Lahti

 

(lä'tē, läkh'–) , city (1998 pop. 96,227), Southern Finland prov., S central Finland. Connected with the southern end of the Päijänne lake system, it is an important lake port as well as a transportation center. It has many large factories and is a center of the Finnish wood-products industry. Other industries include glassworks, breweries, and clothing factories. The city, founded in 1878, was incorporated in 1905. Many Karelians came to Lahti after the Finnish-Soviet armistice of 1944. The city hall (1912) was designed by Eliel Saarinen.

Lahden kaupunki

City	Lahti (1905)
Administrative Province	Southern Finland
Region	Päijänne Tavastia
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	154,51 km² 134,95 km² 19,56 km²
Population Density	99 096 (August 31. 2007) 730/km²

Lahti (Lahtis in Swedish) is a Finnish city of 98,413 inhabitants (2005), bordering the Vesijärvi lake. It became a city in 1905. Originally a part of Hollola, it has since grown considerably larger than its current neighbor. The symbol of the city is a burning train wheel. The terrain is unusually hilly, the city being situated on a series of ridges created in the last glacial period.

Sports

Lahti is best known for its annually held World Cup winter games called "Salpausselän kisat". The city endeavours for achievements in sport, which has led to such things as the hosting of a World Games event. As of 2007, it is the only city to host the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships six times, doing so in 1926, 1938, 1958, 1978, 1989, and 2001. The city also has an Association Football (soccer) club, FC Lahti, and an ice hockey team, the Lahti Pelicans. Lahti also has perhaps the best known symphony orchestra in Finland, Lahti Symphony Orchestra (Sinfonia Lahti). It concentrates on Sibelius's music.

Transportation and Communication

It is also a significant railroad crossroad and the site of two enormous radio masts, which once were used for the longwave transmitter of the Finnish broadcasting company. Nowadays the former transmitter building holds a museum. Lahti also harbours cultural ambitions, and recent years saw the building of a large congress & concert center, the Sibelius Hall. This has sparked much controversy amongst the population, many of whom feel that the money used for these purposes would be better spent on health care and education.

Education

In the educational sector, Lahti is modest, with the notable exception of the renowned Institute of Design, which is a part of Lahti University of Applied Sciences.

Status and area

• Town status granted 1.11.1905
• Province: Etelä-Suomi (Southern Finland)
• Region: Päijät-Häme (Lahti Region)
• Administrative status: Regional capital
• Population of municipality: 98 755 (31.12.2006)
• Population of Päijät-Häme region: ca. 198,923

• Area
  • Total surface area 154.5 km²
  • Land surface area 134.9 km²
  • Water area 19.6 km²
  • Area included in town plan 64.3 km²
  • Population density /km² land 728

• Distance by road (km)
  • Helsinki 104
  • Helsinki-Vantaa Airport 99
  • Tampere 126
  • Turku 213
  • Jyväskylä 167
  • Lappeenranta 148
  • Kouvola 62
  • Hämeenlinna 73
  • Oulu 505
  • Saint Petersburg 356

Economic statistics

• Unemployment: 13.7% (2006) ^[1]
• Principal divisions of economy: ^[2]
  • Services: 70%
  • Industry: 21%
  • Construction: 7%

Trivia

The asteroid 1498 Lahti was named after the city by its discoverer, the Finnish astronomer Yrjö Väisälä.

Born in Lahti

• Jari Litmanen, Finnish top class football player
• Paula Harmokivi (born 1975), Finnish freestyle swimmer
• Janne Ahonen (born 1977), Finnish ski jumper
• Pasi Nurminen, former NHL goaltender
• Ville Könönen, Finnish researcher
• Mikko Ilonen, professional golfer
• Toni Lydman, Buffalo Sabres Ice hockey Player
• Aksu Hanttu, Drummer for the band Entwine
• Ilona Jokinen, Finnish soprano opera singer

Sister cities

• Akureyri, Iceland
• Pécs, Hungary
• Västerås, Sweden
• Ålesund, Norway
• Zaporizhzhya, Ukraine
• Randers, Denmark

References

External links

• Lahti's Official city website
• Lahti Guide information for visitors to the Lahti region
• Lahti travel guide from Wikitravel
• Lahti travel

Municipalities of Päijänne Tavastia
Artjärvi · Asikkala · Hartola · Heinola · Hollola · Hämeenkoski · Kärkölä · Lahti · Nastola · Orimattila · Padasjoki · Sysmä
Päijänne Tavastia · Southern Finland · Finland

Coordinates: 60°59′00″N, 25°39′20″E

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