| Jyväskylä is a city located in central Finland, 147 km from Tampere and 270 km from Helsinki, near the lakes Päijänne and Keitele. It is the center of the Jyväskylä Region. The site of many education-related firsts in Finland, Jyväskylä is known as a city of schools, the Athens of Finland, and is also famous for its many buildings designed by Alvar Aalto and for hosting Neste Oil Rally Finland, which is part of the World Rally Championship. The city is home of the annual Jyväskylä Arts Festival.
At the end of 2004, Jyväskylä had a population of 83,582, while the Region of Jyväskylä had 163,420 inhabitants. The leaders of Jyväskylä have long proposed that Jyväskylän maalaiskunta (the rural municipality of Jyväskylä), which has its town hall, graveyard and beautiful church Taulumäen kirkko all conveniently located in central Jyväskylä, should unite with the city, but Jyväskylän maalaiskunta has resisted. The Jyväskylä region includes Jyväskylä, Jyväskylän maalaiskunta, Laukaa, Muurame and Toivakka.
As of 2006, the city mayor is Markku Andersson.
According to a wide image survey (done every second year), Jyväskylä is one of the most successful cities in Finland. In 2006 Jyväskylä was number two (after Tampere) as the most desirable city to live in Finland and the city was also believed to be the best growth milieu for children and the cosiest living environment.
The unemployment rate in Jyväskylä is 14.8% (2005).
Jyväskylä was founded on 22 March 1837 by Czar Nicholas I of Russia and built essentially from scratch. The original town was built between Lake Jyväsjärvi (which is connected to Lake Päijänne) and the Jyväskylä ridge (Harju), and consisted of most of the current grid-style city centre. In the early 20th Century, the town expanded several times. Most of today's Jyväskylä was built after the Continuation war, when refugees from Karelia and other parts of the country moved to the city and housing was badly needed. Today, Jyväskylä is growing by approx. 1,000 inhabitants/year. Interestingly, only about a third of the people living in Jyväskylä were born in Jyväskylä, which makes the city vibrant and culturally ever-changing.
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