Seinäjoki
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Seinäjoki | |
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City | |
Seinäjoen kaupunki Seinäjoki stad | |
Population by age | |
• 0 to 14 | 17.1% |
• 15 to 64 | 62.5% |
• 65 or older | 20.4% |
Time zone | UTC+02:00 (EET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+03:00 (EEST) |
Website | www |
Seinäjoki (Finnish:
Seinäjoki is located 80 kilometres (50 mi) east of Vaasa, 178 kilometres (111 mi) north of Tampere, 193 kilometres (120 mi) west of Jyväskylä and 324 kilometres (201 mi) southwest of Oulu.
Seinäjoki originated around the Östermyra bruk iron and gunpowder factories founded in 1798. Seinäjoki became a municipality in 1868, a market town in 1931, and a town in 1960. In 2005, the municipality of Peräseinäjoki was merged into Seinäjoki, and at the start of 2009, the neighbouring municipalities of Nurmo and Ylistaro were amalgamated with Seinäjoki. The city itself is growing steadily from year to year, but the population of the surrounding municipalities is correspondingly decreasing.[6]
The city hall, city library, Lakeuden Risti Church and other public buildings were designed by Alvar Aalto. Seinäjoki was historically called Östermyra in Swedish. Today, this name, which was never official, is very seldom used even among Swedish speakers. Seinäjoki Airport is located in the neighbouring municipality of Ilmajoki, 11 kilometres (10 mi) south from the Seinäjoki city centre. Seinajoki railway station in city centre was opened in 1883 and until 1897, it carried the name Ostermyra station.
History
The settlement spread in the area of the present Seinäjoki during the first half of the 16th century. During the 1550s, there is said to have been three houses in Seinäjoki: the houses of Marttila, Jouppi and Uppa. The house of Jouppila, which separated from the house of Jouppi, was established during the same century. All of the houses were located on the shore of the river.
Seinäjoki belonged to the church parish of
In the 1850s, actions were taken to separate Seinäjoki from the church parish of Nurmo. Ilmajoki wanted to connect Seinäjoki back to its own parish. In spite of strong objections from the inhabitants of Nurmo, the Senate of Finland accepted the petition from the inhabitants of Seinäjoki in 1863, to form a chapel congregation of their own. Seinäjoki got an independent local government in 1868. In 1900, Seinäjoki became an independent municipality.
Seinäjoki has grown around a few important railroad crossings. The Tampere–Vaasa railway, which passes through Seinäjoki, was inaugurated in 1883. The track, along with the Kokkola track that was opened for rail service in 1885, and the Kristinestad track which had been completed in 1913, raised Seinäjoki as an important railway crossing section in Finland. In the early 1970s, a direct railway between Tampere and Seinäjoki was opened, and the services of Seinäjoki improved further.
After the
Geography
The neighboring municipalities of Seinäjoki are Kauhava in the north, Lapua in the northeast, Kuortane and Alavus in the east, Virrat and Kihniö in the south, Ilmajoki and Kurikka in the west and Isokyrö in the northwest.
The proportion of water in the Seinäjoki landscape is small. Seinäjoki River flows through the city in a south-east-northwest direction and turns at the northern border of the city center, connecting with the
area.The most significant road connections in Seinäjoki are highways 16, 18 (between cities of Vaasa and Jyväskylä), 19 and 67.
Climate
Climate data for Seinäjoki Pelmaa (1991-2020 normals, extremes 1959–present) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 8.6 (47.5) |
9.8 (49.6) |
15.4 (59.7) |
24.5 (76.1) |
29.2 (84.6) |
32.6 (90.7) |
33.6 (92.5) |
31.5 (88.7) |
27.7 (81.9) |
20.6 (69.1) |
12.9 (55.2) |
9.1 (48.4) |
33.6 (92.5) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −2.6 (27.3) |
−2.7 (27.1) |
1.7 (35.1) |
8.2 (46.8) |
15.0 (59.0) |
19.5 (67.1) |
22.1 (71.8) |
20.5 (68.9) |
15.0 (59.0) |
7.4 (45.3) |
2.1 (35.8) |
−0.8 (30.6) |
8.8 (47.8) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | −5.6 (21.9) |
−6.2 (20.8) |
−3.5 (25.7) |
3.3 (37.9) |
9.2 (48.6) |
14.1 (57.4) |
16.7 (62.1) |
14.9 (58.8) |
10.0 (50.0) |
4.3 (39.7) |
−0.1 (31.8) |
−4.3 (24.3) |
4.6 (40.3) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −9.2 (15.4) |
−10.1 (13.8) |
−6.8 (19.8) |
−1.1 (30.0) |
3.1 (37.6) |
8.1 (46.6) |
11.0 (51.8) |
9.6 (49.3) |
5.5 (41.9) |
1.3 (34.3) |
−2.5 (27.5) |
−6.4 (20.5) |
0.2 (32.4) |
Record low °C (°F) | −40.5 (−40.9) |
−43.6 (−46.5) |
−31.4 (−24.5) |
−21.1 (−6.0) |
−7.6 (18.3) |
−3.0 (26.6) |
−0.8 (30.6) |
−2.4 (27.7) |
−7.4 (18.7) |
−22.8 (−9.0) |
−29.4 (−20.9) |
−37.3 (−35.1) |
−43.6 (−46.5) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 32 (1.3) |
24 (0.9) |
26 (1.0) |
28 (1.1) |
46 (1.8) |
59 (2.3) |
74 (2.9) |
73 (2.9) |
54 (2.1) |
58 (2.3) |
47 (1.9) |
40 (1.6) |
561 (22.1) |
Average relative humidity (%)
|
90 | 87 | 80 | 74 | 68 | 70 | 77 | 80 | 85 | 90 | 93 | 92 | 82 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 30 | 71 | 145 | 189 | 267 | 276 | 268 | 207 | 140 | 80 | 31 | 17 | 1,718 |
Source 1: FMI normals for Finland 1991-2020[8] | |||||||||||||
Source 2: Record highs and lows [9] |
Demographics
Population
The city of Seinäjoki has 66,157 inhabitants, making it the 16th most populous municipality in Finland. The Seinäjoki region has a population of 131,804. In Seinäjoki, 3.6% of the population has a foreign background, which is below the national average.[10]
Year | Population |
---|---|
1990 | 47,182
|
1995 | 49,209
|
2000 | 50,670
|
2005 | 53,965
|
2010 | 57,811
|
2015 | 61,530
|
2020 | 64,130
|
Languages
Seinäjoki is a monolingual Finnish-speaking municipality. The majority of the population - 62,875 people or 96.3% - speak Finnish as their first language. In Seinäjoki, 143 people, or 0.2% of the population, speak Swedish.[10] 3.5% of the population of Seinäjoki have a mother tongue other than Finnish or Swedish.[10] As English and Swedish are compulsory school subjects, functional bilingualism or trilingualism acquired through language studies is not uncommon.
At least 30 different languages are spoken in Seinäjoki. The most common foreign languages are Russian (0.4%), English (0.3%), Arabic (0.3%) and Estonian (0.3%).[10]
Immigration
Population by country of birth (2022)[10] | ||
Nationality | Population | % |
---|---|---|
Finland | 62,819 | 96.2 |
Sweden | 308 | 0.5 |
Thailand | 164 | 0.3 |
Estonia | 159 | 0.2 |
Soviet Union | 142 | 0.2 |
Russia | 113 | 0.2 |
Turkey | 111 | 0.2 |
Iraq | 94 | 0.1 |
Ukraine | 87 | 0.1 |
Sri Lanka | 70 | 0.1 |
Syria | 64 | 0.1 |
Other | 1,192 | 1.8 |
In 2022, there were 2,342 persons with a migrant background living in Seinäjoki, or 3.6% of the population.[note 1] The number of residents who were born abroad was 2,504, or 3.8% of the population. The number of persons with foreign citizenship living in Seinäjoki was 1,587.[12] Most foreign-born citizens came from the Sweden, Thailand, Estonia and former Soviet Union.[10]
The relative share of immigrants in Seinäjoki's population is below to the national average. However, the city's new residents are increasingly of foreign origin. This will increase the proportion of foreign residents in the coming years.
Religion
In 2022, the Evangelical Lutheran Church was the largest religious group with 78.3% of the population of Seinäjoki. Other religious groups accounted for 2.1% of the population. 19.6% of the population had no religious affiliation.[10]
Economy
Nordic Regional Airlines has its financial office in Seinäjoki.[13] Its predecessor, Finncomm Airlines, had its head office on the grounds of Seinäjoki Airport in nearby Ilmajoki.[14]
In terms of market area, Seinäjoki is the sixth largest city in the country.
Seinäjoki also is well known for having a large number of SME's and a big number of shops for its size. One of the most important shopping places in Seinäjoki is the Torikeskus shopping mall in the city center.
Culture
There are many kinds of cultural events in Seinäjoki nowadays. For example, Seinäjoki is known for hosting three large summer events:
Sport
Seinäjoki is home to a big number of sports clubs, such as
Seinäjoki Speedway track is a motorcycle speedway venue located on the south east outskirts of the city, off the Routakalliontie road by the quarry.[17] The track held a qualifying round of the Speedway World Team Cup in 1992[18] and has held the final of the Finnish Individual Speedway Championship on 11 occasions from 1986 to 2020.[19]
Sights
- Lakeuden Risti Church ("The Cross of the Plains")
- Alvar Aalto's cultural and administrative centre, comprising the City Hall, library and theatre, among others
- The Mannerheim Park
- The Southern Ostrobothnia District Museum
- The Civil Guard and Lotta Svärd Museum, located at the Seinäjoki Civil Guard House
- Törnävä church
- The railway exhibition
- Mallaskoski brewery
Other points of interest
- Törnävä Museum Area
- the Suviyö trotting-race
- Törnävä summer theatre – Seinäjoki
- Jouppi mountain winter sports centre
- Seinäjoki City Theatre
- Provinssirock
- Tangomarkkinat
- Vauhtiajot
Education
Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences (SeAMK) is the local higher education institution, that also pursues an international profile.
Notable people
- Jukka Hildén, stuntman, The Dudesons
- Antti Isotalo, jäger, tribal warrior, Alko's local leader
- Katja Kankaanpää, mixed martial artist
- Mari Kiviniemi, politician (Prime Minister of Finland 2010—2011)
- Paula Koivuniemi, singer
- Petri Kontiola, hockey player
- Pekka Koskela, speed skater
- Jarno Laasala, stuntman, The Dudesons
- Hannu Lahtinen, world wrestling champion
- Veli Lampi, soccer player
- Jarppi Leppälä, stuntman, The Dudesons
- Tapio Luoma, Archbishop
- Nokia Corporation
- Hannu-Pekka "HP" Parviainen, snowboarder, stuntman, The Dudesons
- Pekka Puska, public health researcher and official
- Paula Risikko, Member of Parliament and Minister
- Arto Saari, skateboarder
- Softengine, rock pop band
International relations
Twin towns — Sister cities
Seinäjoki is
- Koszalin, Poland
- Schweinfurt, Germany
- Sopron, Hungary
- Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
- Veliky Novgorod, Russia
- Jiangjin District, China
See also
Sources
Literatures
- Reino Ala-Kulju (1963). Seinäjoen kirja (in Finnish). Seinäjoen seurakunta.
- Aulis J. Alanen (1970). Seinäjoen historia I (in Finnish). Seinäjoen kaupunki.
- Annikki Kyttä & Tenho Takalo (1977). Seinäjoen historia II (in Finnish). Seinäjoen kaupunki. ISBN 951-99131-5-7.
References
- ^ "Area of Finnish Municipalities 1.1.2018" (PDF). National Land Survey of Finland. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
- ^ "Immigration record high in Finland in 2023". StatFin. Statistics Finland. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
- ^ "Demographic Structure by area as of 31 December 2022". Statistics Finland's PX-Web databases. Statistics Finland. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
- ^ "Population according to age (1-year) and sex by area and the regional division of each statistical reference year, 2003–2020". StatFin. Statistics Finland. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
- ^ a b "Luettelo kuntien ja seurakuntien tuloveroprosenteista vuonna 2023". Tax Administration of Finland. 14 November 2022. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
- ^ Niemistö, Elina (22 September 2022). "Seinäjoen väkiluku ylitti uuden tuhatluvun – muuten maakunnasta ei ole hyvää kerrottavaa" (in Finnish). YLE. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
- ^ Reino Ala-Kulju (1963). Seinäjoen kirja (in Finnish). Seinäjoen seurakunta.
- ^ "FMI normals 1991-2020" (PDF). fmi.fi. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
- ^ "FMI open data". FMI. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Number of foreign-language speakers grew by nearly 38,000 persons". Statistics Finland. 31 May 2023. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
- ^ "Persons with foreign background". Statistics Finland. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
- ^ "Population structure 2000-2022, urban-rural classification". Statistics Finland. 26 May 2023. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
- ^ "About Us." Nordic Regional Airlines. Retrieved on October 25, 2016.
- ^ "Contact Information." Finncomm Airlines. Retrieved on 25 February 2010.
- ^ "Kauppa-Joupin asemakaavoitus, Kaupallisten ja sosiaalisten vaikutusten arviointi" (PDF). Entrecon (in Finnish). Seinäjoen kaupunki. May 10, 2010. Retrieved November 16, 2020.
- ^ "Seinäjoella on paras imago" (in Finnish). Taloustutkimus (taloustutkimus.fi). December 11, 2018. Retrieved November 16, 2020.
- ^ "Seinäjoen Moottorikerho". Seinäjoen Moottorikerho. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
- ^ "Speedway World Cup". International Speedway. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
- ^ "Speedway Individual Finnish Championship". Speedway Sanomat. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
- ^ "Ystävyyskaupungit" (in Finnish). City of Seinäjoki. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
Notes
External links
Media related to Seinäjoki at Wikimedia Commons
- Seinäjoki travel guide from Wikivoyage
- Seinäjoki – Official website
- Provinssi – rock festival
- Tangomarkkinat – tango festival