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// Workers AI · dad joke modeIs Southwest Finland a good cook? It's finn-tastic.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Finland Proper)

Southwest Finland
Varsinais-Suomi (Finnish)
Egentliga Finland (Swedish)
Finland Proper
Region
Region of Finland Proper
Varsinais-Suomen maakunta
Landskapet Egentliga Finland
Coat of arms of Southwest Finland
Coat of arms
Southwest Finland on a map of Finland
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
 • Density44.5064/km2 (115.271/sq mi)
GDP
[1]
 • 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

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, Kanta-Häme, Uusimaa, and Åland. The regional capital and most populous city is Turku, which was the capital city of Finland before Helsinki.

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

[edit]
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 originally called simply 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 this 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

[edit]
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

[edit]

Heraldry

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

Municipalities on the map

[edit]
Cities and municipalities of Southwest Finland.

Sub-regions

[edit]

Loimaa sub-region:

Turku sub-region:

Åboland–Turunmaa sub-region:

Salo sub-region:

Vakka-Suomi sub-region:

List of municipalities

[edit]
Raisin sausage
Coat of
arms		 Municipality Population Land area
(km2)		 Density
(/km2)		 Finnish
speakers		 Swedish
speakers		 Other
speakers
Coat of arms of Aura, FinlandAura3,9379541 96 %0 %3 %
Coat of arms of KaarinaKaarina36,675151244 88 %5 %7 %
Coat of arms of Koski TlKoski Tl2,14419211 95 %0 %4 %
Coat of arms of KimitoönKimitoön6,3406879 30 %65 %5 %
Coat of arms of KustaviKustavi9721666 93 %2 %5 %
Coat of arms of LaitilaLaitila8,40053216 86 %0 %14 %
Coat of arms of LietoLieto20,73230169 94 %2 %5 %
Coat of arms of LoimaaLoimaa15,12484818 94 %0 %6 %
Coat of arms of MarttilaMarttila1,89019510 96 %1 %3 %
Coat of arms of MaskuMasku9,61217555 96 %1 %3 %
Coat of arms of MynämäkiMynämäki7,42452014 95 %1 %4 %
Coat of arms of NaantaliNaantali20,39031365 94 %1 %5 %
Coat of arms of NousiainenNousiainen4,66719923 95 %1 %4 %
Coat of arms of OripääOripää1,26411811 90 %0 %10 %
Coat of arms of PaimioPaimio11,28423947 94 %1 %5 %
Coat of arms of PargasPargas14,71288417 42 %53 %5 %
Coat of arms of PyhärantaPyhäranta1,89214413 97 %1 %3 %
Coat of arms of PöytyäPöytyä7,90375011 94 %1 %5 %
Coat of arms of RaisioRaisio26,03649534 84 %1 %15 %
Coat of arms of RuskoRusko6,38112750 95 %2 %3 %
Coat of arms of SaloSalo50,3391,98725 89 %1 %9 %
Coat of arms of SauvoSauvo2,95725312 90 %2 %7 %
Coat of arms of SomeroSomero8,33966812 93 %1 %7 %
Coat of arms of TaivassaloTaivassalo1,70714012 91 %1 %8 %
Coat of arms of TurkuTurku209,633246853 77 %5 %18 %
Coat of arms of UusikaupunkiUusikaupunki14,78350329 90 %0 %10 %
Coat of arms of VehmaaVehmaa2,26318912 92 %1 %7 %
Total497,8009,09755

83 %

6 %

 12 %

Municipal mergers

[edit]

Demographics

[edit]

Population

[edit]
Population size 1980–2025[9]
Year Population
1980
406,360
1985
415,899
1990
425,282
1995
435,119
2000
447,103
2005
455,584
2010
465,183
2015
474,323
2020
481,403
2025
497,800

Languages

[edit]

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.[10]

Significant foreign resident groups [11]
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

Politics

[edit]

In parliamentary elections, Southwest Finland forms a single electoral district. As of 2023, the Southwest Finland constituency elects 17 of the 200 members of the Parliament of Finland.[12]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ Regions and Cities > Regional Statistics > Regional Economy > Regional GDP per Capita, OECD.Stats. Accessed on 16 November 2018.
  2. ↑ "Alueluokitusmuutokset 1.1.2019 | Tilastokeskus" [Changes in regional classification on 1 January 2019] (in Finnish). Stat.fi. 7 January 2019. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  3. ↑ Suomalainen paikannimikirja. Jyväskylä: Gummerus. 2007. ISBN 978-951-593-976-0.
  4. ↑ "Essay Writing Help at Its Finest".
  5. ↑ "Saaristoon – Saaristoon". Archived from the original on 4 December 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  6. ↑ Turun Sanomat
  7. ↑ "Hyypp r nharju, Kultal hde ja S r m ki - Salon kaupunki". www.salo.fi. Archived from the original on 6 May 2013.
  8. ↑ "Maakuntavaakuna" (in Finnish). Varsinais-Suomen liitto. Archived from the original on 30 September 2020. Retrieved 17 February 2025.
  9. ↑ "Population growth slowed down in 2025". Population structure. Statistics Finland. 1 April 2026. ISSN 1797-5395. Retrieved 6 April 2026.
  10. ↑ "Tiesitkö tätä kesämökeistä? 10 faktaa".
  11. ↑ Statistics Finland
  12. ↑ "Vaalipiirit eduskuntavaaleissa". Vaalit (in Finnish). Retrieved 30 April 2026.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Southwest_Finland&oldid=1351986778"