Turku

Turku ({{IPA2|ˈturku}}, Swedish: {{Audio|sv-Åbo.ogg|Åbo}}), founded in the 13th century, is the oldest and fifth largest city in Finland, with a population of 174,824 (as of 2004). Located at the mouth of the Aura river in the southwest of the country, it is the capital city of both the region of Finland Proper and the province of Western Finland, as well as being the centre of the country's third largest urban area, with around 300,000 inhabitants. Turku has one of the largest Finland-Swedish population in the country. The Finnish word for the inhabitants of Turku is turkulaiset (singular: turkulainen). Due to its location, the Port of Turku is considered one of the most important seaports in Finland.

Government and politics

Being both a regional and provincial capital, Turku is an important administrative centre, hosting the seat of the Archbishop of Finland and a Court of Appeal. Armas Lahoniitty has been the city manager of Turku since 1996. He is retiring in early 2006, and will be replaced by Mikko Pukkinen, the former city manager of Seinäjoki.

Related Topics:
Regional - Provincial - Archbishop of Finland - Court of Appeal - City manager - 1996 - 2006 - Seinäjoki

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The city council and municipal government have long been dominated by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the National Coalition Party (Kokoomus), with approximately equal representation. Currently, the council has 67 members, with 19 from Kokoomus and 18 from SDP. The other major parties in the council are the Left Alliance (10 seats) and the Green League (9). The current chair of the city government is Aleksi Randell from Kokoomus.

Related Topics:
City council - Municipal government - Social Democratic Party - National Coalition Party - Left Alliance - Green League - Aleksi Randell

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Olavi Mäenpää, chairman of the far-right organisation Suomen Kansan Sinivalkoiset (SKS), is a highly controversial figure in the city's municipal politics. In the last municipal elections in 2004, he received more votes than any other candidate in Turku, probably in large part due to protest votes. SKS is, however, a marginal force in the city's administration, having only two seats in the council.

Related Topics:
Olavi Mäenpää - Far-right - Suomen Kansan Sinivalkoiset - 2004 - Protest

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