Espoo (Swedish: Esbo) is the second city of Finland. Bordering Helsinki in the west, its center is distant only 15 kilometers of the Center-ville of the capital. 8,9% of the inhabitants of the city are of Swedish language, 5,2% are allophones. Espoo forms part, with Helsinki, Vantaa and Kauniainen, of the Région of Helsinki which gathers a million inhabitants.

Geography

The city is bordered by the municipalities of Helsinki and Vantaa in the east, Nurmijärvi in north, Vihti in the North-West and Kirkkonummi in the west.

History

The first traces of dwellings go back to more than 9000 years, but Espoo obtained the statute of municipality only in 1963 and that of city that in 1972.

Contrary to the traditional cities, it was not established around an old center but includes/understands several centers of dwelling: Espoon Keskus, Espoonlahti, Kalajärvi, Kauklahti, Leppävaara, Matinkylä, Olari and Tapiola.

Economy

The largest employers of the city are the municipality, Nokia, the University of Technology and TietoEnator Oyj. Many Finnish companies have to them Head office there, in particular Fortum.

Sport

The town of Espoo counts some high level sporting teams:

• Blues: Hockey;
• FC Honka: Football.

Places and monuments

• the medieval church of the center of Espoo, built at the 15th century (its older elements go back to the years 1480), this church of Granite gray is the oldest building of Espoo. Just like the churches of Hattula and Lohja, it is famous for its frescos dating from the end of the Moyen-âge. From the architectural and historical point of view, it is the most important monument of the city.
• the museum Gallen-Kallela of Tarvaspää, the workshop-house of the Finnish great painter of the beginning of century. This building of style Art nouveau, built between 1911 and 1913, was preserved in the state. Three or four exposures are organized every year on the topics combining works of the artist and his contemporaries, the modern art and the Photographie.
• Villa Elfvik: this historical building of style Art nouveau with English influence presents a permanent exposure entitled Vive Espoo ( Eläköön Espoo ) mainly centered on the natural wealths of the area - thickets, Ornithologie, the Archipel and the National park of Nuuksio - like several additional exposures also devoted to the topics of nature and the environment.
• the rural museum Glims makes it possible to discover the rural history of Espoo. The buildings of the museum are authentic farms and inns of the 19th century. In addition to the permanent exposure on the town of Espoo, the museum presents also various exposures on various topics and organizes, according to the season, of the demonstrations artisanal, musical, etc the store and the Salon of the Glims is located on the same site.
• Garden city of Tapiola, together architectural universally known. School of the high technological studies of Otaniemi, works of Alvar Aalto.
• the Museum of the Car, largest of the country with more than 100 cars, auto-cycles and motor cycles.

Known characters

• Jere Lehtinen, player of Hockey.
• JJ Letho and Kimi Räikkönen, pilots of Formula 1.
• members of the group Children off Bodom, in particular the guitarist and singer Alexi Laiho.

Simple: Espoo

Random links:

Square (algebra) | Daniel Forfang | Dorset (ovine race) | Salteras | Suvi C (Žagubica)