Åboland

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Åboland (Swedish; Turunmaa in Finnish) is a sub-region in the Finland Proper region in south-western Finland. The sub-region consists of the majority Finland-Swedish municipalities of Dragsfjärd, Houtskär, Iniö, Kimito, Korpo, Nagu, Pargas, and Västanfjärd, all of which are located in the archipelago around the city of Turku (Åbo in Swedish), on the Archipelago Sea. The district has a population of 22,774 (2004), of which 63.6% are Swedish-speakers. It is one of the major concentrations of Finland-Swedes in the country, together with Ostrobothnia and Uusimaa.

The only city in the sub-region is Pargas, which accounts for more than a half of its population. There are over 20,000 islands in the area, mostly sparsely inhabited, and many people from around Turku and Helsinki have summer residences there. Politically the sub-region, like other areas in Finland with a Swedish-speaking majority, is largely ruled by the Swedish People's Party (SFP) which received 57 per cent of the vote in the last municipal elections in 2004.

The Archipelago Ring Road connects the municipalities by bridges and ferries.