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, a designation still used in Finnish (Varsinais-Suomi) and Swedish (Egentliga Finland).
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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.
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).
Sub-regions
Loimaa sub-region:
Turku sub-region:
Åboland–Turunmaa sub-region:
Salo sub-region:
Vakka-Suomi sub-region:
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.
Demographics
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.
Politics
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.