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South Ostrobothnia

Coordinates: 62°45′N 22°30′E / 62.750°N 22.500°E / 62.750; 22.500
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South Ostrobothnia
Etelä-Pohjanmaa (Finnish)
Södra Österbotten (Swedish)
Region
Region of South Ostrobothnia
Etelä-Pohjanmaan maakunta
Landskapet Södra Österbotten
Flag of South Ostrobothnia
Flag
Coat of arms of South Ostrobothnia
Coat of arms
South Ostrobothnia on a map of Finland
South Ostrobothnia on a map of Finland
Coordinates: 62°45′N 22°30′E / 62.750°N 22.500°E / 62.750; 22.500
CountryFinland
Historical provinceOstrobothnia, Satakunta
CapitalSeinäjoki
Other townsÄhtäri, Alajärvi, Alavus, Kauhajoki, Kauhava, Kurikka and Lapua
Area
 • Total
13,999.63 km2 (5,405.29 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)
 • Total
191,762
 • Density14/km2 (35/sq mi)
GDP
[1]
 • Total€5.856 billion (2015)
 • Per capita€30,344 (2015)
ISO 3166 codeFI-03
NUTS194
Regional animalRed squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris)
Regional birdEurasian curlew (Numenius arquata)
Regional fishEuropean whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus)
Regional flowerFireweed (Epilobium angustifolium)
Regional stoneImpactite
Regional lakeLake Lappajärvi
Websiteetelapohjanmaa.fi

South Ostrobothnia[2] (Finnish: Etelä-Pohjanmaa; Swedish: Södra Österbotten) is one of the 19 regions of Finland. It borders the regions of Ostrobothnia, Central Ostrobothnia, Central Finland, Pirkanmaa, and Satakunta. Among the Finnish regions, South Ostrobothnia is the ninth largest in terms of population.[3] Seinäjoki is the regional centre[4] and by far the largest city in the area.[5]

As a cultural area, South Ostrobothnia is larger than its current regional borders and includes the region of Ostrobothnia as well.[4]

Geography

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A flood in Ilmajoki

The natural landscape of South Ostrobothnia is mainly expanses, which is Finland's largest plain area. South Ostrobothnia is connected to the coastal region of the Gulf of Bothnia in the west, to the river country of Central Ostrobothnia in the north, and to Suomenselkä in the east and south, which is the watershed between the regions of Ostrobothnia and Finnish Lakeland. The land surface rises gently from the coast inland, and the 100-meter height level is reached about 100 kilometers from the coast.[6][7]

The river valleys of South Ostrobothnia have traditionally been flood-prone areas.[8]

History

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South Ostrobothnia had its first permanent settlements during the Iron Age. Swedish control began in the 12th century, leaving a lasting impact on the region's cultural identity. Swedish remains a spoken language alongside Finnish. In 1809, Finland, including South Ostrobothnia, became part of the Russian Empire as the Grand Duchy of Finland. The region endured hardships during the tumultuous 19th century, including the Crimean War (1853–1856) and the throes of industrialization. The early 19th century also saw the rise of religious revival movements like Pietism, shaping the region's social fabric. Finland gained independence in 1917, and South Ostrobothnia played a role in the nation-building process. The 20th century witnessed significant industrial development, with metalworking, machinery, and electronics becoming major contributors to the economy. Despite the devastation of the Winter War (1939–1945) against the Soviet Union, the region persevered. Since the mid-20th century, the economy has diversified, with the service sector playing an increasingly important role.

Historical provinces

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For history, geography and culture, see Ostrobothnia (historical province).

Culture

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Patterning of the traditional jussipaita sweater.

Regional and historical sub-tribal identity is generally stronger in South Ostrobothnia than in most regions of Finland.[9]

The South Ostrobothnian dialect belongs to the western Finnish dialects.[10] However, in the most eastern part of the region people speak a Savonian dialect that has Ostrobothnian elements.[11]

One of the biggest rock festivals in Finland, Provinssirock, and the world's oldest tango festival Tangomarkkinat are both held in Seinäjoki.[4] The folk music festival Eteläpohjalaiset Spelit is held annually in different South Ostrobothnian locations[12] and the opera and music festival Ilmajoen Musiikkijuhlat is held in Ilmajoki.[13] Many of the cultural events in South Ostrobothnia are rooted in local folk festivals and communal work.[14]

There are several local folk costumes.[15] Jussipaita is a traditional sweater that has become a symbol for South Ostrobothnian identity.[16]

Leipäjuusto with cloudberry jam.

Notable architecture in South Ostrobothnia include the Lakeuden Risti Church and other buildings in the Aalto Centre in Seinäjoki designed by the South Ostrobothnian-born architect Alvar Aalto.[17] A traditional peasant house, ”pohjalaistalo” (Ostrobothnian house), is a part of the local folk culture.[18]

South Ostrobothnia is known for its agriculture and animal husbandry. Traditional local cuisine include leipäjuusto and kropsu, an Ostrobothnian pancake.[19]

Municipalities

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Main article: Municipalities of South Ostrobothnia

The region of South Ostrobothnia consists of 18 municipalities, eight of which have city status (marked in bold).

Municipalities on the map

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class=notpageimage|
Cities and municipalities of South Ostrobothnia.

Sub-regions

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Järviseutu sub-region

Kuusiokunnat sub-region

Seinäjoki sub-region

Suupohja sub-region

List of municipalities

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Coat of
arms 		Municipality Population Land area
(km2) 		Density
(/km2) 		Finnish
speakers 		Swedish
speakers 		Other
speakers
coat of arms of Alajärvi Alajärvi 9,084 1,009 9 96 % 0.2 % 5 %
Coat of arms of Alavus Alavus 10,834 1,087 10 98 % 0.1 % 3 %
coat of arms of Evijärvi Evijärvi 2,270 354 6 95 % 2.1 % 4 %
coat of arms of Ilmajoki Ilmajoki 12,394 577 21 98 % 0.2 % 2 %
Coat of arms of Isojoki Isojoki 1,798 642 3 96 % 0.8 % 4 %
coat of arms of Isokyrö Isokyrö 4,313 354 12 98 % 0.7 % 2 %
Coat of arms of Karijoki Karijoki 1,160 186 6 98 % 1.7 % 2 %
coat of arms of Kauhajoki Kauhajoki 12,572 1,299 10 96 % 0.4 % 4 %
Coat of arms of Kauhava Kauhava 15,076 1,314 11 95 % 0.7 % 5 %
Coat of arms of Kuortane Kuortane 3,332 462 7 99 % 0.2 % 2 %
Coat of arms of Kurikka Kurikka 19,515 1,725 11 98 % 0.4 % 3 %
coat of arms of Lappajärvi Lappajärvi 2,775 421 7 94 % 0.4 % 6 %
Coat of arms of Lapua Lapua 14,033 737 19 96 % 0.2 % 4 %
Coat of arms of Seinäjoki Seinäjoki 66,556 1,432 46 95 % 0.2 % 4 %
Coat of arms of Soini Soini 1,802 552 3 102 % 0.1 % 1 %
coat of arms of Teuva Teuva 4,668 555 8 99 % 0.9 % 2 %
Coat of arms of Vimpeli Vimpeli 2,616 287 9 99 % 0.2 % 3 %
Total 187,414 13,280 14 96 % 0.3 % 4 %

Demographics

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Historical population
YearPop.±%
1972200,137—    
1975196,746−1.7%
1980201,152+2.2%
1985206,209+2.5%
1990207,010+0.4%
1995206,136−0.4%
2000200,766−2.6%
2005198,856−1.0%
2010198,469−0.2%
2015197,371−0.6%
2020192,150−2.6%
2021191,762−0.2%
Source: Statistics Finland

South Ostrobothnia is the most homogenous region in Finland, with the highest share of the population speaking Finnish (97.1%) and the lowest share of people with a foreign-background (2.7%). Swedish is spoken by 637 people (0.3%). The highest shares of Swedish-speakers are in Evijärvi (2%) and Karijoki (1.6%), both of which border majority Swedish-speaking municipalities in the region of Ostrobothnia. The most spoken immigrant languages are Russian (0.5%), Estonian (0.4%), Ukrainian (0.2%), Hungarian (0.2%) and Thai (0.1%).[20]

South Ostrobothnia has the highest proportion of people who belong to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland out of any region, at 82.8%. It also has the fourth highest dependency ratio at 74.3, higher than the national average of 62.4. The region has a higher proportion of people aged 0-14 and those aged 65 and over than the national average. The proportion of people in the working age (aged 15-64) is one of the lowest in the country.[21] Kauhajoki in South Ostrobothnia is estimated to have the highest proportion of Finnish Kale in Finland, at 5%.[22] In 2019, the city of Seinäjoki became one of the first in the country to fly the Romani flag during International Romani Day.[23]

Population by background country as of 31 December 2021:[24]

  1.  Finland 186,604 (97.31%)
  2.  Russia 1,026 (0.54%)
  3.  Estonia 636 (0.33%)
  4.  Ukraine 291 (0.15%)
  5.  Hungary 286 (0.15%)
  6.  Turkey 261 (0.14%)
  7.  Thailand 254 (0.13%)
  8.  Sweden 191 (0.10%)
  9.  Poland 135 (0.07%)
  10.  Iraq 130 (0.07%)
  11.  Myanmar 129 (0.07%)
  12.  Romania 110 (0.06%)

Other 1,709 (0.89%)

Politics

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Results of the 2019 Finnish parliamentary election in South Ostrobothnia:

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Regions and Cities > Regional Statistics > Regional Economy > Regional GDP per Capita, OECD.Stats. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  2. ^ "Luokitus: Maakunnat 2022 | Tilastokeskus".
  3. ^ https://www.epliitto.fi/vakiluku (in Finnish)
  4. ^ a b c "Etelä-Pohjanmaata ja pohjalaisia | Elävä arkisto | yle.fi". yle.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 2021-04-11.
  5. ^ "Väestö". Etelä-Pohjanmaan liitto (in Finnish). Retrieved 2022-03-25.
  6. ^ Rikkinen, Kalevi; Sihvo, Hannes (1986). Finlandia: Otavan iso maammekirja 7. Etelä-Pohjanmaa (in Finnish). Keuruu: Viiskunta Oy. pp. 22–24. ISBN 951-1-08930-7.
  7. ^ Hyvärinen, Pekka (1987). Näe ja koe Suomi: matka kauneimpiin maisemiin (in Finnish). Helsinki: Yhtyneet Kuvalehdet. p. 176.
  8. ^ "Tulvat Pohjalaismaakunnissa". Vesi.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  9. ^ "Studies on Finnish attitudes and identities | The Finnish Cultural Foundation". skr.fi. Retrieved 2021-04-11.
  10. ^ "Suomen murteet". Kotimaisten kielten keskus (in Finnish). Retrieved 2022-03-22.
  11. ^ Tervonen, Riikka. "Järviseudun murre – itäinen kiila pohjalaismurteiden välissä". Katternö Digital (in Finnish). Retrieved 2022-03-22.
  12. ^ Pirkko, Kotirinta (1994-07-01). "Eteläpohjalaisia Spelejä soitetaan nyt Jalasjärvellä". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 2022-03-23.
  13. ^ "Ilmajoen musiikkijuhlat - Visit Ilmajoki" (in Finnish). Retrieved 2022-03-22.
  14. ^ Etelä-Pohjanmaan liitto (2014): Etelä-Pohjanmaa − Jotakin parempaa – Etelä-Pohjanmaan kulttuuristrategia vuosille 2015–2020, pp. 5–9.
  15. ^ "Etelä-Pohjanmaan kansallispuvut – Etelä-Pohjanmaan Nuorisoseura" (in Finnish). Retrieved 2022-03-22.
  16. ^ Luutonen, Marketta (2008): Harrin Jussin muisto: Jussipaita suomalaismiehen rooliasuna Oppimista, opetusta, monitieteisyyttä - Kirjoituksia Kuninkaankartanonmäeltä. Joensuun yliopisto, Savonlinnan opettajankoulutuslaitos.
  17. ^ Niemistö, Elina (2020-12-29). "Moni vieroksui Alvar Aaltoa, eikä "funkkislaatikko" ollut kelvata kirkoksi – pohjalaisesta uhosta syntyi kuitenkin Lakeuden risti". Yle Uutiset (in Finnish). Retrieved 2022-03-22.
  18. ^ Riukulehto, Sulevi; Mäkelä, Matti; Orhanen, Outi & Lehtimäki, Anni: Pohjalaistalot – yhteistä kulttuuriperintöämme. Helsingin yliopisto, Ruralia-instituutti, 2014.
  19. ^ "Maakuntien ruokaperinteitä". Ruokatieto Yhdistys. Retrieved 2022-03-23.
  20. ^ "Language according to age and sex by region, 1990-2021". stat.fi. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  21. ^ "Key figures on population by region, 1990-2021". stat.fi. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  22. ^ "Romanit hajautuneet kuten valtaväestökin – Kauhajoki on Suomen suurin romanipitäjä". yle.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  23. ^ "Monien vieroksuma lippu nousee Seinäjoen kaupungin salkoon romanien kansallispäivänä – romaniaktiivi: "Olen aivan hämmentynyt"". yle.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  24. ^ "Origin and background country according to age group and sex by region, 1990-2021". stat.fi. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
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