Southwest Finland

Region of Finland From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Southwest Finland

Southwest Finland (Finnish: Varsinais-Suomi, IPA: [ˈʋɑrs̠inɑi̯s̠ˌs̠uo̞̯mi]; Swedish: Egentliga Finland) is a region (Finnish: maakunta, Swedish: landskap) of Finland. It borders the regions of Satakunta, Pirkanmaa, Tavastia Proper (Kanta-Häme), Uusimaa, and Åland. The regional capital and most populous city is Turku, which was the capital city of Finland before Helsinki.

Quick Facts Varsinais-Suomi (Finnish)Egentliga Finland (Swedish)Finland Proper, Country ...
Southwest Finland
Varsinais-Suomi (Finnish)
Egentliga Finland (Swedish)
Finland Proper
Region of Finland Proper
Varsinais-Suomen maakunta
Landskapet Egentliga Finland
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Southwest Finland on a map of Finland
CountryFinland
Historical provinceFinland Proper
CapitalTurku
Other townsKaarina, Laitila, Loimaa, Naantali, Paimio, Pargas, Raisio, Salo, Somero and Uusikaupunki
Area
  Total
10,910.05 km2 (4,212.39 sq mi)
Population
 (2022)
  Total
485,567
  Density45/km2 (120/sq mi)
GDP
  Total€16.219 billion (2015)
  Per capita€34,252 (2015)
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
  Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)
ISO 3166 codeFI-19
NUTS183
Regional animalRed fox
Regional birdWestern jackdaw
Regional fishBaltic herring
Regional flowerOak
Regional stoneRed granite
Regional lakePyhäjärvi
Websitevarsinais-suomi.fi
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The region largely corresponds to the historical province of Finland Proper. Until 2019, its official English name was Finland Proper,[2] a designation still used in Finnish (Varsinais-Suomi) and Swedish (Egentliga Finland).

Origin of the name Finland Proper

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The seal of Finland Proper from 1326

The name Finland Proper has historical roots. In Early Middle Ages, in the area of the present-day Southern Finland was inhabited by three main tribes: the Finns, the Tavastians and the Karelians. The southwestern part of the country, where the Finns lived, was the place originally called Finland (Suomi in Finnish).

By the 17th century, the name Finland began to be used for a broader area, creating a need for a more specific name for the smaller region. The earliest recorded terms for "Finland Proper" appeared in Latin in the 1650s as Fennigia specialiter dicta and Fennigia presse dicta. Later, in the 18th century, the Swedish terms Finland för sig sielft and Egenteliga Finland emerged. The modern Swedish name Egentliga Finland became officially recognized by the end of the century, while the Finnish equivalent, Varsinais-Suomi, was established around the 1850s.[3]

Geography

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Turku Archipelago

Southwest Finland's nature differs from other regions. The most notable biotopes are the Archipelago Sea and groves. 80% of Finland's insect species can be found in Southwest Finland.[4] There are around 20,000 islands near the coast.[5]

The southernmost point of Southwest Finland and the southernmost inhabited island is Utö.[6] Its highest point is 164 meters in Kiikala.[7]

Historical provinces

Heraldry

The region uses the coat of arms of the historical province of Finland Proper. The knight's helmet motif on the coat of arms has been interpreted as symbolizing the court of Duke of Finland, the in the southern part of the duchy, as well as the region's position as the administrative centre of the land.[8]

Municipalities

Summarize
Perspective

The region of Southwest Finland consists of 27 municipalities, 11 of which have city status (marked in bold).

Municipalities on the map

Cities and municipalities of Southwest Finland.

Sub-regions

Loimaa sub-region:

Turku sub-region:

Åboland–Turunmaa sub-region:

Salo sub-region:

Vakka-Suomi sub-region:

List of municipalities

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Raisin sausage
More information Coat of arms, Municipality ...
Coat of
arms
Municipality Population Land area
(km2)
Density
(/km2)
Finnish
speakers
Swedish
speakers
Other
speakers
Coat of arms of Aura, FinlandAura3,9659542 96 %1 %3 %
Coat of arms of KaarinaKaarina36,563151243 88 %5 %6 %
Coat of arms of Koski TlKoski Tl2,18519211 96 %0 %5 %
Coat of arms of KimitoönKimitoön6,3696879 30 %67 %4 %
Coat of arms of KustaviKustavi9671666 91 %2 %5 %
Coat of arms of LaitilaLaitila8,48853216 87 %0 %12 %
Coat of arms of LietoLieto20,66630169 94 %1 %5 %
Coat of arms of LoimaaLoimaa15,30484818 95 %0 %6 %
Coat of arms of MarttilaMarttila1,91919510 96 %1 %3 %
Coat of arms of MaskuMasku9,57717555 96 %1 %3 %
Coat of arms of MynämäkiMynämäki7,47852014 96 %1 %4 %
Coat of arms of NaantaliNaantali20,10831364 94 %1 %4 %
Coat of arms of NousiainenNousiainen4,65919923 97 %1 %3 %
Coat of arms of OripääOripää1,30211811 92 %1 %9 %
Coat of arms of PaimioPaimio11,22723947 95 %1 %5 %
Coat of arms of PargasPargas14,88088417 42 %55 %5 %
Coat of arms of PyhärantaPyhäranta1,92014413 97 %1 %3 %
Coat of arms of PöytyäPöytyä8,01375011 96 %1 %5 %
Coat of arms of RaisioRaisio25,71749527 85 %1 %12 %
Coat of arms of RuskoRusko6,42012750 95 %2 %3 %
Coat of arms of SaloSalo50,8671,98726 91 %1 %8 %
Coat of arms of SauvoSauvo2,96425312 91 %2 %7 %
Coat of arms of SomeroSomero8,43066813 94 %1 %5 %
Coat of arms of TaivassaloTaivassalo1,69014012 93 %1 %7 %
Coat of arms of TurkuTurku206,035246839 78 %5 %15 %
Coat of arms of UusikaupunkiUusikaupunki14,81950329 92 %0 %8 %
Coat of arms of VehmaaVehmaa2,24918912 94 %0 %5 %
Total494,7819,09754

84 %

6 %

10 %
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Demographics

More information Year, Pop. ...
Historical population
YearPop.±%
1980406,360    
1985415,899+2.3%
1990425,282+2.3%
1995435,119+2.3%
2000447,103+2.8%
2005455,584+1.9%
2010465,183+2.1%
2015474,323+2.0%
2018478,582+0.9%
2020481,403+0.6%
Source: Statistics Finland
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As of 2020, Southwest Finland had a population of 481,403, making it the third most populated Finnish region after Uusimaa and Pirkanmaa. 86.45% speak Finnish, 5.68% Swedish and 7.86% speak other languages, the most common being Russian, Estonian, Arabic, Kurdish and Albanian.

It has the most summer cottages out of any Finnish region, with 49,000 as of 2012.[9]

More information Significant foreign resident groups ...
Significant foreign resident groups [10]
31 December 2020
1 Soviet Union6,153
2 Estonia4,092
3 Iraq3,775
4 Yugoslavia2,934
5 Iran1,964
6 Somalia1,807
7 Vietnam1,023
8 Romania960
9 Poland948
10 Thailand914
11 Afghanistan834
12 China816
13 Russia757
14 Syria669
15 Turkey624
16 Germany555
17 Ukraine550
18 Sweden511
19 United Kingdom477
20 Latvia458
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Politics

Results of the 2023 Finnish parliamentary election in Southwest Finland:

See also

References

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