FACTFILE: Finland's and Estonia's turn in 2011

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European Cultural Capitals have been chosen annually since 1985. The first city to hold the title was Athens. In 2000 Helsinki was one of nine cities to share the title.
      From 2009 the title will be given to only two cities at a time, and in 2011 Finland and Estonia will be able to name the cities.
      Proponents of Mänttä note that the tendency is to favour smaller cities. So far, the Irish city of Cork (123,000 inhabitants), the Norwegian towns of Stavanger (111,000 inhabitants) and Sibiu (155,000 inhabitants) have held the title. If Mänttä were to be chosen, it would be in a size class of its own.
      During the previous ten-year period the communities chosen as Cultural Capital spent an average EUR 40 million. The smallest budget was less than EUR 8 million, and the largest was nearly EUR 74 million.
     
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 14.4.2005

More on this subject:
 Mänttä - a small town with an ambitious dream

Helsingin Sanomat