Lempäälä

Template:For Template:Expand Finnish Template:Infobox settlement Lempäälä (Template:IPA) is a municipality in Finland, located in the Pirkanmaa region. It lies south of the regional capital, Tampere. The population of Lempäälä is approximately {{#expr:Template:Data Finland municipality/population countround −3}}, while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately {{#expr: Template:Data Finland municipality/population count + Template:Data Finland municipality/population count + Template:Data Finland municipality/population count + Template:Data Finland municipality/population count + Template:Data Finland municipality/population count + Template:Data Finland municipality/population count + Template:Data Finland municipality/population count + Template:Data Finland municipality/population countround −3}}. It is the Template:Ordinal most populous municipality in Finland.

The municipality covers an area of Template:Convert of which Template:Convert is water.<ref name="total_area" /> The population density is Template:Convert.

The centre of Lempäälä lies on an isthmus between Lakes Vanajavesi and Pyhäjärvi, which are connected by the Kuokkalankoski Rapids and the Lempäälä Canal, which was built in the 1870s and is still in use. There is a geographical feature in Lempäälä known as Herralanvuolle, which is shaped like a male genital organ, and this has attracted attention and discussion.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The first written reference to the parish of Lempäälä dates from 1430. The oldest building in the town is a medieval church named after Saint Birgitta, built in 1504.<ref>Pyhä Birgitta määräsi kirkon paikan – Lempäälän kunta Template:Webarchive</ref> The only surviving item from the Middle Ages in the church is a wooden crucifix carved from birch.

Finnish writer Yrjö Kokko lived in Lempäälä and is buried in the cemetery.

Ideapark, the second largest shopping centre in the Nordic countries, is located in Lempäälä along the Helsinki-Tampere motorway (E12).

Kuokkala

Kuokkala is a neighbourhood to the north of Lempäälä town which houses a ’museoraitti’ (museum trail). Several buildings now house collections of historical items, including a shop museum (also a shop and information office), hairdressers & barbers, cobblers, WW2 memorabilia, household equipment, blacksmiths, carpenters, a 19th-century Finnish dwelling, and a special exhibit relating to the ex-Finnish region of Sakkola.<ref>Leaflet about Kuokkalan museoraitti published by museum.</ref>

Politics

In the 2023 parliamentary elections, Lempäälä voted as such:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

• National Coalition Party - 26.0%
• Finns Party - 22.0%
• Social Democratic Party - 21.8%
• Centre Party - 7.4%
• Green League - 6.6%
• Christian Democrats - 6.3%
• Left Alliance - 4.4%
• Movement Now - 3.1%
• Freedom Alliance - 1.0%

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Lempäälä is twinned with:

• Template:Flagicon Ulricehamn, Sweden
• Template:Flagicon Øvre Eiker, Norway
• Template:Flagicon Kerteminde, Denmark
• Template:Flagicon Tapolca, Hungary

Villages

• Aimala

See also

• Nokia, Finland
• Pirkkala
• Puntala-rock, a punk rock festival

External links

• Municipality of Lempäälä – Official site