Lahti
Encyclopedia : L : LA : LAH : Lahti
- For other meanings, see Lahti (disambiguation).
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| 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 | 98 349 (January 2005) 728/km² |
Lahti (Lahtis in Swedish) is a Finnish city of 98,253 inhabitants (2003), 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.
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. 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, Sinfonia Lahti. It concentrates on Sibelius's music.
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.
In the educational sector, Lahti is modest, with the notable exception of the Lahti Polytechnic's renowned Institute Of Design.
Status and Area
- Town status granted 1905
- Province South Finland
- Region Päijät-Häme (Lahti Region)
- Administrative status Regional capital
- Population of municipality ca. 156 000
- Population of region served ca. 222 000
- 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
Trivia
The asteroid 1498 Lahti was named after the city by its discoverer, the Finnish astronomer Yrjö Väisälä.Born in Lahti
- Paula Harmokivi (*1975), Finnish freestyle swimmer
- Janne Ahonen (*1977), Finnish skijumper
- Pasi Nurminen, former NHL goaltender
- Ville Könönen, Finnish Researcher
External links
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