# Turku

> city in the region of Southwest Finland, Finland

**Wikidata**: [Q38511](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q38511)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turku)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/turku

## Summary
Turku is a city and municipality located in the region of Southwest Finland, Finland. Situated on the Aura River and the Archipelago Sea, it is the oldest city in Finland, founded in 1229. It serves as the regional capital of Southwest Finland and has a population of 206,420 as of March 2025.

## Key Facts
- **Inception**: 1229.
- **Location**: Southwest Finland, Finland; coordinates: 60.45166666666667, 22.266944444444444.
- **Area**: 249.1 km² (total, 2023); 245.63 km² (land, 2023); 3.47 km² (water, 2023).
- **Population**: 206,420 (2025-03-31); 202,250 (2024-02-29); 189,669 (2017-12-31).
- **Legal Form**: Municipality of Finland.
- **Capital Of**: Southwest Finland (currently); Grand Duchy of Finland (1809–1812); Turku and Pori Province (1634–1997); Western Finland Province (1997–2009).
- **Official Names**: Turun kaupunki (Finnish); Åbo stad (Swedish); Або (historical Russian, until 1917).
- **Native Labels**: Turku (Finnish); Åbo (Swedish).
- **Head of Government**: Minna Arve (Mayor, since 2017-11-05).
- **Office of Head**: Mayor of Turku (since 2021); city manager of Turku (ended 2021).
- **Legislative Body**: Turku city council.
- **Executive Body**: Turku city board.
- **Languages**: Finnish (majority); Swedish (minority).
- **Awards**: European City of the Reformation; European City of the Trees (2011).
- **Timezone**: UTC+02:00 (standard); UTC+03:00 (daylight saving).
- **Climate**: Warm-summer humid continental climate.
- **Elevation**: 0 meters.
- **UN/LOCODE**: FITKU.
- **Postal Code**: 20000–20960.
- **Finnish Municipality Number**: 853.
- **Significant Event**: Great Fire of Turku (1827).

## FAQs
**What is the historical significance of Turku?**
Turku is the oldest city in Finland, founded in 1229. It served as the capital of the Grand Duchy of Finland from 1809 until 1812 and was historically the administrative center of the Turku and Pori Province from 1634 to 1997.

**What are the demographics and size of Turku?**
The city covers a total area of 249.1 square kilometers, with 245.63 square kilometers of land and 3.47 square kilometers of water, as of 2023. Its population was recorded as 206,420 in March 2025.

**Who is the current leader of Turku?**
Minna Arve is the current Mayor of Turku, having assumed office on November 5, 2017. The office of the head of government changed from a city manager to a Mayor in 2021.

**What are the linguistic and geographic characteristics of Turku?**
Turku is officially bilingual, with Finnish as the majority language and Swedish as the minority language. It is located in Southwest Finland, bordered by the Aura River and the Archipelago Sea, and shares land borders with 10 municipalities including Kaarina, Lieto, and Naantali.

**What international connections does Turku maintain?**
Turku is a member of the Union of the Baltic Cities and maintains 12 sister city relationships with cities such as Cologne (since 1967), Florence (since 1992), and Saint Petersburg (since 1953). It also owns and operates the Paavo Nurmi Stadium and Veritas Stadion.

## Why It Matters
As Finland's oldest city and a former national capital, Turku holds a foundational place in the country's history and development. Its role as the capital of the Grand Duchy of Finland until 1812 established it as a long-standing center of administration and power. Today, its significance is maintained through its status as the regional capital of Southwest Finland and its position as a major urban hub with a population exceeding 200,000. The city's economy and culture are deeply tied to its location on the Aura River and the Archipelago Sea, functioning as a key port city. Furthermore, its extensive network of 12 sister cities across Europe and Asia, and its membership in the Union of the Baltic Cities, underscore its active role in international cooperation and cultural exchange.

## Notable For
- Being the **oldest city in Finland**, founded in 1229.
- Formerly serving as the **capital of Finland** (Grand Duchy) until 1812.
- Hosting the **Great Fire of Turku** in 1827, a significant historical event.
- Being a **bilingual municipality** with Finnish majority and Swedish minority languages.
- Receiving the title **European City of the Trees** in 2011 and **European City of the Reformation**.
- Operating as a **port city** on the Archipelago Sea.
- Owning significant sports infrastructure, including **Veritas Stadion** and **Paavo Nurmi Stadium**.
- Maintaining a **sister city relationship with Saint Petersburg** since 1953.

## Body

### History and Political Status
Turku was officially founded in 1229, making it the oldest city in Finland. It served as the capital of the Grand Duchy of Finland from 1809 until the capital was moved to Helsinki in 1812. Historically, it was the administrative center of the Turku and Pori Province from 1634 to 1997, after which it became the capital of the Western Finland Province until 2009. Since 2014, it has been the capital of the region of Southwest Finland. The city has transitioned through several sovereign states: Sweden (until 1809), the Russian Empire (1809–1917), the Russian Republic (1917), the Russian SFSR (1917), and finally independent Finland from December 6, 1917. A pivotal event in its history was the Great Fire of Turku in 1827.

### Geography and Climate
Located in Southwest Finland, Turku sits at coordinates 60.45166666666667°N, 22.266944444444444°E. The city's total area is 249.1 km², comprising 245.63 km² of land and 3.47 km² of water as of January 1, 2023. It is situated on the Aura River and the Archipelago Sea, with an elevation of 0 meters. Turku shares borders with ten municipalities: Pargas, Aura, Pöytyä, Mynämäki, Nousiainen, Rusko, Kaarina, Lieto, Raisio, and Naantali. The city experiences a warm-summer humid continental climate and observes UTC+02:00 standard time and UTC+03:00 daylight saving time.

### Demographics
Turku's population has shown consistent growth in recent years. As of March 31, 2025, the population stands at 206,420. Other recent counts include 202,250 (February 29, 2024), 189,669 (December 31, 2017), and 187,604 (December 31, 2016). The city has a bilingual status with Finnish as the majority language and Swedish as the minority language.

### Governance and Administration
The city's legislative body is the Turku city council, while the executive body is the Turku city board. The current head of government is Mayor Minna Arve, who took office on November 5, 2017, succeeding Aleksi Randell (2010–2017). The office itself was transformed from a city manager system to a mayoral system in 2021. Turku's legal form is a municipality of Finland, identified by the number 853.

### International Relations
Turku is an active member of the Union of the Baltic Cities. It maintains sister city (twinned administrative body) relationships with 12 cities:
-   **Gothenburg, Sweden** (1946)
-   **Aarhus, Denmark** (1946)
-   **Bergen, Norway** (1946)
-   **Rostock, Germany** (1958)
-   **Constanța, Romania** (1958)
-   **Varna, Bulgaria** (1963)
-   **Cologne, Germany** (1967)
-   **Szeged, Hungary** (1971)
-   **Bratislava, Slovakia** (1976)
-   **Gdańsk, Poland** (1987)
-   **Florence, Italy** (1992)
-   **Tartu, Estonia** (2008)
-   **Kharkiv, Ukraine** (2022)

### Infrastructure and Assets
The city owns and operates several major sports facilities, including Veritas Stadion, Paavo Nurmi Stadium, and the Turku Sports Park. It maintains an official website at turku.fi (available in Finnish, Swedish, and English) and an open data portal. The city's postal codes range from 20000 to 20960, and its UN/LOCODE is FITKU.

### Cultural and Public Identity
Turku has been recognized as a European City of the Reformation and was named a European City of the Trees in 2011. The city's coat of arms is a distinct symbol, and it maintains a significant digital presence through social media handles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The city's Wikipedia presence spans over 140 languages, and it is categorized under "Category:Turku." Entities born in, residing in, or dying in Turku are categorized accordingly (e.g., Category:People from Turku). The main electoral district associated with the city is Varsinais-Suomi.

## References

1. archINFORM
2. [Source](http://www.stat.fi/meta/luokitukset/kunta/001-2012/luokitusavain_ks.html)
3. The correspondence table between municipalities and language distribution in 2024
4. [Source](https://www.stat.fi/org/avoindata/paikkatietoaineistot/kuntapohjaiset_tilastointialueet.html)
5. [Turun ystävyyskaupungit. Turku](https://www.turku.fi/turku-tieto/turun-ystavyyskaupungit)
6. [Source](https://www.comune.fi.it/pagina/firenze-internazionale/gemellaggi-e-patti-di-amicizia)
7. [Source](https://zastupitelstvo.bratislava.sk/data/att/11916.pdf)
8. [Source](https://www.gdansk.pl/urzad-miejski/biuro-prezydenta/turku-finlandia,a,1671)
9. [Source](https://rathaus.rostock.de/de/turku_finnland/278708)
10. [Source](http://goteborg.se/wps/portal/invanare/kommun-o-politik/internationellt-samarbete/nordiskt-samarbete/!ut/p/z1/04_Sj9CPykssy0xPLMnMz0vMAfIjo8ziQw0NAi2cDB0NDEJ9nQw8_czDnDyd_Q09Q8z1wwkpiAJKG-AAjgb6BbmhigCASA6r/dz/d5/L2dBISEvZ0FBIS9nQSEh/)
11. [Source](https://www.szegedvaros.hu/aranyoldalak/turku-finnorszag/)
12. [Source](http://szegedtourism.hu/hu/turku-finnorszag/)
13. Open ISNI for Organizations
14. Virtual International Authority File
15. [Source](https://ubc.net/cities/)
16. [Turku facts. Turku](https://www.turku.fi/en/study-turku/welcome-turku/turku-facts)
17. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
18. [Source](http://pxnet2.stat.fi/PXWeb/pxweb/en/StatFin/StatFin__vrm__vaerak/statfin_vaerak_pxt_022.px/?rxid=49d056e8-910e-4748-be5c-5cd17b90714e)
19. [Kaupunkien ja kuntien lukumäärät ja väestötiedot. Association of Finnish Municipalities](https://www.kuntaliitto.fi/tilastot-ja-julkaisut/kaupunkien-ja-kuntien-lukumaarat)
20. Population structure
21. [Source](https://www.citypopulation.de/php/finland-varsinaissuomi.php)
22. [Source](https://www.citypopulation.de/php/finland-admin.php?adm2id=853)
23. [Finland's preliminary population figure was 5,608,218 at the end of February 2024. Statistics Finland](https://www.stat.fi/en/publication/clmj0tpyw5zwb0bw6j2adrg4f)
24. [Source](https://stat.fi/julkaisu/cm0nkbon6jipc07w2vq959w6h)
25. Global LEI Index
26. BBC Things
27. Area of Finland's municipalities 2023-01-01
28. Aligned ISNI and Ringgold identifiers for institutions
29. [Source](https://www.govdirectory.org/finland/)
30. [archINFORM](https://www.archinform.net/service/wd_aiort.php)
31. [Kuntien ja seutukuntien vuoden 2024 välinen luokitusavain. Statistics Finland](https://www.tilastokeskus.fi/fi/luokitukset/corrmaps/kunta_1_20240101%23seutukunta_1_20240101/)
32. Name Suggestion Index
33. kuntalaisaloite.fi
34. museum-digital