The transport system of Finland is well-developed. Factors affecting traffic include the sparse population and long distance between towns and cities, and the cold climate with waterways freezing and land covered in snow for winter.
Turku is a city and former capital on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River, in the region of Finland Proper (Varsinais-Suomi) and the former Turku and Pori Province. The region was originally called Suomi (Finland), which later became the name for the whole country. As of 30 September 2018, the population of Turku was 191,499 making it the sixth largest city in Finland after Helsinki, Espoo, Tampere, Vantaa and Oulu. There were 330,192 inhabitants living in the Turku sub-region, ranking it as the third largest urban area in Finland after the Greater Helsinki area and Tampere sub-region. The city is officially bilingual as 5.2 percent of its population identify Swedish as a mother-tongue.
The Royal Academy of Turku or the Royal Academy of Åbo was the first university in Finland, and the only Finnish university that was founded when the country still was a part of Sweden. It was founded in 1640. In 1809, after Finland became a Grand Duchy under the suzerainty of the Russian Tzar, it was renamed the Imperial Academy of Turku. In 1828, after the Great Fire of Turku, the institution was moved to Helsinki, in line with the relocation of the Grand Duchy's capital. It was finally renamed the University of Helsinki when Finland became a sovereign nation-state in 1917.
The Aura River is a river in south-western Finland. Its sources are in Oripää, and it flows through Pöytyä, Aura and Lieto before discharging into the Archipelago Sea in the middle of the city of Turku. The waters of the Aura river are brown. The total length of the river is about 70 kilometres (43 mi), and it contains eleven rapids, the biggest of which is Nautelankoski at Lieto. The reserve tap water for Turku Region is drawn from the Aura, the city's secondary waterworks being situated by the Halinen rapids.
The Port of Turku is a port located in the south-west of Finland, where the mainland meets the beginning of the Turku archipelago. Sited within Finland's sixth largest city, the port principally handles traffic between Turku and the Swedish capital of Stockholm and the enclaved Åland Islands.
European route E18 runs from Craigavon in Northern Ireland to Saint Petersburg in Russia, passing through Scotland, England, Norway, Sweden, and Finland. It is about 1,890 kilometres in length.
Kupittaa is a district in Turku, Finland. It is located on the eastern side of the city's centre, around the Kupittaa Park, the first landscaped park in a Finnish city. The district serves as a centre for recreation and business. Turku has recently planned a residential area for 750 residents on the premises of a former HKScan sausage factory.
Nummi is a district and a suburb of the city of Turku, Finland. It is located in the north-eastern part of the city, just outside the city centre and south of the river Aura. It is the fourth largest district in Turku, having a population of 7,011, with an annual growth rate of 2.21%.
Paattinen is a village in south-west Finland and a district of the city of Turku. It is located to the north of the city, and is the largest of the city's districts by area. It borders the neighbouring municipalities of Vahto, Nousiainen, Mynämäki, Pöytyä, Aura and Lieto. It is rather sparsely populated, and has a population of only 2,430 despite being much larger than any other of the city's districts. Paattinen has an annual population growth rate of 0.99%.
The VIII District, also known as Port Arthur, is one of the central districts of Turku, Finland. It is located on the west side of the river Aura, between Puistokatu and the IX District (Länsiranta). The district consists mostly of wooden houses, separated by narrow streets paved with cobblestones. It is widely considered one of the most beautiful residential districts in the whole of Finland, and has received an award to that effect in 2001. Port Arthur is one of the most expensive districts in Turku to live in.
Haarla is a district and a suburb of the city of Turku, in Finland. It is located in the southern part of the island of Hirvensalo, off the city's coastline. The bridge between Hirvensalo and Satava is located in Haarla.
Lauttaranta is a district and a suburb of the city of Turku, in Finland. It is located in the northern part of the island of Hirvensalo, off the city's coastline. The only bridge between Hirvensalo and the mainland is located in Lauttaranta, connecting it to the district of Pihlajaniemi.
Turku Cemetery is a cemetery inaugurated in 1807 and located in Vasaramäki on the south-eastern outskirts of the city of Turku.
Puutori is a market square in the city centre of Turku, Finland. It measures at approximately 100 by 40 metres. It is bordered by Aninkaistenkatu/Aningaisgatan, Maariankatu/Mariegatan, Brahenkatu/Brahegatan and Sibeliuksenkatu/Sibeliusgatan. Today, it has no regular market square activity but Puutorin puolesta ry organises different events there each year. Located at one end of the square are Ystävyydenpuisto and Wäinö Aaltonen's statue Kun ystävyyssuhteet solmitaan, which was designed in 1955 in honour of the friendship between Turku and Göteborg. There are also small cafés and shops surrounding Puutori, as well as a pet store.
The Old Great Square is a medieval market square located in the city centre of Turku, Finland. It is located in the II District in very close proximity to Turku Cathedral. The area was the administrative and commercial centre of Turku since the founding of the city in the 13th century up until the Great Fire of Turku.
The Myllysilta is a steel girder bridge crossing the Aurajoki in the middle of the city of Turku in Finland. The bridge was opened on 19 September 2011. Only two of four lanes were first in use, the bridge was totally completed on 29 November 2011, even though some landscaping and stone work were completed in 2012. The bridge connects Turku's IV district to the VII district, and has four westbound lanes, and a sidewalk on northern side. It is a one-way-route from east to west, while the nearby Martinsilta bridge goes west to east.
Trams in Finland date from a horse-drawn Turku tramway network, which opened in 1890. Electric tramway traction started in Finland in 1900, and the last horse-drawn trams were withdrawn from operation in 1917. Although there were three Finnish tramway networks between 1912 and World War II, by 1972 the number of networks had dwindled to just one, that of Helsinki, which remains Finland's only tramway network. However, as of January 2018, a tram line is being constructed in Tampere, and there have been proposals to set up tram or light rail networks in some other cities.
Perno shipyard is a shipyard in Turku, south west Finland that specialises in building cruise ships, passenger ferries, special vessels and offshore projects. The yard area is 144 hectares. The yard is operated by Meyer Turku Oy. The dry dock is 365 metres long, 80 metres wide and 10 metres deep, and equipped with two bridge cranes with capacities of 600 tonnes and 1,200 tonnes. The newer bridge crane with a capacity of 1,200 tonnes is the largest one in the Nordic region.
Kitula is a village in Suomusjärvi, Salo, in Southwest Finland, along regional road 110. It is the administrative center of the former municipality of Suomusjärvi, where local services such as a grocery store, a hardware store, a library, a primary school, a sports field and a refrigeration station for fuel distribution are located. Most of the services are between Urheilutie and Helsingintie.
The Finnish national road 9 is the main route. It runs from Turku through Loimaa, Tampere, Jämsä, Jyväskylä, Kuopio, Outokumpu and Joensuu to the Niirala border guard station in Tohmajärvi, right next to the Russian border. The length of the road is 663 kilometres (412 mi).
