South Savo

South Savo[2] (or Southern Savonia; Finnish: Etelä-Savo; Swedish: Södra Savolax) is a region in the south-east of Finland. It borders the regions of North Savo, North Karelia, South Karelia, Kymenlaakso, Päijät-Häme, and Central Finland. The total area of South Savo is 18,768.33 km2 (7,246.5 sq mi), with a population of 153,738 (2011). South Savo is located in the heart of the Finnish lake district, and contains Lake Saimaa, the largest lake in Finland. The three major towns in the region are Mikkeli, Savonlinna and Pieksämäki.

South Savo
Etelä-Savo (Finnish)
Södra Savolax (Swedish)
Region
Region of South Savo
Etelä-Savon maakunta
Landskapet Södra Savolax
Flag of South Savo
Flag
Coat of arms of South Savo
Coat of arms
South Savo on a map of Finland
South Savo on a map of Finland
Coordinates: 62°0′N 27°30′E
CountryFinland
Historical provinceSavonia
CapitalMikkeli
Area
 • Total18,768.33 km2 (7,246.49 sq mi)
Population
 (2019)
 • Total142,335
 • Density7.6/km2 (20/sq mi)
GDP
[1]
 • Total€4.414 billion (2015)
 • Per capita€29,245 (2015)
ISO 3166 codeFI-04
NUTS131
Regional birdGolden oriole
Regional fishVendace
Regional flowerWater lily
Regional stoneMarble
Regional lakeLake Puula
Websiteesavo.fi

Historical provinces

For history, geography and culture see: Savonia

History

South Savo was the main part of the old Mikkeli Province, established in 1831. Some municipalities were transferred from the county to Central Finland Province, which was established in 1960. Mikkeli Province was abolished in the province reform of 1997, when Regions were established. The province of South Savo belonged to the Eastern Finland Province. In 2002, Kangaslampi moved from the province of South Savo to the province of North Savo. Suomenniemi became part of Etelä-Savo in 2013 when it merged with Ristiina to form the city of Mikkeli. At the beginning of 2021, Joroinen moved to the province of North Savo and Heinävesi to the province of North Karelia as a result of provincial and social and health care reforms.

Municipalities

The region of South Savo consists of 12 municipalities, three of which have city status (marked in bold).

Sub-regions

Mikkeli sub-region

  • Hirvensalmi
  • Kangasniemi
  • Mikkeli (S:t Michel)
  • Mäntyharju
  • Pertunmaa
  • Puumala

Pieksämäki sub-region

Savonlinna sub-region

  • Enonkoski
  • Rantasalmi
  • Savonlinna (Nyslott)
  • Sulkava

List of municipalities
Coat of
arms		 Municipality Population Land area
(km2)		 Density
(/km2)		 Finnish
speakers		 Swedish
speakers		 Other
speakers
Coat of arms of EnonkoskiEnonkoski1,3203064 96 %0.2 %4 %
coat of arms of HirvensalmiHirvensalmi2,0624654 96 %0.5 %3 %
Coat of arms of JuvaJuva5,7341,1635 96 %0.2 %4 %
Coat of arms of KangasniemiKangasniemi5,1141,0695 97 %0.2 %3 %
coat of arms of MikkeliMikkeli51,9192,54820 94 %0.2 %5 %
Coat of arms of MäntyharjuMäntyharju5,5229816 95 %0.2 %4 %
Coat of arms of PertunmaaPertunmaa1,5773744 96 %0.3 %4 %
Coat of arms of PieksämäkiPieksämäki17,0501,56911 95 %0.1 %5 %
Coat of arms of PuumalaPuumala2,1087943 97 %0.3 %3 %
coat of arms of RantasalmiRantasalmi3,2975606 94 %0.2 %6 %
Coat of arms of SavonlinnaSavonlinna31,8432,23814 95 %0.1 %5 %
Coat of arms of SulkavaSulkava2,3685844 96 %0.2 %4 %
Total129,91412,65210 95 % 0.2 % 5 %

Politics

Results of the 2019 Finnish parliamentary election in South Savo:

Cuisine

The best known local cuisine is fried vendace, often served with potato puree, and a semicircle-shaped pastry called lörtsy.[3][4]

References
  1. Regions and Cities > Regional Statistics > Regional Economy > Regional GDP per Capita, OECD.Stats. Accessed on 16 November 2018.
  2. Alueluokitusmuutokset 1.1.2019 www.stat.fi, accessed 19 October 2020
  3. Finnish fast food – fried vendace (muikku) www.visitsaimaa.fi, accessed 19 October 2020
  4. Lörtsy | Traditional Sweet Pastry From Southern Savonia, Finland www.tasteatlas.com, accessed 19 October 2020
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Southern Savonia.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.