Merikarvia

Merikarvia (Finnish: [ˈmeriˌkɑrʋiɑ]; Swedish: Sastmola) is a municipality in Finland. It is located in the Satakunta region. The neighboring municipalities are Isojoki, Kristinestad, Pomarkku, Pori and Siikainen.

Merikarvia
Sastmola
Municipality
Merikarvian kunta
Sastmola kommun
The town center along the Kauppatie street
Coat of arms
Location of Merikarvia in Finland
Coordinates: 61°51.5′N 021°30′E
Country Finland
RegionSatakunta
Sub-regionPori sub-region
Charter1639
Government
 • Municipal managerPentti Ala-Luopa
Area
 (2018-01-01)[1]
 • Total1,246.22 km2 (481.17 sq mi)
 • Land446.04 km2 (172.22 sq mi)
 • Water800.2 km2 (309.0 sq mi)
 • Rank194th largest in Finland
Population
 (2021-12-31)[2]
 • Total3,054
 • Rank216th largest in Finland
 • Density6.85/km2 (17.7/sq mi)
Population by native language
[3]
 • Finnish99.1% (official)
 • Swedish0.3%
 • Others0.6%
Population by age
[4]
 • 0 to 1413.9%
 • 15 to 6450.6%
 • 65 or older35.5%
Time zoneUTC+02:00 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+03:00 (EEST)
Municipal tax rate[5]20.5%
ClimateDfc
Websitewww.merikarvia.fi

The municipality has a population of 3,054 (31 December 2021)[2] and it covers an area of 1,246.22 square kilometres (481.17 sq mi), of which 800.2 km2 (309.0 sq mi) is water.[1] The population density is 6.85 inhabitants per square kilometre (17.7/sq mi).

The municipality is unilingually Finnish. The coastline was formerly Swedish-speaking. Merikarvia is known by the Oura Archipelago, which is part of the Bothnian Sea National Park.

History

The area has been inhabited since as early as 1800 BC. There are grave sites from the Bronze and Iron Ages within the municipality. Most of the cairns are located in Tuorila village located east of the municipal center.

The birth of the earliest villages in Merikarvia - Kasala, Riispyy, Ala- and Yli-Kylä, and Köörtilä - is dated to between the 13th and 14th centuries. As a separate municipality, Merikarvia has existed since 1865.

The first church in Merikarvia was built in 1776 and was named after the queen consort of Sweden at the time, Sofia Magdalena. The church, still in use today, was finished in 1899.

As a coastal municipality, Merikarvia largely lived from the sea until modern times. Fishing, sawmills and shipyards were common businesses until the end of the 19th century.

Politics

Results of the 2011 Finnish parliamentary election in Merikarvia:

Sights
  • Lankoski rapids
  • The church of Merikarvia
  • Oura Archipelago

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, 2021M01*-2021M12*". StatFin (in Finnish). Statistics Finland. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  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. "List of municipal and parish tax rates in 2021" (PDF). Tax Administration of Finland. 1 December 2020. Retrieved 10 April 2021.

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