Vantaa

Vantaa
	Vantaa; Vantaa – Vanda
	— City —
	Tikkurila Railway Station
	; Coat of arms
	; Coat of arms
	Location of Vantaa in Finland
	Coordinates: 60°17′40″N 025°02′25″E / 60.29444, 25.04028Coordinates: 60°17′40″N 025°02′25″E / 60.29444, 25.04028
Charter	1351
City	1974
	Government
- City manager	Juhani Paajanen
	Area (2008-01-01)
- Total	242.66 km2 (93.7 sq mi)
- Land	240.63 km2 (92.9 sq mi)
- Water	2.03 km2 (0.8 sq mi)
	Population (2008-11-30)
- Total	195,304
- Density	811.64/km2 (2,102.1/sq mi)
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
- Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Population by native language	Finnish: 89.5%, official; Swedish: 3%, official; Others: 7.5%;
Population by age	0 to 14: 18.7%; 15 to 64: 70.7%; 65 or older: 10.6%
Municipal tax rate	18.5%
	Website: www.vantaa.fi

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The Tikkurila railway station is the busiest station in Vantaa.

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

Vantaa, with its population of 195,304, (as of 2008-01-01)^[2] 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, another car racer, has also lived there in the district of Martinlaakso.

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

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.

[edit] Geography

[edit] Location

Vantaa encompasses 242.66 square kilometres (93.69 sq mi), of which 2.03 km² (0.78 sq mi) is water.^[1] Population density is 811.64 /km² (2,102.1 /sq mi). 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.

[edit] Subdivision

Main article: Districts of Vantaa

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

[edit] 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).

[edit] Climate

[edit] Demographics

Districts of Vantaa

**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

[edit] Politics

[edit] Municipal council

Composition of the City Council (2009–2012)
Party	Election results^[6]	Seats	Votes
National Coalition Party	28.1 %	20	22 596
Social Democratic Party of Finland	25.6 %	18	20 599
Green League	13.9 %	9	11 150
True Finns	9.8 %	7	7 848
Left Alliance	7.7 %	5	6 229
Center Party	5.6 %	4	4 516
Christian Democrats	3.7 %	2	2 951
Swedish People's Party	3,5 %	2	2 838
Pro Vantaa	1,4 %	0	1 111