Finland Proper

Southwest Finland (, ; ) is a region ('','' ) 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.

The region largely corresponds to the historical province of Finland Proper. Until 2019, its official English name was Finland Proper, a designation still used in Finnish () and Swedish ().

Origin of the name ''Finland Proper''

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.

Geography

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. There are around 20,000 islands near the coast.

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

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.

Municipalities

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

Municipalities on the map

Sub-regions

Loimaa sub-region:

* Aura
* Koski Tl (Koskis)
* Loimaa
* Marttila (S:t MÃ¥rtens)
* Oripää
* Pöytyä (Pöytis)

Turku sub-region:

* Kaarina (S:t Karins)
* Lieto (Lundo)
* Masku (Masko)
* Mynämäki (Virmo)
* Naantali (NÃ¥dendal)
* Nousiainen (Nousis)
* Paimio (Pemar)
* Raisio (Reso)
* Rusko
* Sauvo (Sagu)
* Turku (Ã…bo)

Åboland–Turunmaa sub-region:

* Kimitoön (Kemiönsaari)
* Pargas (Parainen)

Salo sub-region:

* Salo
* Somero

Vakka-Suomi sub-region:

* Kustavi (Gustavs)
* Laitila (Letala)
* Pyhäranta
* Taivassalo (Tövsala)
* Uusikaupunki (Nystad)
* Vehmaa (Vemo)

List of municipalities

Demographics

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.

Politics

Results of the 2023 Finnish parliamentary election in Southwest Finland:

* National Coalition Party 23.0%
* Finns Party 20.0%
* Social Democratic Party 18.1%
* Left Alliance 11.6%
* Centre Party 8.4%
* Green League 7.0%
* Swedish People's Party 4.9%
* Christian Democrats 2.8%
* Movement Now 2.3%
* Other parties 1.9%

See also

* Finns proper
* Southwest Finnish dialects

References

External links

*

South Finland EU Office

{{Authority control

Western Finland Province