Southwest Finland

Southwest Finland, calqued as Finland Proper (Varsinais-Suomi, ; Egentliga Finland), is a region in the southwest of Finland. It borders the regions of Satakunta, Pirkanmaa, Tavastia Proper (Kanta-Häme), Uusimaa, and Åland. The region's capital and most populous city is Turku, which was the capital city of Finland before Helsinki.

The area comprising the Southwest is largely the same as the historical province of Finland Proper, so named because it is the original home of the tribe known as the Finns proper.

Origin of the name Finland Proper
The name of Finland Proper has a historical function. In historic times, in the area of the present Southern Finland lived three tribes, which were the Finns proper, the Tavastians and the Karelians. The southwestern part of the country, the province where the Finns proper lived, was simply called 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 sielft and Egenteliga Finland later in the 18th century. The modern form Egentliga Finland was in official use at the end of the century, and the Finnish term Varsinais-Suomi became established only 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.

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:
 * Aura.vaakuna.svg Aura
 * Koski.Tl.vaakuna.svg Koski Tl (Koskis)
 * Loimaa.vaakuna.svg Loimaa
 * Marttila.vaakuna.svg Marttila (S:t Mårtens)
 * Oripää.vaakuna.svg Oripää
 * Pöytyän vaakuna.svg Pöytyä (Pöytis)
 * Piikkiö.vaakuna.svg Kaarina (S:t Karins)
 * Lieto vaakuna.svg Lieto (Lundo)
 * Askainen.vaakuna.svg Masku (Masko)
 * Mynämäki.vaakuna.svg Mynämäki (Virmo)
 * Naantali.vaakuna.svg Naantali (Nådendal)
 * Nousiainen.vaakuna.svg Nousiainen (Nousis)
 * Paimio vaakuna.svg Paimio (Pemar)
 * Raisio.vaakuna.svg Raisio (Reso)
 * Vahto.vaakuna.svg Rusko
 * Sauvo.vaakuna.svg Sauvo (Sagu)
 * Turku.vaakuna.svg Turku (Åbo)

Åboland–Turunmaa sub-region: Salo sub-region: Vakka-Suomi sub-region:
 * Dragsfjärd.vaakuna.svg Kimitoön (Kemiönsaari)
 * Nagu.vapen.Nauvo.vaakuna.svg Pargas (Parainen)
 * Halikko vaakuna.svg Salo
 * Somero.vaakuna.svg Somero
 * Kustavi vaakuna.svg Kustavi (Gustavs)
 * Laitila vaakuna.svg Laitila (Letala)
 * Pyhäranta vaakuna.svg Pyhäranta
 * Taivassalo vaakuna.svg Taivassalo (Tövsala)
 * Uusikaupunki.vaakuna.svg Uusikaupunki (Nystad)
 * Vehmaa.vaakuna.svg Vehmaa (Vemo)

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%