Lohja
Encyclopedia
Lohja (ˈlohjɑ; ), is a town and municipality of Finland
.
It is located in the province
of Southern Finland
and is part of the Uusimaa
region
. The town has a population of
and covers an area of km2 of
which km2
is water. The population density
is
PD/km2.
The municipality is bilingual, although it is not required by the law, with majority being Finnish
and minority Swedish
speakers.
Doom Metal band Reverend Bizarre is from this town.
Lohja has been a focal point for the population and economy of Western Uusimaa since the early 14th century. Lohja was renowned as a trading centre already in the Middle Ages
. The local inhabitants were among the pioneers of the Finnish mining and construction material industries. By Finnish standards, Lohja has long-established traditions in horticulture and especially in market gardening
. These traditions are represented by the symbols of present-day Lohja: limestone and an apple.
Lohja is advantageously located near the Helsinki Metropolitan Area and it benefits from a good road network. It takes less than an hour to drive from Helsinki
to Lohja.
The landscape of Lohja is characterized by manors and gardens. The Lohja area is divided by the ridge Lohja, which forms a watershed for the largest lake system of Southern Finland, Lohjanjärvi
. Though the centre of the downtown area is marked by the St. Lawrence church, dating from the Middle Ages, the rest of the central area is marked by a hetrogenous mix of buildings mostly dating from the 1960s onwards. The new Lohja Library, opened in 2005, is a distinctly modern building placed in the very centre of the town.
The municipality of Lohjan kunta was consolidated with Lohja in 1997. The municipality of Sammatti
was consolidated with Lohja in 2009. The municipality of Karjalohja
will be consolidated with Lohja in 2013.
in Lohja:
mine, which has a museum 100 meters below the surface of the earth. This attraction and exhibitions can be reached using either an old mine wagon or a modern lift. Other places worth visiting are:
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
.
It is located in the province
Provinces of Finland
The state of Finland consisted of six provinces between the years 1997 and 2009. The provincial authority was part of the central government's executive branch, not directly elected. The system was created in 1634, and its makeup was changed drastically in 1997, when the number of the provinces...
of Southern Finland
Southern Finland
Southern Finland was a province of Finland from 1997 to 2010. It bordered the provinces of Western Finland and Eastern Finland. It also bordered the Gulf of Finland and Russia.- History :...
and is part of the Uusimaa
Uusimaa
Uusimaa, or Nyland in Swedish, is a region in Finland. It borders the regions Finland Proper, Tavastia Proper, Päijänne Tavastia and Kymenlaakso...
region
Regions of Finland
Finland consists of 19 regions called in Finnish and in Swedish. The regions are governed by regional councils, which serve as forums of cooperation for the municipalities of a region. The main tasks of the regions are regional planning and development of enterprise and education. In addition,...
. The town has a population of
and covers an area of km2 of
which km2
is water. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
is
PD/km2.
The municipality is bilingual, although it is not required by the law, with majority being Finnish
Finnish language
Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a...
and minority Swedish
Finland-Swedish
Finland Swedish is a general term for the closely related cluster of dialects of Swedish spoken in Finland by Swedish-speaking Finns as their mother tongue...
speakers.
Doom Metal band Reverend Bizarre is from this town.
Lohja has been a focal point for the population and economy of Western Uusimaa since the early 14th century. Lohja was renowned as a trading centre already in the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
. The local inhabitants were among the pioneers of the Finnish mining and construction material industries. By Finnish standards, Lohja has long-established traditions in horticulture and especially in market gardening
Market gardening
A market garden is the relatively small-scale production of fruits, vegetables and flowers as cash crops, frequently sold directly to consumers and restaurants. It is distinguishable from other types of farming by the diversity of crops grown on a small area of land, typically, from under one acre ...
. These traditions are represented by the symbols of present-day Lohja: limestone and an apple.
Lohja is advantageously located near the Helsinki Metropolitan Area and it benefits from a good road network. It takes less than an hour to drive from Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
to Lohja.
The landscape of Lohja is characterized by manors and gardens. The Lohja area is divided by the ridge Lohja, which forms a watershed for the largest lake system of Southern Finland, Lohjanjärvi
Lohjanjärvi
Lohjanjärvi is a lake in Uusimaa region in southern Finland. The biggest part of the lake is located in the town of Lohja and smaller parts in the municipality of Karjalohja and in the town of Raasepori . The lake drains into the Gulf of Finland trough the Mustionjoki River...
. Though the centre of the downtown area is marked by the St. Lawrence church, dating from the Middle Ages, the rest of the central area is marked by a hetrogenous mix of buildings mostly dating from the 1960s onwards. The new Lohja Library, opened in 2005, is a distinctly modern building placed in the very centre of the town.
The municipality of Lohjan kunta was consolidated with Lohja in 1997. The municipality of Sammatti
Sammatti
Sammatti is a former municipality of Finland. It was consolidated with the city of Lohja in the beginning of 2009.It is located in the province of Southern Finland and is part of the Uusimaa region. The municipality had a population of 1,365 and covered a land area of...
was consolidated with Lohja in 2009. The municipality of Karjalohja
Karjalohja
Karjalohja , or Karislojo in Swedish is a municipality of Finland.It is located in the province of Southern Finland and is part of the Uusimaa region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water...
will be consolidated with Lohja in 2013.
Politics
Results of the Finnish parliamentary election, 2011Finnish parliamentary election, 2011
An election to the Eduskunta was held on 17 April 2011 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Advance voting, which included voting by Finnish expatriates, was held between 6 and 12 April with a turnout of 31.2%....
in Lohja:
- Social Democratic PartySocial Democratic Party of FinlandThe Social Democratic Party of Finland is one of the three major political parties in Finland, along with the Centre Party and the National Coalition Party. Jutta Urpilainen is the current SDP leader. The party has been in the Finnish government cabinet for long periods and has set many...
24.9% - True FinnsTrue FinnsTrue Finns or The Finns is a populist and nationalist political party in Finland, founded in 1995 following the dissolution of the Finnish Rural Party. The head of the movement is Timo Soini. In the 2011 Finnish parliamentary election, The party won 19.1% of votes, becoming the third largest party...
23.9% - National Coalition Party 21.4%
- Left AllianceLeft Alliance (Finland)The Left Alliance is a left-wing political party in Finland. It was founded on the basis of the Finnish People's Democratic League and the Communist Party of Finland in 1990....
8.7% - Centre PartyCentre Party (Finland)The Centre Party is a centrist and Nordic agrarian political party in Finland. It is one of the four largest political parties in the country, along with the Social Democratic Party , the National Coalition Party and the True Finns , and currently has 35 seats in the Finnish Parliament...
7.0% - Green LeagueGreen LeagueThe Green League is a centrist green liberal political party in Finland. It has ten seats in the Finnish Parliament and two in the European Parliament. The current chairperson is Ville Niinistö....
6.7% - Christian DemocratsChristian Democrats (Finland)The Christian Democrats is a Christian democratic political party in Finland. Formerly known as the Finnish Christian League , the Christian Democrats have six seats in the Finnish Parliament and one in the European Parliament.The party was founded in 1958, chiefly from the Christian faction of...
3.2% - Swedish People's Party 3.0%
Culture
Lohja is a town famed for its cultural events. More than a hundred different events are arranged in the town each year by its residents and organizations. The most notable are the Lohja Summer Cultural Festival, the Apple Carnival organized by representatives of business and commerce, the retailers' Hurlumhei Carnival and the Old Time Christmas market continue the tradition of fairs dating back to the Middle Ages.Sights
One unique experience is the Tytyri limestoneLimestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
mine, which has a museum 100 meters below the surface of the earth. This attraction and exhibitions can be reached using either an old mine wagon or a modern lift. Other places worth visiting are:
- Lohja museum area
- The surroundings of Lake Lohja
- The GothicGothic architectureGothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
Church of St. LawrenceSaint LawrenceLawrence of Rome was one of the seven deacons of ancient Rome who were martyred during the persecution of Valerian in 258.- Holy Chalice :...
which dates from the 15th century - Kisakallio Sport college
- Floating Restaurant-Café Kaljaasi
- Alitalo vineyard
- St. Lawrence Golf and the recreation bath Neidonkeidas
External links
- Town of Lohja – Official site