Southern Finland in the context of "Western Finland"

Pornainen (Finnish: [ˈpornɑi̯nen]; Swedish: Borgnäs) is a small municipality of Finland. It is located in the province of Southern Finland and is part of the Uusimaa region. The neighboring municipalities are Askola in the east, Mäntsälä in the north, Porvoo in the southeast and Sipoo in the southwest. It is located 18 kilometres (11 mi) east of the town of Järvenpää.

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).

Joutseno (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈjou̯tseno]) is a former town and municipality of Finland. It is located in the province of Southern Finland and is part of the South Karelia region.

The municipality was unilingually Finnish. Joutseno was consolidated with Lappeenranta on 1 January 2009.

Ylämaa (Finnish: [ˈylæˌmɑː]; literally translated the "Highland") is a former municipality of Finland, located in the province of Southern Finland as part of the South Karelia region. It was consolidated with Lappeenranta on January 1, 2010.

The municipality had a population of 1,408 (31 December 2009) and covers an area of 408.94 square kilometres (157.89 sq mi) of which 29.19 km (11.27 sq mi) is water. The population density is 3.71 inhabitants per square kilometre (9.6/sq mi). The municipality was unilingually Finnish.

Mäntsälä (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈmæntsælæ]) is a municipality in the province of Southern Finland, and is part of the Uusimaa region. 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.

A terminal moraine, also called an end moraine, is a type of moraine that forms at the terminal (edge) of a glacier, marking its maximum advance. At this point, debris that has accumulated by plucking and abrasion, has been pushed by the front edge of the ice, is driven no further and instead is deposited in an unsorted pile of sediment. Because the glacier acts very much like a conveyor belt, the longer it stays in one place, the greater the amount of material that will be deposited. The moraine is left as the marking point of the terminal extent of the ice.

Päijät-Häme (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈpæi̯j(ː)æt̪ˌhæme̞(ʔ)]; Swedish: Päijänne-Tavastland) is a region in Southern Finland south of the lake Päijänne. It borders the regions of Uusimaa, Kanta-Häme, Pirkanmaa, Central Finland, South Savo and Kymenlaakso. The biggest city in the region is Lahti.

Päijät-Häme boasts a landscape shaped by two key features. Finland's second-largest, Lake Päijänne, dominates the region, offering a vast freshwater expanse and a vital transportation route. The Salpausselkä ridge, a glacial remnant, adds a touch of elevation and scenic variation. Beyond these, Päijät-Häme features extensive coniferous forests. Rolling hills provide scenic views, while numerous smaller lakes and rivers create a network of waterways.

Kärkölä (Finnish: [ˈkærkølæ]) is a municipality of Finland. It is located in the province of Southern Finland and is part of the Päijät-Häme region. The municipality has a population of 4,102 (30 June 2025) and covers an area of 259.30 square kilometres (100.12 sq mi) of which 2.84 km (1.10 sq mi) is water. The population density is 15.99 inhabitants per square kilometre (41.4/sq mi). Its seat is in Järvelä, which is located along the Riihimäki–Lahti railway.

Neighbour municipalities: Hausjärvi, Hollola, Hämeenlinna, Mäntsälä and Orimattila. The distance between Kärkölä and Lahti is 29 kilometres (18 mi).