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Between 1634 and 2009,Finland was administered as severalprovinces, orcounties[1] (Finnish:Suomen läänit,Swedish:Finlandslän). Finland had always been aunitary state: the provincial authorities were part of the central government's executive branch and apart fromÅland, the provinces had little autonomy. There were never any elected provincial parliaments in continental Finland.
The system was initially created by theInstrument of Government of 1634 when Finland was apart of Sweden. When Finland was annexed by theRussian Empire and made into theGrand Duchy of Finland (1809–1917), the regional administration remained the same. TheVyborg Governorate was initially not part of the Grand Duchy, but in 1812, it was transferred from Russia proper to Finland. The provinces continued also under the independent Finland after 1917.
The makeup of the provinces changed drastically on 1 September 1997,[2] when the number of the provinces was reduced from twelve to six. This effectively made them purely administrative units, as linguistic and cultural boundaries no longer followed the borders of the provinces.
The provinces were eventually abolished at the end of 2009. Consequently, different ministries may subdivide their areal organization differently. Besides the former provinces, themunicipalities of Finland form the fundamental subdivisions of the country. In current use are theregions of Finland, a smaller subdivision where some pre-1997läänis are split into multiple regions.Åland retains its special autonomous status andits own regional parliament.
Each province was led by a governor (Finnish:maaherra, Swedish:landshövding) appointed by the president on the recommendation of the cabinet. The governor was the head of the State Provincial Office (Finnish:lääninhallitus, Swedish:länsstyrelse), which acted as the joint regional authority for seven ministries in the following domains:
The official administrative subentities under the Provincial Office authorities were the Registry Offices (Finnish:maistraatti, Swedish:magistrat). Formerly there was also a division to state local districts (Finnish:kihlakunta, Swedish:härad), which were districts for police, prosecution, and bailiff services, but there was reorganization such that 24 police districts were founded. These usually encompass multiple municipalities.
Provinces governed only state offices, such as the police. Most services, such as healthcare and maintenance of local streets, were and remain today the responsibility ofmunicipalities of Finland. Many municipalities are too small for a hospital and some other services, so they cooperate in municipality groups, e.g. health care districts, using borders that vary depending on the type of service. Often Swedish-language municipalities cooperate even if they do not share a border.
In 1634, administratives provinces were formed in Sweden, and therefore in Finland, which was a part of Sweden until 1809. Five of the provinces covered what is now Finland; some of these also covered parts of what are now Russia. The exact division of the country into provinces has fluctuated over time.
The Vyborg Governorate was established in territories ceded by theSwedish Empire in theGreat Northern War. By theTreaty of Nystad in 1721, Sweden formally ceded control of the parts of theViborg and Nyslott County and theKexholm County located on theKarelian Isthmus to Russia. The governorate was extended in 1743 when Sweden ceded control of the rest of Viborg and Nyslott, now called theKymmenegård and Nyslott County, by theTreaty of Åbo. In the Swedish kingdom the ceded territories was also known asOld Finland (Swedish:Gamla Finland,Finnish:Vanha Suomi), and between 1802 and 1812 it was named the "Finland Governorate".
During theNapoleonic Wars, theKingdom of Sweden had allied itself with the Russian Empire,United Kingdom and the other parties againstNapoleonic France. However, following the treaty ofTreaty of Tilsit in 1807, Russia made peace with France. In 1808, and supported by France, Russia successfully challenged the Swedish control over Finland in theFinnish War. In theTreaty of Fredrikshamn on September 17, 1809 Sweden was obliged to cede all its territory in Finland, east of theTorne River, to Russia. The ceded territories became a part of the Russian Empire and was reconstituted into theGrand Duchy of Finland, with the Russian Tsar as Grand Duke.
In 1812 the Vyborg Governorate was transferred from Russia proper to the Grand Duchy.[3] The transfer, announced by TsarAlexander I just before Christmas, on December 23, 1811O.S. (January 4, 1812N.S.), can be seen as a symbolic gesture and an attempt to appease the sentiment of the Finnish population, which had just experienced Russian conquest of their country by force in the Finnish War.
In 1831 theNyland-Tavastehus Governorate (Russian:Нюланд-Тавастгусская губерния,Swedish:Nylands och Tavastehus län,Finnish:Uudenmaan ja Hämeen lääni) was divided into theNyland Governorate and theTavastehus Governorate.
Upon the death of TsarNicholas I in 1855, the official name of the city ofVasa (Vaasa) was changed to Nikolaistad (Russian:Николайстад,Finnish:Nikolainkaupunki). However, the name of theVasa Governorate (Russian:Вазаская губерния,Swedish:Vasa län,Finnish:Vaasan lääni) was not changed correspondingly.[4]
WhenFinland declared itself independent on December 6, 1917, the provinces continued as subdivisions of an independentRepublic of Finland.
The provinces were abolished altogether effective 1 January 2010. Since then, the regional administration of the Finnish state has two parallel top-level organs in the hierarchy: the Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment on the one hand, and theRegional State Administrative Agencies on the other.
Six Regional State Administrative Agencies (aluehallintovirasto, regionförvaltningsverk, abbr.avi) – in addition to theState Department of Åland – are primarily responsible for law enforcement. Among these,South-Western Finland andWestern and Central Finland coverthe former province of Western Finland, andthe former province of Oulu was revamped as Northern Finland; other old provincial boundaries remain much the same in the new disposition.
In parallel, there are 15 Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (Finnish:elinkeino-, liikenne- ja ympäristökeskus, usually abbreviatedely-keskus), which are responsible for other state administration: employment, road and transport infrastructure, andenvironmental monitoring. They are each responsible for one or more ofregions of Finland, and include offices of the Ministries ofEmployment and the Economy,Transport and Communications and Environment.
The boundaries of the old provinces partly survive in telephone area codes and electoral districts.
| English name | Finnish name | Swedish name | Residence city | Dates of existence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Province of Turku and Pori | Turun ja Porin lääni | Åbo och Björneborgs län | Turku | 1634–1997 | • one of the original provinces formed in 1634, though parts were split off since then • merged into the Province of Western Finland |
| Province of Nyland and Tavastehus | Uudenmaan ja Hämeen lääni | Nylands och Tavastehus län | Helsinki/Hämeenlinna | 1634–1831 | • one of the original provinces formed in 1634 |
| Province of Ostrobothnia | Pohjanmaan lääni | Österbottens län | Oulu/Vaasa | 1634–1775 | • one of the original provinces formed in 1634 |
| Province of Viborg and Nyslott | Viipurin ja Savonlinnan lääni | Viborgs och Nyslotts län | Vyborg | 1634–1721 | • one of the original provinces formed in 1634 |
| Province of Kexholm | Käkisalmen lääni | Kexholms län | Kexholm | 1634–1721 | • one of the original provinces formed in 1634 |
| Province of Kymmenegård and Nyslott | Savonlinnan ja Kymenkartanon lääni | Kymmenegårds och Nyslotts län | Lappeenranta | 1721–1747 | • former Province of Viborg and Nyslott |
| Province of Savolax and Kymmenegård | Kymenkartanon ja Savon lääni | Savolax och Kymmenegårds län | Loviisa | 1747–1775 | • former Province of Kymmenegård and Nyslott |
| Province of Vaasa | Vaasan lääni | Vasa län | Vaasa | 1775–1997 | • split off from the Province of Ostrobothnia • merged into the Province of Western Finland |
| Province of Oulu | Oulun lääni | Uleåborgs län | Oulu | 1775–2009 | • split off from the Province of Ostrobothnia |
| Province of Kymmenegård | Kymenkartanon lääni | Kymmenegårds län | Heinola | 1775–1831 | • split off from the Province of Savolax and Kymmenegård |
| Province of Savolax and Karelia | Savon ja Karjalan lääni | Savolax och Karelens län | Kuopio | 1775–1831 | • split off from the Province of Savolax and Kymmenegård |
| Province of Viipuri | Viipurin lääni | Viborgs län | Vyborg | 1812–1947 | • Russian Vyborg Governorate 1744-1812; transferred as Province of Viipuri to autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland in 1812 • most of its area was lost to the Soviet Union inWorld War II, and the remainder became the Province of Kymi |
| Province of Uusimaa | Uudenmaan lääni | Nylands län | Helsinki | 1831–1997 | • produced by splitting the Province of Nyland and Tavastehus • merged into the Province of Southern Finland |
| Province of Häme | Hämeen lääni | Tavastehus län | Hämeenlinna | 1831–1997 | • produced by splitting the Province of Nyland and Tavastehus • merged into the Provinces of Southern Finland and Western Finland |
| Province of Mikkeli | Mikkelin lääni | St. Michels län | Mikkeli | 1831–1997 | • former Province of Kymmenegård • merged into the Provinces of Eastern Finland and Southern Finland |
| Province of Kuopio | Kuopion lääni | Kuopio län | Kuopio | 1831–1997 | • former Province of Savolax and Karelia • merged into the Province of Eastern Finland |
| Province of Åland | Ahvenanmaan lääni | Ålands län | Mariehamn | 1918–2009 | • had a special status: even though the province was discontinued at the end of 2009 along with the others, there was (and still is) a coextensive "maakunta" (a translation of "province" with a slightly different meaning from the usual) that is semi-autonomous and demilitarized by international treaties |
| Province of Petsamo | Petsamon lääni | Petsamo län | Pechenga | 1921–1921 | • gained from Soviet Russia • merged into the Province of Oulu • the entire area of the former Province of Pechenga was lost to the Soviet Union inWorld War II |
| Province of Lapland | Lapin lääni | Lapplands län | Rovaniemi | 1938–2009 | • split off from the Province of Oulu |
| Province of Kymi | Kymen lääni | Kymmene län | Kouvola | 1945–1997 | • formed from the part of the Province of Viipuri that remained on the Finnish side of the border with Russia • merged into the Province of Southern Finland |
| Province of Central Finland | Keski-Suomen lääni | Mellersta Finlands län | Jyväskylä | 1960–1997 | • split off from the Provinces of Vaasa, Häme, Mikkeli and Kuopio • merged into the Province of Western Finland |
| Province of Northern Karelia | Pohjois-Karjalan lääni | Norra Karelens län | Joensuu | 1960–1997 | • split off from the Province of Kuopio • merged into the Province of Eastern Finland |
| Province of Southern Finland | Etelä-Suomen lääni | Södra Finlands län | Hämeenlinna | 1997–2009 | • merged from Provinces of Uusimaa, Kymi, Häme (part) and Mikkeli (part) |
| Province of Western Finland | Länsi-Suomen lääni | Västra Finlands län | Turku | 1997–2009 | • merged from Provinces of Turku and Pori, Vaasa, Central Finland and Häme (part) |
| Province of Eastern Finland | Itä-Suomen lääni | Östra Finlands län | Mikkeli | 1997–2009 | • merged from Provinces of Kuopio, Northern Karelia and Michelle |
Formerprovinces of Finland | ||
|---|---|---|
In parentheses are years when provinces were established and disestablished. | ||
| 1634–1775 |
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| 1775–1831 |
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| 1831–1918 | ||
| 1918–1997 |
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| 1997–2009 |
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| Related | ||
