Lahti

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For other uses, see Lahti (disambiguation).

**Lahden kaupunki**

City	Lahti (1905)
Administrative Province	Southern Finland
Region	Päijänne Tavastia
Area - Total - Land - Water	154,51 km² 134,95 km² 19,56 km²
Population Density	98 413 (2005) 730/km²

Location within Finland

Lahti (Lahtis in Swedish) is a Finnish city of 98,413 inhabitants (2005), bordering the Vesijärvi lake. It became a city in 1905. Originally a part of Hollola, it has since grown considerably larger than its current neighbor. The symbol of the city is a burning train wheel. The terrain is unusually hilly, the city being situated on a series of ridges created in the last glacial period.

Lahti is best known for its annually held World Cup winter games called "Salpausselän kisat". The city endeavours for achievements in sport, which has led to such things as the hosting of a World Games event. As of 2007, it is the only city to host the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships six times, doing so in 1926, 1938, 1958, 1978, 1989, and 2001. The city also has an Association Football (soccer) club, FC Lahti, and an ice hockey team, the Lahti Pelicans. Lahti also has perhaps the best known symphony orchestra in Finland, Sinfonia Lahti. It concentrates on Sibelius's music.

It is also a significant railroad crossroad and the site of two enormous radio masts, which once were used for the longwave transmitter of the Finnish broadcasting company. Nowadays the former transmitter building holds a museum. Lahti also harbours cultural ambitions, and recent years saw the building of a large congress & concert center, the Sibelius Hall. This has sparked much controversy amongst the population, many of whom feel that the money used for these purposes would be better spent on health care and education.

In the educational sector, Lahti is modest, with the notable exception of the Lahti Polytechnic's renowned Institute Of Design.

1 Status and area
2 Economic statistics
3 Trivia
4 Born in Lahti
5 Sister cities
6 References
7 External links

[edit] Status and area

Sibelius Hall in Lahti

Lahti Stadion

Church of Mukkula

Town status granted 1.11.1905
Province: Etelä-Suomi (Southern Finland)
Region: Päijät-Häme (Lahti Region)
Administrative status: Regional capital
Population of municipality: 98 755 (31.12.2006)
Population of Päijät-Häme region: ca. 198,923

Area
- Total surface area 154.5 km²
- Land surface area 134.9 km²
- Water area 19.6 km²
- Area included in town plan 64.3 km²
- Population density /km² land 728