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Kanta-Häme (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈkɑn̪t̪ɑˌhæme̞(ʔ)]; Swedish: Egentliga Tavastland), sometimes referred to as Tavastia Proper,[2] is a region (Finnish: maakunta, Swedish: landskap) of Finland. It borders the regions of Southwest Finland, Pirkanmaa, Päijät-Häme, and Uusimaa. Before the official adoption of the name Kanta-Häme in 1998, the region was commonly known as Häme.[3]
Kanta-Häme
Egentliga Tavastland Tavastia Proper | |
|---|---|
| Region of Kanta-Häme Kanta-Hämeen maakunta (Finnish) Landskapet Egentliga Tavastland (Swedish) | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
 Kanta-Häme on a map of Finland | |
| Coordinates: 60°50′N 24°15′E / 60.833°N 24.250°E | |
| Country | Finland |
| Historical province | Tavastia |
| Capital | Hämeenlinna |
| Other towns | Forssa and Riihimäki |
| Area | |
• Total | 5,706.39 km2 (2,203.25 sq mi) |
| Population (2019) | |
• Total | 170,925 |
| • Density | 29.9533/km2 (77.5786/sq mi) |
| GDP | |
| • Total | €5.494 billion (2015) |
| • Per capita | €31,389 (2015) |
| ISO 3166 code | FI-06 |
| NUTS | 184 |
| Regional animal | Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) |
| Regional bird | Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) |
| Regional fish | Carp bream (Abramis brama) |
| Regional flower | Pasqueflower (Pulsatilla patens) |
| Regional stone | Graphic feldspar |
| Regional lake | Lake Vanajavesi |
| Website | hameenliitto.fi |
Hämeenlinna is the largest urban area in the region. There are two other municipalities that have township status: Riihimäki and Forssa.
Historical provinces
edit
Heraldry
editKanta-Häme uses the arms of the old historical province Tavastia.
Geography
editThe landscape of Kanta-Häme has many of the characteristics of Finnish Lakeland. The province belongs almost entirely to the Kokemäenjoki water basin. The largest lake is Lake Vanajavesi, which receives water from Lammi, Hausjärvi, Loppi and Janakkala from the southeast. The north-eastern part of the province belongs to the so-called Hauho route, whose waters flow into Vanajavesi through Pälkäne and Valkeakoski. In addition to Lake Vanajavesi, the largest lakes in this region are Lake Kuohijärvi, Lake Pyhäjärvi, Lake Iso Roinevesi, Lake Hauhonselkä, Lake Ilmoilanselkä and Lake Lehijärvi in Hattula. In the southwestern part of the province, Lake Loimijoki rises in the Tammela and Forssa areas and flows through Loima and Huittisten into Kokemäenjoki. The largest lake in the southwestern part of Häme is Lake Pyhäjärvi in Tammela, where the Loimijoki originates. In Riihimäki and the southern part of Lope, the headwaters of River Vantaanjoki flow south into the Gulf of Finland.
Torronsuo and Liesjärvi National Parks are located in Kanta-Häme, both in the southwest of the province in Tammela.
Culture
editMunicipalities
editThe region of Kanta-Häme consists of three sub-regions and 11 municipalities, three of which have city status (marked in bold).
Municipalities on the map
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Sub-regions
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Municipalities listed
edit| Coat of arms |
Municipality | Population | Land area (km2) |
Density (/km2) |
Finnish speakers |
Swedish speakers |
Other speakers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Forssa | 16,307 | 249 | 66 | 90 % | 0.3 % | 10 % |
 | Hattula | 9,346 | 358 | 26 | 97 % | 0.4 % | 3 % |
 | Hausjärvi | 7,862 | 389 | 20 | 96 % | 0.4 % | 4 % |
 | Humppila | 2,074 | 148 | 14 | 97 % | 0 % | 3 % |
 | Hämeenlinna | 68,614 | 1,785 | 38 | 91 % | 0.4 % | 8 % |
 | Janakkala | 15,867 | 547 | 29 | 95 % | 0.4 % | 4 % |
 | Jokioinen | 4,795 | 180 | 27 | 96 % | 0.4 % | 4 % |
 | Loppi | 7,574 | 598 | 13 | 95 % | 0.5 % | 4 % |
 | Riihimäki | 28,555 | 121 | 236 | 91 % | 0.4 % | 8 % |
 | Tammela | 5,777 | 641 | 9 | 97 % | 0.3 % | 3 % |
 | Ypäjä | 2,186 | 183 | 12 | 97 % | 0 % | 3 % |
| Total | 168,957 | 5,199 | 32.5 | 93 % | 0.4 % | 7 % |
Demographics
edit| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1990 | |
| 1995 | |
| 2000 | |
| 2005 | |
| 2010 | |
| 2015 | |
| 2020 | |
| 2025 |
Politics
editFor parliamentary elections, Kanta-Häme, together with the region of Päijät-Häme, is part of the Häme constituency. As of 2023, the constituency elects 14 of the 200 members of the Parliament of Finland.[7]
References
edit- ↑ Regions and Cities > Regional Statistics > Regional Economy > Regional GDP per Capita, OECD.Stats. Accessed on 16 November 2018.
- ↑ "Luokitus: Maakunnat 2021 | Tilastokeskus".
- ↑ "Häme vai Kanta-Häme? Maakuntanimestä vilkas keskustelu – jo 20 vuotta sitten". Yle Uutiset (in Finnish). 2016-02-17. Retrieved 2025-05-25.
- ↑ "Kanta-Häme" (in Finnish). Ruokatieto. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
- ↑ "Maakuntien parhaat: Kanta-Häme" (in Finnish). K-Ruoka. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
- ↑ "Population growth slowed down in 2025". Population structure. Statistics Finland. 2026-04-01. ISSN 1797-5395. Retrieved 2026-04-06.
- ↑ "Vaalipiirit eduskuntavaaleissa". Vaalit (in Finnish). Retrieved 2026-04-30.
External links
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