districts of Turku, Finland Districts are a type of Administrative division, in some countries managed by a Local government. In Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States, a ward is an Electoral district There are, however, some projects that are based on the district divisions, particularly in the eastern part of the city, where unemployment is rife in certain areas. The largest populated districts are Varissuo and Runosmäki. By area, however, Kakskerta and Paattinen, formed from former municipalities that were annexed to the city proper in the mid-20th century, constitute the largest districts. Kakskerta is an Island in the Archipelago Sea, south of the city of Turku, Finland. Paattinen ( Finnish; Patis in Swedish) is a Village in south-west Finland and a District of the city of Turku
As many of the small neighbouring municipalities from the north and south of the city were annexed during the mid-20th century, Turku is today shaped like an elongated pear. ||-||}The municipalities ( kunta in Finnish, kommun in Swedish) represent the local level of administration in Finland and A pear is a pomaceous Fruit produced by a tree of Genus Pyrus. The city centre and most of the suburban areas lie in the middle, separated from the less densely populated northern rural areas by the Turku bypass, that forms part of European route E18. A bypass is a Road or Highway that avoids or "bypasses" a built-up area town or village to let through Traffic flow without interference from European route E18 begins at Northern Ireland, then through Scotland, England, Norway, Sweden, and Finland to end at Islands such as Ruissalo, Hirvensalo and Kakskerta, forming the southern part of the city, are also sparsely populated and mostly contain summer residences, with the exception of some districts in Hirvensalo which are currently growing into upper-middle-class suburbs. Ruissalo ( Finnish; Runsala in Swedish) is an island in the Archipelago Sea and a district of the city of Turku, Finland Hirvensalo is an island in the Archipelago Sea, belonging to the City of Turku, Finland. The upper middle class is a sociological concept referring to the Social group constituted by higher-status members of the Middle class. South San Jose (cropjpg||thumb|A suburban development in San Jose California.
Climate
Situated by the Baltic Sea and sheltered by the islands of the Archipelago Sea, Turku has a hemiboreal climate. The Baltic Sea is a Brackish inland sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N Latitude and from 20°E to 26°E Longitude. Archipelago Sea ( Finnish Saaristomeri, Swedish Skärgårdshavet) is a part of the Baltic Sea between the Gulf of Bothnia Hemiboreal means halfway between the temperate and subarctic (or Boreal) zones Like much of southern Finland, the city experiences warm summers, with temperatures ranging up to 30 °C (86 °F), and relatively cold winters with frequent snowfall. Temperature is a physical property of a system that underlies the common notions of hot and cold something that is hotter generally has the greater temperature The Celsius Temperature scale was previously known as the centigrade scale. Fahrenheit is a temperature scale named after Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736 a German Physicist who proposed it in 1724 "Snowfall" redirects here For other uses see Snow (disambiguation or Snowfall (disambiguation. The warmest month of the year is July, with an average temperature of 17 °C (62 °F), while the coldest is February. The average year-round temperature is 5 °C (41 °F). Winter usually starts in early December, and spring in late March.
Precipitation in Turku averages 633 mm (25 inches) a year. In Meteorology, precipitation (also known as one class of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric The Millimetre ( American spelling: millimeter, symbol mm) is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to Inches redirects here To see the Les Savy Fav album see Inches. The rainiest month of the year is August, when the city receives on average 85 mm (3. 4 inches) of rainfall. In March, the driest month of the year, the figure is only 29 mm (1. 1 inches). The average air pressure at sea level is 1012 millibars, with little variance throughout the year. The bar (symbol bar) decibar (symbol dbar) and the millibar (symbol mbar, also mb are units of Pressure.
Operational since 1955, the city's weather station is located at an altitude of 47 metres (154 feet) at Turku Airport. A weather station is a facility with instruments and equipment to make observations of atmospheric conditions in order to provide information to make weather forecasts The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit Turku Airport, is located some 8 kilometers from Turku, Finland.
Climate in Turku in 2007:
| Weather averages for Turku | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 8. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. 4 (47) | 11 (52) | 15. 8 (60) | 24. 5 (76) | 30. 0 (86) | 33 (91) | 35. 9 (97) | 33 (91) | 28 (82) | 18. 9 (66) | 11. 3 (52) | 10. 0 (50) | 35. 9 (97) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 1. 3 (34) | -4. 4 (24) | 6. 9 (44) | 9. 7 (49) | 15. 3 (60) | 21. 7 (71) | 21. 0 (70) | 22. 3 (72) | 15. 0 (59) | 9. 8 (50) | 3. 3 (38) | 4. 0 (39) | 10. 5 (51) |
| Average low °C (°F) | -6. 4 (20) | -13. 0 (9) | -1. 6 (29) | -1. 0 (30) | 4. 9 (41) | 8. 0 (46) | 12. 2 (54) | 11. 7 (53) | 6. 0 (43) | 4. 0 (39) | -2. 5 (28) | -1. 1 (30) | 1. 8 (35) |
| Record low °C (°F) | -35. 5 (-32) | -35. 2 (-31) | -35. 5 (-32) | ||||||||||
| Source: {{{source}}} {{{accessdate}}} | |||||||||||||
Government and politics
Being both a regional and provincial capital, Turku is an important administrative centre, hosting the seat of the Archbishop of Finland and a Court of Appeal. Finland is divided into 20 regions ( maakunta in Finnish, landskap in Swedish) The state of Finland consists of 6 provinces ( Finnish: läänit, Swedish: län) The Archdiocese of Turku, or the Archdiocese of Åbo is the seat of the Archbishop of Turku. Court of Appeal, Court of Appeals, and Appellate Division redirect here for a list of specific courts using those titles see Court of Appeal Mikko Pukkinen, the former city manager of Seinäjoki, has been the city manager of Turku since 2006. Sights Lakeuden risti ("the cross of the plains" Alvar Aalto's cultural and administrative centre the Southern Ostrobothnia District A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a City, in a council-manager form of city government
The city council and city board have long been dominated by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the National Coalition Party (Kokoomus), with approximately equal representation. A city council is a form of Local government, usually covering a City or other Urban area, such as a Town. The Social Democratic Party of Finland (in Finnish: Suomen Sosialidemokraattinen Puolue, SDP) is one of the most influential political parties The National Coalition Party (in Finnish Kansallinen Kokoomus, Kok Currently, the council has 67 members, with 19 from Kokoomus and 18 from SDP. The other major parties in the council are the Left Alliance (10 seats) and the Green League (9). The Left Alliance ( Vasemmistoliitto or Vänsterförbundet) is a green socialist political party in Finland. This article refers to the political party for the university environmental performance table see The People & Planet Green League The Green League (in The current chair of the city board is Pekka Ruola from Kokoomus.
Olavi Mäenpää, chairman of the far-right organisation Suomen Kansan Sinivalkoiset (SKS) and a prominent figure in Turku's municipal politics, has provoked some controversy in the local media. Olavi Mäenpää (born 1951 is a Finnish politician and chairman of Suomen Kansan Sinivalkoiset, a Far-right political party. Far right, extreme right, ultra-right, or radical right are terms used to discuss the qualitative or quantitative position a group The Finnish People's Blue-whites ( Finnish: Suomen Kansan Sinivalkoiset; Swedish: Finlands Folkets Blåvita) is a Finnish association In the last municipal elections in 2004, he received more votes than any other candidate in Turku, probably in large part due to protest votes. Protest expresses relatively overt reaction to events or situations sometimes in favor though more often opposed SKS is, however, a marginal force in the city's administration, having only one seat in the council.
Transportation
For a city of its size, Turku has a moderate public transportation network of bus routes though it's not covering nothing but actual area inside city borders when actual city region lacks light rail or similar more efficient connections and is now heavily based on people using their own cars. The Turku Region (Turun seutukunta The City Region of Turku (Turun kaupunkiseutu and Greater Turku (Suur-Turku all refer to regions of different size surrounding For specific light rail systems many of which use the words "light rail" as part of their name see List of light-rail transit systems. the Bus network is managed and supervised by the City of Turku Public Transport Office, and is operated mainly by private companies. All the major districts are served by buses every ten to fifteen minutes during the day, some even more frequently. Regional buses are operated by private companies, most importantly TLO, with very frequent services especially to the neighbouring cities of Naantali, Raisio, and Kaarina. TLO can also mean Technology Licensing Office, a branch of many universities
Rail traffic to and from Turku is handled by the Finnish national carrier, VR. VR or VR Group (VR-Yhtymä Oy VR-Group Ab is a state-owned Railway company in Finland, and formerly known as Suomen Valtion Rautatiet As with most other Finnish cities, railways were an important method of transportation in the first half of the 20th century, but have since seen a sharp fall in popularity. As a result, the number of services has fallen and only the railways towards Tampere and Helsinki are now in use. The railway stations currently used for passenger traffic are the Turku Central railway station in Pohjola, and two smaller stations in Kupittaa and the Port of Turku. The Turku Central railway station (Turun rautatieasema Åbo järnvägsstation is a Railway station in the VII District of Turku, Finland Pohjola ( Finnish; Norrstan in Swedish) is a District of the City of Turku, in Finland. Turku Business District 01jpg|thumb|left|180px|Business district and the railway station The Port of Turku ( Turun satama, Åbo hamn and Turku Habour) is a Port located on the south-east of Finland, where the mainland
There is no local rail traffic at the moment, as the city's popular tram services were discontinued in 1972, and the various local railway lines to neighbouring towns and municipalities were all abolished during the late 20th century. A tram, tramcar, trolley, trolley car, or streetcar is a railborne vehicle, of lighter weight and construction than a Train However, there are plans for a light rail line in the Turku region in the near future. For specific light rail systems many of which use the words "light rail" as part of their name see List of light-rail transit systems. This system would more ably serve major suburbs of the city such as Varissuo and Runosmäki, as well as the neighbouring cities.
Bus network used today has become highly uneconomical and the ticket prices has been raised repeatedly. Growing expenses and worsening traffic problems are main issues that have put trams back under consideration as well as more privileged bus lines. State of Finland has announced to support Espoo with 30 % of full expenses on new metro rail, Turku is going to use this as an example in case it's going to build new light rail network. Espoo (ˈespoː Esbo ( in Swedish) is the second largest city of Finland, with a population of approximately 240000
The Turku Bus Station and the Turku Central Railway Station are currently located in different places. The Turku Central railway station (Turun rautatieasema Åbo järnvägsstation is a Railway station in the VII District of Turku, Finland City of Turku is planning to combine those two in new greater station complex in near future. This new travel center will consist a hotel and several shopping estates. This center will connect all public transports from commuter train to long distance buses.
Turku Airport is located eight kilometres to the north of the city centre, partly in the neighbouring municipality of Rusko. Turku Airport, is located some 8 kilometers from Turku, Finland. Rusko (ˈrusko is a municipality of Finland. It is located in the province of Western Finland and is part of the Finland Proper From there are daily connections to Stockholm, Copenhagen, Gdansk, Mariehamn, Helsinki and Oulu. ('stɔkhɔlm is Sweden 's Capital and its largest City. It is the site of the national Swedish government, the parliament, and the Copenhagen (ˌkəʊpənˈheɪgən ˌkəʊpənˈhɑːgən ˈkəʊpənˌheɪgən ˈkəʊpənˌhɑːgən kʰøb̥ənˈhɑʊ̯ˀn kʰøb̥m̩ˈhɑʊ̯ˀn is the capital and largest city Gdańsk ( Polish pronunciation; 'Danzig', Gduńsk Gedania Dantiscum is the City at the centre of the fourth-largest Metropolitan area in Poland Demographics A chart on population growth Sister cities Mariehamn is twinned with Visby, Sweden Kópavogur Helsinki (in Finnish;) or Helsingfors (in Swedish;) is the Capital and largest city of Finland. Oulu ( (literally "Flood" ( (literally "Ule River Castle" is a city and municipality of about 130000 inhabitants in the province of
There are also daily ferry services from the Port of Turku to Sweden and Åland, operated by Silja Line, Viking Line and SeaWind Line. The Port of Turku ( Turun satama, Åbo hamn and Turku Habour) is a Port located on the south-east of Finland, where the mainland Silja Line ( Tallink Silja Oy) is a Finnish ferry company owned by the Estonian Ferry operator Tallink. Viking Line is a Finnish shipping company that operates a fleet of ferries and cruiseferries between Finland, the Åland Islands "SeaWind" redirects here For other uses see Seawind. SeaWind Line is a Subsidiary of the Finnish Passenger These are something of a Finnish cultural tradition (see ruotsinlaiva), and people often travel long distances across Finland to Turku just to take a cruise across the Gulf of Bothnia. The Baltic Sea is crossed by several Cruiseferry lines Some important shipping companies are Viking Line, Silja Line, Tallink and This article is about yacht cruising For cruising on cruise liners see the article Cruise ship.
The archipelago sea boat traffic is handled by S/S Ukkopekka. Archipelago Sea ( Finnish Saaristomeri, Swedish Skärgårdshavet) is a part of the Baltic Sea between the Gulf of Bothnia History The ship was built in Helsinki, Finland in 1938 and was at the time a modern icebreaking inspection vessel Old steamship cruise Turku-Naantali-Turku. A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving a Propeller Naantali (ˈnɑːntɑli (Swedish Nådendal) is a city in south-western Finland, known as one of the most important tourist centres of the
Turku is the only city in Finland to have three long-distance railway stations: Turku Central, Port of Turku, and Kupittaa. The Turku Central railway station (Turun rautatieasema Åbo järnvägsstation is a Railway station in the VII District of Turku, Finland The Port of Turku ( Turun satama, Åbo hamn and Turku Habour) is a Port located on the south-east of Finland, where the mainland Kupittaa railway station (Kupittaan rautatieasema Kuppis järnvägsstation is located in the Kupittaa district of Turku, Finland. Even Helsinki has only two: Helsinki Central and Pasila. Helsinki Central railway station (Helsingin rautatieasema Helsingfors järnvägsstation is a widely recognised landmark in central Helsinki, Finland, and the Pasila railway station (Pasilan rautatieasema Böle järnvägsstation is located in northern Helsinki, Finland, approximately north of Helsinki Central
People
At the end of 2004 the Turku region (including the economic districts of Turku and Åboland) had a population of 319,632, out of which 174,824 people lived in the city of Turku. In 2005 Finland is divided into 77 sub-regions ( seutukunta in Finnish, ekonomisk region in Swedish) The city's population density is 718 inhabitants per square kilometre.
89. 4 % of Turku's population speak Finnish as their native language, while 5. A first language (also mother tongue, native language, arterial language, or L1) is the language a human being learns from birth 2 % speak Swedish. The next most widely spoken languages are Russian (1. Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages 3 %), Arabic (0. Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language 6 %), Albanian (0. Albanian (sq ''Gjuha shqipe'' ˈɟuha ˈʃcipɛ is an Indo-European language spoken by nearly 6 million peoplewhile others claim that it derives from Daco - 5 %), and Kurdish (0. The Kurdish language (Kurdish Kurdî or کوردی is a term used for the language spoken by Kurds. 4 %). 95. 8 % of the population are Finnish citizens, and the most sizeable minorities are from Russia, Estonia, Iraq, and Iran. Citizenship in Finland can be obtained on the basis of birth Marriage of parents Adoption, or the place of birth Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia ( Eesti or Eesti Vabariik) is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Like all other Finnish cities, Turku does not collect information about the ethnic and religious makeup of its population.
Throughout its history, Turku has always welcomed new influences: it was through Turku that the Swedish crown entered what is today known as Finland. In the Middle Ages, it hosted German merchants, while engaging in trade with the Hanseatic League. Even today, the city has retained its tendency towards hospitality – it has a higher proportion of immigrants than any other Finnish city. Immigration refers to the movement of people among countries While the movement of people has existed throughout human history at various levels modern immigration implies long-term Recently, however, the increased numbers of immigrants, particularly in the city's eastern suburbs, has led to the outbreak of some xenophobic sentiment (as shown by the growing support for the nationalist Suomen Kansan Sinivalkoiset party), but ethnically motivated crimes are rare in Turku. Xenophobia is an intense and/or irrational dislike and sometimes fear of people from other countries The Finnish People's Blue-whites ( Finnish: Suomen Kansan Sinivalkoiset; Swedish: Finlands Folkets Blåvita) is a Finnish association
Famous people from the city of Turku include Paavo Nurmi, Mauno Koivisto, Saku Koivu and the 18th century botanist, Herman Spöring. Paavo Johannes Nurmi ( ( 13 June 1897 &ndash 2 October 1973) was a Finnish runner. Mauno Henrik Koivisto mɑuno henrik koiʋisto (born November 25, 1923) was the President of Finland from 1982 to 1994 Saku Antero Koivu (born November 23 1974 in Crazytown) is a So-called Ice hockey player who currently plays center for the Montreal Suck-adiens Botany, plant science(s, phytology, or plant biology is a branch of Biology and is the scientific study of plant Life Herman Diedrich Spöring Jr (or Spoering) (1733 - 1771 was a Finnish explorer, draughtsman, Botanist and a naturalist The Turku region has also brought forth many prominent personalities, including the marshal, Carl Gustaf Mannerheim. Marshal (also sometimes spelled marshall in American English, but not in British English) is a word used in several official titles of various branches Baron Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim ( IPA: ˡkɑːrl ˡɡɵstɑf ˡeːmil ˡmɑnːərhe͡im ( June 4, 1867 &ndash January 27, 1951
Economy
Turku is the central economic hub of southwestern Finland, and the capital of the Turku economic district. Turku Business District 01jpg|thumb|left|180px|Business district and the railway station In 2005 Finland is divided into 77 sub-regions ( seutukunta in Finnish, ekonomisk region in Swedish) As of 2003, the district's per capita income was €24,022, higher than the national average of €23,780. Per capita income means how much each individual receives in monetary terms of the yearly income generated in the country Business district in The city's economy is centred around the Port of Turku and other service-oriented industries. 86 per cent of the city's workforce are employed in the services sector. Workforce (Voyager episode The workforce is the labour pool in Employment. The city is also a renowned high-tech centre – the Turku Science Park area in Kupittaa hosts over 300 companies from the fields of biotechnology and information technology, as well as several institutions of higher learning that work in closely with the business sector. High tech is Technology that is at the cutting edge —the most advanced technology currently available Kupittaa businessjpg|thumb|left|280px|Turku Science Park located both side of the Turku-Helsinki highway Biotechnology is Technology based on Biology, especially when used in Agriculture, Food science, and Medicine. Information technology ( IT) as defined by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA is "the study design development implementation support One of the examples of high information technology in Turku area is OpenSpark Finlands largest WiFi community which Turku also uses. This cooperative element is seen as a particularly important factor with regards to the city's expected future economic development, as outlined in the Turku Strategy that is published annually by the city council.
Turku, with its good transportation network and close proximity to the Archipelago Sea, is also an important centre for tourism, frequently hosting various conventions and exhibitions. Turku Business District 01jpg|thumb|left|180px|Business district and the railway station Kupittaa businessjpg|thumb|left|280px|Turku Science Park located both side of the Turku-Helsinki highway Kupittaa businessjpg|thumb|left|280px|Turku Science Park located both side of the Turku-Helsinki highway Kupittaa businessjpg|thumb|left|280px|Turku Science Park located both side of the Turku-Helsinki highway Archipelago Sea ( Finnish Saaristomeri, Swedish Skärgårdshavet) is a part of the Baltic Sea between the Gulf of Bothnia
As of 2007, the city's unemployment rate is 8. Unemployment occurs when a person is available to work and currently seeking work but the person is without work. 8 %, one of the lowest amongst the ten biggest cities in Finland. The problem of unemployment is particularly troublesome in the districts of Pansio, Lauste, and Varissuo, where it hovers at around 16 %. Pansio is a District and a Suburb of the city of Turku, Finland. Lauste ( Finnish; Laustis in Swedish) is a District and a Suburb of the city of Turku, Finland.
The city collects an 18 per cent income tax (council tax) from its inhabitants, in addition to the progressively graduated taxation practised by the Finnish state. Council Tax is the system of local Taxation used in England, Scotland and Wales to part fund the services provided by local government in each The total amount received through council tax in 2004 was projected at €400 million, a reduction of 1. 0 per cent from the previous year. Taxes collected from corporations amounted to €39 million in 2004. A corporation is a separate legal entity usually used to conduct business
See also: Economy of Finland
Education
Turku has a longer educational history than any other Finnish city – the first school in the city, the Cathedral School, was founded along with the Cathedral of Turku in the late 13th century. Katedralskolan i Åbo (The Cathedral School of Åbo is a Swedish-language senior high school located in the city of Turku (known in Swedish as Åbo) in The first university in Finland, the "The Royal Academy of Turku" (now University of Helsinki), was established in the city in 1640. A university is an institution of Higher education and Research, which grants Academic degrees in a variety of subjects The Royal Academy of Turku/Åbo (Regia Academia Aboensis Turun akatemia Åbo Kungliga Akademi was the name of the University of Helsinki until 1809 when it was The University of Helsinki (Helsingin yliopisto Helsingfors universitet is a University located in Helsinki, Finland since 1829 but founded In 1820, the first school in Finland, conforming to the Bell-Lancaster method, was founded in Turku with the aim of making primary education more inclusive to the lower classes. The Monitorial System (also known as "mutual instruction" or the "Bell-Lancaster method" after the British educators Dr Andrew Bell and Joseph
Nowadays, the University of Turku is the second largest university in Finland (18,000 students), as measured by student enrolment, and one of the oldest as well, having been founded in 1920. The University of Turku ( Finnish Turun yliopisto, Swedish Åbo universitet) located in Turku in southwestern Finland Turku is also home to several other establishments of higher education, namely Åbo Akademi, Finland's only Swedish-language university, Turun kauppakorkeakoulu (Turku School of Economics), and Turun ammattikorkeakoulu (Turku University of Applied Sciences) which is second largest polytechnic in Finland after Metropolia University of Applied Sciences. Åbo Akademi University is a Swedish language University in Turku, Finland ( Åbo is the Swedish name for Turku The Turku School of Economics ( Finnish Turun kauppakorkeakoulu) is a University specialising in economic and Business sciences Turku University of Applied Sciences (abbr TUAS, Finnish Turun ammattikorkeakoulu, Swedish Åbo Yrkeshögskola) is a Institute of technology, and polytechnic, are designations employed in a wide range of learning institutions awarding different types of degrees and operating often at variable
The central hospital of Turku, Turku University Hospital, is affiliated with the University and it is used as a teaching hospital. Turun yliopistollinen keskussairaala ( Finnish for Turku University Central Hospital, commonly TYKS) is a Hospital in Turku
Turku is one of only two cities in Finland to have an established international school (the other city being Helsinki). An International school is loosely defined as a School that does not require their students to learn the national or local language of the country the school is located in Turku International School, functioning in the eastern district of Varissuo, has been operational since 2003. Turku International School is an international school in Turku, Finland. Varissuo ( Finnish; Kråkkärret in Swedish) is a District and the largest Suburb of the City of Turku,
Media
The most widely read newspaper in Turku, and the area around it, is the daily regional morning newspaper Turun Sanomat, with a readership of over 70 % of the population every day. Below is a list of Newspapers in Finland with their respective cities of publication Morning newspapers Aamulehti ( Tampere) Turun Sanomat is the leading regional Newspaper of the region of Finland Proper. The free-of-charge Turkulainen newspaper is also among the most popular newspapers, together with the local edition of Metro International and the national evening tabloid Ilta-Sanomat. Metro International is a Swedish media company based in Luxembourg that publishes the Metro newspapers A tabloid is a Newspaper industry term which refers to a smaller newspaper format per spread to a weekly or semi-weekly alternative newspaper that focuses on local-interest Ilta-Sanomat is one of Finland's two prominent Tabloids and the second largest Newspaper in the country There are also a number of local newspapers such as Kulmakunta (for the eastern suburbs of Turku, including Varissuo and Lauste), and Rannikkoseutu (for the area around the neighbouring cities of Raisio and Naantali). Åbo Underrättelser, a Swedish language newspaper published in Turku, is the oldest newspaper in Finland, having been published since 1824. Åbo Underrättelser is a Swedish language newspaper published in Finland, published Tuesday through Saturday
The newspaper, Turun Sanomat, also operates a regional television station, called Turku TV. Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic The Finnish national broadcaster, Yleisradio, screens local news, daily from Monday to Friday, for the Southwest Finland (including the regions of Finland Proper and Satakunta) residents. YLE (Full name Finnish: Yleisradio Oy, Swedish: Rundradion Ab) is Finland 's national broadcasting company founded Finland Proper or Southwest Finland (Varsinais-Suomi Egentliga Finland is a region in south-western Finland. Satakunta (Satakunda Finnia Septentrionalis or Satagundia is a region ( maakunta / landskap) and a historical province of Finland All Finnish national TV channels are viewable in the Turku area. This is a list of Television channels broadcasting to Finnish- and Swedish-language audiences in Finland In addition, a number of local radio stations, eg Auran Aallot and Radio Sata are operational. Radio is the transmission of signals by Modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible Light.
Culture
Cultural venues in Turku include several theatres, cinemas, and art galleries, and a city philharmonic orchestra. The culture of Finland combines indigenous heritage as represented for example by the country's rare Finno-Ugric national language Finnish and the Sauna Theatre (or theater, see spelling differences) is the branch of the Performing arts defined by Bernard Beckerman as what "occurs when one Cinemaaustraliajpg|thumb|A movie theater in Australia ]]A movie theater, movie theatre, picture theatre or cinema is a venue An art gallery or art museum is a space for the exhibition of art, usually Visual art. An orchestra is an instrumental ensemble, usually fairly large with string brass woodwind sections and possibly a percussion section as well The city's cultural centre organises a number of regular events, most notably the Medieval Market in July each year. The Medieval Market of Turku (Turun keskiaikaiset markkinat is an annual event organised in the historic city centre of Turku, Finland. Turku is also the official Christmas city of Finland, and 'Christmas Peace' in Finland is declared on every 24 December at the Cathedral of Turku. Events 563 - The Byzantine church Hagia Sophia in Constantinople is dedicated for the second time after being destroyed by Earthquakes The Turku Cathedral is a Evangelical Lutheran Cathedral in Turku, Finland. The Turku Music Festival and the rock festival Ruisrock (held on the island of Ruissalo) are among the oldest of its kind in Scandinavia. A rock festival, or a rock fest, is a large-scale outdoor Rock music Concert, featuring multiple acts often spread out over several days Ruisrock is a Rock festival held annually on the island of Ruissalo in Turku, Finland. Ruissalo ( Finnish; Runsala in Swedish) is an island in the Archipelago Sea and a district of the city of Turku, Finland Terminology and usage As a cultural term "Scandinavia" has no official definition and is subject to usage by those who identify with the culture in question as well The city also hosts another rock festival, Down by the Laituri, and one of the largest electronic music festivals in Northern Europe, UMF [2] (Uuden Musiikin Festivaali, "New Music Festival"), in adition to a vibrant nightlife. Down By The Laituri (often shortened to DBTL) is a Rock festival organized annually in the city of Turku, Finland.
There are also numerous museums, such as the Turku Art Museum and the Wäinö Aaltonen Museum of Art. A museum is a "permanent institution in the service of society and of its development open to the public which acquires conserves researches communicates and exhibits the Wäinö Aaltonen Museum of Art is an art museum in central Turku, Finland dedicated to Modern art. The Åbo Akademi University maintains the Sibelius museum, which is the only museum in Finland specialising in the field of music. Apart from these, there are also several historical museums that display the city's medieval period, such as the Turku Castle, which has been a functional historical museum since 1881, and the Aboa Vetus museum, built in the late 1990s over the 14th century archaeological site. The Turku Castle, ( Finnish: Turun linna Swedish: Åbo slott dating from the 1280s, is a monument of Finnish history. Aboa Vetus and Ars Nova are a pair of Museums in central Turku, Finland. Archaeology, archeology, or archæology (from Greek grc ἀρχαιολογία archaiologia – grc ἀρχαῖος archaīos The Luostarinmäki handicrafts museum, converted from residential buildings that survived the Great Fire of Turku in 1827, was the first Scandinavian venue to receive the "Golden Apple" tourism award. Luostarinmäki Handicrafts Museum (Luostarinmäen käsityöläismuseo Cloister Hill) is an Open air museum in Turku, Finland. Handicraft, also known as craftwork or simply Craft, is a type of work where useful and decorative devices are made completely by hand or using only simple tools The Great Fire of Turku (Turun palo and Åbo brand was a conflagration that is still the largest urban fire in the history of Finland and the Nordic countries. Terminology and usage As a cultural term "Scandinavia" has no official definition and is subject to usage by those who identify with the culture in question as well
Turku is a candidate city for European Capital of Culture in 2011, and the city council has approved numerous projects to boost the city's image in preparation for that status. The European Capital of Culture is a city designated by the European Union for a period of one Calendar year during which it is given a chance to showcase its
Declaration of Christmas Peace
The Declaration of Christmas Peace has been a tradition in Finland from the Middle Ages every year, except in 1939 due to the Winter War. The Winter War (Talvisota Советско-финляндская война - official Зимняя война - unofficial Vinterkriget began when the The declaration takes place on the Old Great Square of Turku, Finland's official 'Christmas City', at noon on Christmas eve. It is broadcast in Finnish radio (since 1935) and television, and nowadays also in some foreign countries.
The declaration ceremony begins with the hymn Jumala ompi linnamme (Martin Luther's Ein' feste Burg ist unser Gott) and continues with the Declaration of Christmas Peace read from a parchment roll in Finnish and Swedish:
"Tomorrow, God willing, is the graceful celebration of the birth of our Lord and Saviour; and thus is declared a peaceful Christmas time to all, by advising devotion and to behave otherwise quietly and peacefully, because he who breaks this peace and violates the peace of Christmas by any illegal or improper behaviour shall under aggravating circumstances be guilty and punished according to what the law and statutes prescribe for each and every offence separately. Martin Luther (November 10 1483 February 18 1546 was a German Monk, theologian, university professor Father of Protestantism, and church reformer " A Mighty Fortress Is Our God " (German Ein' feste Burg ist unser Gott) is the best known of Martin Luther 's Hymns Luther wrote Parchment is a thin material made from Calfskin, Sheepskin or goatskin. Finally, a joyous Christmas feast is wished to all inhabitants of the city. "
Sports
Ice hockey is very popular in Turku even though not as culturally significant than in most Finnish cities. Ice hockey, often referred to simply as hockey, is a team Sport played on Ice. The local club TPS(which is part of the same organisation as the football team) plays in the sport's top level in Finland, the SM-liiga. TPS is an Ice hockey team in the SM-liiga. They play in Turku, Finland at the Turkuhalli. SM-liiga is the top professional Ice hockey league in Finland, and generally regarded as one of the top leagues in Europe It is based at Turkuhalli to the southwest of the city centre. Turkuhalli (in Finnish) or Åbohallen (in Swedish) (former names given by previous sponsors Elysée Arena and Typhoon Arena) is TPS has won the Finnish ice hockey championship ten times. The city's other major ice hockey team is TuTo, which play at the country's second level. TuTo (Turun Toverit is a Finnish Ice hockey team based at the new (inauguration on November 2006 Kupittaan jäähalli (capacity 3000 Turku A new ice hockey arena was constructed for Tuto in the Kupittaa park in 2006.
Turku is the birthplace to a number of prominent National Hockey League players including Saku Koivu, Mikko Koivu, Miikka Kiprusoff, Sami Salo, Aki-Petteri Berg, Petteri Nummelin and Antero Niittymäki. The National Hockey League ( NHL) is a professional Ice hockey league composed of 30 teams in North America Saku Antero Koivu (born November 23 1974 in Crazytown) is a So-called Ice hockey player who currently plays center for the Montreal Suck-adiens Mikko Sakari Koivu (born March 12 1983) is a Finnish professional Ice hockey forward and alternate captain of the Miikka Sakari Kiprusoff (pronounced "MEE-kah KIHP-roo-sawf" (born October 26, 1976 in Turku Finland) is a Finnish professional Sami Salo (born September 2, 1974, in Turku, Finland) is a Finnish professional Ice hockey defenceman with the Aki-Petteri Berg (born July 28, 1977 in Turku, Finland) is a Finnish Professional hockey defenceman Petteri Nummelin (born November 25, 1972 in Turku, Finland) is a Finnish professional Ice hockey defenceman Antero Niittymäki (ˈantero ˈniːtːymæki (born June 18, 1980 in Turku, Finland) is a professional Ice hockey Goaltender
Football is nowadays the most popular sport in Turku. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered The city has two teams in the Veikkausliiga: FC Inter and TPS. Clubs The Veikkausliiga clubs in the 2008 season are (with their home towns in brackets Champions The following clubs have won either the Veikkausliiga This article is about the football club from Turku Finland For the Milan football club see Internazionale. Turun Palloseura or TPS as it is more commonly known is a Finnish football club based in Turku. Both teams play their home matches at the modern Veritas Stadion in the district of Kupittaa. Veritas Stadion is a Football (soccer Stadium in Turku, Finland. Turku Business District 01jpg|thumb|left|180px|Business district and the railway station Every time these two home teams face each others the stadium is full of fans and tension. Kupittaa is probably the first place in Finland where Football has been played[3].
The Paavo Nurmi Marathon is an annual sporting event in Turku, named after the world-famous runner who was born and raised in the city. Paavo Johannes Nurmi ( ( 13 June 1897 &ndash 2 October 1973) was a Finnish runner. The marathon is a long-distance foot race with an official distance of 42
Turku has also been the site of sporting history, as on June 21, 1954 it was in Turku where the Australian John Landy became the second person to run the mile under four minutes. John Michael Landy AC, CVO, MBE (born April 12 1930 is a former track athlete and was the 26th Governor of Victoria
Sister cities
Gothenburg, Sweden, since 1946
Aarhus, Denmark, since 1946
Bergen, Norway, since 1946
Saint Petersburg, Russia, since 1953
Gdańsk, Poland, since 1958
Rostock, Germany (at the time German Democratic Republic), since 1963
Varna, Bulgaria, since 1963
Constanţa, Romania, since 1963- Cologne, Germany (at the time Federal Republic of Germany), since 1967
Szeged, Hungary, since 1971
Bratislava, Slovakia, since 1976
Florence, Italy, since 1992
Tianjin, China, since 2000
Also:
Tartu, Estonia (co-operation agreement)- Tallinn, Estonia (co-operation agreement)
- Kuressaare, Estonia (co-operation agreement)
Gallery
 The medieval keep of Turku Castle as seen from the harbour side. Gothenburg ( Swedish:) /jœte'bɔrj/ is a city, a municipality, and an urban area on the west-coast of Sweden. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Geography The city lies roughly at the geographical centre of Denmark on the peninsula of The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe is the second largest city in Norway. It is located on the south-western coast of Norway in the county of Hordaland in between a group of mountains known as De syv fjell Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Saint Petersburg ( tr: Sankt-Peterburg,) is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Gdańsk ( Polish pronunciation; 'Danzig', Gduńsk Gedania Dantiscum is the City at the centre of the fourth-largest Metropolitan area in Poland Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Rostock (ˈʁɔstɔk from Polabian Roz toc, literally "to flow apart" is the largest City in the north German state Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The German Democratic Republic ( GDR; Deutsche Demokratische Republik DDR; commonly known in English as East Germany) was a Socialist state Varna (Варна is the largest city and seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast, third-largest in Bulgaria after Sofia and Plovdiv The state of Bulgaria (България transliterated bg-Latn ''Balgaria'' The country preserves the traditions (in ethnic name language and alphabet of the First Bulgarian Constanţa (pronunciation in Romanian: /kon'stanʦa/ historical names Tomis, Κωνστάντια or Constantia, Köstence Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Szeged ( (approximate pronunciation Seg-ed (known also by alternative names) is the fourth largest City of Hungary, the Regional centre Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic ARTICLE TEXT BEGINS AFTER THESE COMMENTS - PLEASE READ 1 Please do not edit the lead without reading Slovakia (long form Slovak Republic; Slovak:, long form, is a Landlocked country in Central Europe with a population of over five million Florence ( Italian: Firenze Florentia and Fiorenza) is the Capital City of the Italian region of Tuscany Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest ( Postal map spelling: Tientsin) is the second largest city in northern coastal China. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES Tartu is the second largest City of Estonia. In contrast to Estonia's political and financial capital Tallinn, Tartu is often considered the intellectual Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia ( Eesti or Eesti Vabariik) is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region Tallinn (historically known by the German, Swedish and Danish name Reval or the Polish name Rewal, among other names Kuressaare (Arensburg is a town and a municipality on Saaremaa island in Estonia. |
 The Cathedral of Turku is the most important church of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland (in Finnish Suomen evankelis-luterilainen kirkko; in Swedish Evangelisk-lutherska kyrkan |
 Turku Museum of Art is a classical example of Romantic nationalism in architecture. Romantic nationalism (also National Romanticism, organic nationalism, identity nationalism) is the form of Nationalism in which the state derives |
 Turku orthodox church stands next to the main Market Square. |
 Turku Central railway station. The Turku Central railway station (Turun rautatieasema Åbo järnvägsstation is a Railway station in the VII District of Turku, Finland |
 Wäinö Aaltonen museum of Art. Wäinö Valdemar Aaltonen ( 8 March 1894 - 30 May 1966) was a Finnish artist and Sculptor |
 Municipal Theatre of Turku. |
 Åbo Svenska Teater is the oldest theater in Finland. Åbo Svenska Teater is a Finnish-Swedish theatre in the city of Turku in Finland and the oldest theatre in the country founded in 1839 |
 Michael's church. |
 Turku Jewish Synagogue. |
 Aurakatu. |
 Suomen Joutsen, a museum ship owned by City of Turku |
 The Turku branch of the Stockmann department store. Suomen Joutsen ( Swan of Finland in English (former names are Laënnec, Oldenburg) is a three-mast steel hull Full rigged ship. Stockmann ( is a Finnish listed company which was established in 1862 and is engaged in the retail trade |
 Albatross building at Puolalanpuisto has been home to a number of artists for example Wäinö Aaltonen. |
 Vartiovuorenmäki is a favourite hangout place for many. |
 Preceding City office of Turku which will be renovated to upmarket apartments and street level business properties in future. |
 View from Samppalinna hill to Vähä Häme street. |
 World Trade Center Turku on Linnankatu street. |
 Some apartment blocks alongside the Aura river in Turku. |
 Martin church. |
 Random night view of Turku from Kellonsoittaja Street. |
 Radisson SAS hotel of Turku is located alongside of the Aura River. Radisson Hotels & Resorts is a worldwide chain of 435 Hotels with a total of 102000 guest rooms in 61 countries |
 Old marketplace in Turku and some old residential buildings and office buildings. |
 Myllyahde road leads in to the Mylly tunnel in Martti. |
References
- ^ www.turku.fi » turku.fi » Turku.info » Statistical information
- ^ 2.2.2 Biotekniikka-alalla syntyy uutta yritystoimintaa
- ^ 2.2.3 ICT-sektori keskittynyt Turun ja Salon ympäristöön
- ^ Aki Pihlman (2006-09-13). Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 509 BC - The Temple of Jupiter on Rome 's Capitoline Hill is dedicated on the ides of September Varhainen Turku rakennettiin pellolle (Finnish). Retrieved on 2008-05-06. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1527 - Spanish and German troops sack Rome; some consider this the end of the Renaissance.
- The city's official website at http://www.turku.fi/.
- The website of the tourist organisation Turku TouRing at http://www.turkutouring.fi/.
- Turku from the Finnish-language Wikipedia. Turku, in Swedish Åbo ( pronounced,) is a city and the original capital of Finland on the southwest coast of Finland at the Retrieved 11 August 2005.
- Kuntaliitto (2005). Aluetietopankki. Retrieved 13 January 2006.
- Turun kaupungin viestintäkeskus (2005). Kunnalliskertomus 2004. Retrieved 11 August 2005.
- Turun kaupunki (2005). Turun kaupungin tilastollinen vuosikirja. Retrieved 11 August 2005.
- Turun kaupunginvaltuusto (2004). Talousarvio 2005. Retrieved 21 August 2005.
- Turun Sanomat (2004). Tutkimus: lehtien lukijapeitot. Retrieved 21 August 2005.
- Anttonen, Martti (ed) (1992). Täällä Suomen synnyinmuistot. Jyväskylä: Varsinais-Suomen maakuntaliitto.
- Knuuti, Heikki et al (1986). Kotikaupunkini Suomen Turku. Keuruu: Otava Publishing.
- Virmavirta, Jarmo (2004). Finland's City of Turku. Keuruu: Otava Publishing.
- Turku at EuroWeather.
- Turun kaupunki (2007). Muutoksen suunnat 3/2007. Retrieved 27 September 2007.
External links
- Turku - Official site
- Turku - Finland's official Christmas City
- Turku travel guide from Wikitravel
- Turku TouRing - A tourist organisation for the Turku region. Wikitravel is a Web -based project "to create a free, complete up-to-date and reliable worldwide travel guide.
- Map of Turku
- Turku Archipelago - "The world's most beautiful archipelago"
- Local weather in Turku from the Finnish Meteorological Institute.
- Turun Sanomat - The city's most widely read newspaper
- Turku Science Park
- Unikankare - A culture webzine based in Turku
- Steamship s/s Ukkopekka - Cruise Turku-Naantali-Turku
- Taloforum - Photos and discussion about Turku
| Municipalities of Finland Proper |  |
|
| Alastaro | Askainen | Aura | Dragsfjärd | Halikko | Houtskär | Iniö | Kaarina | Karinainen | Kiikala | Kimito | Kisko | Korpo | Koski | Kustavi | Kuusjoki | Laitila | Lemu | Lieto | Loimaa | Loimaan kunta | Marttila | Masku | Mellilä | Merimasku | Mietoinen | Muurla | Mynämäki | Naantali | Nagu | Nousiainen | Oripää | Paimio | Pargas | Perniö | Pertteli | Piikkiö | Pyhäranta | Pöytyä | Raisio | Rusko | Rymättylä | Salo | Sauvo | Somero | Suomusjärvi | Särkisalo | Taivassalo | Tarvasjoki | Turku | Uusikaupunki | Vahto | Vehmaa | Velkua | Västanfjärd | Yläne | ||
| Southwest Finland | Western Finland | Finland |
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic