Replot

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Replot (Swedish Replot; Finnish Raippaluoto) is an island in the Kvarken area of the Baltic sea. It has about 2,100 inhabitants, almost only Swedish-speaking. The size is about 150 km², one of the largest islands of Finland. Since 1973, it has been a part of the municipality of Korsholm, and is situated near the city of Vaasa.

Typical cottages in the Replot Archipelago

The area has been inhabited since before the time of Swedish dominion over Finland; the first inhabitation can be traced to at least the 11th century and possibly earlier^[1]. Today there are four major communities on the island, Replot kyrkoby, Norra Vallgrund, Södra Vallgrund and Söderudden, which are all served by their own elementary schools. The island is since 1997 connected to the mainland via the Replot Bridge, replacing the earlier ferry connection which had been in place since the 1960's. The bridge is as of 2007 the longest bridge ever built in Finland, with a length of 1045 meters.

Replot is part of a larger archipelago and most of the smaller islands around Replot have traditionally been used as fishing camps. Today the buildings are generally used as summer cottages since maritime activities play a large part in the culture of the region. Fishing is nowadays mostly a recreational activity, but there are still a number of professional fishermen active in Replot^[2].