a Balto-Finnish tribe that settled in central Finland in approximately A.D. 500 in a region of large lakes. The Häme tribe engaged primarily in forest occupations, hunting, logging, fishing, and trading. Archaeological remains include stone burial mounds with evidence of cremation. The Primary Chronicle mentions that the Häme tribe paid tribute to Novgorod in the llth and 12th centuries. In the mid-13th century, the Swedes subjugated the tribe (whom they called the Tavastians). Eventually, the Häme, Suomi, and Karelian tribes combined to form the Finnish nationality.
a lääni (province) in southern Finland. Area, 19,800 sq km. Population, 656,000 (1974). Approximately two-thirds of the population is urban. The capital of the province is Hämeenlinna (Swedish, Tavastehus).
Häme has both industry and agriculture. Industry includes the manufacture of textiles (primarily in Tampere and Forssa) and wood products (primarily in Mänttä, Nokia, Valkeakoski. and Lahti). The pulp and paper industry, metalworking, and machine building (primarily in Tampere and Lahti) are also important. Grains and feed crops are cultivated in the province. Dairy farming, lumbering, and fishing are also highly developed. Navigable lakes include Päijänne and Näsi. The Salpausselkä area is popu lar for winter sports.