Tampere (Swedish: Tammerfors) is the third largest city in Finland with around 213,000 inhabitants and a metro population of nearly half a million. Being located 170km north of the Finnish coastal capital [[Helsinki[/url]], it is also the biggest inland town in the whole Nordic region. Geographically, the city lies on a narrow isthmus between Lake Näsijärvi, which reaches far to the north, and Lake Pyhäjärvi in the south. In addition, there are 200 lakes and ponds in Tampere, and a total of 450 in the entire region. Despite being predominantly a former heavy industry centre, today Tampere is a major hub for information technology, research, education, culture, sports and business. In 2010, the City of Tampere came in first in an image survey comparing the largest cities in Finland. Leaving Helsinki behind, it was also found the most attractive city among Finns who plan on moving.