VANTAA

Vantaan kaupunki - Vanda stad
''Coat of Arms'' ''Location''
Founded 1974
Province Southern Finland
Region Uusimaa
Sub-region Greater Helsinki
Area
- Of which land
- Rank
243 km²
240,84 km²
ranked 316th
Population
- Density
- Rank
190 058 (2007)
790.1 inh./km²
ranked 4th
Unemployment 7.7%
Official languages Finnish, Swedish
City Manager Juhani Paajanen
Home page http://www.vantaa.fi/

The Tikkurila railway station is the busiest station in Vantaa.

The Helsinki-Vantaa airport (HEL), although associated with Helsinki, is located in Vantaa.

'Vantaa' (IPA: ; 'Vanda' in Swedish) is a city and municipality in Finland. 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. Helsinki, Vantaa, Espoo, and Kauniainen make up the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. The most significant areas of Vantaa are Tikkurila, Myyrmäki, Martinlaakso, Hakunila, Koivukylä and Korso. Its seat is in 'Tikkurila' (Dickursby in Swedish).
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.
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.
Vantaa encompasses 243 km², of which 1.90 km² is water. Population density is 790.1/km².
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.
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).
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.

Contents
Mayors of the City of Vantaa
Internationally notable people native to Vantaa
Sister cities
See also
External links

Mayors of the City of Vantaa



Lauri Lairala 1974-1989

Pirjo Ala-Kapee 1989-1997

Erkki Rantala 1997-2003

Juhani Paajanen 2003

Internationally notable people native to Vantaa



Patrik Antonius, a professional poker player

Sampsa Astala, a musician in Lordi

Jaakko Hintikka, a professor in Boston University

Mika Häkkinen, a Formula 1 world champion

Sami Kapanen, an Ice hockey player

Ville Peltonen, an ice hockey player

Jarkko Ruutu, an ice hockey player

Tuomo Ruutu, an ice hockey player

Eicca Toppinen, a cellist on Apocalyptica

Ossi Väänänen, an ice hockey player

Sister cities



Askim, Norway (1951)

Frankfurt an der Oder, Germany (1987)

Huddinge, Sweden (1951)

Jinan, China (2001)

Kineshma, Russia (1969)

Lyngby-Taarbæk, Denmark (1951)

Matte Yehuda Regional Council, Israel (1967)

Mladá Boleslav, Czech Republic (1978)

Nuuk, Greenland (1965)

District of Rastatt, Germany (1968)

Salgótarján, Hungary (1976)

Seyðisfjörður, Iceland (1980)

Słupsk, Poland (1987)

See also



Districts of Vantaa

External links



Municipality Official site

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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