Southwest Finland

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

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

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

Main article: Finland Proper (historical province)

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

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.
Turku
Salo
Kaarina
Raisio
Naantali
Loimaa
Uusi- kaupunki
Lieto
Lieto
Pargas
Paimio
Paimio
Somero
Masku
Laitila
Pöytyä
Pöytyä
Mynämäki
Mynämäki
Kimitoön
Kimitoön
Rusko
Nousiainen
Aura
Aura
Sauvo
Sauvo
Koski Tl
Vehmaa
Pyhäranta
Pyhäranta
Marttila
Taivassalo
Taivassalo
Oripää
Oripää
Kustavi
Gulf of Finland
Archipelago Sea
Turku Archipelago
Turku Archipelago
Bothnian Sea
Sata- kunta
Pirkan- maa
Kanta- Häme
Uusi- maa
Municipalities
Municipalities
  Over 100 000 inhabitants
  Over 100 000 inhabitants
  Over 30 000 inhabitants
  Over 30 000 inhabitants
  Over 10 000 inhabitants
  Over 10 000 inhabitants
  Over 3 000 inhabitants
  Over 3 000 inhabitants
 < 3 000 inhabitants
 < 3 000 inhabitants
Cities and municipalities of Southwest Finland.

Sub-regions

Loimaa sub-region:

Turku sub-region:

Åboland–Turunmaa sub-region:

  • Kimitoön (Kemiönsaari)
  • Pargas (Parainen)

Salo sub-region:

Vakka-Suomi sub-region:

List of municipalities

Raisin sausage
Coat of
arms 		Municipality Population Land area
(km2) 		Density
(/km2) 		Finnish
speakers 		Swedish
speakers 		Other
speakers
Coat of arms of Aura, Finland Aura 3,937 95 41 96 % 0 % 3 %
Coat of arms of Kaarina Kaarina 36,675 151 244 88 % 5 % 7 %
Coat of arms of Koski Tl Koski Tl 2,144 192 11 95 % 0 % 4 %
Coat of arms of Kimitoön Kimitoön 6,340 687 9 30 % 65 % 5 %
Coat of arms of Kustavi Kustavi 972 166 6 93 % 2 % 5 %
Coat of arms of Laitila Laitila 8,400 532 16 86 % 0 % 14 %
Coat of arms of Lieto Lieto 20,732 301 69 94 % 2 % 5 %
Coat of arms of Loimaa Loimaa 15,124 848 18 94 % 0 % 6 %
Coat of arms of Marttila Marttila 1,890 195 10 96 % 1 % 3 %
Coat of arms of Masku Masku 9,612 175 55 96 % 1 % 3 %
Coat of arms of Mynämäki Mynämäki 7,424 520 14 95 % 1 % 4 %
Coat of arms of Naantali Naantali 20,390 313 65 94 % 1 % 5 %
Coat of arms of Nousiainen Nousiainen 4,667 199 23 95 % 1 % 4 %
Coat of arms of Oripää Oripää 1,264 118 11 90 % 0 % 10 %
Coat of arms of Paimio Paimio 11,284 239 47 94 % 1 % 5 %
Coat of arms of Pargas Pargas 14,712 884 17 42 % 53 % 5 %
Coat of arms of Pyhäranta Pyhäranta 1,892 144 13 97 % 1 % 3 %
Coat of arms of Pöytyä Pöytyä 7,903 750 11 94 % 1 % 5 %
Coat of arms of Raisio Raisio 26,036 49 534 84 % 1 % 15 %
Coat of arms of Rusko Rusko 6,381 127 50 95 % 2 % 3 %
Coat of arms of Salo Salo 50,339 1,987 25 89 % 1 % 9 %
Coat of arms of Sauvo Sauvo 2,957 253 12 90 % 2 % 7 %
Coat of arms of Somero Somero 8,339 668 12 93 % 1 % 7 %
Coat of arms of Taivassalo Taivassalo 1,707 140 12 91 % 1 % 8 %
Coat of arms of Turku Turku 209,633 246 853 77 % 5 % 18 %
Coat of arms of Uusikaupunki Uusikaupunki 14,783 503 29 90 % 0 % 10 %
Coat of arms of Vehmaa Vehmaa 2,263 189 12 92 % 1 % 7 %
Total 497,800 9,097 55

83 %

6 %

12 %

Municipal mergers

  • Kuusisto merged to Kaarina in 1946.
  • Naantalin maalaiskunta merged to Naantali in 1964.
  • Angelniemi merged to Halikko in 1967.
  • Pargas landskommun merged to Pargas in 1967.
  • Uskela merged to Salo in 1967.
  • Maaria merged to Turku in 1967.
  • Kakskerta merged to Turku in 1968.
  • Hitis merged to Dragsfjärd in 1969.
  • Karuna merged to Sauvo in 1969.
  • Uudenkaupungin maalaiskunta merged to Uusikaupunki in 1969.
  • Paattinen merged to Turku in 1973.
  • Pyhämaa merged to Uusikaupunki in 1974.
  • Metsämaa merged to Loimaan kunta in 1976.
  • Karjala merged to Mynämäki in 1977.
  • Somerniemi merged to Somero in 1977.
  • Lokalahti merged to Uusikaupunki in 1981.
  • Kalanti merged to Uusikaupunki in 1993.
  • Loimaan kunta merged to Loimaa in 2005.
  • Karinainen merged to Pöytyä in 2005.
  • Mietoinen merged to Mynämäki in 2007.
  • Piikkiö merged to Kaarina in 2009.
  • Dragsfjärd, Kimito, and Västanfjärd merged to form Kimitoön in 2009.
  • Alastaro and Mellilä merged to Loimaa in 2009.
  • Houtskär, Iniö, Korpo, Nagu, and Pargas merged to form Väståboland in 2009 (renamed Pargas in 2011).
  • Askainen and Lemu merged to Masku in 2009.
  • Merimasku, Rymättylä, and Velkua merged to Naantali in 2009.
  • Yläne merged to Pöytyä in 2009.
  • Vahto merged to Rusko in 2009.
  • Halikko, Kiikala, Kisko, Kuusjoki, Muurla, Perniö, Pertteli, Suomusjärvi, and Särkisalo merged to Salo in 2009.
  • Tarvasjoki merged to Lieto in 2015.

Demographics

Population

Population size 1980–2025[10]
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

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.[11]

Significant foreign resident groups [12]
31 December 2020
1  Soviet Union 6,153
2  Estonia 4,092
3  Iraq 3,775
4  Yugoslavia 2,934
5  Iran 1,964
6  Somalia 1,807
7  Vietnam 1,023
8  Romania 960
9  Poland 948
10  Thailand 914
11  Afghanistan 834
12  China 816
13  Russia 757
14  Syria 669
15  Turkey 624
16  Germany 555
17  Ukraine 550
18  Sweden 511
19  United Kingdom 477
20  Latvia 458

Politics

Results of the 2023 Finnish parliamentary election in Southwest Finland:

See also

  • Finns proper
  • Southwest Finnish dialects

References

  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. ^ a b c d "Area of Finnish Municipalities 1.1.2018" (PDF). National Land Survey of Finland. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  10. ^ "Population growth slowed down in 2025". Population structure. Statistics Finland. 1 April 2026. ISSN 1797-5395. Retrieved 6 April 2026.
  11. ^ "Tiesitkö tätä kesämökeistä? 10 faktaa".
  12. ^ Statistics Finland
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