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Turku

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Turku (IPA: [ˈturku], Swedish: Åboⓘ), founded in the 13th century, is the oldest and fifth largest city in Finland, with a population of 174,824 (as of 2004). Located at the mouth of the Aura river in the southwest 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. Turku has one of the largest Finland-Swedish population in the country. The Finnish word for the inhabitants of Turku is turkulaiset (singular: turkulainen). Due to its location, the Port of Turku is considered one of the most important seaports in Finland.

History

Turku has a long history as the country's largest city and administrative centre, but has, during the last two centuries, relegated those titles to Helsinki. The city also bears a strong identity as the oldest city in Finland, and as its former capital. Originally, the word 'Finland' referred only to the area around Turku (hence the title, 'Finland Proper' for the region).

Although archaelogical findings, dating back to the Stone Age, have been dscovered, Turku did not become a significant location until the late 13th century. Its name originated from an old Russian word, tǔrgǔ, meaning 'market place'. The Cathedral of Turku was consecrated in 1300, and together with Turku Castle and the Dominican monastery (founded in 1229), the city became the most important location in medieval Finland.

During the Middle Ages, Turku was the seat of the Bishop of Turku (a title later upgraded to 'Archbishop of Turku'), and the only city in Finland to trade with the Hanseatic League. The population of the city was around six thousand, and in the 1620s, it became the residence of the Governor-General of Finland, thus affirming its status as the capital of Finland. In 1640, the first university in Finland, the Academy of Åbo, was founded in Turku.

After the Finnish War, which ended when Sweden ceded Finland to Imperial Russia at the Treaty of Hamina in 1809, the capital was changed from Turku to Helsinki, as Emperor Alexander I felt that Turku was too far from Russia to serve as the capital of the Grand Duchy. 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. After the fire, a new and safer city plan was drawn up by German architect Carl Engel, who had also designed the new capital, Helsinki. 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. Two years later, the Finnish-language University of Turku was founded alongside it. These two universities are the second and third to be founded in Finland.

Turku has been viewed during the 20th century as 'Finland's gateway to the West' as a result of its good connections with other Western European countries and cities. Since the 1940s, there have been particularly strong ties with Stockholm (located across the Gulf of Bothnia). 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. After the fall of Communism in Russia, many prominent Soviets came to Turku to study Western business practices, among whom was Vladimir Putin, then Leningrad's deputy mayor Template:Inote.

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 (eg. Maaria and Paattinen).

Geography

The Cathedral of Turku

Located at the mouth of the Aura river in the southwestern corner of Finland, Turku covers an area of 243 km² (94 sq mi) of land, spread over both sides of the river. 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. One of the best-known landmarks of Turku is the Föri, a small ferry that transports pedestrians and bicycles across the river.

The city is divided into 79 districts that do not function as local government units. 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.

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 city centre and most of the suburban areas lie in the middle, separated from the less densely populated rural areas to the north by the Turku bypass that forms part of European route E18. 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.

With a population of approximately 300,000, the Turku region is the third largest urban region in Finland, after Greater Helsinki and the area around Tampere. The region is usually considered to include, in addition to the city itself, at least the neighbouring cities of Naantali, Raisio and Kaarina, and the town of Lieto. Often too, municipalities such as Pargas, Piikkiö, Paimio, Aura, Vahto, Rusko and Masku are included in this definition.

See also: Districts of Turku, Regions of Finland, Provinces of Finland

Climate

Lying by the Baltic Sea and sheltered by the islands of the Archipelago Sea, Turku has a continental climate. 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. The warmest month of the year is July, with an average temperature of 17°C (62°F), while the coldest is January at -6°C (21°F). The average year-round temperature is 5°C (41°F).

Precipitation in Turku averages 633 mm (25 inches) a year. 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.

Operational since 1955, the city's weather station is located at an altitude of 47 metres (154 feet) at Turku Airport.

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. Armas Lahoniitty has been the city manager of Turku since 1996. He is retiring in early 2006, and will be replaced by Mikko Pukkinen, the former city manager of Seinäjoki.

The city council and municipal government have long been dominated by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the National Coalition Party (Kokoomus), with approximately equal representation. 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 current chair of the city government is Aleksi Randell from Kokoomus.

Olavi Mäenpää, chairman of the far-right organisation Suomen Kansan Sinivalkoiset (SKS), is a highly controversial figure in the city's municipal politics. 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. SKS is, however, a marginal force in the city's administration, having only two seats in the council.

Transportation

The Föri, one of Turku's best known landmarks, is a small ferry carrying pedestrians and bicycles across the Aura river.

For a city of its size, Turku has a good public transportation network of bus routes. It 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 has been accused, however, of abusing its near-monopoly status by setting high fares.

Rail traffic to and from Turku is handled by the Finnish national carrier, VR. 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 the city's VII District, and two smaller stations in Kupittaa and the Port of Turku.

There is no local rail traffic at the moment, as the city's 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. However, there are plans for a light rail line in the Turku region in the near future. This system would more ably serve the major suburbs of the city, namely Varissuo and Runosmäki, as well as the neighbouring cities.

Turku Airport is located eight kilometres to the north of the city centre, partly in the neighbouring municipality of Rusko.

There are also daily ferry services from the Port of Turku to Sweden and Åland, operated by Silja Line, Viking Line and SeaWind Line. These are somewhat 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.

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. The city's population density is 718 inhabitants per square kilometre, but is however decreasing at an annual rate of 1.3%.

89.4% of Turku's population speak Finnish as their native language, while 5.2% speak Swedish. The next most widely spoken languages are Russian (1.3%), Arabic (0.6%), Albanian (0.5%), and Kurdish (0.4%). 95.8% of the population are Finnish citizens, and the most sizeable minorities are from Russia, Estonia, Iraq, and Iran. Like all other Finnish cities, Turku does not collect information about the ethnic and religious makeup of its population. Template:Inote

Throughout its history, Turku has always welcomed new influences: it was through Turku that the Swedish crown occupied 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 is the only city in Finland with the highest proportion of immigrants.

Famous people from the city of Turku include Paavo Nurmi, Mauno Koivisto, Saku Koivu and the 18th century botanist, Herman Spöring. The Turku region has also brought forth many prominent personalities, including the marshal, Carl Gustaf Mannerheim.

Economy

File:Turku Kauppatori night.jpg
The Market Square (Kauppatori) and the Hansa shopping centre in the city centre, at night.

Turku is the central economic hub of southwestern Finland, and the capital of the Turku economic district. As of 2003, the district's per capita income was 24,022 euros, significantly higher than the national average of €23,780. Template:Inote

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. 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. 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.

As of 2004, the city's unemployment rate is 13.1%, well above the national average of 8.9%. The problem of unemployment is particularly troublesome in the districts of Pansio, Lauste, and Varissuo, where it hovers at around 23%. Template:Inote

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. 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. Template:Inote

See also: Economy of Finland

Education

Two buildings of the University of Turku

Turku has a long educational history — the first school in the city, the Cathedral School, was founded along with the Cathedral of Turku in the late 13th century. The first university in Finland, the "Academy of Åbo" (now University of Helsinki), was established in the city in 1640. 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.

Nowadays, the University of Turku is the second largest university in Finland, as measured by student enrolment, and one of the oldest as well, having been founded in 1920. Turku is also home to two other universities, namely Åbo Akademi University, Finland's only Swedish-language university, and the Turku School of Economics and Business Administration. In addition, Turku Polytechnic is the largest polytechnic in Finland.

The central hospital of Turku, Turku University Hospital, is affiliated with the University and it is used as a teaching hospital.

Turku is one of only two cities in Finland to have an established international school (the other city being Helsinki). Turku International School, functioning in the eastern district of Varissuo, has been operational since 2003.

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. 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. Template:Inote 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, published in Turku, is one of Finland's two major Swedish-language newspapers (together with the Helsinki-based Hufvudstadsbladet).

The newspaper, Turun Sanomat, also operates a regional television station, called Turku TV. 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. All Finnish national TV channels are viewable in the Turku area. In addition, a number of local radio stations, eg Auran Aallot and Radio Sata are operational.

Culture

The Turku Castle was built in the 1280s

Cultural venues in Turku include several theatres, cinemas, and art galleries, and a city philharmonic orchestra. The city's cultural centre organises a number of regular events, most notably the Medieval Market in July each year. 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. The Turku Music Festival and the rock festival Ruisrock (held on the island of Ruissalo) are among the oldest of its kind in Scandinavia. The city also hosts another rock festival, Down by the Laituri, and boasts a vibrant nightlife.

There are also numerous museums, such as the Turku Art Museum, and the Wäinö Aaltonen Museum of Art. The Åbo Akademi University maintains the Jean Sibelius museum, which is the only muesum 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 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.

Sports

As in most other Finnish cities, the most popular sport is ice hockey. The local club TPS plays in the sport's top level in Finland, the SM-liiga. It is based at Elysée Arena to the southwest of the city centre. 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.

Football is also an important sport, and the city has two teams in the Veikkausliiga: FC Inter and TPS (which is part of the same organisation as the ice hockey team). Both teams play their home matches at the modern Veritas Stadion in the district of Kupittaa.

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.

Sister Cities

References

  • 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. Retrieved 11 August 2005.
  • 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.

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