Finland Proper
| Finland Proper Varsinais-Suomen maakunta Egentliga Finlands landskap |
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| — Region — | |||
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| Country | Finland | ||
| Historical province | Finland Proper | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 10,910.05 km2 (4,212.39 sq mi) | ||
| Population (2009) | |||
| • Total | 461,100 | ||
| • Density | 42/km2 (110/sq mi) | ||
| NUTS | 183 | ||
| Regional bird | Jackdaw | ||
| Regional fish | Baltic herring | ||
| Regional flower | Oak | ||
| Website | varsinais-suomi.fi | ||
Finland Proper or Southwest Finland[1] (Finnish: Varsinais-Suomi, Swedish: Egentliga Finland), is a region in south-western Finland. It borders the regions of Satakunta, Tavastia Proper, Åland and Uusimaa. Its capital and biggest city is Turku with 177,000 inhabitants, which was also the capital of Finland from its establishment around the 13th century until 1812.
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[edit] Origin of the name
The name of Finland Proper has a historial function. In historic times, in the area of the present Finland lived three tribes, which were the Finns, the Tavastians and the Karelians. The southwestern part of the country, the province where the Finns lived, was called simply Finland (Finnish: Suomi). In the 17th century the name began to be used to refer to the whole land and a specified name for the lesser Finland was required. The first notes Fennigia specialiter dicta and Fennigia presse dicta were recorded in Latin in the 1650s and the Swedish Finland för sig sieft and Egenteliga Finland later in the 18th century the modern form Egentiga Finland being in official use at the end of the century. The Finnish term Varsinais-Suomi became established only around the 1850s.[2]
[edit] Historical Provinces
[edit] Regional Council
[edit] Municipalities
The region of Finland Proper is made up of 28 municipalities, of which 11 are towns.
[edit] Towns
[edit] Other municipalities
[edit] Politics
Results of the Finnish parliamentary election, 2011 in Finland Proper:
- National Coalition Party 23.0%
- Social Democratic Party 19.6%
- True Finns 18.1%
- Centre Party 11.6%
- Left Alliance 9.6%
- Green League 7.3%
- Swedish People's Party 5.5%
- Christian Democrats 2.9%
[edit] Heraldry
The region uses the coat of arms of the historical province of Finland Proper.
[edit] Gallery
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Turku Cathedral dating back to the 13th century is Finland's national shrine and one of Finland's most recognized buildings
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A typical view from Turku Archipelago, the largest archipelago in the world
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Louhisaari Manor in Masku was the birthplace of Finland's marshal and president Mannerheim
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The Old Castle of Lieto and rural landscape
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Naantali Harbour with the former Bridgettine monastery church in the background
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A general view of the City of Turku from the tower of the cathedral
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Bengtskär Lighthouse in Kimitoön is the highest one in the Nordic countries
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Nautelankoski Rapids in River Aura in Lieto
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The medieval Turku Castle on the banks of River Aura is one of the most influental buildings in the Finnish history
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Moomin World, Naantali
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A limestone quarry in Pargas
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Historical salt warehouses in Uusikaupunki town centre
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A brigde from 1850 in Taivassalo
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Korpo Church; there are 25 remaining medieval churches in the region
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Luostarinmäki Handicrafts Museum is a 18th century district of the city that survived the Great Fire of Turku which burnt down four fifths of the city in 1827
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May Day celebrations in Turku centre; the Arts Museum on the top of Street Aurakatu
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Traffic connections between islands are mostly served with ferries in the archipelago
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The National Romantic style Karuna Church
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The mobile phone manufacturer Nokia had originally its factory and headquarters in Salo; state-of-the-art models are still manufactured there
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A street view in Turku; old wooden houses and modern block of flats
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Marshland in Loimaa
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Naantali Old Town has been well preserved
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The functionalistic Paimio Sanatorium by Alvar Aalto
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A silo in Salo; the region still has a strong agricultural stample
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Windmills in Uusikaupunki
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The popular ferries travel twice a day around the year from Turku to Stockholm, Sweden
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Ruins of the medieval Kuusisto Bishops' Castle demolished in 1528 during the Protestant Reformation in Kaarina
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Pargas Old Town
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River Paimionjoki and rural landscape in Marttila
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Teijo Church in Salo is the smallest stone church in Finland
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[edit] Notes
- ^ The regional council of the region uses the name "Southwest Finland". Despite this, the Language Planning Department of Finland recommends the name "Finland Proper" as suggested in the statement by the Interior Ministry of Finland in 1988.
- ^ Suomalainen paikannimikirja. Jyväskylä: Gummerus. 2007. ISBN 2-978-951-593-976-0.
- ^ "Population by municipality as of 31 January 2012" (in Finnish and Swedish). Population Information System. Population Register Center of Finland. http://vrk.fi/default.aspx?docid=5919&site=3&id=0. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Finland Proper |
Coordinates: 60°30′N 22°45′E / 60.5°N 22.75°E
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