Nokia, Finland

For the telecommunications corporation, see Nokia. For other uses, see Nokia (disambiguation).

Town in Pirkanmaa, Finland

Nokia

Town

Nokian kaupunki (Finnish)
Nokia stad (Swedish)

Nokia railway station

Coat of arms

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
Region| Pirkanmaa
Sub-region| Tampere
Metropolitan area| Tampere
Charter| 1922
Market town| 1937
City rights| 1977
Government

• Town manager| Markku Rahikkala
Area

(2018-01-01)[1]

• Total

| 347.76 km2 (134.27 sq mi)
• Land| 288.3 km2 (111.3 sq mi)
• Water| 59.58 km2 (23.00 sq mi)
• Rank| 237th largest in Finland
Population

(2025-06-30)[2]

• Total

| 36,486
• Rank| 33rd largest in Finland
• Density| 126.56/km2 (327.8/sq mi)
• Demonym

| Nokialainen (Finnish)
Population by native language

[3]

• Finnish| 95.8% (official)
• Swedish| 0.3%
• Others| 3.9%
Population by age

[4]

• 0 to 14| 0%
• 15 to 64| 20,953%
• 65 or older| 0%
Time zone| UTC+02:00 (EET)
• Summer (DST)| UTC+03:00 (EEST)
Website| www.nokiankaupunki.fi

Nokia (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈnokiɑ]) is a town in the Pirkanmaa region of Finland. It lies on the banks of the Nokianvirta, a river of the Kokemäki River watershed, and is situated in the Tampere metropolitan area, about 15 kilometres (9 mi) west of Tampere proper. The population of Nokia is approximately 36,000, while the Tampere metropolitan area has a population of approximately 425,000. It is the 33rd most populous municipality in Finland, and the second largest in the Pirkanmaa region after Tampere.

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 1596–1597 peasant uprising against feudal lords in Finland, which was then part of the Kingdom of Sweden.[12] 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 predecessor 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.[13] Suomen Gummitehdas Oy (Finnish Rubber Works Ltd) set up a factory in Nokia in 1904.[14] These two companies and Suomen Kaapelitehdas Oy (Finnish Cable Works Ltd)[15][16] amalgamated in 1967 forming Nokia Corporation.[17] 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[18][19] and originally in 1880 established paper mill[20] as Essity.[21]

Despite the Nokia Corporation having its early roots in Nokia it no longer has any operations in the city. Telecommunications business get started in the early 1960s as an electronics division of Finnish Cable Works Ltd (later Nokia Cable Ltd)[22] in Helsinki and later also main office were moved to Capital Region. At this time the headquarters are situated in Espoo.[23] The only current presence of the company in the city is the Nokia mansion,[24] 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.[25]

Nokia does have SoC R&D unit 15 kilometres (9 mi) away in nearby city of Tampere.[26]

## 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,[27] Nokian Tyres, Purso,[28] Patria Aviation[29] 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.[30] 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

## 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;[31] Historian suursanakirja.[32]

### Notable natives and residents

[edit]

* Markku Aro – singer
* Marko Asell – Olympic wrestler
* Shawn Hopkins – basketball player
* Roope Hintz – ice hockey player
* Kikka – pop singer
* Otto Koivula – ice hockey player
* Toivo Kärki – composer, musician, producer and arranger was born in Pirkkala, in an area which is now Nokia
* Jari Niemi – football player
* Kari Peitsamo – musician
* Tapio Rautavaara – athlete, musician, and actor was born in Pirkkala, in an area which is now Nokia
* Elsa Rautee – poet
* Anssi Salmela – ice hockey player
* Sami Sandell – ice hockey player
* Sanni Vanhanen – ice hockey player
* Juuso Välimäki – ice hockey player
* Sami Välimäki – professional golfer

## Statistics

[edit]

Employed according to socio-economic station in Nokia:[33] 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:[34]

* Karlstad, Sweden
* Moss, Norway
* Horsens, Denmark
* Blönduós, Iceland

## Gallery

[edit]

* Lake Pyhäjärvi seen from Nokia

* Siuronkoski dam

* Vihola marina

* Nokia church

* Nokian lukio (high school)

* Finnish national road 11

## See also

[edit]

* Finnish national road 11
* Ikaalinen, another spa town in the Pirkanmaa region
* Nokia railway station
* Nokia water crisis
* Siuro, a village in Nokia
* Suoniemi, a former municipality, today part of Nokia
* Tottijärvi, a former municipality, today part of Nokia

## 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. ^ "Population increased most in Uusimaa in January to June 2025". Population structure. Statistics Finland. 2025-07-24. ISSN 1797-5395. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
3. ^ "Number of foreign-language speakers exceeded 600,000 during 2024". Population structure. Statistics Finland. 2025-04-04. ISSN 1797-5395. Retrieved 2025-04-05.
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. ^ "Finnish history". www.infofinland.fi. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
13. ^ "Idestam, Fredrik (1828–1916)". National Biography of Finland. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
14. ^ "Finnish Rubber Works Ltd". pörssitieto.fi (in finnish). Retrieved 27 April 2023.
15. ^ "Finnish Cable Works Ltd". pörssitieto.fi (in finnish). Retrieved 27 April 2023.
16. ^ "Brief history of Finnish Cable Factory". kaapelitehdas.fi. Archived from the original on 5 July 2007. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
17. ^ "Three companies merge to form Nokia Corporation". Archived from the original on 23 February 2009. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
18. ^ "About us, production". Nokian Tyres. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
19. ^ "Expertise in Nordic Conditions". Nokian Tires. Archived from the original on 1 November 2009. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
20. ^ "Nokian Paper Ltd". tampere.fi (in finnish). Archived from the original on 25 August 2010. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
21. ^ "Oy Essity Finland Ab Nokia". Essity. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
22. ^ "Cable goes electronic". Nokia. Archived from the original on 1 April 2009. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
23. ^ "Global headquarters - Espoo, Finland". Nokia. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
24. ^ "Nokia mansion". visitnokia.fi (in finnish). Retrieved 27 April 2023.
25. ^ Aamulehti weekend supplement, August 18–19, 2007
26. ^ "Nokia's strong way ahead to technology leadership". aamulehti.fi (in finnish). Retrieved 27 April 2023.
27. ^ "Agco Power Ltd, Production locations". Agco Power Oy. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
28. ^ "Purso Ltd, International Expert in Aluminium". Purso Oy. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
29. ^ "Contact information for Patria Aviation". Patria Oyj. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
30. ^ "Nokian Brewery Co". Nokian Brewery (in finnish). Retrieved 11 May 2023.
31. ^ "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.
32. ^ Kaisu-Maija Nenonen & Ilkka Teerijoki (1998). Historian suursanakirja (in Finnish). WSOY. ISBN 951-0-22044-2.
33. ^ The information is based on the 1995 census. Statistics Finland, September 25, 2006
34. ^ "Ystävyyskaupunkitoiminta" (in Finnish). City of Nokia. Retrieved 3 September 2019.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nokia, Finland.

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

Places adjacent to Nokia, Finland

|  | Hämeenkyrö | Ylöjärvi

|
|

|  |
Sastamala |

Nokia

| Tampere
Pirkkala
|  |
| Vesilahti |

* v
* t
* e

Municipalities of Pirkanmaa

Municipalities|

* Akaa
* Hämeenkyrö
* Ikaalinen
* Juupajoki
* Kangasala
* Kihniö
* Kuhmoinen
* Lempäälä
* Mänttä-Vilppula
* Nokia
* Orivesi
* Pälkäne
* Parkano
* Pirkkala
* Punkalaidun
* Ruovesi
* Sastamala
* Tampere
* Urjala
* Valkeakoski
* Vesilahti
* Virrat
* Ylöjärvi

Former municipalities|

* Äetsä
* Aitolahti
* Akaa [fi]
* Eräjärvi
* Ikaalisten maalaiskunta [fi]
* Karkku
* Keikyä
* Kiikka
* Kuhmalahti
* Kuorevesi
* Kuru
* Kylmäkoski
* Längelmäki
* Luopioinen
* Mänttä
* Messukylä
* Mouhijärvi
* Pohjaslahti
* Sääksmäki
* Sahalahti
* Suodenniemi
* Suoniemi
* Teisko
* Toijala
* Tottijärvi
* Tyrväntö (part)
* Tyrvää
* Vammala
* Viiala
* Viljakkala
* Vilppula

* Pirkanmaa
* Finland

* v
* t
* e

50 most populous municipalities in Finland

|  1.|  Helsinki|  689,758

|
|

2.|  Espoo|  323,910
3.|  Tampere|  260,646
4.|  Vantaa|  252,724
5.|  Oulu|  216,066
6.|  Turku|  206,655
7.|  Jyväskylä|  148,744
8.|  Kuopio|  125,462
9.|  Lahti|  121,622
10.|  Pori|  83,157

|  11.|  Joensuu|  78,398

|
|

12.|  Kouvola|  78,094
13.|  Lappeenranta|  72,909
14.|  Vaasa|  69,819
15.|  Hämeenlinna|  68,473
16.|  Seinäjoki|  66,848
17.|  Rovaniemi|  65,670
18.|  Porvoo|  51,853
19.|  Mikkeli|  51,661
20.|  Salo|  50,794

|  21.|  Kotka|  50,157

|
|

22.|  Kokkola|  48,361
23.|  Hyvinkää|  47,089
24.|  Järvenpää|  46,942
25.|  Lohja|  45,686
26.|  Nurmijärvi|  45,356
27.|  Tuusula|  42,624
28.|  Kirkkonummi|  41,821
29.|  Rauma|  38,909
30.|  Kerava|  38,535

|  31.|  Kaarina|  36,631

|
|

32.|  Nokia|  36,486
33.|  Kajaani|  36,458
34.|  Kangasala|  34,315
35.|  Ylöjärvi|  33,731
36.|  Savonlinna|  31,283
37.|  Vihti|  28,864
38.|  Riihimäki|  28,610
39.|  Raseborg|  27,002
40.|  Raisio|  25,846

|  41.|  Lempäälä|  25,036

|
|

42.|  Imatra|  24,581
43.|  Raahe|  23,566
44.|  Sastamala|  23,444
45.|  Sipoo|  22,903
46.|  Hollola|  22,843
47.|  Siilinjärvi|  21,383
48.|  Pirkkala|  21,204
49.|  Mäntsälä|  20,966
50.|  Tornio|  20,932

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* 2
* VIAF
* FAST
* WorldCat

National|

* Germany
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* Finland
* 2

Geographic|

* MusicBrainz area

Other|

* Yale LUX

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