Vantaa

Vantaa (IPA2|ˈʋɑntɑː; Vanda in Swedish) is a city and municipality in Finland. Helsinki, Vantaa, Espoo, and Kauniainen make up the Helsinki Metropolitan Area.

Vantaa, with its population of 190,058, (as of 31 January 2007) is the fourth most populated city of Finland. The biggest airport in Finland, the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, is located there. It also hosts a science centre, Heureka.

Vantaa is known for being the birthplace of the famous Finnish race driver Mika Häkkinen. Mika Salo has also lived there in the district of Martinlaakso.

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

Geography

Location

Vantaa encompasses 243 km², of which 1.90 km² is water. Population density is 790.1/km². It borders Helsinki, the Finnish capital, which is to the south and southwest. Other neighbouring municipalities are Espoo to the west, Nurmijärvi, Kerava and Tuusula to the north and Sipoo to the east.

ubdivision

Vantaa is divided into 5 districts (finn. "palvelualue"): Tikkurila, Korso-Koivukylä, Hakunila, Myyrmäki and Martinlaakso.

Climate

History

The name "Vantaa" was taken into use in 1972 when the municipality gained market town rights. The first record of the area is as "Helsinge" in 1351 when king Magnus II of Sweden granted salmon fishing rights on the river Vantaa to the Estonian Padise monastery. 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" and promoted to a market town (i.e. "Vantaan kauppala"), and in 1974, finally renamed "Vantaan kaupunki" "City of Vantaa".

On October 11, 2002, the city was shocked by the explosion of a bomb in the local Myyrmanni shopping centre, killing 7, including the bomber, a 19-year-old chemistry student from the Espoo-Vantaa Institute of Technology (see Myyrmanni bombing).

Demographics

Politics

Municipal council

ister cities

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Mayors of the City of Vantaa

* Lauri Lairala 1974-1989
* Pirjo Ala-Kapee 1989-1997
* Erkki Rantala 1997-2003
* Juhani Paajanen 2003

ee also

* Districts of Vantaa
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References

External links

* [http://www.vantaa.fi/ Municipality Official site]
* [http://kartta.vantaa.fi/LiteImage/index/kuntakartta_Vantaa_26022004.gifMap of Vantaa]
* [http://www.heureka.fi/ The Finnish Science Center]
* [http://www.helsinki-vantaa.fi/ Helsinki-Vantaa International Airport]
* [http://www.vantaa.fi/kaupunginmuseo/ Vantaa City Museum]
* [http://www.helsinki.fi/en/ Helsinki.fi] - Helsinki region in a nutshell