'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.
External links
★
Turunmaan seutu