Editing Vantaa (section)

==History==
Vantaa has a rich history that dates back to the [[Stone Age]].<ref name="haggrén"/>{{rp|48, 62, 72}} The area was inhabited by [[Tavastians]] and [[Finns proper]] until the so-called [[Second Swedish Crusade|second crusade to Finland]] and [[Swedish colonisation of Finland|Swedish colonisation]] of the area.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Ruotsin itämaa|last=Tarkiainen|first=Kari|publisher=Svenska litteratursällskapet i Finland|year=2010|isbn=978-951-583-212-2|location=Helsinki|pages=122}}</ref>

===Ancient history===
Remains of an ancient rectangular dwelling dating to 6700 to 6500 BCE have been discovered in Brunaberg in Vantaa. At the time, the dwelling was located at the seashore near the mouth of the [[Keravanjoki]] river. The dwelling had been used for decades, apparently mostly in wintertime.<ref name="haggrén">{{Cite book|title=Muinaisuutemme jäljet|last=Georg Haggrén, Petri Halinen, Mika Lavento, Sami Raninen ja Anna Wessman|publisher=Gaudeamus|year=2015|isbn=978-952-495-363-4|location=Helsinki|pages=48, 62, 72}}.</ref>{{rp|48}} A graveyard-like dwelling dating to the [[Mesolithic]] has been discovered in Jönsas, which was located at the mouth of a seaside bay at the time.<ref name="haggrén"/>{{rp|48}} In the Stone Age, people in Vantaa sought their food mostly from the sea. Seals were an important quarry, but remains of [[harbour porpoise]]s have also been found at the numerous [[Neolithic]] dwelling sites at [[Jokiniemi]].<ref name="haggrén"/>{{rp|62}} Remains of permanent dwellings found from Stenkulla in [[Hakkila, Vantaa|Hakkila]] date from the same period.<ref name="haggrén"/>{{rp|78}}

There are considerably many findings from the [[Comb Ceramic culture]] in Vantaa.<ref>Pesonen, Petro: [https://web.archive.org/web/20160305021340/http://www.helsinki.fi/hum/arla/keram/maar_fot_t1.html Vantaa Maarinkunnas (KM 30460), tyypillistä kampakeramiikkaa], [[University of Helsinki]] 15 April 1999. Accessed on 9 September 2020.</ref> Many ancient clay figures representing humans have been found in Jokiniemi in Vantaa. They have been estimated to be of various ages from 5300 to 5500 years old.<ref>Andersson, Kukka: [https://www.hs.fi/kaupunki/vantaa/art-2000006567875.html Mies löysi oudon savimöykyn Vantaalta vuonna 1989 – Nyt selvisi, että se on 5 500 vuotta vanha patsas], ''[[Helsingin Sanomat]]'' 10 July 2020. Accessed on 9 September 2020.</ref><ref>Kettunen, Noora: [https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-7394470 Vantaan Jokiniemen kaivauksilta löytyi harvinainen savifiguuri], [[YLE]] 5 August 2014. Accessed on 9 September 2020.</ref><ref>Degerman, Risto: [https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-7478887 Vantaan muinaisjäänteet tutkitaan erikoiskameralla Oulussa], [[YLE]] 19 September 2014. Accessed on 9 September 2020.</ref> During the typical Comb Ceramic time, large amounts of [[flint]] were brought to Finland from the south and southeast, which was made into blades and points, as well as amber. The Comb Ceramic era humans also knew how to use bows and arrows as weapons.

[[Iron Age]] history in Vantaa is not very well known,<ref>[http://www.vantaansanomat.fi/artikkeli/382161-vantaalla-aloitetaan-aarteenetsinta Vantaalla aloitetaan aarteenetsintä], ''Vantaan Sanomat''. Accessed on 23 August 2017.</ref> but the entire [[Uusimaa]] area was still a sparsely-populated backland of Tavastia at the end of the Iron Age.<ref>[http://arabianranta.fi/vanhakaupunki/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=61:esihistoriallinen-aika&catid=37:historia&showall=1 Vanhankaupungin historia], ''arabianranta.fi''. Accessed on 23 August 2017.</ref> The most researched Iron Age dwelling in Vantaa is located at the same site as the earlier Stone Age dwellings of Jönsas and Palmu. Remains of Morby ceramics have been discovered at these sites, and iron slag has also been discovered in Jönsas. Remains of fireplaces dating to the Iron Age have also been researched in Jönsas.<ref name="leskinen">Leskinen, Sirpa; Pesonen, Petro: ''Vantaan esihistoria'', city of Vantaa 2008. {{ISBN|978-952-443-255-9}}.</ref>{{rp|232}} Remains of dwellings dating to the 10th century have been discovered in Gubbacka in [[Länsisalmi]]<ref name="haggrén"/>{{rp|469}} as well as remains of smithies from the 12th and 13th centuries.<ref name="haggrén"/>{{rp|508}}

Information about ancient villages located in the Vantaa area can be found from concentration of soil visible in [[palynology|palynological analysis]] as well as retroactive reasoning based on nomenclature and historical documents. According to historian [[Saulo Kepsu]], Finnish population has spread from Tavastia to the Helsinki and Vantaa area in the 11th to 14th centuries, possibly even earlier. The Tavastians had fishing places and other pleasure grounds in the area.<ref name="leskinen"/>{{rp|243–247}}

===Swedish rule===
[[File:Pyhän Laurin kirkko.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Church of St. Lawrence, Vantaa|Church of St. Lawrence]] is the oldest building in the Helsinki capital region.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070927170750/http://www.vantaanseurakunnat.fi/kirkot/plaurin_kirkko Pyhän Laurin kirkko], congregations of Vantaa 13 January 2006. Accessed on 9 September 2020.</ref> The church is located in the district of [[Helsingin pitäjän kirkonkylä]], which still remains one of the most Swedish-speaking areas of Vantaa.]]
[[File:Vanhankaupunginkoski2.jpg|thumb|right|Vanhankaupunginkoski.]]
Prior to the name ''Vantaa'' being taken into use in 1974, the area was known as ''Helsingin pitäjä'' ({{langx|sv|Helsinge}}; "[[Socken]] of Helsinki"). The rapids of river Vantaa were known as ''Helsingfors'', from which the current Swedish name of Helsinki derives. Early settlement in Vantaa was centered around the river, in [[Helsingin pitäjän kirkonkylä]] ("Helsinki Parish Village"), and from it the city's current [[coat of arms]] derived its imagery.

The [[Swedish colonisation of Finland|Swedish colonisation]] in Vantaa started in connection with the colonisation in the rest of [[Uusimaa]] in the late 13th century after the [[Second Swedish Crusade]]. The Swedes called the area ''[[Uusimaa|Ny land]]'' ("new land").<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080512081641/http://veta.yle.fi/svenskfinland/artikel.php?id=23&subject=mellannyland Nordsjö], [[YLE]]. Accessed on 25 April 2009.</ref> There was permanent settlement in the area of the branching point of the rivers in the 14th century.

The history of ''Helsingin pitäjä'' stretches at least to the 14th century. For a long time it was thought that the earliest record of the area was as ''Helsinge'' in 1351 when king [[Magnus IV of Sweden]] granted [[salmon]] fishing rights on the river ''Helsingaa'' (now known as the [[Vantaa (river)|river Vantaa]]) to the [[Estonia]]n [[Padise Abbey]]. However, according to current knowledge, the first mention of Vantaa was in a document given by king Magnus IV in [[Västerås]] on 14 September 1331, describing episcopal tithes, requiring a pound of butter for the bishop from every citizen of age 7 years or older.<ref>"Vantaa onkin kymmenen vuotta vanhempi", HS Metro 13 September 2018, p. 17.</ref>

Since the 14th century, the road between [[Turku]] and [[Vyborg]], [[King's Road (Finland)|King's Road]], has run through Vantaa. The road brought significant attention to the city, and its location on the salmon rich river led to a permanent population.

The river ''Helsingaa'' soon gave its name to the entire area, and also inspired the coat of arms of Vantaa. The Helsinki [[socken]] was born from the 1370s to the 1390s, and the [[Church of St. Lawrence, Vantaa|Church of St. Lawrence]] was built there in 1460. The church was located in a transport hub near the rivers of Vantaa and Kerava. Many roads also ran through the clerical centre: the King's Road from Turku to Vyborg and the Häme road to the [[Häme Castle]] and to the coast in the south. The first vicar in ''Helsingin pitäjä'' was mentioned in 1395. ''Helsingin pitäjä'' is seen as have established itself as a clerical and administrative parish in the 15th century, and the first mention of a church dedicated to [[Saint Lawrence]] in the area is from 1401. A local ''frälse'' family donated a land worth one ''skattmark'' from [[Rekola, Vantaa|Rekola]] to the church of St. Lawrence. The name ''Helsinge'' was first mentioned in 1428. In the same year, fishing rights in the area were moved over to the [[Archdiocese of Turku]], which helped the construction of a stone church to replace the old wooden one.

Justice in ''Helsingin pitäjä'' was the responsibility of its own district court. It is known that the parish had its own district court in the 16th century. The court could be held by deputies hired by high-ranking judges, so-called lawreaders. The use of lawreaders was common from the late 16th century to the 1680s.<ref name="kuisma">Kuisma, Markku: ''Kuisma, Markku: Helsingin pitäjän historia II. Vanhan Helsingin synnystä isoonvihaan 1150-1713'', city of Vantaa 1990. {{ISBN|951-8959-05-6}}.</ref>{{rp|43, 325, 336–337}}

Because of its poor location, [[Porvoo]] could not compete with the [[Hanseatic League|Hanseatic]] merchants in [[Tallinn]], so in 1550 king [[Gustav I of Sweden|Gustav Vasa]] decided to found the city of [[Helsinki]] at the site of ''Helsingin pitäjä'' at the mouth of the Helsingaa river. ''Helsingin pitäjä'' had already developed into a significant centre of marine trade in Uusimaa in the 1530s. However, the [[Vanhakaupunki]] area in Helsinki never became the city centre Gustav Vasa wanted during his lifetime.

In 1570, the 25-year Russian war also affected life in ''Helsingin pitäjä''. Increased stress, additional military tax and enemy attacks had their toll on the population and often led to farmsteads being deserted. In 1577 there were 51 farmsteads burned and raided by the enemy.<ref name="kuisma"/>{{rp|53, 83}} Serving food to and accommodating the military departments was the responsibility of police chief Olof Mårtensson, who lived at the Malmi horsestead. The largest department served by the police chief consisted of 40 horsemen from the Uppland unit in January 1576. As well as the Malmi horsestead, ''Helsingin pitäjä'' was also home to the horsesteads of Pukinmäki, Herttoniemi, Haltiala, Kirkonkylä, Meilby, Kulosaari and Heickby.<ref name="kuisma"/>{{rp|43, 325, 336–337}}

After the [[Treaty of Stolbovo]], the Diet of Helsinki granted the rights of a staple town to Helsinki for foreign trade in 1617. The wars against [[Poland]] and [[Germany]] in the 1620s led to many large manors for the nobility being built in ''Helsingin pitäjä'' to support the [[cavalry]], including [[Westerkulla]] and [[Hakunila]]. In autumn 1640, it was decided to move Helsinki from the Vanhakaupunki area to its current location at [[Vironniemi]]. The village of [[Töölö]] was annexed from ''Helsingin pitäjä'' to Helsinki proper in 1644, and in 1652 the parish congregation lost its independent status, and in order to support the economy of the Helsinki congregation, the entire church parish of Helsinki was annexed to the city congregation of Helsinki.<ref name="historiaa">[https://web.archive.org/web/20110806223849/http://www.vantaa.fi/i_perusdokumentti.asp?path=1;12743;1871 Vantaan historiaa], city of Vantaa. Accessed on 9 September 2020.</ref>

The [[Great Famine of 1695–1697]] also had its toll on ''Helsingin pitäjä''. Successive years of crop loss caused famine and mortality was high. As well as the peasants, the famine also affected servants of the crown, both the noble and the common estates, and the bourgeoisie.<ref name="kuisma"/>{{rp|349–353}}

During the [[Great Wrath]] Russian troops invaded ''Helsingin pitäjä'' in 1713. Some of the inhabitants fled to the mother country of Sweden or into nearby forests, some fought back against the invaders. As the invasion grew long, circumstances slowly settled and the [[Treaty of Nystad]] was made in autumn 1721. A second, shorter invasion, known as the [[Lesser Wrath]], happened from 1742 to 1743.

Circumstances in ''Helsingin pitäjä'' started improving in the 1720s, as it became one of the most important centres of early industry in Finland. Water-powered sawmills were built in the area, forming a significant concentration of export industry at the time. This export was directed both to central Europe and also far way to the [[Mediterranean Sea]] in the late 18th century. A significant export target for ''Helsingin pitäjä'' was located just near its coast: the construction of the [[Suomenlinna|Sveaborg]] fortress, started in 1748, required large amounts of workforce and agricultural and industrial products such as foodstuffs, wood, [[brick]] and [[calcium oxide|lime]].

''Helsingin pitäjä'' was a Swedish-speaking area. From the middle 18th century to the early 19th century, only about a tenth of the population of the parish spoke Finnish.<ref name="kuisma"/>{{rp|106–109, 396–397}}

===Grand Duchy of Finland under Russian rule===
[[File:Tikkurila railway station.jpg|thumb|right|The old station building of [[Tikkurila]]]]
[[File:Helsinge kyrkby.jpg|thumb|right|The historical parish of ''Helsingin Pitäjä'' in the late 1800s]]
[[Ore]] deposits in ''Helsingin pitäjä'' had been discovered in the 1700s, but weren't utilized until Finland transferred to Russian control in the early 1800s. Ore extraction and processing lead to rapid industrialization in the area, with communities forming around locations like [[Tikkurila]] and [[Kerava]]. The industrial community in Tikkurila included an [[expeller pressing]] plant, which currently operates in the area as the paint manufacturer [[Tikkurila (corporation)|Tikkurila Oyj]].

The capital of autonomous Finland was moved from Turku to Helsinki in the early 1800s and ''Helsingin pitäjä'' fell behind the growing population development of Helsinki proper. ''Helsingin pitäjä'' gained municipality rights in 1865 because of the first municipal law enacted in Finland, after which it was named ''Helsingin maalaiskunta/Helsinge kommun'' ("Rural Municipality of Helsinki"). In 1805 ''Helsingin pitäjä'' had 4840 inhabitants, Sveaborg had 4606 and Helsinki had 4337. After six decades ''Helsingin pitäjä'' had about 7000 inhabitants while Helsinki already had 23,000.<ref name="historiaa"/>

The parish assembly meeting in 1823 established the general order, which specified crimes and punishments they resulted in. One of the reasons the general order was made was the increase of rootless vagabonds in the society. The parish assembly meeting and participation of citizens in keeping up the order was needed, because the state officials failed to keep the poor-mannered part of the people under control. Crimes not resulting in a court session were handled in the parish assembly meeting by announcement from the [[lensmann|fief holder]].<ref name="kuisma"/>{{rp|106–109, 396–397}}

Interest towards a people's education increased in the early 19th century, when basic education still mostly depended on home tuition. By a suggestion from vicar Erik Crohns, a school was founded in Kirkonkylä in 1825 and a school master was hired.<ref name="litzén">Litzén, Aulikki; Vuori, Jukka: ''Helsingin maalaiskunnan historia 1865-1945''. City of Vantaa 1997. {{ISBN|951-8959-77-3}}.</ref>{{rp|19}}

The year 1865 is considered a significant year in the history of Vantaa, as municipal rule in Finland was established in that year and ''Helsingin pitäjä'' became ''Helsingin maalaiskunta'', the rural municipality of Helsinki. This also led to the congregation regaining its position as an independent vicar area. The railway centre of [[Malmi, Helsinki|Malmi]] became the administrative centre of the rural municipality.

In 1862, the railway between Helsinki and [[Hämeenlinna]] was constructed, and one of its seven stations was built in Tikkurila, on its intersection with King's Road. The Swedish architect Carl Albert Edelfelt designed a [[Renaissance Revival architecture|Renaissance Revival]] styled station building, which is the oldest extant station building in Finland and (as of 1978) has been adapted into the Vantaa City Museum. The old station building in Tikkurila is the only [[brick]] station building in Finland preserved in its original state. The building was designed by the provincial architect of the [[Häme Province]], [[Carl Albert Edelfelt]] (1818-1869).<ref name="historiaa"/> The railway brought industry and induced population growth.

The [[Finnish famine of 1866–1868]] decreased the population of Vantaa by 1300 people, and population growth was very slow for a whole decade. Only in the late 1870s Vantaa regained its population from 1865.<ref name="litzén"/>{{rp|25}} The elementary school in Kirkonkylä was founded on 15 September 1869, four years later than originally planned. There were two teachers, one for boys and one for girls.<ref name="litzén"/>{{rp|125}}

Four important roads passed through ''Helsingin pitäjä'' in the late 19th century: Hämeentie, the [[King's Road (Finland)|King's Road]], Nurmijärventie and Porvoontie. To the north of Kirkonkylä, Hämeentie leading north crossed the King's Road. The King's Road connected [[Turku]] with [[Vyborg]] and [[Saint Petersburg]]. The King's Road, leading northwest, started from Helsinki as an extension of Läntinen Viertotie (now known as [[Mannerheimintie]]). Porvoontie connected Hämeentie and the King's Road separating from Hämeentie between Viikki and Malminkylä and connecting to the King's Road in eastern [[Hakkila, Vantaa|Hakkila]].<ref name="litzén"/>{{rp|13–15}}

The largest industrial facility in ''Helsingin maalaiskunta'' in the late 19th century was the Arabia porcelain factory. Its production value was greater than that of all the other factories in the municipality put together. The factory was active in the village of Koskela, to the north of Helsinki, and was named after the villa Arabia previously located at the site of the factory.<ref name="litzén"/>{{rp|111}}

The growing city of Helsinki needed large amounts of building materials, brought from Uusimaa and Tavastia. Brick factories in ''Helsingin maalaiskunta'' were located in [[Tikkurila]], [[Lauttasaari]] and [[Kulosaari]].<ref name="litzén"/>{{rp|108}}

A brewery founded by J. K. Kröckell was active in [[Pitäjänmäki]], producing several styles of beer, sparkling wine, lemon-flavoured mead and a type of alcohol-free juice called Sorbus. The brewery horses carried malt products both to Helsinki and to the nearby railway station, continuing all the way to [[Tampere]]. The Pitäjänmäki brewery remained in action until 1914.<ref name="litzén"/>{{rp|108}}

In 1899, an edict about tightly populated communities came into force in Finland. During the next couple of decades, almost twenty tightly populated communities were founded in the area of ''Helsingin maalaiskunta''. Of these, [[Huopalahti]] separated into its own municipality in 1920, [[Oulunkylä]] in 1921 and [[Kulosaari]] in 1922. With the exception of Tikkurila, all these communities were discontinued in early 1946 as they were annexed to the city of Helsinki. The tightly populated community of Tikkurila was discontinued together with the rest of the tightly populated communities in Finland in early 1956.

===20th century to today===
[[File:Asematie Tikkurila 1957.jpg|thumb|right|Tikkurila along the Asematie street in 1957.]]
[[File:KehaIII vantaa2.jpg|thumb|right|A view of the [[Ring III]] beltway near the conncection to Kirkonkylä at the intersection to [[Finnish national road 45]], the largest intersection in Finland.]]
Electricity started replacing steam as an industrial power source in ''Helsingin maalaiskunta'' before [[World War I]]. The power station ''Oy Malmin Sähkölaitos Ab'' was founded in 1910, and another power station was founded in Oulunkylä in the following year. Malmin sähkölaitos, which had reached a central position, bought a lot from [[Tapanila]] for its new power plant. Construction of the power plant and distribution grid, led by [[Gottfried Strömberg]], was finished by the end of the year 1910.<ref name="litzén"/>{{rp|113–114}}

The [[Helsinki-Malmi Airport]] was built at [[Tattarinsuo]] in the Malmi area of ''Helsingin maalaiskunta'' in 1936. The soil in the area was very watery and converting it to an airfield was difficult. The airport was taken into use in December 1936. Before this, air traffic in Helsinki had been served by the [[Santahamina Airport]] in [[Santahamina]], which was also part of ''Helsingin maalaiskunta'' at the time.

During the great annexation of 1946 the municipalities of [[Huopalahti]], [[Oulunkylä]] and [[Kulosaari]] as well as about a third of the area of ''Helsingin maalaiskunta'' were annexed to the city of Helsinki. The rural municipality lost two thirds of its population, including [[Malmi, Helsinki|Malmi]] and [[Pitäjänmäki]]. In 1954 some of the areas of [[Korso]] in [[Tuusula]] and [[Kerava]] were annexed to the rural municipality of Helsinki, as well as a small part of Tuusula in 1959. [[Vuosaari]] was annexed to Helsinki in 1966.

The population development of ''Helsingin maalaiskunta'' grew rapidly after [[World War II]]. [[Tikkurila]] became the new municipal centre in the 1950s. New residential areas consisting mainly of detached houses developed among the main roads and new suburban centres developed along the railways running through the area, such as [[Rekola, Vantaa|Rekola]], [[Korso]] and [[Koivukylä]].

In 1952, the new [[Helsinki Airport|international airport]] of Helsinki opened in ''Helsingin maalaiskunta'' for the [[1952 Summer Olympics]], leading to the rural municipality becoming an important transport hub. The new airport split the municipality in half and brought large amounts of traffic and industry to its surroundings. The airport has become a significant part of the cityscape of Vantaa, and even today Vantaa is known abroad as an aviation city.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20100611172749/http://www.sovereign-publications.com/vantaa.htm Vantaa – Logistics Excellence with Business Park Approach], city of Vantaa. Accessed on 9 September 2020.</ref>

Because of [[World War II]], many new urban areas had been born in Vantaa already in the 1940s, populated mainly by [[evacuation of Finnish Karelia|evacuees from Finnish Karelia]] and [[veteran|frontline soldiers]], as well as Helsinkians seeking a less densely populated area to live in. The first apartment building groups were built in Tikkurila, [[Satomäki]] and [[Vaarala]] in the 1950s, after which [[rural flight]] sped up construction of apartment buildings. In the record year 1970, the population of Vantaa grew by ten thousand people.

The [[Keimola Motor Stadium]] was built in 1966 along Finnish National Road 3, opposite the residential area of [[Kivistö]], and remained in operation until 1978. Construction of the new [[Keimolanmäki]] residential area in place of the former race track started in the 2010s.

In the early 20th century, the majority of the population of ''Helsingin maalaiskunta'' was Swedish-speaking. Afterwards, the rapid increase in the population has brought much more primarily Finnish-speaking population to the city, and today only 3.1 percent of the population in Vantaa are Swedish-speaking.

The roads in Finland were widened in the 1960s and 1970s, and the [[Ring III]] beltway was built to connect five national roads with each other. [[Myyrmäki]] became a second centre in the area after the construction of the Martinlaakso railway, which also sped up development in southwestern Vantaa. New residential suburbs were born along the main railway in the 1960s to 1980s, sped up by rural flight. Areas left outside the main traffic connections, such as [[Seutula]] in the west and [[Sotunki]] in the east, were left mainly unbuilt and rural-oriented.

In 1972, the municipality was renamed ''Vantaa'' ({{langx|sv|Vanda}}) and promoted to a kauppala ([[market town]]) (i.e. ''Vantaan kauppala/Vanda köping''). In 1974, the town got full city rights as ''Vantaan kaupunki/Vanda stad'' or "City of Vantaa".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vantaa.fi/fi/tietoa_vantaasta/vantaan_historiaa|title=Vantaan kaupunki – Vantaan historiaa |website=Vantaa.fi |access-date=16 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150217013048/http://www.vantaa.fi/fi/tietoa_vantaasta/vantaan_historiaa|archive-date=2015-02-17|url-status=dead}}</ref> The name "Vantaa" comes from the river Vantaa running through the city, along which settlement in the Vantaa area was originally centred. The 650th anniversary of Vantaa was celebrated in 2001.<ref name="historiaa"/>

The city grew rapidly starting from 1960s and a railway line was built to the western side of the city in 1970s.

Since the days of the rural municipality, Vantaa has rapidly developed to its current form because of [[rural flight]] and good traffic connections. Like the neighbouring city of [[Espoo]], Vantaa has many suburban [[commuter town]]s and lacks a specific city centre. The [[Helsinki Airport]], the busiest airport in Finland by far, is located in central Vantaa.

In 2015, an extension to the existing railway line, the [[Ring Rail Line]] opened, providing service to the airport and new residential and working districts. Along the ring road, new residential were constructed. The largest of these developments is the Kivistö suburb followed by the residential districts of Leinelä and Aviapolis. The Ring Rail Line connects the Vantaankoski railway to the [[Finnish Main Line]] via the [[Helsinki Airport]] at [[Hiekkaharju]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20150721224725if_/http://portal.liikennevirasto.fi/sivu/www/f/hankkeet/kaynnissa/keharata/ajankohtaista/tiedotteet/viimeinenvuosikayntiin#.Va7MBHXnjeM Kehäradalla käynnistyy viimeinen rakennusvuosi], Finnish Traffic Administration, 13 June 2014. Accessed 7 December 2014.</ref>

The annual [[Beer floating]] summer event started in Vantaa in 1997. On 11 October 2002, an [[Myyrmanni bombing|explosion]] took place in the [[Myyrmanni]] shopping centre in Myyrmäki. Negotiations to resolve the [[Insurgency in Aceh|Aceh conflict]], led by former [[President of Finland]] [[Martti Ahtisaari]], were held in the [[Köningstedt Manor]] in Vantaa in early 2005.

To connect the municipality on the west–east, a new tramway is planned to open in 2030.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vantaa.fi/ratikka|title=Vantaan ratikka}}</ref> This tramway will run from the Helsinki-Vantaa airport through districts of Pakkala, Aviapolis and Koivuhaka to the administrative centre of Tikkurila and further onward to Hakkila and Länsimäki in the east. The tram will also provide a link to the Helsinki metro at Mellunmäki station. This tramline will be the first tram in Vantaa.

===History and etymology of nomenclature===
[[Swedish colonisation of Finland|Colonists]] arriving from [[Sweden]] in the 14th century settled in the area what is now Vantaa and named the river in the area as ''Helsingå'' or ''Helsingaa''. The etymology of this name is not known for sure, but according to an old tradition it probably comes from colonists who originally arrived at the [[Hälsingland]] area in Sweden.<ref name="granlund">Granlund, Åke: [http://www.hel.fi/static/tieke/digitoidut_asiakirjat/helsingin_kadunnimien_historia/pdf/Helsingin_kadunnimet_1.pdf Keskiaikaisia nimiä Helsingissä], nomenclature bureau of the city of Helsinki, 1970, pp. 13-15, 28-29. {{ISBN|951-771-220-0}}.</ref>

The same river has also been known as the river Vantaa (''Vanda å'' in [[Swedish language|Swedish]]). Unlike the name ''Helsingaa'', the name Vantaa comes from the Finnish-speaking Tavastian inhabitants upstream of the river. There is a village named Vantaa near the source of the river, at the area which now belongs to the city of [[Riihimäki]]. According to a theory, the name comes from the [[Finnish language|Finnish]] words ''vanan taka'', where ''vana'' means a riverbed and so Vantaa (possibly originally spelled "Vanantaa") means a place behind a riverbed.<ref name="granlund"/> Only later did the name also came to use also downstream and replace the old name ''Helsingaa''.<ref name="granlund"/>

The [[Vanhankaupunginkoski]] rapids at the mouth of the river Vantaa were originally known as ''Helsinge fors'' ("Helsinki rapids"), which also gave the name ''[[Helsinki|Helsingfors]]'' to the city founded along the rapids.

The Vantaa blast furnace founded at the shore of the [[Vantaankoski]] rapids in 1837 gave the name "Vantaa" to its entire environment.<ref>Aho, Kaija: [https://www.hs.fi/kaupunki/art-2000003815702.html Vana tai Vanantaka Vantaan nimen taustalla], ''[[Helsingin Sanomat]]'' 25 July 1999. Accessed on 21 December 2017.</ref>

By the new municipal law in 1865 the Finnish name of the municipality became ''Helsingin maalaiskunta'' ("the rural municipality of Helsinki"), when the concept of [[socken]]s in Finland was discontinued. The Swedish name remained as ''Helsinge'', in contrast to ''Helsingfors'', the Swedish name for Helsinki proper. When ''Helsingin maalaiskunta'' became a market town in 1972, proposed new names included ''Helsingin kauppala'', ''Helsinginjoen kauppala'' and ''Vantaanjoen kauppala''. The accepted name was ''Vantaan kauppala'' after the river Vantaa. Two years later Vantaa received city rights.