South Ostrobothnia

South Ostrobothnia^[2] (Finnish: Etelä-Pohjanmaa [ˈetelæˌpohjɑnˌmɑː]; Swedish: Södra Österbotten) is one of the 19 regions of Finland. It borders the regions of Ostrobothnia, Central Ostrobothnia, Central Finland, Pirkanmaa, and Satakunta. Among the Finnish regions, South Ostrobothnia is the ninth largest in terms of population.^[3] Seinäjoki is the regional centre^[4] and by far the largest city in the area.^[5]

South Ostrobothnia Etelä-Pohjanmaa (Finnish) Södra Österbotten (Swedish)
Region
Region of South Ostrobothnia Etelä-Pohjanmaan maakunta Landskapet Södra Österbotten
Flag Coat of arms
South Ostrobothnia on a map of Finland
Coordinates: 62°45′N 22°30′E
Country	Finland
Historical province	Ostrobothnia, Satakunta
Capital	Seinäjoki
Other towns	Ähtäri, Alajärvi, Alavus, Kauhajoki, Kauhava, Kurikka and Lapua
Area
• Total	13,999.63 km2 (5,405.29 sq mi)
Population  (2021)
• Total	191,762
• Density	14/km2 (35/sq mi)
GDP [1]
• Total	€5.856 billion (2015)
• Per capita	€30,344 (2015)
ISO 3166 code	FI-03
NUTS	194
Regional animal	Red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris)
Regional bird	Eurasian curlew (Numenius arquata)
Regional fish	European whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus)
Regional flower	Fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium)
Regional stone	Impactite
Regional lake	Lake Lappajärvi
Website	etelapohjanmaa.fi

As a cultural area, South Ostrobothnia is larger than its current regional borders and includes the region of Ostrobothnia as well.^[4]

Geography

A flood in Ilmajoki

The natural landscape of South Ostrobothnia is mainly expanses, which is Finland's largest plain area. South Ostrobothnia is connected to the coastal region of the Gulf of Bothnia in the west, to the river country of Central Ostrobothnia in the north, and to Suomenselkä in the east and south, which is the watershed between the regions of Ostrobothnia and Finnish Lakeland. The land surface rises gently from the coast inland, and the 100-meter height level is reached about 100 kilometers from the coast.^[6][7]

The river valleys of South Ostrobothnia have traditionally been flood-prone areas.^[8]

History

South Ostrobothnia had its first permanent settlements during the Iron Age. Swedish control began in the 12th century, leaving a lasting impact on the region's cultural identity. Swedish remains a spoken language alongside Finnish. In 1809, Finland, including South Ostrobothnia, became part of the Russian Empire as the Grand Duchy of Finland. The region endured hardships during the tumultuous 19th century, including the Crimean War (1853–1856) and the throes of industrialization. The early 19th century also saw the rise of religious revival movements like Pietism, shaping the region's social fabric. Finland gained independence in 1917, and South Ostrobothnia played a role in the nation-building process. The 20th century witnessed significant industrial development, with metalworking, machinery, and electronics becoming major contributors to the economy. Despite the devastation of the Winter War (1939–1945) against the Soviet Union, the region persevered. Since the mid-20th century, the economy has diversified, with the service sector playing an increasingly important role.

Historical provinces

For history, geography and culture, see Ostrobothnia (historical province).

Culture

Patterning of the traditional jussipaita sweater.

Regional and historical sub-tribal identity is generally stronger in South Ostrobothnia than in most regions of Finland.^[9]

The South Ostrobothnian dialect belongs to the western Finnish dialects.^[10] However, in the most eastern part of the region people speak a Savonian dialect that has Ostrobothnian elements.^[11]

One of the biggest rock festivals in Finland, Provinssirock, and the world's oldest tango festival Tangomarkkinat are both held in Seinäjoki.^[4] The folk music festival Eteläpohjalaiset Spelit is held annually in different South Ostrobothnian locations^[12] and the opera and music festival Ilmajoen Musiikkijuhlat is held in Ilmajoki.^[13] Many of the cultural events in South Ostrobothnia are rooted in local folk festivals and communal work.^[14]

There are several local folk costumes.^[15] Jussipaita is a traditional sweater that has become a symbol for South Ostrobothnian identity.^[16]

Leipäjuusto with cloudberry jam

Notable architecture in South Ostrobothnia include the Lakeuden Risti Church and other buildings in the Aalto Centre in Seinäjoki designed by the South Ostrobothnian-born architect Alvar Aalto.^[17] A traditional peasant house, ”pohjalaistalo” (Ostrobothnian house), is a part of the local folk culture.^[18]

South Ostrobothnia is known for its agriculture and animal husbandry. Traditional local cuisine include leipäjuusto and kropsu, an Ostrobothnian pancake.^[19]

Municipalities

Main article: Municipalities of South Ostrobothnia

The region of South Ostrobothnia consists of 18 municipalities, eight of which have city status (marked in bold).

Municipalities on the map

Seinäjoki

Kurikka

Kauhava

Lapua

Kauhajoki

Ilmajoki

Alavus

Alajärvi

Ähtäri

Teuva

Isokyrö

Kuortane

Lappajärvi

Vimpeli

Soini

Evijärvi

Isojoki

Karijoki

Sata-
kunta

Pirkan-
maa

Central
Finland

Central
Ostrobothnia

Ostro-
bothnia

Municipalities

Yli 30 000 inhabitants

Yli 10 000 inhabitants

Yli 3 000 inhabitants

 < 3 000 inhabitants

Cities and municipalities of South Ostrobothnia.

Sub-regions

Järviseutu sub-region

• Alajärvi
• Evijärvi
• Lappajärvi
• Soini
• Vimpeli

Kuusiokunnat sub-region

• Alavus
• Kuortane
• Ähtäri

Seinäjoki sub-region

• Ilmajoki
• Isokyrö
• Kauhava
• Kurikka
• Lapua
• Seinäjoki

Suupohja sub-region

• Isojoki
• Karijoki
• Kauhajoki
• Teuva

List of municipalities

Coat of arms	Municipality	Population	Land area (km2)	Density (/km2)	Finnish speakers	Swedish speakers	Other speakers
	Alajärvi	9,069	1,009	9	95 %	0.1 %	5 %
	Alavus	10,763	1,087	10	97 %	0.1 %	3 %
	Evijärvi	2,275	354	6	93 %	2.1 %	5 %
	Ilmajoki	12,471	577	22	97 %	0.2 %	2 %
	Isojoki	1,778	642	3	95 %	0.8 %	5 %
	Isokyrö	4,302	354	12	98 %	0.7 %	2 %
	Karijoki	1,153	186	6	96 %	1.9 %	3 %
	Kauhajoki	12,501	1,299	10	96 %	0.4 %	4 %
	Kauhava	15,043	1,314	11	93 %	0.7 %	6 %
	Kuortane	3,332	462	7	97 %	0 %	2 %
	Kurikka	19,501	1,725	11	96 %	0.4 %	3 %
	Lappajärvi	2,739	421	7	94 %	0.4 %	7 %
	Lapua	14,028	737	19	95 %	0.2 %	5 %
	Seinäjoki	66,738	1,432	47	94 %	0.2 %	5 %
	Soini	1,799	552	3	99 %	0 %	1 %
	Teuva	4,642	555	8	97 %	0.7 %	3 %
	Vimpeli	2,603	287	9	97 %	0 %	3 %
	Total	187,340	13,280	14	95 %	0.3 %	4 %

Demographics

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1972	200,137	—
1975	196,746	−1.7%
1980	201,152	+2.2%
1985	206,209	+2.5%
1990	207,010	+0.4%
1995	206,136	−0.4%
2000	200,766	−2.6%
2005	198,856	−1.0%
2010	198,469	−0.2%
2015	197,371	−0.6%
2020	192,150	−2.6%
2021	191,762	−0.2%
Source: Statistics Finland

South Ostrobothnia is the most homogenous region in Finland, with the highest share of the population speaking Finnish (97.1%) and the lowest share of people with a foreign-background (2.7%). Swedish is spoken by 637 people (0.3%). The highest shares of Swedish-speakers are in Evijärvi (2%) and Karijoki (1.6%), both of which border majority Swedish-speaking municipalities in the region of Ostrobothnia. The most spoken immigrant languages are Russian (0.5%), Estonian (0.4%), Ukrainian (0.2%), Hungarian (0.2%) and Thai (0.1%).^[20]

South Ostrobothnia has the highest proportion of people who belong to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland out of any region, at 82.8%. It also has the fourth highest dependency ratio at 74.3, higher than the national average of 62.4. The region has a higher proportion of people aged 0-14 and those aged 65 and over than the national average. The proportion of people in the working age (aged 15-64) is one of the lowest in the country.^[21] Kauhajoki in South Ostrobothnia is estimated to have the highest proportion of Finnish Kale in Finland, at 5%.^[22] In 2019, the city of Seinäjoki became one of the first in the country to fly the Romani flag during International Romani Day.^[23]

Population by background country as of 31 December 2021:^[24]

1.  Finland 186,604 (97.31%)
2.  Russia 1,026 (0.54%)
3.  Estonia 636 (0.33%)
4.  Ukraine 291 (0.15%)
5.  Hungary 286 (0.15%)
6.  Turkey 261 (0.14%)
7.  Thailand 254 (0.13%)
8.  Sweden 191 (0.10%)
9.  Poland 135 (0.07%)
10.  Iraq 130 (0.07%)
11.  Myanmar 129 (0.07%)
12.  Romania 110 (0.06%)

Other 1,709 (0.89%)

Politics

Results of the 2019 Finnish parliamentary election in South Ostrobothnia:

• Centre Party 31.66%
• Finns Party 22.02%
• National Coalition Party 17.64%
• Social Democratic Party 10.79%
• Christian Democrats 6.39%
• Green League 4.22%
• Left Alliance 2.81%
• Blue Reform 1.82%
• Swedish People's Party 0.41%
• Seven Star Movement 0.37%
• Other parties 1.87%

See also

• Ostrobothnians

• South Ostrobothnian dialect