Vantaa (Vanda in Swedish) is a municipality in Finland. It borders Helsinki, the Finnish capital, on the north and east. Other neighbouring municipalities are Espoo in the west, Nurmijärvi, Kerava and Tuusula in the north and Sipoo in the east. Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa, and Kauniainen make up the Helsinki Metropolitan Area.
Vantaa with its population of about 182,000 (2003) is the fourth biggest city of Finland. Its main claim to fame is being the location of the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport. It also hosts a science park, Heureka.
On October 11, 2002, the city was shocked by the explosion of a bomb in the local Myyrmanni Shopping Mall, killing 7, including the bomber, a 19 year old Chemistry student from Espoo-Vantaa Institute of Technology. For more information on this issue see Myyrmanni bombing.
