Korsholm

Korsholm (Finland Swedish: [korsˈholm]; Finnish: Mustasaari) is a municipality of Finland. The town of Vaasa was founded in Korsholm parish in 1606 and today the municipality completely surrounds the city. It is a coastal, mostly rural municipality, consisting of a rural landscape and a large, fractured archipelago. The administrative center is Smedsby, situated 3 km (2 mi) from Vaasa center along Finnish national road 8.

Korsholm
Korsholm – Mustasaari
Municipality
Korsholms kommun
Mustasaaren kunta
The Replot Bridge on a grey autumn day
The Replot Bridge on a grey autumn day
Coat of arms of Korsholm
Coat of arms
Location of Korsholm in Finland
Location of Korsholm in Finland
Coordinates: 63°06′45″N 021°40′40″E
Country Finland
RegionOstrobothnia
Sub-regionVaasa sub-region
Charter1348
Government
 • Municipal managerRurik Ahlberg
Area
 (2018-01-01)[1]
 • Total3,178.59 km2 (1,227.26 sq mi)
 • Land848.14 km2 (327.47 sq mi)
 • Water2,330.49 km2 (899.81 sq mi)
 • Rank91st largest in Finland
Population
 (2023-10-26)[2]
 • Total19,747
 • Rank57th largest in Finland
 • Density23.28/km2 (60.3/sq mi)
Population by native language
[3]
 • Swedish68.6% (official)
 • Finnish28.4%
 • Others3%
Population by age
[4]
 • 0 to 1419.7%
 • 15 to 6458%
 • 65 or older22.3%
Time zoneUTC+02:00 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+03:00 (EEST)
Websitewww.korsholm.fi

Geography
Falu red boathouses in Grönvik, a typical scenery in coastal Korsholm. Rugged glacial stones washed by the sea armor the gently sloping shore forested with silver birch.

It is located in the province of Western Finland and is part of the Ostrobothnia region. The municipality consists of the central areas, the southern plain, and the extensive archipelago. Parts of the archipelago belong to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Kvarken.

One of Korsholm's more notable landmarks is that it holds Finland's longest bridge, the Replot Bridge. The bridge connects the island of Replot to the mainland. Finland's second oldest stone bridge that is still in use, can also be found in Korsholm, in the village of Toby.

Major islands in the archipelago include Replot, Björkö, Köklot, Panike and the Valsörarna archipelago.

Along the coast, Korsholm extends to two river outlets: Kyrönjoki river flows into the Vassor bay of the Gulf of Bothnia, and the Laihianjoki river flows into Vanhankaupunginlahti, the bay on whose shore the city of Vaasa is located.

Villages
  • Anixor
  • Brändövik
  • Böle
  • Björköby
  • Västerhankmo
  • Österhankmo
  • Helsingby
  • Iskmo
  • Jungsund
  • Kalvholm
  • Karkmo
  • Karperö
  • Köklot
  • Kvevlax
  • Koskö
  • Kuni
  • Martois
  • Miekka
  • Munsmo
  • Norra Vallgrund
  • Panike
  • Petsmo
  • Pundars (Puntainen)
  • Replot
  • Rimal
  • Runsor
  • Singsby
  • Smedsby
  • Solf
  • Söderudden
  • Södra Vallgrund
  • Staversby
  • Toby
  • Tölby
  • Vassor
  • Veikars
  • Vikby
  • Vistan
  • Voitby

(Most villages have only a Swedish name.)

History
Korsholm and Mostesar appear separately in Olaus Magnus' 1539 map, Carta Marina.

Name

The original Finnish name Mustasaari "Black Island" may have been a medieval island cleared by a wildfire or an island that looks dark when approaching from the sea.[5] Due to isostatic uplift, the area referred to is now inland. The parish is first mentioned as Mustasaari parish in 1348. In Swedish, the pronunciation developed into Mussor, although the form Mustasaari remained in use in the community. Mikael Agricola, the founder of written Finnish, spelled it Mustsåår in 1530. Olaus Magnus spelled it as Mostesar in his 1539 map, Carta Marina, where the castle appeared separately as "Korsholm". In 1606–1611, it was known as Mussar, but in 1611 the city of Vaasa was founded in the parish and thus the parish was known as Vaasa. In 1772, it was known as "city of Vaasa and Mustasaari annex", and in 1807–1867 "parish of Vaasa and Mustasaari". Since then, Vaasa has been an independent parish. The municipality was named Korsholm in Swedish in 1927, after the medieval Korsholma castle.

Middle Ages

Korsholm has a history that can be dated back to 1348. In that year Korsholm was mentioned for the first time in writing in a royal letter concerning freedom of commerce. Therefore, the municipality celebrated its 650th anniversary in 1998. In the mid-14th century Saint Mary's Church was built in Korsholm island. The whole of Ostrobothnia was governed for hundreds of years from Korsholma Castle (Chrysseborg). The ruins of Saint Mary's Church and Korsholm Castle are now in the old town of Vaasa (Finnish: Vanha Vaasa; Swedish: Gamla Vasa).

1973 merger

Today's Korsholm municipality consists of five smaller municipalities that were merged in 1973: Korsholm in the center, Replot and Björköby in the far archipelago, Solf in the southern plain and Kvevlax in the eastern plain. To reflect the new, larger municipality the motif in the Korsholm coat of arms is five intertwined golden threads on a red background.

Demographics

The municipality has a population of 19,747 (26 October 2023)[2] and covers an area of 3,178.59 square kilometres (1,227.26 sq mi) of which 2,330.49 km2 (899.81 sq mi) is water.[1] The population density is 23.28 inhabitants per square kilometre (60.3/sq mi).

The municipality is bilingual, with a majority (69%) being Swedish and a minority (28%) Finnish speakers.[3] The Finnish speakers are concentrated near the enclosed city Vaasa, particularly in Smedsby, and in the villages of Toby and Kvevlax in the southern plain, while the rest of the municipality is Swedish-speaking.

In a 2016 statistical comparison of municipalities by Yle,[6] Korsholm was rated 5/5 for viability and health and 4/5 for atmosphere (concerning e.g. education, crime and leisure), but only 2/5 for economy. Exceptionally good results were found in violent crime, which occurs at a rate of 1.9 per 1,000 inhabitants vs. the national average of 5.6, in the number of alcoholics and other addicts, at 0.6 per 1,000 inhabitants, vs. the national average of 3.3, and the proportion of youth smoking at 6.0%, vs the national average of 14.2%. Concerns were mainly economic: the employment self-sufficiency is only 57% vs. 89%, the equity ratio is poor (34.8% vs. 51.9%) and indebtedness is relatively high (70.4% vs. 48%), despite the municipal tax being the same as the national average (20.75%). Korsholm has relatively little industry and commuting to Vaasa is very common. Korsholm is neither losing nor gaining inhabitants by migration.

Twin towns – sister cities

Korsholm is twinned with:

Notable people

References
  1. "Area of Finnish Municipalities 1.1.2018" (PDF). National Land Survey of Finland. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  2. "Preliminary population statistics 2023, September". StatFin. Statistics Finland. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  3. "Demographic Structure by area as of 31 December 2022". Statistics Finland's PX-Web databases. Statistics Finland. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  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. Sirkka Paikkala. Suomalainen paikannimikirja. 2007, p. 276-277. Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus, Jyväskylä. ISBN 978-951-593-976-0
  6. "Onko kunnallasi tulevaisuutta? Selvitimme Suomen kaikkien kuntien kunnon". 27 October 2016.
  7. Lindquist, Ted. "Internationella frågor och vänorter". Oskarshamn Municipality (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 2013-08-12. Retrieved 2013-07-25.

Media related to Korsholm at Wikimedia Commons Korsholm travel guide from Wikivoyage

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