Nokia, Finland

Summary

Nokia (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈnokiɑ]) is a town in Finland. It lies on the banks of the Nokianvirta River, part of the Kokemäki River, in the Pirkanmaa region, about 15 kilometres (9 mi) west of Tampere. The population of Nokia is approximately 36,000, while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately 417,000. It is the 33rd most populous municipality in Finland, and the second largest in the Pirkanmaa region after Tampere.

Nokia
Town
Nokian kaupunki
Nokia stad
Nokia railway station
Nokia railway station
Coat of arms of Nokia
Location of Nokia in Finland
Location of Nokia in Finland
Coordinates: 61°28′36″N 23°30′19″E / 61.47667°N 23.50528°E / 61.47667; 23.50528
Country Finland
RegionPirkanmaa
Sub-regionTampere sub-region
Metropolitan areaTampere metropolitan area
Charter1922
Market town1937
City rights1977
Government
 • Town managerMarkku Rahikkala
Area
 (2018-01-01)[1]
 • Total347.76 km2 (134.27 sq mi)
 • Land288.3 km2 (111.3 sq mi)
 • Water59.58 km2 (23.00 sq mi)
 • Rank237th largest in Finland
Population
 (2023-12-31)[2]
 • Total35,652
 • Rank33rd largest in Finland
 • Density123.66/km2 (320.3/sq mi)
 • Demonym
Nokialainen (Finnish)
Population by native language
 • Finnish96.5% (official)
 • Swedish0.3%
 • Others3.2%
Population by age
 • 0 to 140%
 • 15 to 6420,953%
 • 65 or older0%
Time zoneUTC+02:00 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+03:00 (EEST)
Websitewww.nokiankaupunki.fi

Nokia's neighbouring municipalities are Hämeenkyrö, Pirkkala, Sastamala, Tampere, Vesilahti and Ylöjärvi. The distance to Tampere Airport from Nokia is 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) by road around Lake Pyhäjärvi.

Etymology and heraldry edit

The origin of the name Nokia is obscure. In modern Finnish, noki means soot, and nokia is an inflected plural, although this form of the word is rarely if ever used. The most common theory claims the name actually originates from the archaic Finnish word nois (pl. nokia) or nokinäätä ("soot marten"), meaning sable.[6] After the sable was hunted to extinction in Finland, the word was applied to any dark-coated fur animal, such as the marten, which are found in the area to this day. The sable is enshrined on the Nokia coat of arms. However, later research has appeared to indicate that sables never inhabited Finland in the first place, and the name nois may actually refer to the beaver.[7][8] The coat of arms was designed by Gustaf von Numers and was confirmed on October 25, 1951.[9]

History edit

 
Kulju Manor [fi] in Siuro, Nokia, has been a seat farm since 1670.[10]

The first literary reference to Nokia is in a 1505 document, which mentions two farms Stoora och Lilla Nokia, Swedish for "Big and Little Nokia". The Nokia manor was formed out of these two farms. The area was a part of the Pirkkala parish.[11]

Nokia was the setting of one of the largest battles in the Club War, a 1596 peasant uprising against feudal lords. The peasants, armed with clubs, took up residence in Nokia Manor and won several skirmishes against the feudal cavalry, but were decisively defeated by Klaus Fleming on 1–2 January 1597. Thousands of clubmen were slain and their leader Jaakko Ilkka, who had fled, was captured a few weeks later and executed. The Club War was the last major peasant revolt in Finland, and it permanently consolidated the hold of the nation-state. Much later, in the Finnish Civil War (1918), Nokia (along with neighbouring Tampere) was a stronghold for the Red Guards and saw some combat.

In 1922, Suur-Pirkkala was split into Pohjois- and Etelä-Pirkkala (Northern and Southern). Nokia used to reach out to the current heart of Tampere, as the Pispala area was part of Nokia (Pohjois-Pirkkala) until 1937. In 1938 Pohjois-Pirkkala was renamed Nokia while Etelä-Pirkkala became simply Pirkkala. Two municipalities have been consolidated with Nokia: Suoniemi in 1973 and Tottijärvi in 1976. Nokia was designated as a city in 1977.

Industrial history edit

 
Old industrial buildings in Nokia

The early precedessor of eponymous telecommunications giant Nokia was (de facto) born when mining engineer Fredrik Idestam established his second groundwood pulp mill on the banks of Nokianvirta river near the town of Nokia in 1868 and his enterprises were named as Nokia Aktiebolag (Nokia Ltd) in 1871.[12]Suomen Gummitehdas Oy (Finnish Rubber Works Ltd) set up a factory in Nokia in 1904.[13] These two companies and Suomen Kaapelitehdas Oy (Finnish Cable Works Ltd)[14][15] amalgamated in 1967 forming Nokia Corporation.[16] Different branches of this conglomerate were split into several companies or sold off between 1988 and 1996. The rubber works still operate in Nokia as Nokian Tyres[17][18] and originally in 1880 established paper mill[19] as Essity.[20]

Despite the Nokia Corporation having its early roots in Nokia it no longer has any operations in the city. Telecommunications business get started in early 1960's as an electronics division of Finnish Cable Works Ltd (later Nokia Cable Ltd)[21] in Helsinki and later also main office were moved to Capital Region. At this time the headquarters are situated in Espoo[22] The only current presence of the company in the city is the Nokia mansion,[23] which is sometimes used for private parties for the company's executive staff. The city has repeatedly been asked to commemorate the company it gave birth to, but it has always declined, on the grounds that mobile phones were never produced there.[24]

Nokia does have SoC R&D unit 15 kilometres (9 mi) away in nearby city of Tampere.[25]

Present edit

 
Spa hotel Rantasipi Eden [fi] in Nokia

Today's Nokia is famous for its spa, factory shops, waterways, and events. Nokia also enjoys good road and air connections. The largest companies are AGCO Power,[26] Nokian Tyres, Purso,[27] Patria Aviation[28] and Essity paper mill. From a religious perspective, Nokia is best known for the charismatic Nokia Revival which began in 1990. Nokia is also known for its own fast food cuisine, Kuuma koira[a] and as a home town of Nokian Brewery.[29] Due to the closeness of Tampere studio facilities, Nokia has been also used as a filming location. For example, Eric Sykes' The Big Freeze and Finnish TV production Korpelan Kujanjuoksu have been prominently filmed there.

Demographics edit

The following graph shows the population development of the town since 1964.

Nokia's population growth in 1964–2020
Year Population
1964
18 455
1980
23 644
1985
24 325
1990
26 063
1995
26 287
2000
26 905
2005
29 147
2010
31 647
2015
33 162
2020
33 966
Sources: Statistics Finland;[30] Historian suursanakirja.[31]

Notable natives and residents edit

Statistics edit

Employed according to socio-economic station in Nokia:[32]
SES Employers
Entrepreneurs altogether 954
Higher officials 1322
Lower officials 3137
Farm workers 49
Industrial workers 2731
Other production workers 802

Distances to the other cities and towns edit

  • Tampere – 15 kilometres (9.3 mi)
  • Sastamala – 35 kilometres (22 mi)
  • Hämeenlinna – 80 kilometres (50 mi)
  • Pori – 95 kilometres (59 mi)
  • Rauma – 125 kilometres (78 mi)
  • Turku – 150 kilometres (93 mi)
  • Helsinki – 180 kilometres (110 mi)
  • Vaasa – 240 kilometres (150 mi)

Twin towns – sister cities edit

Nokia is twinned with:[33]

Gallery edit

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ Finnish variation on a hot dog

References edit

  1. ^ "Area of Finnish Municipalities 1.1.2018" (PDF). National Land Survey of Finland. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  2. ^ "Immigration record high in Finland in 2023". StatFin. Statistics Finland. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  3. ^ "Demographic Structure by area as of 31 December 2022". Statistics Finland's PX-Web databases. Statistics Finland. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d e "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.
  5. ^ a b "Luettelo kuntien ja seurakuntien tuloveroprosenteista vuonna 2023". Tax Administration of Finland. 14 November 2022. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
  6. ^ Matti Helminen (18 February 2008). "Kuuluiko soopeli Suomen eläimistöön" (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 19 February 2007.
  7. ^ Larry Huldén: Oliko soopeli karjalainen turkiseläin? Viipurin läänin historia II. Jyväskylä 2004 (in Finnish).
  8. ^ http://www.kotus.fi/index.phtml?s=2269 Nokian ja rahan vaha yhteys (in Finnish).
  9. ^ Suomen kunnallisvaakunat (in Finnish). Suomen Kunnallisliitto. 1982. p. 124. ISBN 951-773-085-3.
  10. ^ Kauniaisten ja Kuljun kartanot – Museovirasto (in Finnish)
  11. ^ "SuomalainenPaikannimikirja_e-kirja_kuvallinen.pdf" (PDF). kaino.kotus.fi (in Finnish). p. 291. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
  12. ^ "Idestam, Fredrik (1828–1916)". National Biography of Finland. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  13. ^ "Finnish Rubber Works Ltd". pörssitieto.fi (in finnish). Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  14. ^ "Finnish Cable Works Ltd". pörssitieto.fi (in finnish). Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  15. ^ "Brief history of Finnish Cable Factory". kaapelitehdas.fi. Archived from the original on 5 July 2007. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  16. ^ "Three companies merge to form Nokia Corporation". Archived from the original on 23 February 2009. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  17. ^ "About us, production". Nokian Tyres. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  18. ^ "Expertise in Nordic Conditions". Nokian Tires. Archived from the original on 1 November 2009. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
  19. ^ "Nokian Paper Ltd". tampere.fi (in finnish). Archived from the original on 25 August 2010. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  20. ^ "Oy Essity Finland Ab Nokia". Essity. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  21. ^ "Cable goes electronic". Nokia. Archived from the original on 1 April 2009. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  22. ^ "Global headquarters - Espoo, Finland". Nokia. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  23. ^ "Nokia mansion". visitnokia.fi (in finnish). Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  24. ^ Aamulehti weekend supplement, August 18–19, 2007
  25. ^ "Nokia's strong way ahead to technology leadership". aamulehti.fi (in finnish). Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  26. ^ "Agco Power Ltd, Production locations". Agco Power Oy. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  27. ^ "Purso Ltd, International Expert in Aluminium". Purso Oy. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  28. ^ "Contact information for Patria Aviation". Patria Oyj. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  29. ^ "Nokian Brewery Co". Nokian Brewery (in finnish). Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  30. ^ "Väestö kielen mukaan sekä ulkomaan kansalaisten määrä ja maa-pinta-ala alueittain 1980 – 2016" (in Finnish). Statistics Finland. March 29, 2017. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
  31. ^ Kaisu-Maija Nenonen & Ilkka Teerijoki (1998). Historian suursanakirja (in Finnish). WSOY. ISBN 951-0-22044-2.
  32. ^ The information is based on the 1995 census. Statistics Finland, September 25, 2006
  33. ^ "Ystävyyskaupunkitoiminta" (in Finnish). City of Nokia. Retrieved 3 September 2019.

External links edit

  • Town of Nokia – Official Website
  •   Nokia travel guide from Wikivoyage