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Regions of Finland

Finland is divided into 20 regions (maakunta in Finnish, landskap in Swedish). The regions are governed by regional councils, which serve as forums of cooperation for the municipalities of a region. The main tasks of the regions are regional planning and development of enterprise and education. Currently, the only region where a popular election is held for the council is Kainuu.

Regions represent dialectal, cultural and economic variations better than the provinces, which are purely administrative divisions of the central government. Historically, regions are divisions of historical provinces of Finland, areas which represent dialects and culture more accurately.

Regions

1. Lapland (Lappi / Lappland)
2. Northern Ostrobothnia (Pohjois-Pohjanmaa / Norra Österbotten)
3. Kainuu (Kainuu / Kajanaland)
4. North Karelia (Pohjois-Karjala / Norra Karelen)
5. Northern Savonia (Pohjois-Savo / Norra Savolax)
6. Southern Savonia (Etelä-Savo / Södra Savolax)
7. Southern Ostrobothnia (Etelä-Pohjanmaa / Södra Österbotten)
8. Ostrobothnia (Pohjanmaa / Österbotten), also disambiguated as "coastal region of Vaasa" (Vaasan rannikkoseutu)
9. Pirkanmaa (Pirkanmaa / Birkaland)
10. Satakunta (Satakunta / Satakunda)
11. Central Ostrobothnia (Keski-Pohjanmaa / Mellersta Österbotten)
12. Central Finland (Keski-Suomi / Mellersta Finland)
13. Southwest Finland (Varsinais-Suomi / Egentliga Finland)
14. South Karelia (Etelä-Karjala / Södra Karelen)
15. Päijänne Tavastia (Päijät-Häme / Päijänne Tavastland)
16. Tavastia Proper (Kanta-Häme / Egentliga Tavastland)
17. Uusimaa (Uusimaa / Nyland)
18. Eastern Uusimaa (Itä-Uusimaa / Östra Nyland)
19. Kymenlaakso (Kymenlaakso / Kymmenedalen)
20. Åland Islands¹ (Ahvenanmaa / Åland)

¹ The role that the regional councils serve on Mainland Finland are on the Åland Islands handled by the autonomous Government of Åland.

Coats of Arms

See also

• Regions of Eastern Finland
• Regions of Oulu
• Regions of Southern Finland
• Regions of Western Finland
• County Councils of Sweden

External links

• Regional Councils of Finland – Official site