Kanta-Häme


Tavastia Proper or, officially, Kanta-Häme is a region of Finland. The region is also called Häme region. It borders the regions of Southwest Finland, Pirkanmaa, Päijänne Tavastia, and Uusimaa.
Hämeenlinna is the largest urban area in the region. There are two other municipalities that have township status: Riihimäki and Forssa.

Historical provinces

The region of Tavastia proper has been inhabited since the Stone Age. The first written mention of the historical Tavastia province is found in the Chronicle Of Novgorod, in reference to a military campaign launched by Prince Vladimir in 1042.  The region had been ruled by the Swedes since the late 13th century, when Birger Jarl led the Second Crusade against the inhabitants of historical Tavastia province. In the 14th century, Häme became a fiefdom, whose administrative seat was Häme Castle. When Finland was taken from Sweden by the Russians in 1809, Tavastia proper also became part of the Russian Empire. Russian rule ended in 1917.
For more history, geography and culture see: Tavastia

Municipalities

The region of Tavastia Proper is made up of 11 municipalities, of which three have city status.
Forssa sub-region:
Hämeenlinna sub-region:
Riihimäki sub-region:
Tavastia Proper uses the arms of the old historical province Tavastia.

Politics

Results of the 2019 Finnish parliamentary election in Tavastia Proper: