Närpes

Närpes (Finland Swedish: [ˈnærpːes]; Finnish: Närpiö [ˈnærpiø]) is a town and municipality of Finland. It is located in Western Finland and is part of the Ostrobothnia region. The town has a population of 9,595 (19 September 2023)[2] and covers an area of 2,334.14 square kilometres (901.22 sq mi) of which 1,357 km2 (524 sq mi) is water.[1] The population density is 9.82 inhabitants per square kilometre (25.4/sq mi). Economically, the municipality is known for extensive greenhouse farming of tomatoes and manufacture of trailers for trucks.

Närpes
Närpes (Swedish)
Närpiö (Finnish)
Town
Närpes stad
Närpiön kaupunki
Närpes Church
Närpes Church
Coat of arms of Närpes
Coat of arms
Location of Närpes in Finland
Location of Närpes in Finland
Coordinates: 62°28′N 021°20′E
Country Finland
RegionOstrobothnia
Sub-regionSydösterbotten sub-region
Charter1867
City rights1993
Government
 • City managerHans-Erik Lindqvist
Area
 (2018-01-01)[1]
 • Total2,334.14 km2 (901.22 sq mi)
 • Land977.15 km2 (377.28 sq mi)
 • Water1,357 km2 (524 sq mi)
 • Rank80th largest in Finland
Population
 (2023-09-19)[2]
 • Total9,595
 • Rank102nd largest in Finland
 • Density9.82/km2 (25.4/sq mi)
Population by native language
[3]
 • Swedish75.3% (official)
 • Finnish5.2%
 • Others19.5%
Population by age
[4]
 • 0 to 1415.8%
 • 15 to 6455.5%
 • 65 or older28.7%
Time zoneUTC+02:00 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+03:00 (EEST)
Websitewww.narpes.fi

Närpes has been a bilingual municipality since 2016. Before that, Närpes was the last unilingually Swedish-speaking municipality in continental Finland.[5] Most locals speak a divergent variety of Ostrobothnian Swedish. The bands who sing in that dialect include 1G3B and Nektor.

The most significant main roads in Närpes are Highway 8 between Turku and Vaasa, and Highway 67 between Kaskinen and Seinäjoki.

History

Närpes has a history that can be dated back to 1331, when Klas Bengtsson in "Nærpes" pawned goods to bishop Bengt in Turku.[6]

In 1348 king Magnus IV of Sweden declared "all who live in Nerpis socken, Mustasaari socken and Pedersöre socken" the right to buy and sell "all eatables".[7] Thus creating the first official marketplaces in Ostrobothnia.

Demographics
Languages spoken natively in Närpes, 2013.
Blue: Swedish;
Brown: Finnish
Yellow: All other languages

Närpes has attracted many immigrants, and has also welcomed refugees.[8]

Largest immigrant groups:[9]

  1. Vietnam Vietnam (403)
  2. Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina (388)
  3. Sweden Sweden (254)
  4. Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (254)
  5. Thailand Thailand (58)
  6. Russia Russia (54)
  7. Ukraine Ukraine (51)
  8. Estonia Estonia (42)
  9. Croatia Croatia (32)
  10. Lithuania Lithuania (30)
  11. United States United States (28)
  12. Ecuador Ecuador (25)

International relations
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Finland

Twin towns — Sister cities

Närpes is twinned with:

See also

References
  1. "Area of Finnish Municipalities 1.1.2018" (PDF). National Land Survey of Finland. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  2. "Finland's preliminary population figure was 5,587,841 at the end of August 2023". StatFin. Statistics Finland. Retrieved 30 September 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. Kunnan kaksikielisyys vaatii aikaa, työtä ja kompromisseja Yle.fi 25 April 2016, accessed 25 April 2016
  6. "DF 386".
  7. "Kumo 13.2.1348". Archived from the original on 18 September 2016.
  8. "Närpiö Becomes Magnet for Immigrants".
  9. "PX-Web - Valitse muuttuja ja arvot". Archived from the original on 2019-02-12. Retrieved 2018-08-26.

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