Raisio

Raisio (Finnish: [ˈrɑi̯sio]; Swedish: Reso) is a town and municipality in south-western Finland and an important junction of major roads. The town has a population of 25,046 (28 February 2023)[2] and is located in the region of Southwest Finland, neighbouring the region's capital, Turku. The town's land area is 48.76 km2 (18.83 sq mi),[1] and has about 5 kilometres (3 mi) of coastline to the Bay of Raisio on its southern tip.

This article is about the town in Finland. For the company, see Raisio Group.
Raisio
Reso
Town
Raision kaupunki
Reso stad
Market place in Raisio
Market place in Raisio
Flag of Raisio
Flag
Coat of arms of Raisio
Coat of arms
Location of Raisio in Finland
Location of Raisio in Finland
Coordinates: 60°29′09″N 22°10′09″E
Country Finland
RegionSouthwest Finland
Sub-regionTurku sub-region
First records1292
City rights1974
Government
 • Town managerAri Korhonen
Area
 (2018-01-01)[1]
 • Total50.06 km2 (19.33 sq mi)
 • Land48.76 km2 (18.83 sq mi)
 • Water1.3 km2 (0.5 sq mi)
 • Rank306th largest in Finland
Population
 (2023-02-28)[2]
 • Total25,046
 • Rank41st largest in Finland
 • Density513.66/km2 (1,330.4/sq mi)
Population by native language
[3]
 • Finnish94.8% (official)
 • Swedish1.3%
 • Others3.9%
Population by age
[4]
 • 0 to 1415.6%
 • 15 to 6461.2%
 • 65 or older23.3%
Time zoneUTC+02:00 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+03:00 (EEST)
ClimateDfb
Websitewww.raisio.fi

History

The oldest known written records relating to Raisio are from the year 1292, and there is strong evidence of Stone Age settlement in the area, but Raisio did not become a city until 1974. Until the late 20th century, this was an agricultural area. The success of the Raisio Group transformed it into an industrial centre, and triggered a huge increase in population – during the 20th century the population of Raisio grew elevenfold. The town's existence was under threat, as Turku was planning on merging Raisio to it. This changed after Raisio Group became a successful company.

Name

The name Raisio was originally given to its river, Raisionjoki. The earliest form of the river's name is Raisajoki, meaning "marsh/bog river", and etymological evidence of this can be seen in the Estonian word raisnik, meaning "peatland meadow". Another theory behind the etymology of the name Raisio is that it comes from the word raiskio, meaning a forest that's been damaged by poor foresting, because the Raisio landscape was changed due to sloughs and post-glacial rebound after the Ice Age.[5]

Politics

Results of the 2019 Finnish parliamentary election in Raisio:[6]

Economy

The town's location on good traffic connections and near the region's capital has contributed greatly to its growth. Its main industries are services, foodstuffs and chemical manufacturing. The largest employer in the town is the Raisio Group, a manufacturer of foodstuffs, animal feed and health products.

Raisio is also home to the Mylly shopping centre, one of the largest in Scandinavia.

The town also has the third IKEA of Finland.

The biggest employers in Raisio:

Company Workers
Raisio City1,294
Shopping center Mylly1,000
Raisio Group630
Deltamarin Oy255
DNA Oyj230
Kaukora Oy175
Multilift Oy170
Turun Pelti ja Eristys Oyover 100
Konepaja Häkkinen Oy85
Orsap Oy80
Veho Oy68 (+23)
Korhonen P O Oy70
Trafomic Oy70
Sähkö-Insto60
Niko1

Points of interest

The town of Raisio has many cultural venues, such as the Friisilä handicrafts center, which offers the visitor a glimpse at traditional Finnish arts and crafts. The cultural center Harkko in the town center comprises an arts museum, an archaeological museum and a theatre. The city library and swimming center Ulpukka are also worth mentioning. In Raisio is also Finland's biggest middle school which is called "Vaisaaren yläkoulu".

The Raisio railway station, located along the Turku–Uusikaupunki railway, was proclaimed a built cultural environment of national significance by the Finnish Heritage Agency.[7]

Notable residents

Twin towns – sister cities

Raisio is twinned with:

References
  1. "Area of Finnish Municipalities 1.1.2018" (PDF). National Land Survey of Finland. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  2. "Preliminary population structure by area, 2022M01*-2023M02*". StatFin (in Finnish). Statistics Finland. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  3. "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 (1-year) and sex by area and the regional division of each statistical reference year, 2003–2020". StatFin. Statistics Finland. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  5. "Raision kaupunki - Raisio-nimen etymologia". www.raisio.fi. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  6. "Result service - Raisio - Varsinais-Suomen vaalipiiri - Parliamentary Elections 2019". Yle.fi. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
  7. "Raision rautatieasema". RKY.fi (in Finnish). Finnish Heritage Agency. 22 December 2009. Retrieved 17 April 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. "Kalervo Kummola" (in Finnish and Swedish). Parliament of Finland. Archived from the original on 27 May 2014. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  9. "Ice Hockey Lions: Kummola, Kalervo". Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame (in Finnish). 1996. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
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