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Judicial System Of Finland

Judicial system of Finland

Under the Constitution of Finland, everyone is entitled to have their case heard by a court or an authority appropriately and without undue delay. This is achieved through the judicial system of Finland. The Finnish judicial system consists of
- the independent courts of law
- the prosecution service
- the enforcement authorities, who see to the enforcement of judgments
- the prison service and the probation service, who see to the enforcement of custodial sentences, and
- the Bar Association and the other avenues of legal aid.

Background

The Finnish legal system originated during the period of Swedish rule and the country's first court of appeals was established at Turku in 1634. The modern division of the Finnish courts into two main branches - general courts, dealing with civil suits and criminal cases, and administrative courts, regulating the actions of the country's bureaucracy - also dates from this time. This division was formalized in 1918 when two sections of the Senate became the newly independent country's two highest courts. The Senate Department of Justice became the Supreme Court, and part of the Senate Finance Department was the basis of the Supreme Administrative Court. The two court systems are entirely separate, and they have no jurisdiction over one another. The establishment of the two courts was confirmed by the Constitution Act of 1919. Overseeing the system of justice are the Chancellor of Justice and the Parliamentary Ombudsman. Although these two officials have largely parallel functions and each is required to submit an annual report of their activities to Parliament, the Chancellor of Justice is appointed for life by the President and is a non-voting member of the Council of State, whereas the Parliamentary Ombudsman is chosen for a four-year term by the Parliament. Both officials receive complaints from citizens about the conduct of civil servants, and on their own may investigate all public officials and may order prosecutors to proceed against them. The Chancellor of Justice supervises public prosecutors, and they also have the unrestricted right to investigate private persons. Both officials may call on either of the supreme courts for assistance. As in the other Nordic countries, there is no constitutional court. Issues dealt with by a court of this kind elsewhere are handled by the Parliament's Constitutional Committee.

Legal profession

Advocates

Any lawyer applying for membership in the Finnish Bar Association must have completed a Master of Laws degree, entitling them to hold judicial office, and must be known to be a person of integrity. They also must have several years experience in the legal profession and other judicial duties. An advocate must be independent and autonomous in relation to the government and all other quarters with the exception of their client. Only members of the bar association are entitled to use the professional title "Advocates" (Finnish: asianajaja, Swedish: advokat). The Finnish Bar Association has about 1 570 members. Practising lawyers who are not members of the Bar Association may not meet the requirements for an advocate, or may prefer not to submit to the obligations of an advocate.

Prosecutors

The prosecutors in Finland are organised in two tiers. The prosecution service consists of the Office of the Prosecutor General in Helsinki and the local prosecution units in all 90 state local districts in Finland. The Office operates as the central administrative authority for the prosecution service. The Prosecutor General is the supreme prosecutor and the head of the prosecution service. The current Prosecutor General is Matti Kuusimäki. The Prosecutor General directs and develops prosecutorial activity by issuing general instructions and guidelines to the prosecutors. He also appoints local prosecutors. The Prosecutor General may take over a case from a subordinate prosecutor. He also acts as the prosecutor in the High Court of Impeachment if the Parliament decides that charges are to be brought against the President of Finland or against a member of the Finnish Council of State. For regular prosecutorial tasks, the office has thirteen State Prosecutors, whose jurisdiction covers the entire country. In the state local districts, prosecutorial duties are performed by local district prosecutors. Their jurisdiction normally covers one local district. In addition, the Åland Islands have a provincial prosecutor. The Parliamentary Ombudsman and the Chancellor of Justice are competent to raise charges in special cases.

Courts

General Courts

District Courts

The Finnish District Courts (Finnish: Käräjäoikeus, Swedish: Tingsrätt) deal with criminal cases, civil cases and petitionary matters, such as divorce, the custody of children or debt adjustment. There are 61 district courts in Finland. A district court is headed by the Chief Judge and other judges, who have the title of District Judge. In certain cases, the district court may also have Lay Judges. The cases are handled and resolved either in a session, or in chambers. In simple cases decisions can be made by notaries at the court or by trained office staff. The decision of a district court can normally be appealed in a Court of Appeal. Lay Judges sit mainly in criminal cases, but it can also sit in civil matters as well as tenancy disputes. The composition with Lay Judges consists of the ordinary District Judge at the District Court, acting as the chairperson, and three Lay Judges. The municipal councils appoint the Lay Judges for terms of four years. Each Lay Judge participates in a hearing approximately once a month. The District Court pays a hearing fee to the Lay Judges and reimburses them for loss of income.

Courts of Appeal

Appeals from the District Courts are addressed to the six Courts of Appeal (Finnish: Hovioikeus, Swedish: Hovrätt), located at Helsinki, Turku, Vaasa, Kouvola, Kuopio, and Rovaniemi. Most of the cases dealt with by the Courts of Appeal are appeals against decisions of the district courts. In addition, Courts of Appeal decide, as the first instance, matters of treason and high treason, as well as certain offences in public office. The head of a Court of Appeal is the Chief Justice. The other judges of the court are called Senior Justices or Justices. Cases are presented for decision by legally trained referendaries, who are called Senior Assistant Justices or Assistant Justices. Most cases are heard by professional three-judge divisions, with each division headed by a Senior Justice. More important cases are tried before a plenary session of judges if the Chief Justice decides. In cases involving senior government officials, a court of appeals may serve as the court of first instance. The judges of the Courts of Appeal are appointed by the President, on the basis of a draft decision presented by the government.

Supreme Court

The Supreme Court (Finnish: Korkein oikeus, Swedish: Högsta domstolen), located in Helsinki, consists of a President and 18 other Justices, usually working in five-judge panels. The most important function of the Supreme Court is to rule on important points of law in cases which are significant for the entire legal order, guiding the administration of justice in future cases. Decisions of courts of appeal, as well as certain decisions of the Insurance Court may be appealed against to the Supreme Court, provided that it grants leave to appeal. The Supreme Court gives advice to the President in cases concerning his or her right to grant a pardon, and to the Ministry of Justice in cases concerning extradition. It may provide legal opinions on Government Bills at different stages of the legislative process, and the President may consult it on Bills passed by Parliament before ratifying them. The Supreme Court may also approach the President on its own initiative, and propose enactment of a new Parliament Act or an amendment to an existing Act. The Supreme Court mainly relies on written evidence when deciding on a case. The Court may, however, hold oral hearings in which the parties, witnesses and experts are heard in person. The oral hearings are public. The President and other justices of the Supreme Court are appointed by the President of the Republic. The current judges of the Supreme Court are:
- President Leif Sevón
- Justice Anja Tulenheimo-Takki
- Justice Riitta Suhonen
- Justice Kari Raulos
- Justice Gustaf Möller
- Justice Mikko Tulokas
- Justice Lauri Lehtimaja
- Justice Kati Hidén
- Justice Eeva Vuori
- Justice Kari Kitunen
- Justice Mikael Krogerus
- Justice Gustav Bygglin
- Justice Liisa Mansikkamäki
- Justice Pertti Välimäki
- Justice Pauliine Koskelo
- Justice Pasi Aarnio
- Justice Juha Häyhä
- Justice Hannu Rajalahti

Administrative Courts

Regional Administrative Courts

There are eight regional Administrative Courts (Finnish: Hallinto-oikeus, Swedish: Förvaltningsdomstol), named after their seats as the Administrative Courts of Helsinki, Hämeenlinna, Kouvola, Kuopio, Oulu, Rovaniemi, Turku and Vaasa. In addition, the autonomous Åland Islands have a separate administrative court. The judicial oversight of administrative acts is the task of the administrative courts. A person or a corporation that believes a decision of a state or local authority relating to them is illegal is entitled to appeal against the decision. On appeal, the administrative court reviews the legality of the decision of the authority. If the appellant is discontent with the decision of the administrative court, it is possible to appeal to the Supreme Administrative Court. All judges in administrative courts are professionals, appointed in the same manner as judges who sit in general courts. Judges work in three-judge panels in the regional administrative courts and in five-judge panels in the Supreme Administrative Court.

Supreme Administrative Court

The Supreme Administrative Court (Finnish: Korkein hallinto-oikeus, Swedish: Högsta förvaltningsdomstolen) consists of a President and 19 other Justices. The court has three chambers. The first chamber focuses on cases concerning building and planning, environmental permits, real property, waste management, water rights, roads, nature conservation, extraction of land resources and general administrative law. The second chamber handles cases concerning taxation and customs, competition, trades, access to documents, population administration, and driver’s licences and other cases related to vehicles, as well as cases concerning traffic, financial management, pharmacies, agriculture and forestry, labour administration and state officials. The third chamber handles cases concerning social welfare, child welfare and public care of children, nationality, aliens, patents and registers, local government, local authority officials, Church law, handicap services, mental health, health care, health inspections, school education, public order and public entertainment, and firearms. The chambers do not exclusively handle cases concerning the aforementioned subject-matters but may examine any types of cases falling within the Court's jurisdiction. About 50 percent of the cases heard in the Supreme Administrative Court involve questions about taxes. The current judges of the Supreme Administrative Court are:
- President Pekka Hallberg (appointed 1993)
- Justice Ahti Rihto (1988)
- Justice Ilmari Ojanen (1990)
- Justice Olof Olsson (1993)
- Justice Esa Aalto (1993)
- Justice Pirkko Ignatius (1994)
- Justice Lauri Tarasti (1994)
- Justice Raimo Anttila (1995)
- Justice Tuulikki Keltanen (1995)
- Justice Marita Liljeström (1997)
- Justice Olli Nykänen (1997)
- Justice Pekka Vihervuori (1998)
- Justice Marjatta Kaján (2000)
- Justice Heikki Kanninen (2000)
- Justice Kari Kuusiniemi (2003)
- Justice Niilo Jääskinen (2003)
- Justice Ilkka Pere (2003)
- Justice Ahti Vapaavuori (2003)
- Justice Irma Telivuo (2004)
- Justice Jukka Mattila (2004)

Special Courts

Market Court

The Market Court is a special court that hears market law, competition and public procurement cases. It issues injunctions against illegal restrictions of competition and order monetary penalties. It has duties also in the supervision of mergers and acquisitions. In addition, the Market Court may overturn public procurement decisions, adjust the procurement process and order compensatory payments.

Labour Court

The Labour Court has jurisdiction in disputes on collective agreements and collective civil service agreements. Disputes on individual employment relationships are heard by the general courts and disputes on individual civil service relationships by the administrative courts.

Insurance Court

The Insurance Court has jurisdiction in certain matters of social insurance, such as accident insurance, employment pensions, civil service pensions and national pensions.

High Court of Impeachment

The High Court of Impeachment may be convened for cases dealing with criminal charges (for an offence in office) against the President of the Republic, the justices of the supreme courts, members the Council of State, the Chancellor of Justice and the Ombudsman of Parliament. The court has been used only three times since its formation in 1922. Members of this court are the presidents of the two supreme courts, three most senior chief judges of the courts of appeal and five members elected by the Parliament.

External link

- [http://www.oikeus.fi/8108.htm The judicial system in Finland] by the Finnish [http://www.om.fi/ Ministry of Justice] Category:Finnish law Finland

Constitution of Finland

The Constitution of Finland defines the government and its shape, the relationship between the different topmost branches of the commonwealth and the rights of the individual. The original constitution took force in 1919, soon after Finland declared independence in 1917, but the version of the constitution currently in use took force on 1 March 2000. The judicial and constitutional system in Finland has been criticized for failing to separate powers. Laws cannot be ruled unconstitutional in the supreme courts of the judicial branch, but are previewed by the legislative branch and voted on irrespective of their constitutionality. This structure is unusual among democratic nations. The Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Sweden are the only other such countries which lack a constitutional court - the UK's constitution is uncodified, and the Netherlands has in, the view of many, separated powers. However, the new constitution has given some power to supreme courts to dismiss a case if they find it unconstitutional, even though this power explicitly prohibits the supreme courts from interpreting rights on constitutional issues.

Links

- [http://www.finlex.fi/pdf/saadkaan/E9990731.PDF Finnish constitution in English (PDF)] Category:Politics of Finland Finland

FinlanD

Finland.

Turku

Turku (, Swedish: ), 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.

History

Turku has a long history as the country's largest city and administrative centre, but has, during the last two centuries, relegated those titles to Helsinki. The city also bears a strong identity as the oldest city in Finland, and as its former capital. Originally, the word 'Finland' referred only to the area around Turku (hence the title, 'Finland Proper' for the region). Although archaelogical findings, dating back to the Stone Age, have been discovered, Turku did not become a significant location until the late 13th century. Its name originated from an old Russian word, tǔrgǔ, meaning 'market place'. The Cathedral of Turku was consecrated in 1300, and together with Turku Castle and the Dominican monastery (founded in 1229), the city became the most important location in medieval Finland. During the Middle Ages, Turku was the seat of the Bishop of Turku (a title later upgraded to 'Archbishop of Turku'), and the only city in Finland to trade with the Hanseatic League. The population of the city was around six thousand, and in the 1620s, it became the residence of the Governor-General of Finland, thus affirming its status as the capital of Finland. In 1640, the first university in Finland, the Academy of Åbo, was founded in Turku. After the Finnish War, which ended when Sweden ceded Finland to Imperial Russia at the Treaty of Hamina in 1809, the capital was changed from Turku to Helsinki, as Emperor Alexander I felt that Turku was too far from Russia to serve as the capital of the Grand Duchy. The change officially took place in 1812. The government offices that remained in Turku were finally moved to the new capital after the "Great Fire of Turku", which almost completely destroyed the city in 1827. After the fire, a new and safer city plan was drawn up by German architect Carl Engel, who had also designed the new capital, Helsinki. Turku remained the largest city in Finland for another twenty years. In 1918, a new university, the Åbo Akademi — the only Swedish-language university in Finland — was founded in Turku. Two years later, the Finnish-language University of Turku was founded alongside it. These two universities are the second and third to be founded in Finland. Turku has been viewed during the 20th century as 'Finland's gateway to the West' as a result of its good connections with other Western European countries and cities. Since the 1940s, there have been particularly strong ties with Stockholm (located across the Gulf of Bothnia). In the 1960s, Turku became the first Western city to sign a twinning agreement with Leningrad in the Soviet Union, leading to greater inter-cultural exchange and providing a new meaning to the city's 'gateway' function. After the fall of Communism in Russia, many prominent Soviets came to Turku to study Western business practices, among whom was Vladimir Putin, then Leningrad's deputy mayor . In the 1960s and 1970s, Turku displayed unprecedented rates of growth, resulting in the construction of many new densely-inhabited suburbs such as Varissuo and Runosmäki, and the annexation of many neighbouring municipalities (eg. Maaria and Paattinen).

Geography

Paattinen Located at the mouth of the Aura river in the southwestern corner of Finland, Turku covers an area of 243 km² (94 sq mi) of land, spread over both sides of the river. The eastern side, where the Cathedral of Turku is located, is popularly referred to as täl pual jokke ('this side of the river'), while the western side is referred to as tois pual jokke ('the other side of the river'). The city centre is located close to the river mouth, on both sides of the river, though development has recently been expanding westward. There are nine bridges over the Aura river in Turku. The first bridge in the city area, known as Pennisilta, was built in 1414, and has since been demolished. The oldest of the current bridges is Auransilta, which was constructed in 1904. The newest bridge is Teatterisilta ('theatre bridge'), a pedestrian-only bridge built in 1997. One of the best-known landmarks of Turku is the Föri, a small ferry that transports pedestrians and bicycles across the river. The city is divided into 79 districts that do not function as local government units. There are, however, some projects that are based on the district divisions, particularly in the eastern part of the city, where unemployment is rife in certain areas. The largest populated districts are Varissuo and Runosmäki. By area, however, Kakskerta and Paattinen, formed from former municipalities that were annexed to the city proper in the mid-20th century, constitute the largest districts. As many of the small neighbouring municipalities from the north and south of the city were annexed during the mid-20th century, Turku is today shaped like an elongated pear. The city centre and most of the suburban areas lie in the middle, separated from the less densely populated rural areas to the north by the Turku bypass that forms part of European route E18. Islands such as Ruissalo, Hirvensalo and Kakskerta, forming the southern part of the city, are also sparsely populated and mostly contain summer residences, with the exception of some districts in Hirvensalo which are currently growing into upper-middle-class suburbs. With a population of approximately 300,000, the Turku region is the third largest urban region in Finland, after Greater Helsinki and the area around Tampere. The region is usually considered to include, in addition to the city itself, at least the neighbouring cities of Naantali, Raisio and Kaarina, and the town of Lieto. Often too, municipalities such as Pargas, Piikkiö, Paimio, Aura, Vahto, Rusko and Masku are included in this definition. See also: Districts of Turku, Regions of Finland, Provinces of Finland

Climate

Lying by the Baltic Sea and sheltered by the islands of the Archipelago Sea, Turku has a continental climate. Like much of southern Finland, the city experiences warm summers, with temperatures ranging up to 30°C (86°F), and relatively cold winters with frequent snowfall. The warmest month of the year is July, with an average temperature of 17°C (62°F), while the coldest is January at -6°C (21°F). The average year-round temperature is 5°C (41°F). Precipitation in Turku averages 633 mm (25 inches) a year. The rainiest month of the year is August, when the city receives on average 85 mm (3.4 inches) of rainfall. In March, the driest month of the year, the figure is only 29 mm (1.1 inches). The average air pressure at sea level is 1012 millibars, with little variance throughout the year. Operational since 1955, the city's weather station is located at an altitude of 47 metres (154 feet) at Turku Airport.

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. 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. 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.

Transportation

protest For a city of its size, Turku has a good public transportation network of bus routes. It is managed and supervised by the City of Turku Public Transport Office, and is operated mainly by private companies. All the major districts are served by buses every ten to fifteen minutes during the day, some even more frequently. Regional buses are operated by private companies, most importantly TLO, with very frequent services especially to the neighbouring cities of Naantali, Raisio, and Kaarina. TLO has been accused, however, of abusing its near-monopoly status by setting high fares. Rail traffic to and from Turku is handled by the Finnish national carrier, VR. As with most other Finnish cities, railways were an important method of transportation in the first half of the 20th century, but have since seen a sharp fall in popularity. As a result, the number of services has fallen and only the railways towards Tampere and Helsinki are now in use. The railway stations currently used for passenger traffic are the Turku Central railway station in the city's VII District, and two smaller stations in Kupittaa and the Port of Turku. There is no local rail traffic at the moment, as the city's tram services were discontinued in 1972, and the various local railway lines to neighbouring towns and municipalities were all abolished during the late 20th century. However, there are plans for a light rail line in the Turku region in the near future. This system would more ably serve the major suburbs of the city, namely Varissuo and Runosmäki, as well as the neighbouring cities. Turku Airport is located eight kilometres to the north of the city centre, partly in the neighbouring municipality of Rusko. There are also daily ferry services from the Port of Turku to Sweden and Åland, operated by Silja Line, Viking Line and SeaWind Line. These are somewhat of a Finnish cultural tradition (see ruotsinlaiva), and people often travel long distances across Finland to Turku just to take a cruise across the Gulf of Bothnia.

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%. 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. 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. 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.

Economy

Carl Gustaf Mannerheim Turku is the central economic hub of southwestern Finland, and the capital of the Turku economic district. As of 2003, the district's per capita income was 24,022 euros, significantly higher than the national average of €23,780. The city's economy is centred around the Port of Turku and other service-oriented industries. 86 per cent of the city's workforce are employed in the services sector. The city is also a renowned high-tech centre — the Turku Science Park area in Kupittaa hosts over 300 companies from the fields of biotechnology and information technology, as well as several institutions of higher learning that work in closely with the business sector. This cooperative element is seen as a particularly important factor with regards to the city's expected future economic development, as outlined in the Turku Strategy that is published annually by the city council. Turku, with its good transportation network and close proximity to the Archipelago Sea, is also an important centre for tourism, frequently hosting various conventions and exhibitions. As of 2004, the city's unemployment rate is 13.1%, well above the national average of 8.9%. The problem of unemployment is particularly troublesome in the districts of Pansio, Lauste, and Varissuo, where it hovers at around 23%. The city collects an 18 per cent income tax (council tax) from its inhabitants, in addition to the progressively graduated taxation practised by the Finnish state. The total amount received through council tax in 2004 was projected at €400 million, a reduction of 1.0 per cent from the previous year. Taxes collected from corporations amounted to €39 million in 2004. See also: Economy of Finland

Education

Economy of Finland Turku has a long educational history — the first school in the city, the Cathedral School, was founded along with the Cathedral of Turku in the late 13th century. The first university in Finland, the "Academy of Åbo" (now University of Helsinki), was established in the city in 1640. In 1820, the first school in Finland, conforming to the Bell-Lancaster method, was founded in Turku with the aim of making primary education more inclusive to the lower classes. Nowadays, the University of Turku is the second largest university in Finland, as measured by student enrolment, and one of the oldest as well, having been founded in 1920. Turku is also home to two other universities, namely Åbo Akademi University, Finland's only Swedish-language university, and the Turku School of Economics and Business Administration. In addition, Turku Polytechnic is the largest polytechnic in Finland. The central hospital of Turku, Turku University Hospital, is affiliated with the University and it is used as a teaching hospital. Turku is one of only two cities in Finland to have an established international school (the other city being Helsinki). Turku International School, functioning in the eastern district of Varissuo, has been operational since 2003.

Media

The most widely read newspaper in Turku, and the area around it, is the daily regional morning newspaper Turun Sanomat, with a readership of over 70% of the population every day. The free-of-charge Turkulainen newspaper is also among the most popular newspapers, together with the local edition of Metro International and the national evening tabloid Ilta-Sanomat. There are also a number of local newspapers such as Kulmakunta (for the eastern suburbs of Turku, including Varissuo and Lauste), and Rannikkoseutu (for the area around the neighbouring cities of Raisio and Naantali). Åbo Underrättelser, published in Turku, is one of Finland's two major Swedish-language newspapers (together with the Helsinki-based Hufvudstadsbladet). The newspaper, Turun Sanomat, also operates a regional television station, called Turku TV. The Finnish national broadcaster, Yleisradio, screens local news, daily from Monday to Friday, for the Southwest Finland (including the regions of Finland Proper and Satakunta) residents. All Finnish national TV channels are viewable in the Turku area. In addition, a number of local radio stations, eg Auran Aallot and Radio Sata are operational.

Culture

radio Cultural venues in Turku include several theatres, cinemas, and art galleries, and a city philharmonic orchestra. The city's cultural centre organises a number of regular events, most notably the Medieval Market in July each year. Turku is also the official Christmas city of Finland, and 'Christmas Peace' in Finland is declared on every 24 December at the Cathedral of Turku. The Turku Music Festival and the rock festival Ruisrock (held on the island of Ruissalo) are among the oldest of its kind in Scandinavia. The city also hosts another rock festival, Down by the Laituri, and boasts a vibrant nightlife. There are also numerous museums, such as the Turku Art Museum and the Wäinö Aaltonen Museum of Art. The Åbo Akademi University maintains the Jean Sibelius museum, which is the only museum in Finland specialising in the field of music. Apart from these, there are also several historical museums that display the city's medieval period, such as the Turku Castle, which has been a functional historical museum since 1881, and the Aboa Vetus museum, built in the late 1990s over the 14th century archaeological site. The Luostarinmäki handicrafts museum, converted from residential buildings that survived the Great Fire of Turku in 1827, was the first Scandinavian venue to receive the "Golden Apple" tourism award.

Sports

As in most other Finnish cities, the most popular sport is ice hockey. The local club TPS plays in the sport's top level in Finland, the SM-liiga. It is based at Elysée Arena to the southwest of the city centre. TPS has won the Finnish ice hockey championship ten times. The city's other major ice hockey team is TuTo, which play at the country's second level. Football is also an important sport, and the city has two teams in the Veikkausliiga: FC Inter and TPS (which is part of the same organisation as the ice hockey team). Both teams play their home matches at the modern Veritas Stadion in the district of Kupittaa. The Paavo Nurmi Marathon is an annual sporting event in Turku, named after the world-famous runner who was born and raised in the city.

Sister Cities

- Saint Petersburg, Russia, since 1953
- Szeged, Hungary, since 1971
- Gdansk, Poland, since 1958
- Florence, Italy, since 1992
- Gothenburg, Sweden, since 1946
- Aarhus, Denmark, since 1946
- Rostock, Germany, since 1963
- Bergen, Norway, since 1946
- Cologne, Germany, since 1967
- Varna, Bulgaria, since 1963
- Bratislava, Slovakia, since 1976
- Constanţa, Romania, since 1963
- Tianjin, China, since 2000
- Tartu, Estonia, co-operation agreement
- Tallinn, Estonia, co-operation agreement
- Kuressaare, Estonia, co-operation agreement

References

- The city's official website at http://www.turku.fi/.
- The website of the tourist organisation Turku TouRing at http://www.turkutouring.fi/.
- [http://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turku Turku] from the Finnish-language Wikipedia. Retrieved 11 August 2005.
- Turun kaupungin viestintäkeskus (2005). [http://www.turku.fi/Public/download.aspx?ID=3783&GUID= Kunnalliskertomus 2004]. Retrieved 11 August 2005.
- Turun kaupunki (2005). [http://www.turku.fi/Public/default.aspx?contentid=2296 Turun kaupungin tilastollinen vuosikirja]. Retrieved 11 August 2005.
- Turun kaupunginvaltuusto (2004). [http://www.turku.fi/Public/download.aspx?ID=452&GUID= Talousarvio 2005]. Retrieved 21 August 2005.
- Turun Sanomat (2004). [http://www.turunsanomat.fi/mediakortti/?osio=4&sivu=1 Tutkimus: lehtien lukijapeitot]. Retrieved 21 August 2005.
- Anttonen, Martti (ed) (1992). Täällä Suomen synnyinmuistot. Jyväskylä: Varsinais-Suomen maakuntaliitto.
- Knuuti, Heikki et al (1986). Kotikaupunkini Suomen Turku. Keuruu: Otava Publishing.
- Virmavirta, Jarmo (2004). Finland's City of Turku. Keuruu: Otava Publishing.

External links

- [http://www.turku.fi/ Turku] - Official site
-
- [http://www.turkutouring.fi/etusivu_englanti.phtml Turku TouRing] - A tourist organisation for the Turku region.
- [http://www.saaristo.org Turku Archipelago] - "The world´s most beautiful archipelago"
- [http://www.fmi.fi/weather/local.html?kunta=Turku Local weather in Turku] from the Finnish Meteorological Institute.
- [http://www.turunsanomat.fi/ Turun Sanomat] - The city's most widely read newspaper
- [http://www.turkusciencepark.com/ Turku Science Park]
- [http://www.unikankare.net/ Unikankare] A culture webzine based in Turku Category:Turku Category:Municipalities of Finland Proper Region Category:Cities and towns in Finland Category:Coastal cities of Finland ja:トゥルク

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Events

- February 24-25 - Rebellious soldiers kill Albrecht von Wallenstein
- March 1 - Battle at Smolensk, King Ladislaus IV of Poland defeats Russian army.
- March 25 - The first settlers arrive in St. Mary's City, Maryland (led by Lord Baltimore), the fourth permanent settlement in British North America.
- September 5 and September 6 - Battle of Nördlingen (1634) results in Catholic victory
- Moses Amyraut's Traite de la predestination is published
- Curaçao captured by the Dutch
- Treaty of Polianovska
- First meeting of the Académie française
- The witchcraft affair at Loudun
- Jean Nicolet lands at Green Bay, Wisconsin
- Opening of Covent Garden Market in London
- English establish a settlement at Cochin, now Kochi on Malabar coast
- First decennial performance of the Oberammergau Passion Plays
- Oxford University Press receives its charter and becomes the second of the privileged presses

Births

- January 25 - Gaspar Fagel, Dutch statesman (d. 1688)
- March 18 - Marie-Madeleine de La Fayette, French novelist (d. 1693)
- June 20 - Charles Emmanuel II of Savoy (d. 1675)
- July 14 - Pasquier Quesnel, French Jansenist theologian (d. 1719)
- July 18 - Johannes Camphuys, Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies (d. 1695)
- October 18 - Luca Giordano, Italian artist (d. 1705)
- December 15 - Thomas Kingo, Danish poet (d. 1703)
- Marc-Antoine Charpentier, French composer (d. 1704) See also :Category:1634 births.

Deaths

- February 25 - Albrecht von Wallenstein, Austrian general (assassinated) (b. 1583)
- May 12 - George Chapman, English author
- May 15 - Hendrick Avercamp, Dutch painter (b. 1585)
- June 22 - Johann Graf von Aldringen, Austrian soldier (b. 1588)
- June 25 - John Marston, English dramatist (b. 1576)
- August 9 - William Noy, English jurist (b. 1577)
- September 3 - Edward Coke, English colonial entrepreneur and jurist (b. 1552)
- December 29 - John Albert Vasa, Polish bishop (b. 1612)
- Adriano Banchieri, Italian composer (b. 1568) See also :Category:1634 deaths. Category:1634 ko:1634년

1918

1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar.

Events

January-February

- January 8 - President Woodrow Wilson announces his "Fourteen Points" for the aftermath of World War I.
- January 22 - Manitoba, Canada film censor board bans comedies
- January 24 - a decree of the Council of People's Commissars, introducing the Gregorian calendar in Russia since February 1 (Julian calendar date), issued
- January 28 - Vladimir Lenin decrees the establishment of the Red Army.
- February 3 - The Twin Peaks Tunnel begins service in San Francisco as the longest streetcar tunnel in the world (11,920 feet long).
- February 8 - The Stars and Stripes newspaper
- February 14 - The Soviet Union adopts the Gregorian calendar (1 February according to the Julian calendar). As a consequence the anniversary of the Russian Revolution, previously October, now falls in November.
- February 16 - Lithuania declares its independence from both Russia and Germany
- February 18 - White Cossack troops retreat from the Don after advancing Bolsheviks
- February 24 - Estonia declares its independence from Russia
- February 26 - Grandstands at the Hong Kong Jockey Club collapse - 604 dead

March-April

- March 1 - German submarine U 19 sinks HMS Calgarian off Rathlin Island, Nothern Ireland.
- March 3 - World War I: Germany, Austria and Bolshevist Russia sign the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk ending Russia's involvement in the war.
- March 5 - The Soviet Russia moves its national capital from Petrograd to Moscow
- March 6 - Finnish Air Force founded. The blue swastika is adopted as its symbol as a tribute to the Swedish explorer and aviator Eric von Rosen who donated the first plane. Von Rosen had painted the Buddhist symbol on the plane as his personal lucky insignia.
- March 7 - World War I: Finland forms an alliance with Germany.
- March 12 – Moscow becomes the capital of Soviet Russia
- March 19 - The U.S. Congress establishes time zones and approves daylight saving time (DST went into effect on March 31).
- March 21 - World War I: Second Battle of the Somme begins
- March 23 - The giant German cannon, the so called Paris Gun begins to shell Paris from 114 km (75 miles) away
- March 23 - In London at the Wood Green Empire, Chung Ling Soo (William E Robinson, US-born magician) dies during his trick where he was supposed to "catch" two separate bullets – one of them perforates his lung. He dies the following morning in hospital.
- March 23 - The Social Revolutionary Party declares Belorussia independent; Bolshevik armies soon crush them
- March 25 - for the first time Belarus declares independence.
- April 1 - The Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service are merged to form the Royal Air Force.

May-July

- May 1 - German troops enter Don province - they take Rostov May 6
- May 2 - General Motors acquires the Chevrolet Motor Company of Delaware.
- May 15 - The Post Office Department (later renamed the USPS) begins the first regular airmail service in the world (between New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, DC).
- May 16 - The Sedition Act of 1918 is approved by US Congress.
- May 26 - The Democratic Republic of Georgia is established.
- May 28 - Armenia gains independence from the Ottoman Empire
- June 1 - World War I: Battle for Belleau Wood begins.
- July - The Siberian Expedition is launched to extract the Czechoslovak Legion from the Russian civil war.
- July 4 - Change of emperor of the Ottoman Empire from Mehmed V (Resad) (1909-1918) to Mehmed VI (Vahdettin) (1918-1922)
- July 9 - Great train wreck of 1918: In Nashville, Tennessee, an inbound local train collides with an outbound express killing 101.
- July 15 - World War I: Second Battle of the Marne - The battle begins near the River Marne with a German attack.
- July 16 - Russian Revolution: At Ekaterinburg, Bolsheviks execute Czar Nicholas II of Russia and his family.

August-October

- August - "Spanish Flu" Influenza becomes pandemic; over twenty-five million people die in the following six months (three times as many as died during the war).
- August 1 - British anti-Bolshevik forces occupy Archangel, Russia. August 10 commander is told to help White Russians
- August 1 - Emma Susan Daugherty Banister becomes the first female sheriff in the United States following the death of her husband, John Riley Banister.
- August 8 - World War I: Battle of Amiens - Canadian troops, backed by Australians, begin a string of almost continuous victories with a push through the German front lines. German General Erich Ludendorff will later call this the "black day of the German army."
- August 30 - Strike of 20,000 London policemen with demands of increased pay and union recognition.
- August 30 - Fanya Kaplan tries to shoot Lenin. Petrograd head of Cheka is assassinated the same day.
- September 11 - The Boston Red Sox defeat the Chicago Cubs for the 1918 World Series championship. (their last World Series win until 2004)
- September 28 - Don Voisko adopts a constitution including declaration of independence. Collapse of Imperial Germany makes it void
- October 3 - Kaiser makes Max von Baden a German chancellor.
- October 3 - Poland declares independence.
- October 8 - World War I - In the Argonne Forest in France, US Corporal Alvin C. York almost single-handedly kills 25 German soldiers and captures 132.
- October 25 - The Princess Sophia sinks on Vanderbilt Reef near Juneau, Alaska, 353 people die in the greatest maritime disaster in the Pacific Northwest.
- October 28 - Czechoslovakia gains its independence from Austria-Hungary.
- October 28 - New Polish government in Western Galicia (Central Europe)

November

- November 1 - Malbone Street Wreck: the worst rapid transit accident in world history occurs under the intersection of Malbone Street and Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn, New York City, with at least 93 dead.
- November 1 - Ruthenia in eastern Czechoslovakia declares brief independence
- November 3 - World War I: Austria-Hungary enters an armistice with the Allies.
- November 3 - Poland declares its independence from Russia.
- November 4 - World War I: Austria-Hungary surrenders to Italy.
- November 4 - Mutiny in the German fleet at Kiel begin the German Revolution.
- November 6 - A new Polish government is proclaimed in Lublin.
- November 8 - German army withdraws its support of the Kaiser
- November 9 - Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany abdicates and chooses to live in exile in the Netherlands.
- November 9 - Provisional National Council Minister-President Kurt Eisner declares Bavaria to be a republic.
- November 11 - World War I ends: Germany signs an armistice agreement with the Allies in a railroad car outside of Compiègne in France.
- November 11 - Poland regains independence after 123 years of partitions. Józef Piłsudski is appointed Commander-in-Chief.
- November 11 - Emperor Charles I of Austria abdicates.
- November 12 - Austria becomes a republic.
- November 14 - Czechoslovakia becomes a republic.
- November 14 - Józef Piłsudski is appointed head of state of Poland
- November 16 - Hungary declares independence from Austria
- November 16 - Hungarian People's Republic declared
- November 18 - Latvia declares its independence from Russia.
- November 22 - Spartacist League founds German Communist Party
- November 22 - Belgian royal family returns to Brussels after the war
- November 26 - the Podgorica Assembly voted for "union of the people", declaring a joining into the Kingdom of Serbia

December

- December 1 - Iceland becomes a self-governing kingdom, yet remains united with Denmark.
- December 1 - New voting laws in Sweden. Votes no longer dependent on taxable assets. One person, one vote.
- December 1 - Proclamation of Union of Alba Iulia. Following the March 27 incorporation of Bessarabia and Bucovina, Transylvania unites with Romania.
- December 1 - The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later known as the Kingdom of Yugoslavia) is proclaimed.
- December 4 - US President Woodrow Wilson sails for the Paris_Peace_Conference, becoming the first US president to travel to Europe while in office.
- December 27 - Beginning of Great Poland Uprising, the Poles in Greater Poland (or Grand Duchy of Poznań rise against the Germans.
- December 28 - Constance Markiewicz becomes the first woman elected to the House of Commons.

Unknown dates

- Finnish Civil War between the Reds and the Whites, January - April.
- Habsburg Empire ceases to exist.
- Grand Duchy of Baden ceases to exist.
- British occupy Palestine
- Katla erupts in Iceland.
- Native American Church is founded.
- Ernest Ansermet founds the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande.
- John Riley Banister becomes sherrif of Coleman County, Texas.
- Clifton Hillegass, American author born (d. 2001)
- Association Against the Prohibition Amendment founded to promote repeal of prohibition in U.S.

Births

January-February

- January 10 - Arthur Chung, President of Guyana
- January 15 - Gamal Abdal Nasser, President of Egypt (d. 1970)
- January 16 - Nel Benschop, Dutch poetess (d. 2005)
- January 16 - Stirling Silliphant, American writer and producer (d. 1996)
- January 19 - John H. Johnson, American publisher, (d. 2005)
- January 20 - Esquivel, Mexican musician (d. 2002)
- January 23 - Gertrude B. Elion, American scientist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (d. 1999)
- January 25 - Ernie Harwell, American baseball sportscaster
- January 26 - Nicolae Ceauşescu, Romanian dictator (d. 1989)
- January 26 - Philip José Farmer, American writer
- January 27 - Skitch Henderson, English-born musician and bandleader (d. 2005)
- January 29 - John Forsythe, American actor
- February 1 - Dame Muriel Spark, Scottish author
- February 3 - Helen Stephens, American runner (d. 1994)
- February 6 - Lothar-Günther Buchheim, German author
- February 8 - Fred Blassie, American professional wrestler (d. 2003)
- February 12 - Julian Schwinger, American physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1994)
- February 17 - William Bronk, American poet (d. 1999)
- February 22 - Robert Pershing Wadlow, American record-holder as the tallest man (d. 1940)
- February 25 - Barney Ewell, American athlete (d. 1996)
- February 25 - Bobby Riggs, American tennis player (d. 1995)
- February 26 - Theodore Sturgeon, American writer (d. 1985)

March-April

- March 1 - Roger Delgado, British actor (d. 1973)
- March 1 - João Goulart, President of Brazil (d. 1976)
- March 3 - Arthur Kornberg, American biochemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
- March 3 - Fritz Thiedemann, German equestrian (d. 2000)
- March 5 - James Tobin, American economist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2002)
- March 9 - George Lincoln Rockwell, American Nazi leader (d. 1967)
- March 9 - Mickey Spillane, American mystery writer
- March 11 - Jack Coe, American evangelist (d. 1956)
- March 12 - Elaine de Kooning, American artist (d. 1989)
- March 16 - Frederick Reines, American physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1998)
- March 17 - Mercedes McCambridge, American actress (d. 2004)
- March 18 - Al Benton, baseball player (d. 1968)
- March 18 - Bob Broeg, American sports writer (d. 2005)
- March 22 - Cheddi Jagan, President of Guyana (d. 1997)
- March 25 - Howard Cosell, American attorney, lecturer, and sports journalist (d. 1995)
- March 29 - Pearl Bailey, American singer and actress (d. 1990)
- April 9 - Jørn Utzon, Danish architect
- April 16 - Spike Milligan, Irish comedian (d. 2002)
- April 20 - Kai Siegbahn, Swedish physicist, Nobel Prize laureate
- April 22 - Mickey Vernon, baseball player
- April 26 - Fanny Blankers-Koen, Dutch athlete (d. 2004)

May-August

- May 1 - Jack Paar, American television show host (d. 2004)
- May 9 - Mike Wallace, American journalist
- May 9 - Orville L. Freeman, American politician (d. 2003)
- May 11 - Richard Feynman, American physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1988)
- May 12 - Julius Rosenberg, American-born Soviet spy (d. 1953)
- May 15 - Eddy Arnold, American singer
- May 16 - Wilf Mannion, English footballer (d. 2000)
- May 17 - Birgit Nilsson, Swedish soprano
- May 20 - Edward B. Lewis, American geneticist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (d. 2004)
- June 6 - Edwin G. Krebs, American biochemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
- June 18 - Jerome Karle, American chemist, Nobel Prize laureate
- June 18 - Franco Modigliani, Italian-born economist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2003)
- July 4 - Ann Landers, American advice columnist (d. 2002)
- July 4 - Abigail Van Buren, American advice columnist and twin sister to Ann Landers
- July 5 - George Rochberg, American composer (d. 2005)
- July 13 - Alberto Ascari, Italian race car driver (d. 1955)
- July 14 - Ingmar Bergman Swedish film director
- July 15 - Bertram N. Brockhouse, Canadian physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2003)
- July 17 - Carlos Manuel Arana Osorio, President of Guatemala (d. 2003)
- July 18 - Nelson Mandela, President of South Africa, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize
- July 24 - Ruggiero Ricci, Italian-born violinist
- July 27 - Leonard Rose, American cellist (d. 1984)
- July 31 - Paul D. Boyer, American chemist, Nobel Prize laureate
- August 3 - Sidney Gottlieb, American Central Intelligence Agency official (d. 1999)
- August 5 - Betty Oliphant, co-founder of National Ballet of Canada (d. 2004)
- August 8 - Brian Stonehouse, English painter and World War II spy (d. 1998)
- August 13 - Frederick Sanger, English biochemist, Nobel Prize laureate
- August 25 - Leonard Bernstein, American composer and conductor (d. 1990)
- August 30 - Ted Williams, American baseball player (d. 2002)

September-December

- September 4 - Paul Harvey, American radio broadcaster
- September 8 - Derek Harold Richard Barton, British chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1998)
- September 22 - Henryk Szeryng, Polish-born violinist (d. 1988)
- September 27 - Martin Ryle, English radio astronomer, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics (d. 1984)
- October 4 - Kenichi Fukui, Japanese chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1998)
- October 5 - Roland Garros, French pilot (shot down) (b. 1888)
- October 8 - Jens Christian Skou, Danish chemist, Nobel Prize laureate
- October 19 - Louis Althusser, French philosopher (d. 1990)
- October 31 - Ian Stevenson, American parapsychologist
- November 3 - Russell B. Long, U.S. Senator from Louisiana (d. 2003)
- November 4 - Art Carney, American actor (d. 2003)
- November 10 - Ernst Otto Fischer, German chemist, Nobel Prize laureate
- November 13 - Jack Elam, American actor (d. 2003)
- December 8 - Gérard Souzay, French baritone (d. 2004)
- December 11 - Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Russian writer, Nobel Prize laureate
- December 12 - Joe Williams, American jazz singer (d. 1999)
- December 15 - Jeff Chandler, American actor (d. 1961)
- December 21 - Donald Regan, Chief of Staff and U.S. Treasury Secretary (d. 2003)
- December 21 - Kurt Waldheim, Secretary-General of the United Nations and President of Austria
- December 23 - José Greco, Italian-born flamenco dancer (d. 2001)
- December 25 - Anwar Sadat, President of Egypt, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (d. 1981)

Deaths

- January 6 - Georg Cantor, German mathematician (b. 1845)
- January 9 - Émile Reynaud, French science teacher and maker of the first animated films (b. 1844)
- January 28 - John McCrae, Canadian soldier and poet (b. 1872)
- February 6 - Gustav Klimt, Austrian painter (b. 1862)
- February 10 - Ernesto Teodoro Moneta, Italian pacifist, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (b. 1833)
- March 13 - César Cui, Lithuanian composer (b. 1835)
- March 25 - Claude Debussy, French composer (b. 1862)
- March 27 - Henry Adams, American historian (b. 1838)
- April 20 - Karl Ferdinand Braun, German phyicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1850)
- April 21 - Manfred von Richthofen, "Red Baron", German World War I pilot (b, 1892)
- May 14 - James Gordon Bennett, Jr., American newspaper publisher (b. 1841)
- May 19 - Raoul Lufbery, American World War I pilot (b. 1885)
- June 10 - Arrigo Boito, Italian poet and composer (b. 1842)
- July 3 - Sultan Mehmed V of the Ottoman Empire (b. 1844)
- July 17 - Tsar Nicholas II of Russia (b. 1868) and his family (executed)
- August 1 - John Riley Banister, law officer, cowboy, and Texas Ranger (b. 1854)
- August 18 - Henry Norwest, Canadian World War I sniper (b. 1884)
- September 12 - George Reid, fourth Prime Minister of Australia (b. 1845)
- September 28 - Georg Simmel, German sociologist and philosopher (b. 1858)
- October 22 - Myrtle Gonzalez, American stage and screen actress (b. 1891)
- November 4 - Wilfred Owen, English poet (killed in action) (b. 1893)
- November 9 - Guillaume Apollinaire, French poet (b. 1880)
- November 19 - Joseph Fielding Smith, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (b. 1838)

Nobel Prizes

- Physics - Max Karl Ernst Ludwig Planck
- Chemistry - Fritz Haber
- Medicine - not awarded
- Literature - not awarded
- Peace - not awarded Category:1918 ko:1918년 ms:1918 ja:1918年 simple:1918 th:พ.ศ. 2461

Chancellor of Justice

In some countries, the Chancellor of Justice is a government official responsible for supervising the lawfulness of government actions. The Chancellor does not have the power to strike down laws (cf. judicial review) but fulfills more the role of a judicial watchdog.

Sweden

In Sweden, the Chancellor of Justice (Justitiekanslern) is a government official charged with representing the Swedish government in various legal matters. The office was created in 1713. The Chancellor is appointed by the Government of Sweden. Once appointed there are no limitations to the term served in office. The present Chancellor of Justice is Göran Lambertz, who entered office on October 1, 2001.

History

In 1713 King Charles XII of Sweden, preoccupied with fighting the Great Northern War, was residing in Bendery and had not set foot in Sweden in over a decade. In order to reestablish the domestic administration, which had fallen into disarray, he instituted the office of His Majesty's Supreme Ombudsman. The office commenced operation on October 23, 1714 and the role the official was to ensure that judges and public officials acted in accordance with the laws, proficiently discharged their tasks, and if not he could initiate legal proceedings for dereliction of duty. This was the origin of the Ombudsman institution. The current name was adopted in 1719, by the Instrument of Government of the same year. The Chancellor performed an important task as ombudsman, but only acted on behalf of the royal government. In the Instrument of Government of 1809 a counterpart to act on the behalf of Parliament was instituted as the Parliamentary Ombudsman.

Duties

The duties of the Chancellor of Justice can be summed up to:
- be the State's representative in trials and other legal disputes;
- receive complaints and claims for damages directed to the State and decide on financial compensation for such damages;
- be the Government's counsellor in legal matters;
- act as the Government's ombudsman in the supervision of the authorities and the civil servants, and to take action in cases of abuse;
- ensure that the limits of the freedom of the press and other media are not transgressed and to act as the only public prosecutor in cases regarding offences agains the freedom of the press and other media;
- act as the guardian for the protection of privacy in different fields.

Finland

The Chancellor of Justice (Finnish: Oikeuskansleri, Swedish: Justitiekanslern) is a Finnish government official who supervises authorities' (such as cabinet ministers and other public officials) compliance with the law and advances legal protection of Finnish citizens. The Chancellor investigates complaints against authorities' activities and may also start an investigation of his own initiative. The Chancellor attends cabinet meetings as a non-voting member to ensure that legal procedures and regulations are followed. The Chancellor and his deputy are appointed by the President of Finland. The Chancellor is appointed for life. The present Chancellor of Justice is LL. Lic. Paavo Nikula. The Deputy Chancellor of Justice is LL.D. Jaakko Jonkka.

History

The Office of the Chancellor of Justice dates back to the 18th century, when Finland was part of the Kingdom of Sweden (see above). When Finland was annexed by the Russian Empire in 1809 as an autonomous Grand Duchy, the legal system remained basically the same. The duties of the Chancellor of Justice were given to the Procurator, who assisted the Governor-General in supervising obedience of the law. When Finland declared independence in 1917, the title reverted back to Chancellor of Justice. The first Chancellor of Justice was Pehr Evind Svinhufvud, who had served as Speaker of Parliament and who was later to become the third President of Finland. In 1919 the also the post of a Parliamentary Ombudsman was created. The Ombudsman and the Chancellor of Justice share many duties.

Duties

- supervising the lawfulness of the official acts of the Government and the President of the Republic
- providing the President, the Government and the Ministries with information and opinions on legal issues
- supervising that the courts of law, other authorities and civil servants, public employees and other persons obey the law and fulfil their obligations when performing public tasks
- monitoring the implementation of basic rights and liberties and human rights
- supervising the conduct of advocates with the Finnish Bar Association

Estonia

In Estonia, the Chancellor of Justice (Õiguskantsler) is an independent supervisor of the basic principles of the Constitution of Estonia and the protector of individual rights. The Chancellor of Justice is appointed to office by the Riigikogu on the proposal of the President for a seven-year term. The current Chancellor is Allar Jõks.

Duties

- Ensuring that authorities fulfil the obligations deriving from the principles of the rule of law and protection of human and social rights, human dignity, freedom, equality and democracy.
- Settling complaints on the work of state agencies or state officials, i.e. cases of maladministration, in which constitutional rights or freedoms of individuals have been violated with individual acts or measures. In this respect, the Chancellor can be seen as a government ombudsman.
- Exercising supervision over the conformity of the laws of the Riigikogu (the Parliament) and international agreements, decrees of the President, and regulations of the government, ministers and local governments, with the constitution and laws. If the Chancellor finds that a legal act does not conform with the constitution or other laws he will make a proposition to change the act within 20 days. If a correction is not made, the Chancellor will make a proposition to the Supreme Court of Estonia to declare the act or some of its provisions void.

External links

- [http://www.chancellorofjustice.fi/ Chancellor of Justice (Finland)] - Official site
- [http://www.justitiekanslern.se/ Chancellor of Justice (Sweden)] - Official site
- [http://www.oiguskantsler.ee/ Chancellor of Justice (Estonia)] - Official site Category:Swedish government agencies Category:Swedish law Category:Politics of Finland

Parliament of Finland

The Eduskunta in Finnish, or the Riksdag in Swedish, is the Parliament of Finland. The unicameral parliament has 200 members and meets in Parliament House (Eduskuntatalo; Riksdagshuset) in Helsinki.

Constitution

Under the Constitution of Finland, the 200-member unicameral Parliament exercises supreme decision-making authority in Finland. Sovereignty belongs to the people and that power is vested in the Parliament. It passes legislation, decides on the state budget, approves international treaties and supervises the activities of the Government. It may alter the constitution, bring about the resignation of the Council of State, and override presidential vetoes; its acts are not subject to judicial review. Legislation may be initiated by the Council of State, or one of the members of the Eduskunta. To make changes to the Constitution, amendments must be approved twice by the Eduskunta, in two successive electoral periods with a general election held in between.

Parliamentary elections

The Eduskunta's 200 Representatives are elected directly by secret ballot on the basis of proportional representation. The electoral period is four years. Elections previously took two days but now are conducted on one day, the third Sunday in March. Every citizen who is at least 18 years of age and is registered to vote by the election date is entitled to vote in general elections and with certain exceptions, such as military personnel on active duty and high judicial officials, can also stand for Parliament. Candidates are selected by party referendums or electoral organizations. For the purpose of Parliamentary elections, Finland is divided into 16 electoral districts. The number of Representatives returned by each district depends on the population. Åland is an exception in that it always returns one Representative. The provincial state offices appoint an election board in each electoral district to prepare lists of candidates and to approve the election results. The Ministry of Justice is ultimately responsible for elections. In each electoral district the total number of votes for each party, electoral alliance or joint list is calculated and the candidate with the most votes in the party, electoral alliance or joint list is assigned this number as a reference figure. The figure for the candidate who comes in second is half the total, the figure for the candidate who comes in next is a third of the total etc. (This is known as the d'Hondt method). The final order of all the candidates in the district is thus determined on the basis of reference figures. Finland does not have a vote threshold, nor does it provide for votes to be given to a party rather than an individual. The President of Finland can call for an early election upon the proposal of the Prime Minister, after consultations with the parliamentary groups while Parliament is in session. President of Finland

Formation of a Government

The President conducts negotiations regarding the formation of a new Council of State (Government) with the Speaker of the Eduskunta and then with representatives of the parliamentary groups in order to determine what type of Government base the parliamentary groups consider most viable. According to the constitution, the Eduskunta elects the Prime Minister, who is appointed to office by the President. Other ministers are appointed by the President on the basis of the Prime Minister’s proposal. Before the Prime Minister is elected, the parliamentary groups negotiate on the political programme and composition of the Council of State. On the basis of the outcome of these negotiations, and after having consulted the Speaker of the Eduskunta and the parliamentary groups, the President informs the Eduskunta of the nominee for Prime Minister. The nominee is elected Prime Minister if this is supported by a majority of votes in the Eduskunta.

Sessions

The annual session of Parliament generally begins in February and consists of two terms, the first from January until June, the second from September to December. At the start of an annual session, the nation’s political leaders and their guests attend a special worship service at Helsinki Cathedral, before the ceremonies continue at Parliament House, where the President formally opens the session. On the first day of each annual session, the Eduskunta selects a Speaker and two Deputy Speakers from among its members. This election is chaired by the senior member in terms of age. The members who are elected to serve as Speaker and First and Second Deputy Speaker take the following solemn oath before Parliament; "I,..., affirm that in my office as Speaker I will to the best of my ability defend the rights of the people, Parliament and the government of Finland according to the Constitution." At the beginning of each electoral term, committees are appointed to prepare matters. Each annual session of Parliament elects Finland’s delegations to the Nordic Council and the Council of Europe.

Ruling majority

Finland's proportional representation system encourages a multitude of political parties and has resulted in many coalition-cabinets. In the parliamentary elections of 16 March 2003, there were two dominating parties: the Centre Party (KESK) got 55 seats, and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) got 53 seats, in the 200-seat Eduskunta. A new cabinet was formed by Centre and Social Democratic parties together with the Swedish People's Party.

History

When the unicameral Parliament of Finland was established by the Parliament Act in 1906, Finland was an autonomous Grand Duchy under the Russian Tsar, who ruled as constitutional Grand Duke of Finland, rather than as an absolute monarch. The Eduskunta was preceded by the Diet of Finland, which had succeeded the Riksdag of the Estates in 1809. Finland declared its independence on December 6, 1917 and in the winter of 1918 endured the tragic Finnish Civil War, after which monarchists and republicans struggled over the country's form of government. Finland became a republic in July 1919, but extensive powers were reserved for the President of Finland.

Parliament building

In 1923 a competition was held to choose a site for a new Parliament House. Arcadia Hill, beside what is now Mannerheimintie, was chosen as the best site. The architectural competition which was held in 1924 was won by the firm of Borg–Sirén–Åberg with a proposal called Oratoribus. Johan Sigfrid Sirén (1889–1961), who was mainly responsible for preparing the proposal, was given the task of designing Parliament House. The building was constructed 1926–1931 and was officially inaugurated on March 7 1931. Ever since then, and especially during the Winter War and Continuation War, it has been the scene of many key moments in the nation's political life. Parliament House was designed in the classic style of the 1920s. The exterior is reddish Kalvola granite. The façade is lined by fourteen columns with Corinthian capitals. The first floor contains the main lobby, the Speaker’s reception rooms, the newspaper room, the Information Service, the Documents Office, the messenger centre, the copying room, and the restaurant and separate function rooms. At both ends of the lobby are marble staircases leading up to the fifth floor. The second or main floor is centred around the Session Hall. Its galleries have seats for the public, the media and diplomats. Also located on this floor are the Hall of State, the Speaker’s Corridor, the Government’s Corridor, the cafeteria and adjacent function rooms. The third floor includes facilities for the Information Unit and the media and provides direct access to the press gallery overlooking the Session Hall. The Minutes Office and a number of committee rooms are also located here. The fourth floor is reserved for committees. Its largest rooms are the Grand Committee Room and the Finance Committee Room. The fifth floor contains meeting rooms and offices for the parliamentary groups. Additional offices for the parliamentary groups are located on the sixth floor, along with facilities for the media.

Major political parties

Main article: Political parties in Finland The Social Democratic Party of Finland (SDP) is mostly supported by the urban working class but it also has some support among small farmers, white-collar workers, and professionals. In the 1995 parliamentary elections, SDP gained a plurality in Finland's parliament with 28% of the vote. But as it won far less than an overall majority, a five-party governing coalition was formed, baptized the "Rainbow-coalition". In the 1999 general election, the SDP maintained its plurality with 22.9%, but the Centre Party came in as a near second with 22.4%. The coalition continued with little changes. The Leftist Alliance (LA), the SDP's rival on the left, gained 11% of the vote in 1995 and joined the SDP-led cabinet. In the 1999 elections it again got 11% of the vote, and remained in cabinet. The LA was formed in May 1990 and replaced the People's Democratic League, the group that represented the Finnish Communist Party in the Eduskunta. Political activity by Communists was legalized after the Continuation War in 1944. Finland's two other major parties are the Centre Party (Keskusta), traditionally representing rural interests, and the Conservative National Coalition (Kokoomus), which draws its major support from the business community and urban professionals. The Centre Party won nearly 20% and the National Coalition Party 18% of the vote in 1995. In the 1995 elections, they won 22.9% and 21% of the vote, respectively. The National Coalition Party were the second-largest party in the SDP-led coalition, which also included the Swedish People's Party and the Green League (which left the Rainbow-coalition after the decision to build a fifth nuclear reactor).

Election results 2003

Main article: Elections in Finland Elections were last held on March 16, 2003 and the next ones will be held in 2007. Seats per party, with respective names in Finnish and Swedish:
- 55 (Centre Party of Finland) (Keskusta, Centern)
- 53 (Social Democratic Party of Finland) (Sosiaalidemokraattinen Puolue, Socialdemokratiska Partiet)
- 40 (National Coalition Party) (Kokoomus, Samlingspartiet)
- 19 (Left Alliance) (Vasemmistoliitto, Vänsterförbundet)
- 14 (Green League) (Vihreä Liitto, Gröna förbundet)
- 8 (Christian Democrats) (Kristillisdemokraatit, Kristdemokraterna)
- 7 (Swedish People's Party) (Ruotsalainen Kansanpuolue, Svenska Folkpartiet)
- 3 (True Finns) (Perussuomalaiset, Sannfinnarna)
- 1 Åland representative

External links

- [http://www.eduskunta.fi/ Parliament of Finland] - Official site
- [http://www.eduskunta.fi/fakta/historia/eng/ History of the Finnish Parliament] Finland Category:Politics of Finland Finland Category:Buildings and structures in Helsinki

Cabinet of Finland

The Council of State (Finnish: Valtioneuvosto, Swedish: Statsrådet) is Finland's cabinet; it directs the Government of Finland. However, in governmental translations to English, the distinction is often blurred between cabinet and government in the wider sense that includes the Parliament of Finland, on which the cabinet is dependent, the governmental agencies directed by the Cabinet, and the independent judicial branch of government; although this distinction is significant. In 1918, after Finland's independence, the Cabinet, that in the Grand Duchy of Finland had been called the Senate of Finland, was reorganized and renamed to the Council of State. One of the main objectives of that reform was to separate the judiciary from the executive branch. According to the recent revision of the Constitution of Finland (as of 2000), the power over foreign affairs is retained by the president, as it also is in France, although with a narrow definition of foreign affairs that excludes influence over preparations of decisions within the European Union. International treaties and declaration of war are within the authority of the parliament. With the constitution of 2000, Finland adheres de jure to the principles of Parliamentarism, although de facto all presidents since Kyösti Kallio (1936–1940) have chosen to appoint cabinets supported or tolerated by parliamentary majorities. Matters within the authority of the Cabinet are decided at plenary meetings, with a quorum of five ministers present, in the case of matters of wide importance and matters that are significant for reasons of principle. Less important matters are decided within the respective ministries. Matters within the authority of the President are decided at plenary meetings of the Cabinet, with the exception of appointments, pardon, and calling of extraordinary elections.

Current Council of State

The current Council of State, the 69th to be formed since Finland's independence, was appointed by President Tarja Halonen on June 24, 2003. The current Council of State is a coalition comprising the Social Democrats (SDP), the Centre Party (KESK) and the Swedish People's Party (SFP). The Social Democratic Party announced on September 9, 2005 a reshuffle of its cabinet ministers. The switch took effect on September 23, 2005. SDP chairman Eero Heinäluoma, elected as party head in June 2005, became the new Finance Minister and Susanna Huovinen became the new Minister of Transport and Communications. To make room for Mr. Heinäluoma, Antti Kalliomäki moved from Finance to Education with the former Minister of Education Tuula Haatainen becaming the Minister of Social Affairs and Health (formerly Sinikka Mönkäre). To accommodate Ms. Huovinen in the cabinet, former Minister of Transport and Communications Leena Luhtanen took the position of the Minister of Justice (formerly Johannes Koskinen). The Chancellor of Justice is an ex officio non-voting member of the Council of State.

External links

- [http://www.government.fi/ The Finnish Government] - Official site Category:Politics of Finland

Parliament of Finland

Constitution

Parliamentary elections

Formation of a Government

Sessions

Ruling majority

History

Parliament building

Major political parties

Election results 2003

External links

Nordic

The Nordic countries is a term used collectively for five countries in Northern Europe. The Nordic countries have an aggregate population of about 24 million. The Nordic Countries are also the member countries of the Nordic Council:
- Denmark
- Finland
- Iceland
- Norway
- Sweden In addition, the following autonomous territories are associated members of the Nordic Council:
- Åland (Finland)
- Faroe Islands (Denmark)
- Greenland (Denmark) They enjoy a degree of self-government and have distinct separate identities within their respective countries. Lapland is the land where the Sami peoples live, and as such has a distinct identity. However, the Sami are a minority in each country, and thus there is no movement for an autonomy. The Sami Parliaments, founded in the 1990s, have very weak political influence, far from autonomy. Although formally similar to a government structure, the parliaments do not strive for sovereignty. In loose usage, the term Scandinavia is sometimes used as a synonym for Nordic countries. Strictly speaking, however, since 1850's political and cultural Scandinavia only came to include Sweden, Norway and Denmark; whereas geographical and geological Scandinavia only includes Sweden, Norway and parts of Finland. The correct geological term for the area covered by Scandinavian Peninsula and whole of Finland is Fennoscandia, which is defined by the Fennoscandian shield, one of the oldest bedrocks in the world. Before the 19th century, the term Nordic or Northern was often used to mean Northern Europe, including European Russia, the Baltic countries (at that time Estonia, Livonia and Curonia) and Greenland. In the European Union, the Northern dimension refers to external and cross-border policies covering the Nordic countries, the Baltic countries, and Russia. In recent years, Estonia has sought to align itself with the Nordic countries as well, citing linguistic and cultural closeness with Finland, and cultural similarities and historical ties with the other Scandinavian countries. In 1999, Estonian Foreign Minister Toomas Hendrik Ilves gave a speech entitled "Estonia as a Nordic Country" to the Swedish Institute for International Affairs. In 2003, the foreign ministry also hosted an exhibit called "Estonia: Nordic with a Twist." In 2005, Estonia also joined the European Union's Nordic Battalion Group. The two leading investors in Estonia to date have been Sweden and Finland.

History

The Nordic countries are loosely united by historical and cultural ties. During the Viking era, the Scandinavian countries all shared a common culture, language and religion; Old Norse and Norse mythology, although Finland, due to its different cultural, mythological and lingustic Finno-Ugric heritage is considered to be separate from the Scandinavian grouping. After being Christianised around the year 1000, the process of unification established Denmark, Norway and Sweden as separate kingdoms. Finland became part of Sweden in the mid 1200's, whereas Iceland, the Faroe Islands, the Shetland Islands, Orkney and large parts of Scotland and Ireland belonged to Norway. In the 14th century Norway, Denmark and Sweden united under one regent, in the Kalmar Union. Denmark quickly gained the upper hand, but in the early 16th century Sweden re-established itself as a separate kingdom. However, the union of Denmark and Norway would last until 1814. After establishing itself as one of the Great powers in Europe during the 17th century Sweden would ultimately lose its foreign Dominions one by one, culminating with the loss of Finland to Russia in 1809. The 19th century saw the political union between Sweden and Norway, and the rise of Scandinavism, which unsuccessfully strove once again to unite the three Scandinavian countries into one kingdom. After World War I ended in 1917, Finland emerged for the first time as an independent nation and the perspective of a Nordic community was able to replace the dream of a united Scandinavia. Following World War II, Iceland gained its independence from Denmark and the foundations for the Nordic council were laid. The Nordic countries share similar traits in the policies implemented under the after-war period, especially in the social area. All Nordic countries have a large tax funded public welfare sectors and extensive social legislation. In most cases, this is due to the political ambitions of the many Social Democrat governments that came to power during the interwar period in each of the Nordic countries. After converting to Christianity around the close of the first millennium, the Nordic countries followed the Protestant Reformation of the Western church during the 16th century. All adopted Lutheran state churches, which to today have a large membership count.

Flags

Lutheran All Nordic countries, including the Faroe and Åland Islands, have a similar flag design, all based on the Dannebrog, the Danish flag. They display a cross with the intersection left of the centre, the "Scandinavian cross". Only Greenland and the Sami people have flags with no cross.

External links

- [http://groups.msn.com/965172qg02rbm4ek3a6e7udur5/_whatsnew.msnw Lapland] - The northernmost part of Nordic Countries
- [http://www.tte.ch/finland/lapland/ Lapland] - Links in 10 languages
- [http://www.lysator.liu.se/nordic/ Nordic FAQ] - For a full definition and many facts about the Nordic countries
- [http://www.norden.org/ Nordic Council] Sco:Nordic_kintras zh-min-nan:Pak-kok ko:노르딕 국가 ja:北欧諸国

Finland-Swedish

Finland-Swedish is a general term for the closely related cluster of dialects of Swedish spoken in Finland by Finland-Swedes as a first language. For the most part, these dialects are mutually intelligible with Standard Swedish or can even be considered varieties of it. A common mistake made by many Swedes is to mistake Finland-Swedish for Swedish with a Finnish accent, something that can be a considerable source of frustration to most Finland-Swedes. Curiously enough, the percentually most Swedish speaking municipality in the world, Hammarland (96% as of 12.31.2004) (maybe Korsnäs (95,7%), resides in Finland. In spoken language, especially among young people in Finnish-dominated areas, Finnish loanwords, as well as calques from Finnish, are frequently incorporated. There are also some words in the Finland-Swedish that in Sweden would be considered slightly archaic. Some words from the field of government and public service that have been created in recent centuries do also differ, like also other new words, notably loanwords from English. Some specific dialects from Ostrobothnia are practically unintelligible to Swedish-speaking people in southern Finland. Swedish as spoken in Finland is regulated by the "Swedish Department" of the "Research Institute for the Languages of Finland". There is an officially stated aim that Finland-Swedish should remain close to the Swedish spoken in Sweden, thus the Swedish Department strongly advises against loanwords and calques from Finnish, which are often incomprehensible to Sweden-Swedes.

History

From the 16th century Swedish, rather than Finnish, was the main language of jurisdiction, administration and higher education in Finland. In 1892 Finnish and Swedish became official languages with equal status, and by the time of Finland's independence in 1917 Finnish clearly dominated in government and society. Finland has since then been a bilingual country with a Swedish-speaking minority (5.08% of Mainland Finland's population in 2003), speaking Finland-Swedish, living mostly in the coastal areas of southern, south-western, and western Finland. During the 20th century, the urbanization following the Industrial Revolution has led to large majorities of Finnish speakers in all major cities. The capital Helsingfors became the predominantly Finnish-speaking city Helsinki as early as around year 1900. A large and important part of the Finland-Swedes nevertheless live in the capital. The autonomous island-province of Åland is an exception, being monolingually Swedish-speaking according to international treaties. It is a matter of definition whether the Swedish dialects spoken on Åland are to be considered Finland-Swedish or not. Most Swedish-speaking Finns consider them to be closer to some of the dialects spoken in nearby parts of Sweden.

Sounds

With the exception of the dialect spoken in Ostrobothnia along the west coast, closer to the Gulf of Bothnia, Finland-Swedish are not particularly deviant from Central Swedish. The phonology is identical, but with slightly different vowel qualities. The phoneme /ʉ/ is more centralized and pronounced like , quite similar to the American English pronunciation of /u/ (as in moon). This should be compared to the Central Swedish , which is very close to the short vowel and is more rounded. The realization of the highly variable phoneme , is more frontal on the mainland and can vary between and while the realizations on Åland are more similar to the velar (and often distinctly labialized) in Sweden. is affricated into in all dialects. The tonal word accent, which distinguishes some minimal pairs in most dialects of Swedish and Norwegian is not present in Finland-Swedish. The so-called accent 2, used mainly in words with a two-syllable root is not used at all, and instead the normal accent 1 is used in all words. Hence Sweden-Swedish minimal pairs like ("the duck"), with stress on only the first syllable, and ("the spirit") with both syllables stressed, are both pronounced in Finland.

External links

[http://swedia.ling.umu.se/Finland/index.html SweDia] - a collection of dialect samples of Finland-Swedish Category:Swedish language

President of Finland

The President of Finland (Suomen Tasavallan Presidentti; Republiken Finlands President) is the Head of State of Finland. The President of the Republic is elected directly by the people for a term of six years. Since 1991, no president may be elected for more than two consecutive terms. Under the Constitution of Finland, the President must be a native-born Finnish citizen. The office was established by the Constitution Act of 1919. The current office-holder is President Tarja Halonen.

Election

Candidates for President can be nominated by registered parties which have received at least one seat in the preceding parliamentary election. A candidate may also be nominated by 20,000 enfranchised citizens. Between 1919 and 1988, the President was elected indirectly by an electoral college made up of electors chosen by voters in the presidential election. In the 1988 presidential election, a direct and an indirect election were conducted in parallel: if no candidate could gain majority, the President was elected by an electoral college formed in the same elections. Since 1994, the President has been elected by a direct popular vote. If only one candidate is nominated, he or she becomes President without an election. Otherwise, the first round of balloting takes place on the third Sunday of January in the election year. The elections are two-staged. If one of the candidates receives more than half of the votes cast, he or she is elected President. If no candidate wins the majority in the first stage, the top two candidates rerun in the second stage three weeks later. The candidate who then receives most votes is elected. In the event of a tie, the election is resolved by lot. The Council of State confirms the outcome of the election and, if necessary, conducts the drawing of lots. There have been several exceptional presidential elections. The first President, Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg, was chosen by the Parliament due to the transition rule of the constitution. In 1940 and 1943, the 1937 electoral college chose the President, as it was felt that a popular election could not be arranged due to the Continuation War. In 1944 special legislation directly stipulated that Marshal Mannerheim be elected President for six years after Risto Ryti had resigned mid-term. In 1946, special legislation empowered the Parliament to choose a successor for the remainder of Mannerheim’s term (until 1950), the latter having resigned. Parliament then chose Prime Minister Juho Kusti Paasikivi as President. In 1973, special legislation extended President Urho Kekkonen’s term by four years until 1978.

Inauguration

The President-elect, accompanied by the Speaker of the Parliament and the outgoing President, assumes office on the first day of the month following the election by making a solemn affirmation in both Finnish and Swedish at a ceremony in Parliament House. The affirmation is specified in Section 56 of the Constitution:
- In Finnish: "Minä N.N., jonka Suomen kansa on valinnut Suomen tasavallan presidentiksi, vakuutan, että minä presidentintoimessani vilpittömästi ja uskollisesti noudatan tasavallan valtiosääntöä ja lakeja sekä kaikin voimin edistän Suomen kansan menestystä."
- In Swedish: "Jag N.N., som av Finlands folk har valts till president för republiken Finland, försäkrar att jag i utövningen av presidentämbetet redligt och troget skall följa republikens konstitution och lagar samt efter all min förmåga främja det finska folkets välfärd."
- In English: "I, N.N., whom the people of Finland have elected President of the Republic of Finland, affirm that in the execution of my office as President I shall sincerely and faithfully observe the Constitution and laws of the Republic and to the best of my ability promote the success of the Finnish people." The term of the President-elect begins and that of their predecessor ends at the moment the solemn affirmation has been made (about 12:20 on the day of the inauguration). After the inauguration, the new President, accompanied by his or her predecessor, inspects the Guard of Honour outside Parliament House. The President is formally styled as His/Her Excellency the President of the Republic of Finland (Suomen Tasavallan Presidentti; Republiken Finlands President).

Duties and powers

The President’s functions and powers are directly defined in the Constitution. In addition to those specified there, the President also discharges functions assigned to him or her in other laws. Under the Constitution of Finland, executive power is vested in the President and the Council of State, which must enjoy the confidence of Parliament. This principle is reflected in other provisions of the Constitution concerning the President’s functions and powers dealing with legislation, decrees, and appointment of public officials.

Ordering premature parliamentary elections

Upon the proposal of the Prime Minister, the President may, having consulted the parliamentary groups and while Parliament is in session, order the holding of premature parliamentary election. The new Parliament is chosen for a normal four-year term. Parliament itself may decide when to end its session before the election day. From 1919 to 1991 the President’s power to order a premature election was unqualified and he could do so when he considered it necessary. Presidents have ordered premature parliamentary elections on seven occasions. The President declares each Annual Session of Parliament open and closes the last Annual Session. This is done in a speech at each opening and closing ceremony.

Appointing and discharging ministers

The Prime Minister and other members of the government are appointed and discharged by the President. After parliamentary elections or in any other situation where the Government has resigned, the President, taking into account the result of consultations between the parliamentary groups and having heard the view of the Speaker, submits to Parliament his or her nominee for Prime Minister. If confirmed by Parliament with a majority of the votes cast, the President then proceeds to appoint the Prime Minister and other ministers designated by him or her. The President is constitutionally required to dismiss a Government or any minister as soon as they have lost the confidence of Parliament. The President also appoints the Governor and other Members of the Board of the Bank of Finland, Provincial Governors, the Chancellor of Justice, the Prosecutor-General, and officers of the Finnish Defence Forces.

International relations

The President conducts Finland’s foreign policy in co-operation with the Government. The provisions of treaties and other international obligations that affect domestic legislation are implemented by acts of Parliament. Otherwise, international obligations are implemented by a Presidential decree. Decisions on war and peace are taken by the President with the assent of Parliament.

Legislation

The President must sign and approve all acts adopted by Parliament before they become law. He or she must decide on ratification within three months of receiving the act and may request an opinion from the Supreme Court or the Supreme Administrative Court before giving assent. Should the President refuse assent or fail to decide on the matter in time, Parliament reconsiders the act and can readopt it with a majority of votes cast. The act will then enter into force without ratification. If Parliament fails to readopt the act, it is deemed to have lapsed.

Supreme Commander of the Defence Forces

The President is the Supreme Commander of the Finnish Defence Forces, but may delegate this position to another Finnish citizen. The President commissions officers and decides on the mobilisation of the Defence Forces. If Parliament is not in session when a decision to mobilise is taken, it must be immediately convened. As Supreme Commander the President has the power to issue military orders concerning general guidelines for military defence, significant changes in military preparedness and the principles according to which military defence is implemented.

Emergency Powers

Under the Preparedness Act, in exceptional circumstances the President may issue a decree authorising the Government to exercise emergency powers for up to one year at a time. The decree must be submitted to Parliament for its approval. Should the powers available under the Preparedness Act prove inadequate in an emergency, additional powers can be assumed under the State of Defence Act. The President may declare a state of defence by decree for a maximum of three months initially. If necessary, it can be extended for a maximum of one year at a time. A state of defence may also be declared in a region of the country. The decree must be submitted to Parliament for approval.

Decorations

The President, as Grand Master, awards decorations and medals belonging to the Order of the White Rose of Finland, the Order of the Lion of Finland and the Order of the Cross of Liberty to Finnish and foreign citizens. The President makes an annual New Year’s Speech on 1 January.

List of Presidents of Finland

Living former Presidents

Currently, there are two living former Presidents of the Republic:
- Mauno Koivisto, ninth President of Finland
- Martti Ahtisaari, tenth President of Finland

Official Residences

The President has the use of three properties for residential and hospitality purposes: the Presidential Palace and Mäntyniemi, both in Helsinki, and Kultaranta in Naantali on the west coast.

Incapacity and succession

The President of Finland has no vice president. If the President is temporarily prevented from performing his or her duties, the Prime Minister or the Deputy Prime Minister becomes Acting President until the President’s incapacity ceases. If the President dies or if the Government declares that the President is permanently unable to carry out his or her duties, a new President is elected as soon as possible.

Impeachment

If the Chancellor of Justice, the Parliamentary Ombudsman or the Council of State deem that the President of the Republic is guilty of treason or high treason, or a crime against humanity, the matter shall be communicated to the Parliament. If the Parliament, by three fourths of the votes cast, decides that charges are to be brought, the Prosecutor-General prosecutes the President in the High Court of Impeachment and the President abstains from office for the duration of the proceedings.

The Independence Day reception

The traditional Independence Day Reception at the Presidential Palace on December 6 is one of the key annual events in the Presidential calendar. It originated as a celebration of Finland's national independence and pride, and although nowadays it is seen by some as a glorified social party, the reception is broadcast every year on television and draws a large viewing audience. The number of guests invited has varied from about 1,600 to 2,000. The history of the Independence Day reception stretches back to 1919, when the first afternoon reception was held at the Presidential Palace. In 1922, President and Mrs Ståhlberg hosted the first evening reception at the Presidential Palace, with the reception beginning at nine o' clock. Guests included the Government, diplomats, Members of Parliament, high-ranking officers, senior civil servants, artists and other prominent people. Music and dancing were on the programme and the reception lasted until late at night. Similar receptions have been held ever since, though less regularly in the beginning. Since 1946 the Independence Day reception has taken place at the Presidential Palace every year with four exceptions. In 1952 it was cancelled on account of President Paasikivi's illness. In 1972 it was held at Finlandia Hall in connection with the Independence Day concert, with the Prime Minister as host, because the Presidential Palace was being renovated. In 1974 it was cancelled on account of the death of President Kekkonen's wife. In 1981 it was held at Finlandia Hall after the Independence Day concert, with Deputy Prime Minister Eino Uusitalo as host, because President Kekkonen was in poor health. The President and their spouse greet the guests individually in the State Hall at the beginning of the evening. Later on there is dancing, with music provided by the Finnish Army Band. There is also a traditional buffet.

History

After Finland's independence and the Civil War in Finland the matter of whether Finland should be a republic or a constitutional monarchy was much debated (see Väinö I of Finland), and the outcome was a compromise: a rather monarchy-like, strong presidency with great powers over Finland's foreign affairs, the appointment of the Council of State and the officers of the civil service. The Constitution was changed in 2000, to redistribute some of this power to the Parliament and the Council of State. The new constitution specifies how the principles of Parliamentarism are to be followed (although Finland's presidents have done so since 1937 nonetheless).

Pre-Presidential Heads of State

From the date of Finland's independence on December 6, 1917 until the end of the Finnish Civil War in May 1918, Per Evind Svinhufvud was the head of state of White Finland in his capacity as Chairman of the Senate. His counterpart in the Finnish Socialist Workers' Republic was Otto Ville Kuusinen. Between May 1918 and July 1919, Finland had two Regents (or Protectors of State) and, for a time, an elected King, although the latter renounced the throne:
- Pehr Evind Svinhufvud, Regent (May 18–December 12 1918)
- Friedrich Karl of Hesse, elected as Väinö I, King of Finland, on October 7 1918, renounced the throne on December 4 after Germany's defeat in World War I
- Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim, Regent (December 12 1918–July 27 1919)

External links

- [http://www.presidentti.fi/english/ Official site]
- [http://www.om.fi/constitution/index.htm The Constitution of Finland] Finland, President of Category:Politics of Finland

Finland-Swedish

History

Sounds

External links

[http://swedia.ling.umu.se/Finland/index.html SweDia] - a collection of dialect samples of Finland-Swedish Category:Swedish language

Finland-Swedish

History

Sounds

External links

[http://swedia.ling.umu.se/Finland/index.html SweDia] - a collection of dialect samples of Finland-Swedish Category:Swedish language

Turku

History

Geography

Climate

Government and politics

Transportation

People

Economy

Education

Media

Culture

Sports

Sister Cities

References

External links

Vaasa

Vaasa, or Vasa in Swedish, (Wasa in Latin), is a city on the west coast of Finland. It received its charter in 1606, during the reign of Charles IX of Sweden. It is named after the Royal House of Vasa. Today, Vaasa has a population of 57,014 (2003), and is part of the administrative province of Western Finland and the region of Ostrobothnia. The City is bilingual with Finnish and Swedish. 71,5% of the population has Finnish as their first language and 24,9% has Swedish. The City is a strong foothold foor the Finland-Swedish culture.

History

Foundation

The history of Korsholm (Mustasaari) and also of Vaasa begins in the 14th century, when the seafarers from the coastal region in central Sweden disembarked at the present Old Vaasa, and the wasteland owners from Finland Proper came to guard their land. In the middle of the century Saint Mary's Church was built and in the 1370's the building of the fortress at Korsholm, Crysseborgh, was undertaken, and it served as administrative centre of the Vasa County. King Charles IX of Sweden founded the town of Mustasaari on October 2, 1606 around the oldest harbour and trade point around the Mustasaari church approximately seven kilometres to the southwest from the present city. In 1611 the town was chartered and renamed after the Royal House of Vasa. Thanks to the sea connections ship building and trade, especially tar trade, was flourishing from the 17th century and most of the inhabitants earned their living from it. In 1683 the three-subject or 'trivial' school moved from Nykarleby to Vaasa and four years later a new schoolhouse was built in Vaasa. The first library in Finland was founded in Vaasa in 1794.

Town fire

The mainly wooden and densely built town was almost totally destroyed in a fire on August 3, 1852. Only the Wasastjerna house and the Court of Appeal and some Russian guard-houses escaped the blaze. Also the ruins of the greystone church, the belfry, the town hall and the trivialschool can be found in their original places. Much archive material concerning Vaasa and its inhabitants was destroyed in the fire.

The new town

The new town of Nikolainkaupunki (Nikolaistad in swedish, after late Czar Nicholas I) rose in 1862 about seven kilometres to the northwest from the old town. The town's location at the sea offered good conditions for seafaring. The town plan in the Empire style was planned by Carl Axel Setterberg. In the master plan the disastrous consequences of the fire were considered. Main streets in the new town were five broad avenues which divided the town into sections. Every block was divided by alleys. The town was promptly renamed Vaasa after the Czar Nicholas II was overthrown in 1917.

Site of Government

During the Civil War, Vaasa was the capital of Finland from January 29 to May 3, 1918. As a consequence of the occupation of central places and arresting of politicians in Helsinki the senate decided to move the senators to Vaasa, where the White Guards that supported the senate had a strong position and the contacts to the west were good. The Senate of Finland began its work in Vaasa on February 1, 1918 and it had four members. The senate held its sessions in the Town Hall. To express its gratitude to the town the senate gave Vaasa the right to add the cross of freedom, independent Finland's oldest mark of honour designed by Akseli Gallen-Kallela, to its coat of arms. See also: Vasa (disambiguation)

External links

- [http://www.vaasa.fi Vaasa]/[http://www.vasa.fi Vasa] - Official sites
- [http://www.vps-vaasa.fi VPS-Vaasa] - The biggest football club in Vaasa
- [http://www.vaasansport.fi Vaasan Sport] - The biggest hockey club in Vaasa

Literature

- Julkunen, Mikko: Vaasa - Vasa. Vaasa: Vaasa, 1982. ISBN 951-660-076-x (Photo book with English text.) Category:Municipalities of Ostrobothnia Region Category:Cities and towns in Finland Category:Coastal cities of Finland

Kouvola

Kouvola is a small town in southeastern Finland. It resides 134 kilometers northeast from the capital, Helsinki. Kouvola's central location within Finland's borders and as a border post between the European Union and the East makes it a town full of hustle and bustle. The town originally grew up around the junction of the north-south and east-west rail tracks. It was also a major road transport junction. Kouvola still treasures and benefits from its logistically good location.

Geographical facts

- Population: 31,339 (2003)
- Total area: 45.0 km² (43.8 km² land area, 1.2 km² covered by water)
- Population density: 696.4 inhabitants per km²

External links

[http://www.kouvola.fi/domino/webbi/kieliversiot.nsf/A5E3D9D14CC2EFDEC225687900390F9F/D49F51857751EF2542256C0200362B1E?OpenDocument Kouvola] - The official website [http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A1048727 h2g2.com on Kouvola] Category:Municipalities of Kymenlaakso Region Category:Cities and towns in Finland

Rovaniemi

Rovaniemen kaupunki

City	Rovaniemi (1960)
Administrative Province	Province of Lapland
Historical Province	Laponia
Area - Total - Land - Water	Ranked Xth 100 km² 94.3 km² 6.6 km²
Population - Total (05/2005) - Density	Ranked 26th 35,298 374.3 / km²
Density

Density Rovaniemi (Roavenjárga in Northern Sami) is the administrative capital and the centre of commerce of Finland's northernmost Province, Lapland. It is situated close to the Arctic Circle and between the hills of Ounasvaara and Korkalovaara, at the confluence of the Kemijoki River and its tributary, the Ounasjoki River. Due to its advantageous location it is the starting point of the Great Arctic Highway. The city is completely surrounded by Rovaniemen maalaiskunta (Rural municipality of Rovaniemi). The two municipalities will be joined into one on January 1, 2006. and the new municipality will have an area of 7 900 km² and an approximate population of 60 000. The word Rovaniemi has often been considered to be of Lappish origin, as "roavve" in Sami denotes a forested ridge or hill or the site of an old forest fire. In the dialects of southern Lapland, however, "rova" means a heap of stones, a rock or a group of rocks in a stretch of rapids, or even a sauna stove.

History

There has probably been continuous settlement in the Rovaniemi area since the Stone Age. Periodic clearance of new land for agriculture and the practice of slash-and-burn cultivation began around 750-530 B.C. Artifacts found in the area suggest that an increasing number of travellers from Karelia in the east, Häme in the south and the Arctic Ocean coast in the north must have come there from 500 A.D. onwards. The Sami are considered to be Lapland's own indigenous population. The exploitation of Lapland's natural resources in the 1800s boosted Rovaniemi's growth. Extensive logging sites and gold fever attracted thousands of people to Lapland. As the mining of natural resources was increased, Rovaniemi became the business centre of the Province of Lapland. In the Lapland War, during the Second World War, approximately 90% of the total property in the town was destroyed by German troops. The rebuilding of Rovaniemi began in 1946. Several public and private buildings designed by the Finnish architect Alvar Aalto have been erected in the town. One example is the Administrative and Cultural Centre, which comprises the City Hall, the Lappia Hall (housing the City Theatre, Orchestra and Congress Hall), and the Provincial Library.

Rovaniemi Today

Alvar Aalto Because of the unspoilt nature and numerous recreational opportunities, tourism is an important industry in Rovaniemi. The city has a number of hotels and restaurants located both in the centre and on the outskirts of the town. The majority of its 35,000 inhabitants make their living in service professions. Since Rovaniemi represents the capital of the Province of Lapland, many government institutions have their offices there. It is said that out of 35,000 inhabitants, about 10,000 are students. Rovaniemi is home to not only the University of Lapland but also the Rovaniemi Polytechnic, which comprises institutes of information and traditional technology, business, health and social care, culinary studies, forestry, rural studies and sports. Rovaniemi's most prominent landmarks include the Jätkänkynttilä bridge with its eternal flame over the Kemijoki river, the Arktikum House which rises out of the bank of the Ounasjoki river, the Rovaniemi Town Hall, the Lappia House which serves as a theatre, concert hall and congress centre, and the library. The last three mentioned buildings are by the famous Finnish architect Alvar Aalto. The residence of Santa Claus, [http://www.santaclausoffice.fi Santapark], is located outside the city in Rovaniemen maalaiskunta. Rovaniemi is also home to the world's northenmost branch of McDonald's. A phenomenon also attracting numerous tourists is the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights. In Finnish Lapland the number of auroral displays can be as high as 200 a year whereas in southern Finland the number is usually fewer than 20.

Facts and Figures

Climate

- average temperature: + 0.2 °C
- annual rainfall: 535 mm/annum
- snow stays on the grounds 183 days a year on average
- lowest temperature ever recorded: - 45.3°C
- highest temperature ever recorded: + 30.6°C
- the midnight sun can be seen from June 6th to July 7th

Population

(figures 2000/2001)
- female: 18,524
- male: 16,406
- Finnish: 35,158
- foreigners: 497
- total: 34,930

Employment

(figures 1999)
- primary production: 1.6 %
- manufacturing in industry: 14.9 %
- private services: 36.8 %
- public services: 44.4 %
- unknown: 2.3 %

Famous Figures

The popular Finnish author Jari Tervo is a native of Rovaniemi and his novels describe the town in an unforgettable manner. Snowboarder and 2005 Winter X Games gold medalist Antti Autti is a Rovaniemi native, and in April 2005 he received his own piece of land in the city for being named to the 2006 Finnish Olympic team. The black metal band Beherit (1989-1996), formed by Arjo Wennstrom (bass), Marko Laiho (vocals/guitar), and a drummer, is from Rovaniemi. Heavy metal band Lordi also come from Rovaniemi, and famously played an open-air concert in the town square at midnight.

External links and references

- http://www.rovaniemi.fi - Rovaniemi's official website
- http://www.fintravel.fi - Online travel information Finland and incoming tour operator
- http://www.laplandfinland.com - Information about Finnish Lapland
- http://www.ulapland.fi - Website of the University of Lapland
- http://www.ramk.fi - Website of the Rovaniemi Polytehcnic

References

- Rikkinen, K. A Geography of Finland. Lahti: University of Helsinki (1992)
- Rovaniemi: Arctic Circle - Finland. Helsinki: Oy Sevenprint Ltd (1998) Category:Municipalities of Lapland Region Category:Cities and towns in Finland

Finland-Swedish

History

Sounds

External links

[http://swedia.ling.umu.se/Finland/index.html SweDia] - a collection of dialect samples of Finland-Swedish Category:Swedish language

Finland-Swedish

History

Sounds

External links

[http://swedia.ling.umu.se/Finland/index.html SweDia] - a collection of dialect samples of Finland-Swedish Category:Swedish language

Hämeenlinna

Hämeenlinna or Tavastehus in Swedish is a municipality and city of about 47,000 inhabitants in the heart of the historical province of Häme in the south of Finland. Today, it belongs to the region of Tavastia Proper, and is the residence city for the Governor of the province of Southern Finland. Nearby cities include the capital Helsinki/Helsingfors (100 km), Tampere/Tammerfors (73 km) and Lahti/Lahtis (72 km). The medieval Häme castle (Hämeen linna) is located in the city. There has been a settlement in where the city now stands since the Iron age. In the 11th century the entire province was under influence of both Sweden and Novgorod, and the Castle of Häme (Hämeen linna from where the Finnish name Hämeenlinna comes from). A village was born during time near to the castle to provide services and goods to inhabitants. The village was granted city rights in 1639 and soon after that the King of Sweden moved it one kilometre south on the hill where it now stands. The city is has always been known for its schools and academies where many famous Finns have studied. Schools, government and military are characterized Hämeenlinna's life althrough history. The composer Jean Sibelius was born and raised in Hämeenlinna. He graduated from Hämeenlinna Lyseo in 1885. Poet Eino Leino graduated from high school in Hämeenlinna. (Hämeenlinnan lyseon lukio is Hämeenlinna Lyseo Upper secondary school, roughly the equivalent of a US highschool).

External links

- [http://www.hameenlinna.fi Hämeenlinna] - Official site
- [http://www.nba.fi/CASTLES/TAVAST/Infoeng.htm Häme castle] Category:Municipalities of Tavastia Proper Region

Kouvola

Geographical facts

- Population: 31,339 (2003)
- Total area: 45.0 km² (43.8 km² land area, 1.2 km² covered by water)
- Population density: 696.4 inhabitants per km²

External links

Oulu

This article is about the Finnish city; for other uses see Oulu (disambiguation). Oulu or Uleåborg in Swedish (65°00'N 25°28'E) is a city and municipality of about 130,000 inhabitants in the province of Oulu and the region of Northern Ostrobothnia, in Finland. It is the largest and most important city in Northern Finland and the sixth biggest city in the country. Its population growth rate is almost comparable with that of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. Oulu was founded on August 8 1605 by King Karl IX of Sweden opposite the castle built on the island of Linnansaari. This took place after favourable peace settlements with the Russians, which removed the threat of them attacking the region via the main east-west waterway, the river Oulu (the surrounding areas were populated much earlier). Oulu is situated by the Gulf of Bothnia, at the mouth of Oulu River, which is an ancient trading site. One source for the name Oulu is a word in the Sami language meaning floodwater, but there are other suggestions. Oulu has been the capital of Oulu province since 1776. In 1822, there was a fire in the city. From being a town known for wood tar and salmon, Oulu has evolved into a major centre of competence in the field of high technology, particularly IT and wellness technology. Other prominent industries are wood refining, paper and steel industry. The University of Oulu is located 6 km north of the city center. The Oulu Airport, located in neighbouring municipality of Oulunsalo, is the second busiest in Finland. The best known cultural exports of the city of Oulu are Air Guitar World Championships, Mieskuoro Huutajat (also known as the Screaming Men), and metal band Sentenced. The City of Oulu celebrates its 400^th anniversary this year. An amusing feature of the downtown landscape has been, for years, a certain piece of graffiti. The words "paska kaupunni" have been repeatedly written on a wall on Uusikatu street, between the bars Linnankrouvi and Cuba (formerly Reidar). The graffito has survived countless overpaintings, sometimes appearing with an added N. The most recent variation (as seen on the site paskakaupunni.com) has been cleverly added to, and now reads: "Paraskaikest kaupunni 400!" meaning "best-of-all-city 400!" Paska kaupunni means "shitty city" with the word kaupunni ("kaupunki") misspelt to make it sound like the local dialect, and is probably a reference to a song by Oulu-born Finnish rock musician and author Kauko Röyhkä.

Sights

- Tietomaa
- Ainolan puisto (the ex-botanical garden of the University)
- Rotuaari pedestrian
- the salt store houses
- Hupisaaret
- the F. M. Franzen memorial
- the North-Ostrobothnia museum
- the Pateniemi sawmill museum
- the car museum
- the botanical garden of the University
- the Oulu art museum
- the Arctic gallery
- the Technology village graffiti

Other points of interest

- Oulu Music Video Festival
- Air Guitar World Championships
- the Oulu City Theatre
- the Oulu music centre
- the University of Oulu
- the spa and Eden hotel
- the Oulu hall
- the Nallikari Recreational centre
- the Terva-skiing event
- the Oulu Horse Show
- the American Car Show University of Oulu

Distances

- Helsinki 550 km S
- Jyväskylä 333 km S
- Kotka 582 km S
- Kuopio 284 km SSE
- Lahti 505 km S
- Lappeenranta 548 km SSE
- Pori 501 km SSW
- Rovaniemi 207 km NE
- Tampere 476 km SSW
- Tornio 131 km NNW
- Turku 620 km SSW
- Vaasa 290 km SW

External links

- [http://www.oulu.ouka.fi/english/index.asp City of Oulu]

- [http://www.ouluthisweek.net/ Oulu This Week event calendar]

- [http://www.oulu.fi/english/index.html University of Oulu]

- [http://www.oamk.fi/english/ Oulu Polytechnic]

- [http://www.koskilinjat.fi/in_english/index.html Koskilinjat Oy — local bus timetables]

- [http://www.airguitarworldchampionships.com/ Air Guitar World Championships]

- [http://www.cwc.oulu.fi/~ian/oulu/Ouluindex.html Surviving in Oulu - Guide to living in Oulu]

- [http://www.paskakaupunni.com paskakaupunni.com: Photographs of Oulu by kide.organics media collective] Category:Municipalities of Northern Ostrobothnia Region Category:Cities and towns in Finland Category:Coastal cities of Finland ja:オウル

Rovaniemi

Rovaniemen kaupunki

City	Rovaniemi (1960)
Administrative Province	Province of Lapland
Historical Province	Laponia
Area - Total - Land - Water	Ranked Xth 100 km² 94.3 km² 6.6 km²
Population - Total (05/2005) - Density	Ranked 26th 35,298 374.3 / km²
Density

History

Rovaniemi Today

Facts and Figures

Climate

Population

(figures 2000/2001)
- female: 18,524
- male: 16,406
- Finnish: 35,158
- foreigners: 497
- total: 34,930

Employment

(figures 1999)
- primary production: 1.6 %
- manufacturing in industry: 14.9 %
- private services: 36.8 %
- public services: 44.4 %
- unknown: 2.3 %

Famous Figures

External links and references

References

GBD

: Great Bend Municipal Airport

drugi Granada accommodation gry sportowe gu Links tani sylwester

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