Tampere

City in southwestern Finland; population (2003 est) 201,200. Industries include textiles, metalworking, paper, footwear, and turbines. Located on the banks of the raids between lakes Näsijärvi and Pyhäjärvi, it is the third-largest city in Finland. The city was an important trade centre from the 11th century, and was chartered in 1779.

The Finnish Bolsheviks were defeated by the White Finland forces at Tampere in 1918 during the Finnish civil war. The city has an Art Nouveau cathedral, an art museum, a university and a technical university, and an unusual open-air theatre.