Western Finland was a
provinceThe state of Finland consisted of six provinces between the years 1997 and 2009. The provincial authority was part of the central government's executive branch, not directly elected. The system was created in 1634, and its makeup was changed drastically in 1997, when the number of the provinces...
of
FinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
from 1997 to 2010. It bordered the provinces of Oulu,
Eastern FinlandEastern Finland was a province of Finland from 1997 to 2010. It bordered the provinces of Oulu, Western Finland and Southern Finland. It also bordered Russia.- History :...
and
Southern FinlandSouthern Finland was a province of Finland from 1997 to 2010. It bordered the provinces of Western Finland and Eastern Finland. It also bordered the Gulf of Finland and Russia.- History :...
. It also bordered the
Gulf of BothniaThe Gulf of Bothnia is the northernmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It is situated between Finland's west coast and Sweden's east coast. In the south of the gulf lie the Åland Islands, between the Sea of Åland and the Archipelago Sea.-Name:...
towards Åland.
History
On September 1, 1997 the
Province of Turku and PoriTurku and Pori Province was a province of independent Finland from 1917 to 1997. The province was however founded as a county in 1634 when today's Finland was an integrated part of Sweden. It is named after the cities of Turku and Pori ....
, the Province of Vaasa, the Province of Central Finland and the northern parts of the
Province of HämeThe Province of Häme was a province of Finland from 1831 to 1997.In 1997 the southern parts with Tavastia Proper, Päijänne Tavastia was merged together with the province of Uusimaa and Kymi into the new Province of Southern Finland...
were joined to form the new Province of Western Finland.
All the provinces of Finland were abolished on January 1, 2010.
Administration
The Western Finland State Provincial Office was a joint regional administrative authority of seven ministries. The State Provincial Office served at five localities; the main office was in
TurkuTurku is a city situated on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River. It is located in the region of Finland Proper. It is believed that Turku came into existence during the end of the 13th century which makes it the oldest city in Finland...
, regional service offices were located in
JyväskyläJyväskylä is the capital of Central Finland and the largest city on the Finnish Lakeland, north-east of Tampere and north of Helsinki, on northern coast of lake Päijänne. The city has been continuously one of the most rapidly growing cities in Finland since World War II. The city is surrounded...
,
TampereTampere is a city in southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of , growing to approximately 300,000 people in the conurbation and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in...
and
VaasaVaasa is a city on the west coast of Finland. It received its charter in 1606, during the reign of Charles IX of Sweden and is named after the Royal House of Vasa...
, and finally there was an office in
PoriPori is a city and municipality on the west coast of Finland. The city is located some from the Gulf of Bothnia, on the estuary of the Kokemäenjoki river, which is the largest in Finland. Pori is the most important town in the Satakunta region....
. The State Provincial Office was led by
GovernorThe Governor, Maaherra, or Landshövding, of a province of Finland headed the activities of the State Provincial Office, Lääninhallitus, or Länsstyrelse until the end of 2009, when the provinces were abolished. The governors were appointed by the President...
Rauno Saari. Approximately 350 persons worked at the State Provincial Office. The agency was divided into eight departments.
Regions
Main article: Regions of Western FinlandThe former Province of Western Finland in Finland was divided on seven regions, 34 districts and 192 municipalities.-Regions:*Southern Ostrobothnia *Ostrobothnia...
Western Finland was divided into seven regions:
- Southern Ostrobothnia
Southern Ostrobothnia is one of the 20 regions of Finland.Seinäjoki is the regional centre and by far the largest city in the area.- Historical provinces :For History, Geography and Culture see: Ostrobothnia- Municipalities :...
(Etelä-Pohjanmaa / Sydösterbotten)
- Ostrobothnia
Ostrobothnia is a region of Finland. It is located in Western Finland. It borders the regions Central Ostrobothnia, Southern Ostrobothnia, and Satakunta and is one of the four regions making up the historical province of Ostrobothnia....
(Österbotten / Pohjanmaa)
- Pirkanmaa
Pirkanmaa , or the Tampere Region , is a region of Finland. It borders on the regions of Satakunta, Tavastia Proper, Päijänne Tavastia, Southern Ostrobothnia and Central Finland....
(Pirkanmaa / Birkaland)
- Satakunta
Satakunta is a region of Finland, part of the former Western Finland Province. It borders the regions of Finland Proper, Pirkanmaa, Southern Ostrobothnia and Ostrobothnia. The main city of the region is Pori. The name of the region literally means Hundred...
(Satakunta / Satakunda)
- Central Ostrobothnia
Central Ostrobothnia is a region in Finland. It borders to the regions Ostrobothnia, Northern Ostrobothnia, Central Finland, Southern Ostrobothnia.- Historical provinces :For History, Geography and Culture see: Ostrobothnia- Municipalities :...
(Keski-Pohjanmaa / Mellersta Österbotten)
- Central Finland
Central Finland is a region in Finland. It borders to the regions Päijänne Tavastia, Pirkanmaa, Southern Ostrobothnia, Central Ostrobothnia, Northern Ostrobothnia, Northern Savonia and Southern Savonia....
(Keski-Suomi / Mellersta Finland)
- Finland Proper (Varsinais-Suomi / Egentliga Finland)
The regions in Western Finland were divided into 204
municipalities.
Heraldry
The coat of arms of Western Finland was composed of the arms of
Finland ProperFinland Proper or Southwest Finland , is a region in south-western Finland. It borders the regions of Satakunta, Tavastia Proper, Ahvenanmaa and Uusimaa.- Municipalities :...
, Satakunta and
OstrobothniaOstrobothnia is a region of Finland. It is located in Western Finland. It borders the regions Central Ostrobothnia, Southern Ostrobothnia, and Satakunta and is one of the four regions making up the historical province of Ostrobothnia....
.
External links