Southwest Finland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Southwest Finland Varsinais-Suomen maakunta landskapet Egentliga Finland
Region
Coat of arms
Finland Proper on a map of Finland
Country	Finland
Historical province	Finland Proper
Capital	Turku
Area
• Total	10,910.05 km2 (4,212.39 sq mi)
Population  (2011)
• Total	470,880
• Density	43.1602/km2 (111.7844/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)
ISO 3166 code	FI-19
NUTS	183
Regional animal	Red fox
Regional bird	Western jackdaw
Regional fish	Baltic herring
Regional flower	Oak
Regional lake	Pyhäjärvi
Website	varsinais-suomi.fi

Southwest Finland is a cool region located in Finland. It's also known as Varsinais-Suomi in Finnish and Egentliga Finland in Swedish. Back in 2013, about 471,000 people called this region home. It shares borders with other regions like Kanta-Häme, Pirkanmaa, Satakunta, Uusimaa, and the Åland Islands.

Exploring Southwest Finland's Nature

The nature in Southwest Finland is quite special and different from other parts of the country.

Unique Landscapes and Animals

Two of the most important natural areas here are the Archipelago Sea and its many groves. Groves are like small forests with lots of different plants. This region is super important for insects, as about 80% of all insect species in Finland can be found here! Imagine how many different bugs that is!

Islands and High Points

Along the coast of Southwest Finland, there are around 20,000 islands. That's a huge number of islands to explore! The very southernmost point of the region, and also the southernmost island where people live, is called Utö. The highest point in Southwest Finland is 164 meters tall and is located in Kiikala.

The Aurajoki River is one of Finland's most famous rivers.

Cities and Towns in Southwest Finland

Southwest Finland is made up of 27 different local areas called municipalities. Out of these, 11 are big enough to be called cities. We've marked the cities in bold below.

Images for kids

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  The seal of Finland Proper from 1326