Akaa

Akaa [ ɑkɑ ː ] (Swedish: Ackas ) is a city in western Finland with 17,152 inhabitants (as of 31 December 2012).

Geography

Akaa located south of the Pirkanmaa countryside halfway between the 42 km 's northern Tampere and 41 km southeast, Hämeenlinna. The capital Helsinki is located 140 km south. Neighboring cities and municipalities of Akaa are Lempäälä in the north, Valkeakoski in the northeast, Hämeenlinna in the southeast, southwest and Vesilahti Urjala in the northwest.

The area of the city Akaa is 314.4 square kilometers (of which 21.2 square miles inland waters). The city has three centers of settlement ( taajama ): Toijala ( 8,363 inhabitants) and the Kirchdörfer Viiala ( 5460 E. ) and Kylmäkoski ( 674 E. ). The municipal seat is Toijala. Viiala located eight kilometers north-west, Kylmäkoski 14 km west of Toijala. Akaa is located on Vanajavesi lake.

History

The city is Akaa since the beginning of 2007, the story goes Akaas but back to the Middle Ages. The parish was created in 1483 by Akaa detachment from the parish Sääksmäki. The parish village of Akaa was the place Toijala. From the medieval wooden church of Akaa only the brick vestry is preserved. This was built around 1510 in the first phase of a planned but unfinished stone church.

After separation of the management of the rural communities of the church administration came in 1870, the municipality Akaa. After Akaa was in 1876 connected to the railway network, took the industrialization in the community take its course. Above all, the place Viiala, where in 1873 a steam-powered sawmill was established, but also Toijala developed into major industrial sites. 1895 split from the municipality of Kylmäkoski Akaa, 1932 follow the founding of the church Viiala from parts of Akaa and the neighboring communities Lempäälä and Vesilahti. 1946, the municipality Akaa was dissolved. Toijala, the parish village of the municipality, became a separate borough ( kauppala ) the rest of the territory was divided between the municipalities Kylmäkoski, Viiala and Sääksmäki. 1977 Toijala received its town charter.

In early 2007 Akaa was re- launched as a result of the merger of Toijala and Viiala the city Akaa arose. 2011 also Kylmäkoski was incorporated after Akaa.

Policy

Management

Since the municipality merger of 2011, the City Council ( kaupunginvaltuusto ) consists of Akaa from the 35 members of the old City Council and eight members who sent the former City Council Kylmäkoski. In the industrial town Akaa the Finnish Left has traditionally been strong: the largest faction in the city council put the Social Democrats with 15 seats, and the Left Alliance is fairly well represented by five members. The second largest group, the conservative National Coalition Party with 14 seats. The rural Centre Party was in the more rural Kylmäkoski the strongest party, playing in the united City Council Akaa with five seats, but only a minor role. Furthermore, in the City Council are represented with the Greens and the Christian Democrats and the two right-wing populist " True Finns ", each with a deputy.

Coat of arms

After its formation in 2007, the city Akaa adopted a new coat of arms. It is a design by Kari J. Tähtinen, which the City Council has named the winner of a competition. The blazon is: " The red and silver split by battlements cut front plate shows a silver wall anchors ". The battlements section refers to the old sacristy of Akaa, the wall anchor on the union of Toijala and Viiala. Red and silver are the heraldic colors of the landscape malice to the Akaa historically belongs. The old community Akaa (up to 1946) was not wearing a own coat of arms.

Twinning

Akaa maintains partnerships with the following cities and towns:

Bolintin - Vale, Romania
Hallberg, Sweden
Klippan, Sweden
Sakskøbing, Denmark
Sande, Norway
Tapa, Estonia

Economy and infrastructure

The economy of Akaa is traditionally characterized by industry, but has undergone a structural change. Viiala was up to the Finnish economic crisis of the 1990s, an industrial town with three large factories. The leather and filing factories were closed but in 1995 and 1996 as a result of the Finnish economic crisis of 2004, the wood-based production in the factory of the UPM -Kymmene Group has been set. In Toijala is the biggest factory for Mämmi, a Finnish tradition at Easter time consumed food. In the production of this made from rye malt mash, which is known for its rather repulsive appearance, you are so proud of in the city, that in Toijala hosted the World Cup in Mämmi - eating contest in 2005.

Akaa lies at the crossroads of transport links between the three largest metropolitan areas Helsinki Finland ( 142 km south ), Turku (133 kilometers south-west ) and Tampere ( 42 km north ). In the city, connecting the developed to the motorway State Road 3, which leads coming from the capital Helsinki via Tampere to Vaasa, and state highway 9 of Turku on the eastern Finland in Tampere Tohmajärvi. On Toijala station also underway railway routes Helsinki -Tampere and Turku -Tampere together. A second station is located in Viiala.

Culture and sights

In Akaa there are three churches: the Church of Toijala is a wooden cruciform church with west tower, which was built in 1816-1817, designed by Charles Bassi and Anton Wilhelm Arppe. In Kylmäkoski a built in red brick church built in 1900. The Church of Viiala is finally is a modern building from the year 1950. Likewise in Toijala is in the midst of an old churchyard the sacristy of Akaa, the only remnant of the medieval church of place. It was built around 1510 in connection with a later dilapidated wooden church. Nearby points Akaa are a Locomotive Museum in Toijala, the local museum of Viiala and Wallpaper Museum in Toijala. The latter succeeded in 2011 in the show of American comedian Conan O'Brien among the world's top 20 of the worst summer vacation destinations.

Sons and daughters of the town

Arvo Ylppö, neonatologist or the child's physician

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