The municipalities (Finnish: kunta; Swedish: kommun) represent the local level of administration in Finland and act as the fundamental, self-governing administrative units of the country. The entire country is incorporated into municipalities and legally, all municipalities are equal, although certain municipalities are called cities or towns (Finnish: kaupunki; Swedish: stad). Municipalities have the right to levy a flat percentual income tax, which is between 16 and 22 percent, and they provide two thirds of public services. Municipalities control many community services, such as schools, health care and the water supply, and local streets. They do not maintain highways, set laws or keep police forces, which are responsibilities of the central government.
Pori (Finnish:[ˈpori]; Swedish: Björneborg[bjœːrneˈborj]; Latin: Arctopolis) is a city in Finland and the regional capital of Satakunta. It is located on the west coast of the country, on the Gulf of Bothnia. The population of Pori is approximately 83,000, while the sub-region has a population of approximately 128,000. It is the 10th most populous municipality in Finland, and the eighth most populous urban area in the country.
Pori is located some 10 kilometres (6 mi) from the Gulf of Bothnia, on the estuary of the Kokemäki River, 110 kilometres (68 mi) west of Tampere, 140 kilometres (87 mi) north of Turku and 241 kilometres (150 mi) north-west of Helsinki, the capital of Finland. Pori covers an area of 2,062.00 square kilometres (796.14 sq mi) of which 870.01 km (335.91 sq mi) is water. The population density is 71.93/km (186.3/sq mi).
Municipalities of Finland in the context of Sastamala
Sastamala (Finnish pronunciation:[ˈsɑstɑˌmɑlɑ]) is a town in Finland, located in the Pirkanmaa region. Sastamala lies on both sides of River Kokemäenjoki in the southwest corner of Pirkanmaa. The population of Sastamala is approximately 23,000, while the sub-region has a population of approximately 26,000. It is the 44th most populous municipality in Finland.
Sastamala has an area of 1,531.75 square kilometres (591.41 sq mi) of which 96.14 km (37.12 sq mi) is water, making it the largest municipality in the Pirkanmaa region in terms of area. The population density is 16.4 inhabitants per square kilometre (42/sq mi). The municipality is unilingual in Finnish.
Municipalities of Finland in the context of Lappeenranta
Lappeenranta (Finnish:[ˈlɑpːeːnˌrɑntɑ]; Swedish: Villmanstrand) is a city in Finland and the regional capital of South Karelia. It is located in the southeastern interior of the country and in the Finnish Lakeland. The population of Lappeenranta is approximately 73,000, while the sub-region has a population of approximately 88,000. It is the 13th most populous municipality in Finland, and the 11th most populous urban area in the country.
Lappeenranta is located on the shore of Lake Saimaa, 30 kilometres (19 miles) from the Russian border and 64 kilometres (40 mi) from the city of Vyborg. Lappeenranta is one of the most important urban centres in the entire Saimaa region, together with the cities of Imatra, Mikkeli and Savonlinna. Lappeenranta incorporated the late municipalities of Lappee and Lauritsala in 1967, Nuijamaa in 1989, Joutseno in 2009 and Ylämaa in 2010.
The municipality has a population of 4,964 (30 June 2025) and covers an area of 150.09 square kilometres (57.95 sq mi) of which 3.59 km (1.39 sq mi) is water. The administrative centre of municipality is Kirveskoski (about 2,000 residents), also known as Pornainen's church village, and second largest village is Halkia (about 500 residents). The population density is 33.88 inhabitants per square kilometre (87.7/sq mi).
It is located in the province of Western Finland and is part of the Southwest Finlandregion. The municipality has a population of 11,241 (30 June 2025) and covers an area of 242.26 square kilometres (93.54 sq mi) of which 3.89 km (1.50 sq mi) is water. The population density is 47.13 inhabitants per square kilometre (122.1/sq mi). The municipality is unilingually Finnish.
Tampere is the most populous inland city in the Nordic countries. The urban area has a population of about 340,000. Tampere is considered the most important urban, economic and cultural centre in the whole of inland Finland.
Turku (/ˈtʊərkuː/TOOR-koo; Finnish:[ˈturku]; Swedish: Åbo, Finland Swedish:[ˈoːbu]) is a city in Finland and the regional capital of Southwest Finland. It is located on the southwestern coast of the country at the mouth of the River Aura. The population of Turku is approximately 207,000, while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately 317,000. It is the 6th–most populous municipality in Finland, and the third–most populous urban area in the country after Helsinki and Tampere.
Turku is Finland's oldest city. It is not known when Turku was granted city status. Pope Gregory IX first mentioned the town of Aboa in his Bulla in 1229, and this year is now used as the founding year of the city. Turku was the most important city in the eastern part (today's Finland) of the Kingdom of Sweden. After the Finnish War, Finland became an autonomous Grand Duchy of the Russian Empire in 1809, and Turku became the capital of the Grand Duchy. However, Turku lost its status as capital only three years later in 1812, when TsarAlexander I of Russia decided to move the capital to Helsinki. It was only after the last great fire in 1827 that most government institutions were moved to Helsinki along with the Royal Academy of Turku, founded in 1640, which later became the University of Helsinki, thus consolidating Helsinki's position as the new capital. Turku was Finland's most populous city until the late 1840s and remains the regional capital, an important business and cultural centre, and a port.
Municipalities of Finland in the context of Savonlinna
Savonlinna (UK: /ˌsɑːvɒnˈlɪnə/, Finnish:[ˈsɑʋonˌlinːɑ], lit.'Castle of Savo'; Swedish: Nyslott, lit.'New Castle') is a town in Finland, located in the eastern interior of the country. It lies in the Finnish Lakeland, the South Savo region. The population of Savonlinna is approximately 31,000, while the sub-region has a population of approximately 38,000. It is the 36th most populous municipality in Finland.
Savonlinna is located in the heart of the Saimaa Lakeland, which is why it is also known as the "Capital of Saimaa". Together with Mikkeli, they are the two largest towns in the South Savo region and both are centres of the region's hospital districts. Savonlinna enclaves the municipality of Enonkoski.
Municipalities of Finland in the context of Jyväskylä
Jyväskylä (Finnish:[ˈjyʋæsˌkylæ]) is a city in Finland and the regional capital of Central Finland. It is located in the Finnish Lakeland. The population of Jyväskylä is approximately 149,000, while the sub-region has a population of approximately 192,000. It is Finland's 7th most populous municipality, and fifth most populous urban area.
Municipalities of Finland in the context of Enontekiö
Enontekiö (Finnish:[ˈenontekiø]; Northern Sami: Eanodat[ˈe̯anoðah(t)]; Swedish: Enontekis; Inari Sami: Iänudâh; Skolt Sami: Jeänõk) is a municipality in the Finnish part of Lapland with approximately 1,800 inhabitants. It is situated in the outermost northwest of the country and occupies a large and very sparsely populated area of about 8,400 square kilometres (3,200 sq mi) between the Swedish and Norwegian border. Finland's highest point, the Haltifell, with a height of 1,324 metres (4,344 ft) above the mean sea level, is situated in the north of Enontekiö. The municipality shares borders with regions of Sweden and Norway that encompass the Scandinavian Mountains. The administrative centre of Enontekiö is the village of Hetta. About one fifth of the community's population are Sami people. Enontekiö's main industries are tourism and reindeer husbandry.
Municipalities of Finland in the context of Kittilä
Kittilä (Finnish:[ˈkitːilæ]; Northern Sami: Gihttel, Inari Sami: Kittâl, Skolt Sami: Kihttel) is a municipality of Finland and a popular holiday resort. It is located in northern Finland north of the Arctic Circle within the Laplandregion. The municipality has a population of 6,658 (30 June 2025) and covers an area of 8,262.97 square kilometres (3,190.35 sq mi) of which 168.71 km (65.14 sq mi) is water. The population density is 0.82 inhabitants per square kilometre (2.1/sq mi).
Kittilä is famous for being the location of the lowest recorded temperature in Finnish history: −51.5 °C (−60.7 °F), measured in January 1999 in Pokka. The "midnight sun" is above the horizon from 29 May to 16 July, and the period with continuous daylight lasts a bit longer, polar night from 14 December to 29 December.
Municipalities of Finland in the context of Regions of Finland
Finland is divided into 19 regions (Finnish: maakunta; Swedish: landskap)which are governed by regional councils that serve as forums of cooperation for the municipalities of each region. The councils are composed of delegates from the municipal councils. The main tasks of regional councils are regional planning, the development of enterprises, and education. Between 2004 and 2012, the regional council of Kainuu was elected via popular elections as part of an experimental regional administration.
In 2022, new Wellbeing services counties were established as part of a health care and social services reform. The wellbeing services counties follow the regional borders, and are governed by directly elected county councils.
Municipalities of Finland in the context of Imatra
Imatra is a city in Finland, located in the southeastern interior of the country. Imatra is located in the region of South Karelia, on Lake Saimaa and the River Vuoksi. The population of Imatra is approximately 25,000, while the sub-region has a population of approximately 37,000. It is the 42nd most populous municipality in Finland.
Imatra lies on the border with Russia. On the other side of the border, seven kilometres (4.3 mi) away from the centre of Imatra, lies the Russian town of Svetogorsk. The city of St. Petersburg is situated 210 km (130 mi) to the southeast, the Finnish capital Helsinki is 230 km (140 mi) away and Lappeenranta, the nearest Finnish city, is 37 km (23 mi) away.
Mikkeli is located on the shores of Lake Saimaa, the largest lake in the country, and Europe's fourth largest. Prior to being located within South Savo, the city was in Mikkeli Province (until 1997), before becoming part of Eastern Finland Province (1997-2009). The city covers an area of 3,229.57 square kilometres (1,246.94 sq mi), of which 424.7 km (164.0 sq mi) is water. Mikkeli is one of the largest towns in the South Savo region, and one of the main hubs in the region's hospital districts, along with Savonlinna.
Municipalities of Finland in the context of Provinces of Finland
Between 1634 and 2009, Finland was administered as several provinces, or counties (Finnish: Suomen läänit, Swedish: Finlands län). Finland had always been a unitary state: the provincial authorities were part of the central government's executive branch and apart from Åland, the provinces had little autonomy. There were never any elected provincial parliaments in continental Finland. The system was initially created by the Instrument of Government of 1634 when Finland was a part of Sweden. Its makeup was changed drastically on 1 September 1997, when the number of the provinces was reduced from twelve to six. This effectively made them purely administrative units, as linguistic and cultural boundaries no longer followed the borders of the provinces. The provinces were eventually abolished at the end of 2009. Consequently, different ministries may subdivide their areal organization differently. Besides the former provinces, the municipalities of Finland form the fundamental subdivisions of the country. In current use are the regions of Finland, a smaller subdivision where some pre-1997 läänis are split into multiple regions. Åland retains its special autonomous status and its own regional parliament.
Municipalities of Finland in the context of Askola
Askola (Finnish pronunciation:[ˈɑskolɑ]) is a municipality of Finland. It is located in the Uusimaaregion. The municipality has a population of 4,704 (30 June 2025) and covers an area of 218.03 square kilometres (84.18 sq mi) of which 5.61 km (2.17 sq mi) is water. The population density is 22.14 inhabitants per square kilometre (57.3/sq mi). Monninkylä is the largest village of the municipality in terms of population (1,326 inhabitants). Neighbouring municipalities are Myrskylä, Mäntsälä, Pornainen, Porvoo and Pukkila.
The municipality is unilingually Finnish. Askola is one of three municipalities in the Uusimaa region that do not have a Swedish name; the others are Nurmijärvi and Mäntsälä.
Municipalities of Finland in the context of Mäntsälä
Mäntsälä (Finnish pronunciation:[ˈmæntsælæ]) is a municipality in the province of Southern Finland, and is part of the Uusimaaregion. It has a population of 20,966(30 June 2025) and covers an area of 596.11 square kilometres (230.16 sq mi) ofwhich 15.26 km (5.89 sq mi)is water. The population density is36.1 inhabitants per square kilometre (93/sq mi). The municipality is unilingually Finnish. Mäntsälä is one of three municipalities in the Uusimaa region that do not have a Swedish name; the others are Nurmijärvi and Askola.
Mäntsälä lies about 60 kilometres (40 mi) north of Helsinki, the capital of Finland. During the last few years, the population of Mäntsälä has been one of the most rapidly increasing in Finland. A new railway, the Kerava–Lahti railway line, was built between Kerava and Lahti with passenger traffic starting on 4 September 2006 from Mäntsälä railway station. Helsinki is about 40 minutes away, and Lahti even closer. Highway 4 (E75) connecting both cities passes through Mäntsälä.
Municipalities of Finland in the context of Porvoo
Porvoo (Finnish pronunciation:[ˈporʋoː]; Swedish: Borgå[ˈborːɡo]; Latin: Borgoa) is a city in Finland. It is located on the south coast of the country, on the Gulf of Finland. Porvoo lies in the eastern part of the Uusimaa region. The population of Porvoo is approximately 52,000, while the sub-region has a population of approximately 60,000. It is the 19th most populous municipality in Finland, and the 15th most populous urban area in the country.
Porvoo is located on the southern coast of Finland, approximately 35 kilometres (22 mi) east of the city border of Helsinki and about 50 kilometres (30 mi) from the city centre. Porvoo was one of the six medieval towns of Finland, along with Turku, Ulvila, Rauma, Naantali and Vyborg, and is first mentioned as a city in texts from the 14th century. Porvoo is the seat of the Swedish-speaking Diocese of Borgå of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. Porvoo briefly served as the capital of the former Eastern Uusimaa region.
Sipoo (Finnish pronunciation:[ˈsipoː]; Swedish: Sibbo) is a municipality of Finland. It is part of the Helsinki metropolitan area. The municipality has a population of 22,903(30 June 2025) and covers an area of 698.60 square kilometres (269.73 sq mi) ofwhich 358.97 km (138.60 sq mi)is water. The population density is67.43 inhabitants per square kilometre (174.6/sq mi). The administrative center of the municipality is Nikkilä (Swedish: Nickby), which is located 34 kilometres (21 mi) northeast of the center of Helsinki. Another significant urban area is Söderkulla, located in the southern part of the municipality.
Sipoo is a bilingual municipality with Finnish and Swedish as its official languages. The population consists of 65% Finnish speakers, 27% Swedish speakers, and 8% speakers of other languages.