Vantaa - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Vantaa (ˈʋɑntɑː; ) is a city and municipality in Finland. Helsinki

Helsinki

Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...

, Vantaa, Espoo

Espoo

Espoo is the second largest city and municipality in Finland. The population of the city of Espoo is . It is part of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area along with the cities of Helsinki, Vantaa, and Kauniainen. Espoo shares its eastern border with Helsinki and Vantaa, while enclosing Kauniainen....

and Kauniainen

Kauniainen

Kauniainen is a small town and a municipality of inhabitants in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, Finland. It is surrounded by the city of Espoo, in Greater Helsinki...

make up the Helsinki Metropolitan Area.

Vantaa, with its population of , is the fourth most populated city of Finland. The biggest airport in Finland, the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport

Helsinki-Vantaa Airport

Helsinki Airport or Helsinki-Vantaa Airport is the main international airport of the Helsinki metropolitan region and the whole of Finland. It is located in Vantaa, Finland, about west of Tikkurila, the centre of Vantaa, and north of Helsinki city centre...

, is located there. It also hosts a science centre, Heureka

Heureka

Heureka is a science center in Vantaa, Finland, north of Helsinki. Its purpose is to facilitate the access to scientific knowledge and to develop the methods of scientific education. Its exhibits are largely hands-on and many of them are made for children...

.

The city is bilingual, with a majority (88.6 %) being Finnish speakers and minority (3%) speakers of Finland Swedish. Vantaa's residents that speak a native language other than Finnish or Swedish stand at 8.4% of the population.

Location

Vantaa encompasses km2, of which km2 is water. Population density is PD/km2. It borders Helsinki

Helsinki

, the Finnish capital, which is to the south and southwest. Other neighbouring municipalities are Espoo

Espoo

to the west, Nurmijärvi

Nurmijärvi

Nurmijärvi is the most populated rural municipality of Finland, located north of the capital Helsinki.The close proximity to Helsinki has led to a considerable growth of the major villages such as Klaukkala and Rajamäki, which nowadays are considered dormitory towns of Helsinki...

, Kerava

Kerava

Kerava is a town and municipality in Finland.It is located in the province of Southern Finland and is part of the Uusimaa region. The town has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is...

and Tuusula

Tuusula

Tuusula is a municipality of Finland. It belongs to the Helsinki sub-region of the Uusimaa region. The municipality has a population of .-Geography:...

to the north and Sipoo

Sipoo

Sipoo is a municipality of Finland. Its seat is in Nikkilä/Nickby.It is the eastern neighbour of Helsinki and is located in the Uusimaa region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of ofwhich is water...

to the east.

Subdivision

Vantaa is divided into seven districts : Myyrmäki

Myyrmäki

Myyrmäki is a district of the city of Vantaa, Finland. The district has an area of 2.7 square kilometers and a population of about 14,500. It is home to Myyrmanni, a large shopping complex....

(Myrbacka), Tikkurila

Tikkurila

Tikkurila is a district of the municipality of Vantaa, Finland. Located in the eastern half of the Helsinki conurbation, some north of the capital's downtown district, it is the administrative and commercial hub of Vantaa, although Myyrmäki is a rival shopping centre within the municipality and...

(Dickursby), Hakunila

Hakunila

Hakunila , is a town located within eastern Vantaa, a city in southern Finland bordering Helsinki. It has a population of 10,936, and a population density of 3,645/km²...

(Håkansböle), Korso, Koivukylä (Björkby) and Aviapolis

Aviapolis

Aviapolis is a business, retail, entertainment and housing marketing brand area in Central Vantaa, Finland covering 42 square kilometers including the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport.-Business:...

History

The name Vantaa was taken into use in 1972 when the municipality gained market town

Market town

Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...

rights. The first record of the area is as Helsinge in 1351 when king Magnus II of Sweden granted salmon

Salmon

Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...

fishing rights on the river Vantaa to the Estonia

Estonia

Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...

n Padise monastery

Monastery

Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...

. The municipality was formerly known as Helsingin maalaiskunta "Rural municipality of Helsinki". The rapids of river Vantaa were known as Helsingfors, from which the current Swedish name of Helsinki derives. In 1972, the municipality was renamed Vantaa/Vanda and promoted to a market town (i.e. Vantaan kauppala/Vanda köping), and in 1974, finally renamed Vantaan kaupunki/Vanda stad "City of Vantaa".

On October 11, 2002, a bomb exploded in the local Myyrmanni

Myyrmanni

Myyrmanni is a shopping center located at the Myyrmäki suburb of Vantaa, Finland. The center was built in the early 1990s and it has over 120 stores and 1,100 parking spaces. It was the site of the Myyrmanni bombing on October 11, 2002....

shopping centre, killing 7, including the bomber, a 19-year-old chemistry student from the Espoo-Vantaa Institute of Technology (see Myyrmanni bombing

Myyrmanni bombing

The Myyrmanni bombing took place on October 11, 2002, in Myyrmäki, Vantaa, Finland, in Greater Helsinki, at the Myyrmanni shopping mall. The bomb killed seven, including two teenagers, a 7-year-old child and the presumed bomber. 166 people were injured, including 10 children. 66 victims required...

Demographics

**Demographic evolution**
Year	Population
1805	4 840
1865	6 974
1880	7 819
1890	8 865
1900	11 110
1910	18 321
1920	22 368
1930	23 558
1940	31 511
1950	14 976
1960	41 906
1970	72 215
1980	129 918
1990	152 263
2000	176 386
2007	190 058
2010	200 029

Municipal council

Composition of the City Council (2009–2012)
Party	Election results	Seats	Votes
National Coalition Party National Coalition Party (Finland) The National Coalition Party is a liberal conservative political party in Finland founded in 1918.The National Coalition Party is one of the four largest parties in Finland, along with the Social Democratic Party, the Centre Party and the True Finns...	28.1%	20	22 596
Social Democratic Party of Finland Social Democratic Party of Finland The Social Democratic Party of Finland is one of the three major political parties in Finland, along with the Centre Party and the National Coalition Party. Jutta Urpilainen is the current SDP leader. The party has been in the Finnish government cabinet for long periods and has set many...	25.6%	18	20 599
Green League Green League The Green League is a centrist green liberal political party in Finland. It has ten seats in the Finnish Parliament and two in the European Parliament. The current chairperson is Ville Niinistö....	13.9%	9	11 150
True Finns True Finns True Finns or The Finns is a populist and nationalist political party in Finland, founded in 1995 following the dissolution of the Finnish Rural Party. The head of the movement is Timo Soini. In the 2011 Finnish parliamentary election, The party won 19.1% of votes, becoming the third largest party...	9.8%	7	7 848
Left Alliance Left Alliance (Finland) The Left Alliance is a left-wing political party in Finland. It was founded on the basis of the Finnish People's Democratic League and the Communist Party of Finland in 1990....	7.7%	5	6 229
Center Party Centre Party (Finland) The Centre Party is a centrist and Nordic agrarian political party in Finland. It is one of the four largest political parties in the country, along with the Social Democratic Party , the National Coalition Party and the True Finns , and currently has 35 seats in the Finnish Parliament...	5.6%	4	4 516
Christian Democrats Christian Democrats (Finland) The Christian Democrats is a Christian democratic political party in Finland. Formerly known as the Finnish Christian League , the Christian Democrats have six seats in the Finnish Parliament and one in the European Parliament.The party was founded in 1958, chiefly from the Christian faction of...	3.7%	2	2 951
Swedish People's Party	3,5%	2	2 838
Pro Vantaa	1,4%	0	1 111

Economy

Companies that have their headquarters in Vantaa (at the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport

Helsinki-Vantaa Airport

) include Finnair

Finnair

Finnair Plc is the flag carrier and largest airline of Finland, with its headquarters on the grounds of Helsinki Airport in Vantaa, Finland, and its main hub at Helsinki Airport. Finnair and its subsidiaries dominate both the domestic and international air travel markets in Finland. The largest...

, Finavia

Finavia

Finavia Corporation , the former Finnish Civil Aviation Administration, is the managing body of 25 airports located in Finland. Finavia maintains the airport network as well as the navigation system. Finavia's customers are both the travel industry as well as air passengers...

, Air Finland

Air Finland

Oy Air Finland Ltd. is an airline with its head office and base at Helsinki Airport in Vantaa, Finland, operating chartered and scheduled flights to holiday destinations, as well as aircraft lease services. - History :...

and Blue1.

Twin towns and sister cities

Vantaa is twinned

Town twinning

Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...

with:

Askim Askim is a town and a municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Askim. Askim was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 .... , Norway (1951) Frankfurt an der Oder Frankfurt (Oder) Frankfurt is a town in Brandenburg, Germany, located on the Oder River, on the German-Polish border directly opposite the town of Słubice which was a part of Frankfurt until 1945. At the end of the 1980s it reached a population peak with more than 87,000 inhabitants... , Germany (1987) Huddinge Huddinge Municipality Huddinge Municipality is a municipality in Stockholm County in east central Sweden. Its seat is located in Huddinge, which is a part of Stockholm urban area.The municipality is the second most populated in Stockholm County.... , Sweden (1951) Jinan Jinan Jinan is the capital of Shandong province in Eastern China. The area of present-day Jinan has played an important role in the history of the region from the earliest beginnings of civilisation and has evolved into a major national administrative, economic, and transportation hub... , People's Republic of China (2001) Kineshma Kineshma Kineshma is the second largest town in Ivanovo Oblast, Russia, which sprawls for along the Volga River. Population: -History:Kineshma was first noticed as a posad in 1429. In 1504, Ivan III gave it to Prince Feodor Belsky, who escaped to Moscow from Lithuania and married Ivan's niece... , Russia (1969)	Kongens Lyngby Kongens Lyngby Kongens Lyngby is the main city in the affluent Danish municipality of Lyngby-Taarbæk. Just north of Copenhagen, the city lies in the northern part of Denmark's largest island, Zealand... , Denmark (1951) Matte Yehuda Regional Council, Israel (1967) Mladá Boleslav Mladá Boleslav Mladá Boleslav is a city in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic, on the left bank of the Jizera river about 50 km northeast of Prague.Founded in the second half of the 10th century by King Boleslav II as a royal castle... , Czech Republic (1978) Nuuk Nuuk Nuuk, is the capital of Greenland, the northernmost capital in North America and the largest city in Greenland. Located in the Nuup Kangerlua fjord, the city lies on the eastern shore of the Labrador Sea and on the west coast of Sermersooq. Nuuk is the largest cultural and economic center in... , Greenland (1965)	District of Rastatt Rastatt (district) Rastatt is a district in the west of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Neighboring districts are Karlsruhe, Calw, Freudenstadt and the Ortenaukreis. To the west it borders the French département Bas-Rhin... , Germany (1968) Salgótarján Salgótarján Salgótarján is a city with county rights in Nógrád county, north-eastern Hungary.-Location:At the foot of Karancs mountain, in the Cserhát hills, 250 meters above sea level, north-east from Budapest, west from Miskolc... , Hungary (1976) Seyðisfjörður Seyðisfjörður Seyðisfjörður is a town and municipality in the Eastfjords of Iceland at the innermost point of the fjord of the same name.As of January 2011, the town has 668 inhabitants.... , Iceland (1980) Słupsk, Poland (1987)

Mayors

Lauri Lairala 1974–1989
Pirjo Ala-Kapee 1989–1997
Erkki Rantala 1997–2003
Juhani Paajanen 2003-2011
Martti Lipponen (interim) 2011

Music

Vantaa Chamber Choir

Vantaa Chamber Choir is a Finnish mixed choir which was established in 1986.-Conductors:* Toivo Korhonen 1986–1998* Ilona Korhonen 1998–2011* Juha Kuivanen 2011--Discography:* Lauluja Kuninkaantien varrelta , album, folk songs...

comes from Vantaa. Its albums includes folk songs and poems from Kalevala

Kalevala

The Kalevala is a 19th century work of epic poetry compiled by Elias Lönnrot from Finnish and Karelian oral folklore and mythology.It is regarded as the national epic of Finland and is one of the most significant works of Finnish literature...

. Ankkarock

Ankkarock

Ankkarock is a Finnish rock and metal festival held annually in Korso, Vantaa, in the Greater Helsinki area. It literally translates into Duckrock. The first Ankkarock was held in 1989; the festival was free of charge until 1998....

was a rock music festival held every summer in Korso between 1989-2010.

Museums

Tikkurila

is home of the major science centre in Finland, Heureka

Heureka

. In addition there is the city museum next to the railway station

Tikkurila railway station

Tikkurila station is located in Tikkurila, the administrative centre of Vantaa in the Helsinki metropolitan area. It is located approximately from Helsinki Central railway station and from Helsinki-Vantaa airport...

in Tikkurila. The museum is housed in the oldest station building in Finland, designed by Carl Albert Edelfelt and completed in 1861. There are exhibitions with various themes on local history.

External links

City of Vantaa – Official website
Map of Vantaa
The Finnish Science Center
Helsinki-Vantaa International Airport
Vantaa City Museum
Helsinki.fi – Helsinki region in a nutshell

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