Turku 48672 226122031 2008-07-16T22:26:37Z Jontts 4470194 {{for|the traditional Turkish folk songs|Türkü}} {{Infobox Settlement |official_name = City of Turku |native_name = Turun kaupunki – Åbo stad |nickname = |motto = |image_skyline = Martti, panorama.jpg |imagesize = 320 px |image_caption = |image_flag = Vexillum aboense.jpg |image_shield = Turku.vaakuna.svg |image_dot_map = Blank map of Europe cropped.svg |dot_x = 167 |dot_y = 88 |dot_map_caption = Location of Turku in [[Europe]] |dot_mapsize = 280px |subdivision_type = [[Countries of the world|Country]] |subdivision_name = [[Finland]] |subdivision_type1 = [[Provinces of Finland|Province]] |subdivision_name1 = [[Western Finland]] |subdivision_type2 = [[Regions of Finland|Region]] |subdivision_name2 = [[Finland Proper]] |subdivision_type3 = [[Sub-regions of Finland|Sub-region]] |subdivision_name3 = [[Turku sub-region]] |leader_title = [[Mayor]] |leader_name = Mikko Pukkinen |leader_title1 = |leader_name1 = |leader_title2 = |leader_name2 = |leader_title3 = |leader_name3 = |established_title = |established_date = |established_title2 = |established_date2 = |established_title3 = |established_date3 = |area_magnitude = |area_total_km2 = 306.42 |area_total_sq_mi = |area_land_km2 = 245.67 |area_land_sq_mi = |area_water_km2 = |area_water_sq_mi = |area_water_percent = |area_urban_km2 = 402.8 |area_urban_sq_mi = |area_metro_km2 = 2331.1 |area_metro_sq_mi = |population_as_of = 2007 |population_note = |population_total = 175 286 |population_density_km2 = 722 |population_density_sq_mi = |population_metro = 303,492 |population_density_metro_km2 = 130.19 |population_density_metro_sq_mi = |population_urban = 236,226 |population_density_urban_km2 = 586 |population_density_urban_mi2 = |timezone = [[Eastern European Time|CET]] |utc_offset = +2 |timezone_DST = [[Eastern European Summer Time|CEST]] |utc_offset_DST = +3 |latd=60 |latm=27 |lats= |latNS=N |longd=22 |longm=16 |longs= |longEW=E |elevation_m = |elevation_ft = |postal_code_type = |postal_code = 100 00 - 200 00 |website = [http://www.turku.fi www.turku.fi] |footnotes = |blank_name = [[Languages of Finland|Official languages]] |blank_info = [[Finnish language|Finnish]], [[Swedish language|Swedish]] }} {{inote|'Aluetietopankki' at the Kuntaliitto website|Aluetietopankki}} '''Turku''', in [[Swedish]] '''Åbo''' ([[help:IPA|pronounced]] {{Audio-IPA|Fi-Turku.ogg|[ˈturku]}}, {{Audio|sv-Åbo.ogg|['o:bu]}}) is a [[List of towns in Finland|city]] on the southwest coast of [[Finland]] at the mouth of [[Aura river]]({{coor at d|60.27|N|22.16|E|}})<ref>[http://www.turku.fi/Public/default.aspx?nodeid=3981&culture=en-US&contentlan=2 www.turku.fi » turku.fi » Turku.info » Statistical information<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>. Turku is part of the [[Finland Proper]] region in the [[Province]] of [[Western Finland]]. It is suspected that the city was born in the late [[13th century]], making it the oldest city in Finland. Until the [[1840s]] it was also the largest city in Finland. Turku is the main city on its region as well as the [[culture|cultural]] and [[economy|economical]] centre of the area of Western Finland. Turku is the [[Capital]] of both the Finland Proper region and the Province of Western Finland. From the [[central government]]al bodies that use to operate in Turku at the time when Finland was under the rule of Sweden, only the seat of [[Archbishop of Finland]] remains in the city today. Turku has been designated by the [[European Union]] to be the [[European Capital of Culture]] for the year [[2011]], together with [[Tallinn]], the capital of [[Estonia]]. At [[30 June]] [[2008]] Turku’s population was 174 757, which makes it the fifth largest city in Finland by population.<ref>{{cite web | title = Population of Finnish municipalities | url=http://www.vrk.fi/vrk/files.nsf/files/45AB197C04213FFBC225745D0027DEAD/$file/080531.htm|date= 2008-07-17 |language= Finnish}}</ref> 303 492 inhabitants were living in the [[Turku sub-region]], which makes it the third largest [[urban area]] in Finland after [[Greater Helsinki]] area and Tampere sub-region. The city is officially [[bilingual]] as 5,2 percents of its population speak Swedish as a [[mother-tongue]].<ref>{{cite web | title = Statistical yearbook of Turku | url = http://www.turku.fi/Public/download.aspx?ID=36182&GUID={6BA5285D-0CA2-408B-805B-975D99BBDB8D}|date= 2008-07-17 |language= Finnish}}</ref> Due to its location, Turku is a notable commercial and passenger [[seaport]] city with around 3.7 million passengers travelling through its seaport per year.<ref>{{cite web | title = Statistical yearbook of Turku |url=http://www.turku.fi/Public/default.aspx?nodeid=3981&culture=en-US&contentlan=2|date= 2008-07-17 |language= Finnish}}</ref> ==History== [[Image:Cathedral of Turku 1814.jpg|thumb|right|Cathedral of Turku, Finland, 1814]] Turku has a long history as Finland's largest city and administrative centre, but has, over the last two centuries, given up both titles to [[Helsinki]]. To this day, the city's identity stems from its status as the oldest city in Finland {{Fact|date=June 2008}} and the country's former capital. Originally, the word "Finland" referred only to the area around Turku (hence the title, "[[Finland Proper]]" for the region). Although archaeological findings in the date back to the [[Stone Age]], Turku in its current location was born no earlier than the late 13th century.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.utu.fi/media/ajankohtaista/argumentit/AkiPihlman.html|title= Varhainen Turku rakennettiin pellolle|accessdate= 2008-05-06|author=Aki Pihlman|date= 2006-09-13|work= |language= Finnish}}</ref> Its name originated from an [[Old East Slavic]] word, ''tǔrgǔ'', meaning "market place". The [[Cathedral of Turku]] was [[consecration|consecrated]] in 1300, and together with [[Turku Castle]] and the [[Dominican Order|Dominican]] [[monastery]] (founded in 1249), 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 [[Archdiocese of Turku|Archbishop of Turku]]), covering the then eastern Sweden (most of the present-day Finland) until the 17th century, and the only city in Finland to trade with the [[Hanseatic League]]. Even if Turku had no official capital status, both the [[Duke of Finland|Dukes]] and [[Governor-General in the Swedish Realm|Governors-General of Finland]] usually had their Finnish residences there. In 1640, the first [[university]] in Finland, [[The Royal Academy of Turku]], was founded in Turku. Turku was also the meeting place for the [[States of Finland]] in 1676. After the [[Finnish War]], which ended when [[Sweden]] ceded Finland to [[Russian Empire|Imperial Russia]] at the [[Treaty of Fredrikshamn]] in 1809, Turku became briefly the official capital, but soon lost the status to Helsinki, as [[Emperor]] [[Alexander I of Russia|Alexander I]] felt that Turku was too far from Russia and too aligned with Sweden to serve as the capital of the [[Grand Duchy of Finland|G]]. {{Fact|date=June 2008}} 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 [[Germany|German]] [[architect]] [[Carl Ludvig 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. 20th century Turku has been called "Finland's gateway to the West" by historians such as Jarmo Virmavirta. The city enjoyed good connections with other [[Western Europe]]an countries and cities, especially since the 1940s with [[Stockholm]] across the [[Gulf of Bothnia]]. In the 1960s, Turku became the first Western city to sign a [[town twinning|twinning]] agreement with [[Saint Petersburg|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 {{Fact|date=June 2008}}, among them [[Vladimir Putin]], then Leningrad's deputy [[mayor]]{{inote|Virmavirta|Virmavirta}}. In the 1960s and 1970s, Turku displayed unprecedented rates of growth {{Fact|date=June 2008}}, resulting in the construction of many new densely-inhabited [[suburbs]] such as [[Varissuo]] and [[Runosmäki]], and the annexation of many neighbouring municipalities (e.g. [[Maaria]] and [[Paattinen]]). Many old quarters were completely destroyed in the process, replacing them with more efficient and faster-built concrete buildings. The city's growth has led to problems with [[unemployment]] in the new populous suburbs on the one hand, and with the provision of public services (such as education) in more remote parts on the other. {{Fact|date=June 2008}} == Geography == [[image:Aurajoen kävelypolku, Kahlaajankadun kohdilla.jpg|thumb|right|Walking path alongside [[Aura river]].]] Located at the mouth of the [[Aura river]] in the southwestern corner of Finland, Turku covers an area of 245 [[square kilometre|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 [[bicycle]]s across the river without payment. With a population of approximately 300,000, the [[Turku sub-region|Turku Region]] ([[Local administrative unit|LAU]]&nbsp;1) is the third largest urban region in Finland, after [[Greater Helsinki]] and the area around [[Tampere]]. The region includes, in addition to the city itself the following municipalities: [[Askainen]], [[Kaarina]], [[Lemu]], [[Lieto]], [[Masku]], [[Merimasku]], [[Mynämäki]], [[Naantali]], [[Nousiainen]], [[Paimio]], [[Piikkiö]], [[Raisio]], [[Rusko]], [[Rymättylä]], [[Sauvo]], [[Vahto]], and [[Velkua]]. A more exclusive definition for the urban area is the [[Turku sub-region|city region of Turku]] with a population around 235,000 consisting of four major municipalities Kaarina, Raisio, Naantali and Turku. The city region is the most urbanised in the Turku Region and it is complete when compared with the rest of the Turku region where urbanisation is concentrated in spots. === Subdivisions === {{main|Subdivisions of Turku}} The city is divided into 78 [[district]]s and nine [[Ward (country subdivision)|ward]]s 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 of Finland|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 northern rural areas by the Turku [[Bypass (road)|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|upper-middle-class]] [[suburb]]s. ==Climate== Situated by the [[Baltic Sea]] and sheltered by the islands of the [[Archipelago Sea]], Turku has a [[hemiboreal]] climate. Like much of southern Finland, the city experiences warm summers, with [[temperature]]s ranging up to 30 [[Celsius|°C]] (86 [[Fahrenheit|°F]]), and relatively cold winters with frequent [[snow]]fall. The warmest month of the year is July, with an average temperature of 17 °C (62 °F), while the coldest is February. The average year-round temperature is 5 °C (41 °F). Winter usually starts in early December, and spring in late March. [[Precipitation (meteorology)|Precipitation]] in Turku averages 633 [[millimetre|mm]] (25 [[inch]]es) 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 [[millibar]]s, with little variance throughout the year. Operational since 1955, the city's [[weather station]] is located at an altitude of 47 [[metre]]s (154 [[foot (unit of length)|feet]]) at [[Turku Airport]]. {{inote|'Turku' at EuroWeather|Turku EuroWeather}} Climate in Turku in [[2007]]: <!--Infobox begins-->{{Infobox Weather |metric_first= Yes |single_line= Yes |location = Turku |Jan_Hi_°C = 1.3 |Jan_REC_Hi_°C = 8.4 |Feb_Hi_°C = -4.4 |Feb_REC_Hi_°C = 11 |Mar_Hi_°C = 6.9 |Mar_REC_Hi_°C = 15.8 |Apr_Hi_°C = 9.7 |Apr_REC_Hi_°C = 24.5 |May_Hi_°C = 15.3 |May_REC_Hi_°C = 30.0 |Jun_Hi_°C = 21.7 |Jun_REC_Hi_°C = 32 |Jul_Hi_°C = 21.0 |Jul_REC_Hi_°C = 35.9 |Aug_Hi_°C = 22.3 |Aug_REC_Hi_°C = 32 |Sep_Hi_°C = 15.0 |Sep_REC_Hi_°C = 28 |Oct_Hi_°C = 9.8 |Oct_REC_Hi_°C = 18.9 |Nov_Hi_°C = 3.3 |Nov_REC_Hi_°C = 11.3 |Dec_Hi_°C = 4.0 |Dec_REC_Hi_°C = 10.0 |Year_Hi_°C = 10.5 |Year_REC_Hi_°C = 35.9 |Jan_Lo_°C = -6.4 |Jan_REC_Lo_°C = -35.5 |Feb_Lo_°C = -13.0 |Feb_REC_Lo_°C = -35.2 |Mar_Lo_°C = -1.6 |Mar_REC_Lo_°C = |Apr_Lo_°C = -1.0 |Apr_REC_Lo_°C = |May_Lo_°C = 4.9 |May_REC_Lo_°C = |Jun_Lo_°C = 8.0 |Jun_REC_Lo_°C = |Jul_Lo_°C = 12.2 |Jul_REC_Lo_°C = |Aug_Lo_°C = 11.7 |Aug_REC_Lo_°C = |Sep_Lo_°C = 6.0 |Sep_REC_Lo_°C = |Oct_Lo_°C = 4.0 |Oct_REC_Lo_°C = |Nov_Lo_°C = -2.5 |Nov_REC_Lo_°C = |Dec_Lo_°C = -1.1 |Dec_REC_Lo_°C = |Year_Lo_°C = 1.8 |Year_REC_Lo_°C = -35.5 }}<!--Infobox ends--> ==Government and politics== Being both a [[regions of Finland|regional]] and [[provinces of Finland|provincial]] capital, Turku is an important administrative centre, hosting the seat of the [[Archdiocese of Turku|Archbishop of Finland]] and a [[Appellate court|Court of Appeal]]. Mikko Pukkinen, the former city manager of [[Seinäjoki]], has been the [[city manager]] of Turku since 2006. The [[city council]] and city board have long been dominated by the [[Social Democratic Party of Finland|Social Democratic Party]] (SDP) and the [[National Coalition Party (Finland)|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 (Finland)|Left Alliance]] (10 seats) and the [[Green League]] (9). The current chair of the city board is [[Pekka Ruola]] from ''Kokoomus''. [[Olavi Mäenpää]], chairman of the [[far-right]] organisation [[Suomen Kansan Sinivalkoiset]] (SKS) and a prominent figure in Turku's municipal politics, has provoked some controversy in the local media. 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 one seat in the council. ==Transportation== [[Image:Rush hour Koulukatu.jpg|thumb|right|Koulukatu is one of the main routes inside Turku's Central Business district.]] [[Image:Kupittaa railway station, track one.jpg|thumb|right|Train leaving from the [[Kupittaa railway station]].]] For a city of its size, Turku has a moderate [[public transportation]] network of [[bus]] routes. The bus network is managed and supervised by the ''City of Turku Public Transport Office'', and is operated mainly by private companies. {{Fact|date=June 2008}} 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. Rail traffic to and from Turku is handled by the Finnish national carrier, [[VR (Finnish railway company)|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 [[Pohjola, Turku|Pohjola]], and two smaller stations in [[Kupittaa]] and the [[Port of Turku]]. There is no local rail traffic at the moment, as the city's popular [[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]] system in the Turku region in the near future. This system would more ably serve major suburbs of the city such as Varissuo and Runosmäki, as well as the neighbouring cities.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.raitio.org/historia/pika/pika.htm |title=Raitiovaunulla Naantaliin, Kaarinaan, Runosmäkeen, Varissuolle? |accessdate=2008-07-11 |last=Laaksonen |first=Mikko |date= |work=raitio.org |publisher=Finnish Tramways Society |language=Finnish }}</ref> Bus network used today has become highly uneconomical and the ticket prices has been raised repeatedly. {{Fact|date=June 2008}}Growing expenses and worsening traffic problems are main issues that have put trams back under consideration as well as [[bus lane]]s. State of Finland has announced to support [[Espoo]] with 30&nbsp;% of full expenses on new metro rail, Turku is going to use this as an example in case it's going to build new light rail network. {{Fact|date=June 2008}} The Turku Bus Station and the [[Turku Central Railway Station]] are currently located in different places. City of Turku is planning to combine those two in new greater station complex in near future. This new travel center will consist a hotel and several shopping estates. This center will connect all public transports from commuter train to long distance buses. [[Turku Airport]] is located eight kilometres to the north of the city centre, partly in the neighbouring municipality of [[Rusko]]. From there are daily connections to [[Stockholm]], [[Copenhagen]], [[Gdansk]], [[Mariehamn]], [[Helsinki]] and [[Oulu]]. 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 something of a Finnish cultural tradition (see [[ruotsinlaiva]]), and people often travel long distances across Finland to Turku just to take a [[cruising (maritime)|cruise]] across the Gulf of Bothnia. The [[archipelago sea]] boat traffic is handled by [[S/S Ukkopekka]]. Old [[steamship]] cruise Turku-[[Naantali]]-Turku. Turku is the only city in Finland to have three long-distance railway stations: [[Turku Central railway station|Turku Central]], [[Port of Turku]], and [[Kupittaa railway station|Kupittaa]]. Even Helsinki has only two: [[Helsinki Central railway station|Helsinki Central]] and [[Pasila railway station|Pasila]]. ==Demographics== {{Unreferencedsection|date=June 2008}} At the end of 2004 the Turku region (including the [[districts of Finland|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. 89.4&nbsp;% of Turku's population speak Finnish as their [[native language]], while 5.2&nbsp;% speak Swedish. The next most widely spoken languages are [[Russian language|Russian]] (1.3&nbsp;%), [[Arabic language|Arabic]] (0.6&nbsp;%), [[Albanian language|Albanian]] (0.5&nbsp;%), and [[Kurdish language|Kurdish]] (0.4&nbsp;%). 95.8&nbsp;% of the population are [[Finnish nationality law|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. {{inote|see ''Turun kaupungin tilastollinen vuosikirja, 2005''|stat yearbook '05}} ==Society== Throughout its history, Turku has always welcomed new influences: it was through Turku that the Swedish crown entered what is today known as Finland. {{Fact|date=June 2008}} In the Middle Ages, it hosted German merchants, while engaging in trade with the [[Hanseatic League]]. {{Fact|date=June 2008}} Even today, the city has retained its tendency towards hospitality &ndash; it has a higher proportion of [[immigrant]]s than any other Finnish city. {{Fact|date=June 2008}} Recently, however, the increased numbers of immigrants, particularly in the city's eastern suburbs, has led to the outbreak of some [[xenophobia|xenophobic]] sentiment (as shown by the growing support for the nationalist [[Suomen Kansan Sinivalkoiset]] party), but ethnically motivated crimes are rare in Turku. {{Fact|date=June 2008}} 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 Emil Mannerheim|Carl Gustaf Mannerheim]]. ==Economy== {{Unreferencedsection|date=June 2008}} [[Image:Kupittaa businessarea tykistökatu 1.jpg|thumb|right|Business district in [[Kupittaa]]]]Turku is the central economic hub of southwestern Finland, and the capital of the Turku [[districts of Finland|economic district]]. Business district in 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 [[tertiary sector of industry|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. One of the examples of high information technology in Turku area is [http://www.open-spark.com OpenSpark] Finlands largest WiFi community which Turku also uses. 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 2007, the city's [[unemployment]] rate is 8.8&nbsp;%, one of the lowest amongst the ten biggest cities in Finland. The problem of unemployment is particularly troublesome in the districts of [[Pansio]], [[Lauste]], and Varissuo, where it hovers at around 16&nbsp;%. {{inote|see ''Turun kaupungin tilastollinen vuosikirja, 2005''|stat yearbook '05}} 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 [[corporation]]s amounted to €39 million in 2004. {{inote|see ''Talousarvio 2005''|Talousarvio}} ''See also: [[Economy of Finland]]'' ==Education== [[Image:Turun yliopisto.jpg|thumb|right|The main building of the [[University of Turku]].]] Turku has a longer educational history than any other Finnish city – the first school in the city, the [[Katedralskolan i Åbo|''Cathedral School'']], was founded along with the Cathedral of Turku in the late 13th century. The first [[university]] in Finland, the "[[The Royal Academy of Turku]]" (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 (18,000 students), as measured by student enrolment, and one of the oldest as well, having been founded in 1920. Turku is also home to several other establishments of higher education, namely ''[[Åbo Akademi]]'', Finland's only Swedish-language university, ''Turun kauppakorkeakoulu'' ([[Turku School of Economics]]), and ''Turun ammattikorkeakoulu'' ([[Turku University of Applied Sciences]]) which is second largest [[polytechnic]] in Finland after Metropolia University of Applied Sciences. The central hospital of Turku, [[TYKS|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 [[list of Finnish newspapers|newspaper]] in Turku, and the area around it, is the daily regional morning newspaper ''[[Turun Sanomat]]'', with a readership of over 70&nbsp;% 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]]''. {{inote|see ''Tutkimus: Lehtien lukijapeitot''|Lehtien lukijapeitot}} 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]]'', a Swedish language newspaper published in Turku, is the oldest newspaper in Finland, having been published since 1824. 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 (region)|Finland Proper]] and [[Satakunta (region)|Satakunta]]) residents. All [[list of Finnish television channels|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== [[Image:Turku Medieval Market, market booths.jpg|thumb|right|[[Medieval Market of Turku]] is an annual event organised in the historic city centre.]] [[Culture of Finland|Cultural venues]] in Turku include several [[theatre]]s, [[movie theater|cinema]]s, and [[art gallery|art galleries]], and a city philharmonic [[orchestra]]. The city's cultural centre organises a number of regular events, most notably the [[Medieval Market of Turku|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 one of the largest electronic music festivals in Northern Europe, UMF [http://www.uudenmusiikinfestivaali.org/] (Uuden Musiikin Festivaali, "New Music Festival"), in addition to a vibrant nightlife, all centred around HumPub in Humalistonkatu. There are also numerous [[museum]]s, such as the Turku Art Museum and the [[Wäinö Aaltonen Museum of Art]]. The Åbo Akademi University maintains the [[Sibelius museum]], which is the only museum 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 [[Archaeology|archaeological]] site. The ''[[Luostarinmäki]]'' [[handicrafts]] museum, converted from residential buildings that survived the [[Great Fire of Turku]] in 1827, was the first [[Scandinavia]]n venue to receive the "Golden Apple" tourism award. Turku is a candidate city for [[European Capital of Culture]] in 2011, and the city council has approved numerous projects to boost the city's image in preparation for that status. ===Declaration of Christmas Peace=== [[Image:Turun tuomiokirkko.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Cathedral of Turku]], one of the most notable historical buildings in Finland.]] The Declaration of Christmas Peace has been a tradition in Finland from the Middle Ages every year, except in 1939 due to the [[Winter War]]. The declaration takes place on the Old Great Square of Turku, Finland's official 'Christmas City', at noon on Christmas eve. It is broadcast in Finnish radio (since 1935) and television, and nowadays also in some foreign countries. The declaration ceremony begins with the hymn ''Jumala ompi linnamme'' ([[Martin Luther]]'s ''[[Ein' feste Burg ist unser Gott]]'') and continues with the Declaration of Christmas Peace read from a [[parchment]] roll in Finnish and Swedish: "Tomorrow, God willing, is the graceful celebration of the birth of our Lord and Saviour; and thus is declared a peaceful Christmas time to all, by advising devotion and to behave otherwise quietly and peacefully, because he who breaks this peace and violates the peace of Christmas by any illegal or improper behaviour shall under aggravating circumstances be guilty and punished according to what the law and statutes prescribe for each and every offence separately. Finally, a joyous Christmas feast is wished to all inhabitants of the city." ===Sports=== [[Football (soccer)|Football]] is nowadays the most popular sport in Turku. The city has two teams in the ''[[Veikkausliiga]]'': [[FC Inter]] and [[Turun Palloseura|TPS]]. Both teams play their home matches at the modern [[Veritas Stadion]] in the district of [[Kupittaa]]. Every time these two home teams face each others the stadium is full of fans and tension. Kupittaa is probably the first place in Finland where Football has been played[http://www.elamystenmaa.fi/kupittaa/index.php?p=19&lang=fi]. [[Ice hockey]] is also very popular in Turku even though not as culturally significant than in most Finnish cities. The local club [[TPS (ice hockey)|TPS]](which is part of the same organisation as the football team) plays in the sport's top level in Finland, the ''[[SM-liiga]]''. It is based at [[Turkuhalli]] 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. A new ice hockey arena was constructed for Tuto in the Kupittaa park in 2006. Turku is the birthplace to a number of prominent [[National Hockey League]] players including [[Saku Koivu]], [[Mikko Koivu]], [[Miikka Kiprusoff]], [[Sami Salo]], [[Aki-Petteri Berg]], [[Petteri Nummelin]] and [[Antero Niittymäki]]. The ''[[Paavo Nurmi]] [[Marathon (sport)|Marathon]]'' is an annual sporting event in Turku, named after the world-famous runner who was born and raised in the city. Turku has also been the site of sporting history, as on [[June 21]] [[1954]] it was in Turku where the Australian [[John Landy]] became the second person to run the mile under four minutes. ==[[Town twinning|Sister cities]]== * {{flagicon|Sweden}} '''[[Gothenburg]]''', [[Sweden]], since 1946 * {{flagicon|Denmark}} '''[[Aarhus]]''', [[Denmark]], since 1946 * {{flagicon|Norway}} '''[[Bergen]]''', [[Norway]], since 1946 * {{flagicon|Russia}} '''[[Saint Petersburg]]''', [[Russia]], since 1953 * {{flagicon|Poland}} '''[[Gdańsk]]''', [[Poland]], since 1958 * {{flagicon|Germany}} '''[[Rostock]]''', [[Germany]] (at the time [[German Democratic Republic]]), since 1963 * {{flagicon|Bulgaria}} '''[[Varna]]''', [[Bulgaria]], since 1963 * {{flagicon|Romania}} '''[[Constanţa]]''', [[Romania]], since 1963 * {{flagicon|Germany}} '''[[Cologne]]''', [[Germany]] (at the time [[Federal Republic of Germany]]), since 1967 * {{flagicon|Hungary}} '''[[Szeged]]''', [[Hungary]], since 1971 * {{flagicon|Slovakia}} '''[[Bratislava]]''', [[Slovakia]], since 1976 * {{flagicon|Italy}} '''[[Florence]]''', [[Italy]], since 1992 * {{flagicon|China}} '''[[Tianjin]]''', [[People's Republic of China|China]], since 2000 Also: * {{flagicon|Estonia}} '''[[Tartu]]''', [[Estonia]] (co-operation agreement) * {{flagicon|Estonia}} '''[[Tallinn]]''', Estonia (co-operation agreement) * {{flagicon|Estonia}} '''[[Kuressaare]]''', Estonia (co-operation agreement) == Gallery == <gallery> Image:Turun linna.jpg|The medieval keep of Turku Castle as seen from the harbour side. Image:Turku Museum of Art.jpg|[[Turku Museum of Art]] is a classical example of [[Romantic nationalism]] in architecture. Image:Turun apteekkimuseo.jpg|Pharmacy museum. Image:Turun hovioikeus.jpg|The Court of Appeal. Image:Turun käsityöläismuseo.jpg|Luostarinmäki handicraft museum. Image:St Michael's Church, Turku.jpg|St Michael's church. Image:Martin kirkko, seen from north.jpg|Martin church. Image:Länsiranta, ilta.jpg|Western side of Aura river in central Turku. Image:Turku orthodox church.jpg|Turku orthodox church stands next to the main Market Square. Image:Brinkhallin kartano.jpg|Brinkhall Manor in [[Kakskerta]] island. Image:Kakskerran kirkko.jpg|Church of Kakskerta. Image:Turku Samppalinna.jpg|Old Mill in Samppalinna. </gallery> ==References== {{reflist}} * The city's official website at http://www.turku.fi/. * The website of the tourist organisation Turku TouRing at http://www.turkutouring.fi/. * ''[[:fi:Turku|Turku]]'' from the Finnish-language Wikipedia. Retrieved 11 August 2005. * Kuntaliitto (2005). ''[http://www.kunnat.net/k_htmlimport.asp?path=1;29;374;36980 Aluetietopankki]. Retrieved 13 January 2006. * Turun kaupungin viestintäkeskus (2005). ''[http://www.turku.fi/Public/download.aspx?ID=3783&GUID={3CE97633-E1F8-41EE-91DE-ABAD9AE4536A} Kunnalliskertomus 2004]''. Retrieved 11 August 2005. * Turun kaupunki (2005). ''[http://www.turku.fi/Public/default.aspx?contentid=2296 Turun kaupungin tilastollinen vuosikirja]''. Retrieved 11 August 2005. * Turun kaupunginvaltuusto (2004). ''[http://www.turku.fi/Public/download.aspx?ID=452&GUID={B2FEE71C-3984-4BAD-BAE7-E9175ED7CAAE} Talousarvio 2005]''. Retrieved 21 August 2005. * Turun Sanomat (2004). ''[http://www.turunsanomat.fi/mediakortti/?osio=4&sivu=1 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. * [http://www.euroweather.net/english/climate/city_EFTU/weather-forecast_turku%20finland Turku] at ''EuroWeather''. * Turun kaupunki (2007). [http://www.turku.fi/Public/download.aspx?ID=44392&GUID={00A2862E-0AAB-412B-B4E2-15EFBE2A0429} Muutoksen suunnat 3/2007]. Retrieved 27 September 2007. ==External links== {{commonscat|Turku}} * [http://www.turku.fi/ Turku] - Official site * [http://www.christmascity.com Turku] - Finland's official Christmas City * {{wikitravel}} * [http://opaskartta.turku.fi/ Map of Turku] * [http://www.saaristo.org Turku Archipelago] - "The world's most beautiful archipelago" * [http://www.fmi.fi/weather/local.html?kunta=Turku Local weather in Turku] from the ''Finnish Meteorological Institute''. * [http://www.turunsanomat.fi/ Turun Sanomat] - The city's most widely read newspaper * [http://www.unikankare.net/ Unikankare] - A culture [[Online magazine]] based in Turku {{FinlandProper}} {{European Capital of Culture}} [[Category:Baltic Sea]] [[Category:Cities and towns in Finland]] [[Category:Coastal cities in Finland]] [[Category:Former national capitals]] [[Category:Municipalities of Finland Proper Region]] [[Category:Medieval Finnish towns]] [[Category:Port cities and towns in Finland]] [[Category:Settlements established in the 13th century]] [[Category:Turku| ]] [[bs:Turku]] [[br:Turku]] [[bg:Турку]] [[ca:Turku]] [[cs:Turku]] [[da:Turku]] [[de:Turku]] [[et:Turu]] [[el:Τούρκου]] [[es:Turku]] [[eo:Turku]] [[eu:Turku]] [[fr:Turku]] [[ga:Túrcú]] [[gl:Turku]] [[ko:투르쿠]] [[io:Turku]] [[id:Turku]] [[is:Turku]] [[it:Turku]] [[he:טורקו]] [[sw:Turku]] [[la:Aboa]] [[lv:Turku]] [[lt:Turku]] [[hu:Turku]] [[nl:Turku]] [[ja:トゥルク]] [[no:Åbo]] [[nn:Åbo]] [[oc:Turku]] [[nds:Turku]] [[pl:Turku]] [[pt:Turku]] [[ro:Turku]] [[qu:Turku]] [[ru:Турку]] [[simple:Turku]] [[sk:Turku]] [[sr:Турку]] [[fi:Turku]] [[sv:Åbo]] [[th:ตุรกุ]] [[vi:Turku]] [[tr:Turku]] [[uk:Турку]] [[vo:Turku]] [[zh:圖爾庫]]