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.

People

At the end of 2004, the Turku region (including the economic districts of Turku and Åboland) had a population of 319,632, out of which, 174,824 people lived in the city of Turku. The city's population density is 718 inhabitants per square kilometre, but is however decreasing at an annual rate of 1.3%.

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89.4% of Turku's population speak Finnish as their native language, while 5.2% speak Swedish. The next most widely spoken languages are Russian (1.3%), Arabic (0.6%), Albanian (0.5%), and Kurdish (0.4%). 95.8% of the population are Finnish citizens, and the most sizeable minorities are from Russia, Estonia, Iraq, and Iran. Like all other Finnish cities, Turku does not collect information about the ethnic and religious makeup of its population. {{inote|see Turun kaupungin tilastollinen vuosikirja, 2005|stat yearbook '05}}

Related Topics:
Native language - Russian - Arabic - Albanian - Kurdish - Estonia - Iraq - Iran

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Throughout its history, Turku has always welcomed new influences: it was through Turku that the Swedish crown occupied what is today known as Finland. In the Middle Ages, it hosted German merchants, while engaging in trade with the Hanseatic League. Even today, the city has retained its tendency towards hospitality – it is the only city in Finland with the highest proportion of immigrants.

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Famous people from the city of Turku include Paavo Nurmi, Mauno Koivisto, Saku Koivu and the 18th century botanist, Herman Spöring. The Turku region has also brought forth many prominent personalities, including the marshal, Carl Gustaf Mannerheim.

Related Topics:
Paavo Nurmi - Mauno Koivisto - Saku Koivu - 18th century - Botanist - Herman Spöring - Marshal - Carl Gustaf Mannerheim

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