Vehkalahti (Swedish : Veckelax) is a former municipality surrounding the town of Hamina in south-eastern Finland. At the beginning of 2003 Hamina and Vehkalahti combined to form a new town of Hamina.
Contents
Vehkalahti (Swedish : Veckelax) is a former municipality surrounding the town of Hamina in south-eastern Finland. At the beginning of 2003 Hamina and Vehkalahti combined to form a new town of Hamina.
These southern parts of Karelia are known to be the oldest parts of modern Finland with settlements. The first markings of Vehkalahti as a continuous settlement or village date back to 1336, when it became a major place for east/west trading. The plans to build a town grew slowly as the place became crowded. In 1653 the area surrounding the village church officially became a town, which was called Vehkalahden Uusikaupunki (Swedish : Veckelax Nystad, English: Newtown of Vehkalahti). [1] [2]
While the area in the immediate vicinity of the church building became a town, the surrounding land remained countryside. Formerly the area of Vehkalahti was much larger, almost the entire Kymenlaakso. Still, later many areas became new municipalities. [3] The largest population centers are Husula, Salmenkylä, Uusi-Summa, Poitsila and Neuvottoma, there are also many rural villages like Metsäkylä, Reitkalli, Kannusjärvi and Pyhältö.
In literature, Vehkalahti is particularly renowned for its peculiar medieval petty nobility, knaappiaateli (families Husgafvel, Pilhjerta and Brandstaka), which also acted as a link between Vehkalahti and the Vyborg Castle.[ citation needed ] Built by Swedes, about 100 kilometres (60 mi) east of Vehkalahti, it became a place of great military importance for European east/west foreign communication. Today it is located on Russian territory.
The Vehkalahti church (now known as St. Mary's church, or Marian kirkko in Finnish) was built in the 14th century at the place where the town of Hamina is now.
Porvoo is a city in Finland. It is located on the south coast of the country, on the Gulf of Finland. Porvoo lies in the eastern part of the Uusimaa region. The population of Porvoo is approximately 51,000, while the sub-region has a population of approximately 59,000. It is the 19th most populous municipality in Finland, and the 15th most populous urban area in the country.
Southern Finland was a province of Finland from 1997 to 2009. It bordered the provinces of Western Finland and Eastern Finland. It also bordered the Gulf of Finland and Russia.
The municipalities represent the local level of administration in Finland and act as the fundamental, self-governing administrative units of the country. The entire country is incorporated into municipalities and legally, all municipalities are equal, although certain municipalities are called cities or towns. Municipalities have the right to levy a flat percentual income tax, which is between 16 and 22 percent, and they provide two thirds of public services. Municipalities control many community services, such as schools, health care and the water supply, and local streets. They do not maintain highways, set laws or keep police forces, which are responsibilities of the central government.
Hamina is a town and a municipality of Finland. It is located approximately 145 km (90 mi) east of the country's capital Helsinki, in the Kymenlaakso region, and formerly the province of Southern Finland. The municipality's population is 19,534 and covers an area of 1,155.14 square kilometres (446.00 sq mi), of which 545.66 km2 (210.68 sq mi) is water. The population density is 32.03 inhabitants per square kilometre (83.0/sq mi). The population of the central town is approximately 10,000. The municipal language of Hamina is Finnish.
Kirkkonummi is a municipality in Finland, located in the southern coast of the country. Kirkkonummi is situated in the western part of the Uusimaa region. The population of Kirkkonummi is approximately 41,000. It is the 28th most populous municipality in Finland. Kirkkonummi is part of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, which has approximately 1.58 million inhabitants.
Ii is a municipality of Finland. It is situated by the Bothnian Bay, at the mouth of river Iijoki, and it is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The municipality has a population of 9,766 and covers an area of 2,872.44 km2 (1,109.06 sq mi) of which 1,256.69 km2 (485.21 sq mi) is water. The population density is 6.04/km2 (15.6/sq mi).
Tornio is a city and municipality in Lapland, Finland. The city forms a cross-border twin city together with Haparanda on the Swedish side. The municipality covers an area of 1,348.83 square kilometres (520.79 sq mi), of which 161.59 km2 (62.39 sq mi) is water. The population density is 17.68 inhabitants per square kilometre (45.8/sq mi), with a total population of 21,018.
Hausjärvi is a municipality of Finland. Its seat is in Oitti.
Kymenlaakso is a region in Finland. It borders the regions of Uusimaa, Päijät-Häme, South Savo and South Karelia and Russia. Its name means literally The Valley of River Kymi. Kymijoki is one of the biggest rivers in Finland with a drainage basin with 11% of the area of Finland. The city of Kotka with 51,000 inhabitants is located at the delta of River Kymi and has the most important import harbour in Finland. Other cities are Kouvola further in the inland which has after a municipal merger 81,000 inhabitants and the old bastion town Hamina.
Husula is a village and district in Hamina, Finland. It is located approximately 3 kilometres north from the town centre. Before the town of Hamina and municipality of Vehkalahti consolidated at the beginning of 2003, Husula was part of Vehkalahti. Together with the neighboring Salmenkylä, it comprises one of the biggest population centers in Hamina, with a population of nearly 2,000.
The Finnish nobility was historically a privileged class in Finland, deriving from its period as part of Sweden and the Russian Empire. Noble families and their descendants are still a part of Finnish republican society, but except for the titles themselves, no longer retain any specific or granted privileges. A majority of Finnish nobles have traditionally been Swedish-speakers using their titles mostly in Swedish. The Finnish nobility today has some 6,000 male and female members.
Vanaja is a former municipality of Finland. It was located in Tavastia Proper about 100 kilometres (60 mi) north of Helsinki. It is also speculated that it might have been the name for an Iron Age and early Middle Ages settlement found opposite to the Häme Castle.
The architecture of Finland has a history spanning over 800 years, and while up until the modern era the architecture was highly influenced by Sweden, there were also influences from Germany and Russia. From the early 19th century onwards influences came directly from further afield: first when itinerant foreign architects took up positions in the country and then when the Finnish architect profession became established.
The attempt to create a Kingdom of Finland in 1742 is a little-known chapter in the history of Finland. After the Russian occupation during the Russo-Swedish War (1741–1743) and vague promises of making Finland independent, Finns elected the Duke Peter of Holstein-Gottorp, who later became heir to the throne of Russia and Emperor as Peter III, as the King of Finland. However, the political situation had outgrown the idea of Finnish independence, which quickly evaporated.
Viipuri Province was a historical province of Finland from 1812 to 1945.
Hamina Fortress is located in Finland on the coast of the Gulf of Finland and it is an integral part of the Hamina city centre. Hamina fortress is a Star fort, representing the Renaissance ideal city embodied by Palmanova city in northeastern Italy.
A mantal is an obsolete unit once used in Finland and Sweden to measure the size and productivity of a piece of land. In the 1900s, the mantal lost its relevance because crown land taxes ceased to exist and the government started drawing revenue from income taxes. Today, mantal values are only used in connection with some rural obligations and rights, while the size of farms in Finland is reported in hectares.
Henrik Klasson Horn , was a Swedish military officer and Governor-General of Finland. He was an ancestor of the noble Swedish family, Horn af Kanckas.
Klaus Henrikinpoika, lord of Joensuu and Kankainen was in his time one of the most influential magnates in Finland. As keystone of his career, he received the justiciarship of Southern Finland which he held from 1487 to 1520. He was the first male member of his agnatic house to rise to great prominence in his country.
Sippola is a former municipality of Finland in the former Kymi Province, now in Kymenlaakso. In 1975, it united with neighboring Anjala to form Anjalankoski, which was later merged into Kouvola in 2009.
{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help){{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
| Municipalities |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Former municipalities | ||
60°34′32″N027°08′38″E / 60.57556°N 27.14389°E
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
 | This Southern Finland location article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
