Finström

Finström
Municipality
Finströms kommun

Åland folk high school

Coat of arms

Location of Finström in Finland
Finström

Location in Åland

Coordinates: 60°14′N 019°59.5′E / 60.233°N 19.9917°E / 60.233; 19.9917Coordinates: 60°14′N 019°59.5′E / 60.233°N 19.9917°E / 60.233; 19.9917
Country  Finland
Region Åland
Sub-region Åland Countryside sub-region
Government
  Municipal manager Katarina Sundberg
Area (2016-01-01)[1]
  Total 123.26 km2 (47.59 sq mi)
  Land 123.25 km2 (47.59 sq mi)
  Water 49.23 km2 (19.01 sq mi)
Area rank 289th largest in Finland
Population (2016-03-31)[2]
  Total 2,529
  Rank 245th largest in Finland
  Density 20.52/km2 (53.1/sq mi)
Population by native language[3]
  Swedish 93.8% (official)
  Finnish 3.4%
  Others 2.9%
Population by age[4]
  0 to 14 18.9%
  15 to 64 63.9%
  65 or older 17.2%
Time zone EET (UTC+2)
  Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3)
Municipal tax rate[5] 19.5%
Website www.finstrom.ax

Finström is a municipality of Åland, an autonomous territory of Finland.

The municipality has a population of 2,529 (31 March 2016)[2] of which 93.8% speak Swedish and 3.4% Finnish as their first language.[3] The municipality covers an area of 123.26 square kilometres (47.59 sq mi) of which 49.23 km2 (19.01 sq mi) is water.[1] The population density is 20.52 inhabitants per square kilometre (53.1/sq mi). The municipality is unilingually Swedish.

Godby is the second biggest built-up area in Åland after Mariehamn, inhabited by 900 people, or one-thirds of the municipality's population. A pharmacy, banks, a post office, a swimming hall and a health center are among the amenities that can be found in Godby.

History

Finström was widely inhabited in the Viking age. The church of St. Michael is one of the oldest in Åland with the oldest parts dating from the 12th century. Grelsby kungsgård was the place where king Gustavus Vasa stayed with his entourage of 312 people for a few days in the spring of 1556. Swedish king Gustaf IV Adolf also stayed there for six weeks in the summer of 1808 prior to the 1809 loss of Finland to Russia.

St. Michael's Church
Postage stamp, Finland, 1989.

Geography

Finström is right in the middle of mainland Åland and is bordered by a total of five municipalities: Sund to the east, Saltvik to the northeast, Geta to the north, Hammarland to the west and Jomala to the south.

Långsjön, the largest lake in Åland, is located in the municipality, as is the Almskogen nature reserve. Notable bays include Kasviken and Ödkarbyviken.

Economy

Godby is by far the center of Finström's economy. The biggest employer in the municipality is Optinova with 130 employees. Tourism is also an important line of business.

Agricultural products grown especially in the northern parts of Finström include apples and various vegetables, and fishing is also a source of income for some.

References

  1. 1 2 "Population density by area 1.1.2016". Statistics Finland. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
  2. 1 2 "Ennakkoväkiluku sukupuolen mukaan alueittain, maaliskuu.2016" (in Finnish). Statistics Finland. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
  3. 1 2 "Population according to language and the number of foreigners and land area km2 by area as of 31 December 2008". Statistics Finland's PX-Web databases. Statistics Finland. Retrieved 29 March 2009.
  4. "Population according to age and gender by area as of 31 December 2008". Statistics Finland's PX-Web databases. Statistics Finland. Retrieved 28 April 2009.
  5. "List of municipal and parish tax rates in 2011". Tax Administration of Finland. 29 November 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2011.

Media related to Finström at Wikimedia Commons

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.