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The following is a list of cities in Finland. In the year 1977, the legal difference between towns and municipalities was removed. Today[ when? ] they are all classified as municipalities, some of which are commonly referred to as cities (kaupunki in Finnish, stad in Swedish). A municipality can decide whether it calls itself a municipality or a city. To date, many[ who? ] decide to use the latter.[ citation needed ]
There is no direct Finnish equivalent to "city", but suurkaupunki (~ large town) is used for a few cities in Finland[ citation needed ]. This fits the EU's definition of a city, which has the criteria of a minimum population of 50,000 and a minimum population density of 500 inhabitants per square kilometer. A simple, independent decision in the municipal council is sufficient to call a municipality (kunta) a city (kaupunki). For cities founded before the 1960s, the list includes the year the city was chartered.
Many municipal mergers have been carried out in Finland (and more are yet to come, due to a countrywide municipal reform). Mergers also make it difficult to define what towns are cities because mergers make the population increase a bit but make the population density decrease. For example, according to the EU definition, Tampere is no longer a city, due to the municipal mergers with Messukylä, Aitolahti, and Teisko, which decreased its official population density to 410.5 inhabitants per square kilometer, as of 1 July 2012. In Finland, the whole area inside a municipality's borders is officially considered the city or town area.
The names used in this encyclopedia are usually the Finnish or Swedish forms, depending on the majority language of the municipality, except when there is a commonly used English name.
Finnish name | Swedish name | Urban area | Founded | Population [1] |
---|---|---|---|---|
Akaa [lower-alpha 1] | Ackas | 2007 | 16,709 | |
Alajärvi | 1986 | 9,752 | ||
Alavus | Alavo | 1977 | 11,611 | |
Espoo | Esbo | Helsinki | 1972 | 281,866 |
Forssa | 1964 | 17,079 | ||
Haapajärvi | 1977 | 7,178 | ||
Haapavesi | 1996 | 6,895 | ||
Hamina | Fredrikshamn | 1653 | 20,410 | |
Hanko | Hangö | 1874 | 8,448 | |
Harjavalta | Pori | 1977 | 7,076 | |
Heinola | 1839 | 19,007 | ||
Helsinki | Helsingfors | Helsinki | 1550 | 648,650 |
Huittinen | Vittis | 1977 | 10,140 | |
Hyvinkää | Hyvinge | 1960 | 46,622 | |
Hämeenlinna | Tavastehus | 1639 | 67,713 | |
Iisalmi | Idensalmi | 1891 | 21,546 | |
Ikaalinen | Ikalis | 1977 | 7,037 | |
Imatra | 1971 | 27,035 | ||
Pietarsaari | Jakobstad | 1652 | 19,303 | |
Joensuu | 1848 | 76,228 | ||
Jyväskylä | 1837 | 140,812 | ||
Jämsä [lower-alpha 2] | 1977 | 20,764 | ||
Järvenpää | Träskända | Helsinki | 1967 | 43,170 |
Kaarina | S:t Karins | Turku | 1993 | 33,335 |
Kajaani | Kajana | 1651 | 37,039 | |
Kalajoki | 1865 | 12,446 | ||
Kangasala | Tampere | 2018 | 31,815 | |
Kankaanpää | 1972 | 11,506 | ||
Kannus | 1986 | 5,496 | ||
Karkkila | Högfors | 1977 | 8,804 | |
Kaskinen | Kaskö | 1785 | 1,275 | |
Kauhajoki | 2001 | 13,441 | ||
Kauhava | 1986 | 16,159 | ||
Kauniainen | Grankulla | Helsinki | 1972 | 9,577 |
Kemi | 1869 | 21,019 | ||
Kemijärvi | 1973 | 7,410 | ||
Kerava | Kervo | Helsinki | 1970 | 36,174 |
Keuruu | Keuru | 1986 | 9,858 | |
Kitee | Kides | 1992 | 10,382 | |
Kiuruvesi | 1993 | 8,196 | ||
Kokemäki | Kumo | Pori | 1977 | 7,300 |
Kokkola | Karleby | 1620 | 47,723 | |
Kotka | 1878 | 53,110 | ||
Kouvola [lower-alpha 3] | 1960 | 83,600 | ||
Kristiinankaupunki | Kristinestad | 1649 | 6,605 | |
Kuhmo | 1986 | 8,377 | ||
Kuopio [lower-alpha 4] | 1775 | 118,434 | ||
Kurikka | 1977 | 21,050 | ||
Kuusamo | 2000 | 15,219 | ||
Lahti | Lahtis | 1905 | 119,999 | |
Laitila | Letala | 1986 | 8,658 | |
Lappeenranta [lower-alpha 5] | Villmanstrand | 1649 | 72,801 | |
Lapua | Lappo | 1977 | 14,545 | |
Lieksa | 1973 | 11,157 | ||
Lohja | Lojo | 1969 | 46,490 | |
Loimaa | 1969 | 16,106 | ||
Loviisa | Lovisa | 1745 | 14,968 | |
Maarianhamina | Mariehamn | 1861 | 11,769 | |
Mikkeli | S:t Michel | 1838 | 53,983 | |
Mänttä-Vilppula [lower-alpha 6] | 2009 | 10,062 | ||
Naantali | Nådendal | Turku | 1443 | 19,168 |
Nivala | 1992 | 10,764 | ||
Nokia | Tampere | 1977 | 33,403 | |
Nurmes | 1974 | 7,675 | ||
Uusikaarlepyy | Nykarleby | 1620 | 7,476 | |
Närpiö | Närpes | 1993 | 9,503 | |
Orimattila | 1992 | 16,071 | ||
Orivesi | 1986 | 9,221 | ||
Oulainen | 1977 | 7,457 | ||
Oulu | Uleåborg | 1605 | 202,753 | |
Outokumpu | 1977 | 6,825 | ||
Paimio | Pemar | Turku | 1997 | 10,784 |
Parainen | Pargas | Turku | 1977 | 15,261 |
Parkano | 1977 | 6,519 | ||
Pieksämäki | 1962 | 18,039 | ||
Pori | Björneborg | Pori | 1558 | 84,566 |
Porvoo | Borgå | 1346 | 50,224 | |
Pudasjärvi | 2004 | 8,033 | ||
Pyhäjärvi [lower-alpha 7] | 1993 | 5,282 | ||
Raahe | Brahestad | 1649 | 24,852 | |
Raasepori | Raseborg [lower-alpha 8] | 2009 | 27,792 | |
Raisio | Reso | Turku | 1974 | 24,219 |
Rauma | Raumo | 1442 | 39,401 | |
Riihimäki | 1960 | 28,835 | ||
Rovaniemi | 1960 | 62,667 | ||
Saarijärvi | 1986 | 9,509 | ||
Salo | 1960 | 52,580 | ||
Sastamala [lower-alpha 9] | 2009 | 24,727 | ||
Savonlinna | Nyslott | 1639 | 33,866 | |
Seinäjoki | 1960 | 63,072 | ||
Somero | 1993 | 8,859 | ||
Suonenjoki | 1977 | 7,179 | ||
Tampere | Tammerfors | Tampere | 1779 | 234,441 |
Tornio | Torneå | 1621 | 21,912 | |
Turku | Åbo | Turku | 1200–1300 | 190,935 |
Ulvila | Ulvsby | Pori | 1365 to 1558, later 2000 | 13,074 |
Uusikaupunki | Nystad | 1617 | 15,737 | |
Vaasa | Vasa | 1606 | 67,465 | |
Valkeakoski | 1963 | 21,199 | ||
Vantaa | Vanda | Helsinki | 1974 | 226,160 |
Varkaus | 1962 | 20,956 | ||
Viitasaari | 1996 | 6,295 | ||
Virrat | Virdois | 1977 | 6,756 | |
Ylivieska | 1971 | 15,205 | ||
Ylöjärvi | Tampere | 2004 | 33,034 | |
Ähtäri | Etseri | 1986 | 5,788 | |
Äänekoski [lower-alpha 10] | 1973 | 18,971 |
Kauniainen is a town in Finland, located in the southern interior of the country. Kauniainen is situated in the southern part of the Uusimaa region, and it is enclaved by the City of Espoo. The population of Kauniainen is approximately 10,000. It is the 94th most populous municipality in Finland. Kaunianen is part of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, which has approximately 1.58 million inhabitants.
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Kouvola is a city in Finland and the administrative capital of Kymenlaakso, located in the southeastern interior of the country. The population of Kouvola is approximately 79,000. It is the 11th most populous city in Finland, and the 17th most populous urban area in the country.
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Seinäjoki is a city in Finland and the regional capital of South Ostrobothnia, located in the western interior of the country. The population of Seinäjoki is approximately 66,000, while the sub-region has a population of approximately 132,000. It is the 16th most populous city in Finland, and the 13th most populous urban area in the country.
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Loimaa is a town and municipality of Finland.
Lohja is a town in Finland, located in the southern interior of the country. Lohja is situated in the western part of the Uusimaa region. The population of Lohja is approximately 46,000. It is the 25th most populous municipality in Finland. Lohja is part of the Helsinki sub-region, but not directly part of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area.
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An urban area or tätort in Sweden has a minimum of 200 inhabitants and may be a city, town or larger village. It is a purely statistical concept, not defined by any municipal or county boundaries. Larger urban areas synonymous with cities or towns for statistical purposes have a minimum of 10,000 inhabitants. The same statistical definition is also used for urban areas in the other Nordic countries.
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Maalaiskunta (Finnish), landskommun (Swedish), "rural municipality", abbreviated mlk, was one of the four types of municipality in Finland in 1865–1976. Other types in 1865–1959 were city and market town, in 1960–1976 old city, new city and market town. Maalaiskunta was the most common type of municipality. In the 1977 reform, all municipalities were given fully equal legal standing. Previous maalaiskuntas associated with a city retained their name. For example, Rovaniemen maalaiskunta surrounded the city of Rovaniemi, but were independently governed. From 2009, no municipalities will carry this name any more, after the merger of Jyväskylä and Jyväskylän mlk.
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