Närpes (Finland Swedish: [ˈnærpːes]; Finnish: Närpiö [ˈnærpiø]) is a town in Finland, located on the west coast of the country. Närpes is situated in Ostrobothnia, along the Gulf of Bothnia. The population of Närpes is approximately 10,000, while the sub-region has a population of approximately 17,000. It is the 101st most populous municipality in Finland.
Närpes
| |
|---|---|
Town | |
| Närpes stad Närpiön kaupunki | |
 Närpes Church | |
 Coat of arms | |
 Location of Närpes in Finland | |
| Coordinates: 62°28′N 021°20′E / 62.467°N 21.333°E | |
| Country |  Finland |
| Region | Ostrobothnia |
| Sub-region | Sydösterbotten |
| Charter | 1867 |
| City rights | 1993 |
| Government | |
| • City manager | Mikaela Björklund |
| Area (2018-01-01)[1] | |
• Total | 2,334.14 km2 (901.22 sq mi) |
| • Land | 977.82 km2 (377.54 sq mi) |
| • Water | 1,357 km2 (524 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 80th largest in Finland |
| Population (2024-08-31)[2] | |
• Total | 9,583 |
| • Rank | 101st largest in Finland |
| • Density | 9.8/km2 (25/sq mi) |
| Population by native language | |
| • Swedish | 74% (official) |
| • Finnish | 5.1% |
| • Others | 20.9% |
| Population by age | |
| • 0 to 14 | 15.8% |
| • 15 to 64 | 55.5% |
| • 65 or older | 28.7% |
| Time zone | UTC+02:00 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+03:00 (EEST) |
| Website | www.narpes.fi |
Närpes 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 9.8 inhabitants per square kilometre (25/sq mi). Economically, the municipality is known for extensive greenhouse farming of tomatoes and manufacture of trailers for trucks.
Närpes is a bilingual municipality with Finnish and Swedish as its official languages. The population consists of 5% Finnish speakers, 74% Swedish speakers, and 21% speakers of other languages, which is well above the national average. Närpes has been a bilingual municipality since 2016. Before that, Närpes was the last unilingual Swedish-speaking municipality in mainland Finland.[6] Most residents speak a variant of Ostrobothnian Swedish which is known to be difficult to understand for other Swedish-speakers.
The most significant main roads in Närpes are Highway 8 between Turku and Vaasa, and Highway 67 between Kaskinen and Seinäjoki.
History
editNärpes has a history that can be dated back to 1331, when Klas Bengtsson in "Nærpes" pawned goods to bishop Bengt in Turku.[7]
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".[8] Thus creating the first official marketplaces in Ostrobothnia.
Demographics
edit
Blue: Swedish;
Brown: Finnish
Yellow: Other languages
Närpes has attracted many immigrants, and has also welcomed refugees.[9]
Largest immigrant groups:[10]
Vietnam (403)
Bosnia and Herzegovina (388)
Sweden (254)
Yugoslavia (254)
Thailand (58)
Russia (54)
Ukraine (51)
Estonia (42)
Croatia (32)
Lithuania (30)
United States (28)
Ecuador (25)
International relations
editTwin towns — Sister cities
editNärpes is twinned with:
Akranes, Iceland
Bamble, Norway
Tønder, Denmark- Västervik Municipality, Sweden
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Area of Finnish Municipalities 1.1.2018" (PDF). National Land Survey of Finland. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
- ^ "Finland's preliminary population figure was 5,625,011 at the end of August 2024". Population structure. Statistics Finland. 2024-09-24. ISSN 1797-5395. Retrieved 2024-09-25.
- ^ "Population growth biggest in nearly 70 years". Population structure. Statistics Finland. 2024-04-26. ISSN 1797-5395. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
- ^ "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.
- ^ a b "Luettelo kuntien ja seurakuntien tuloveroprosenteista vuonna 2023". Tax Administration of Finland. 14 November 2022. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
- ^ Kunnan kaksikielisyys vaatii aikaa, työtä ja kompromisseja Yle.fi 25 April 2016, accessed 25 April 2016
- ^ "DF 386".
- ^ "Kumo 13.2.1348". Archived from the original on 18 September 2016.
- ^ "Närpiö Becomes Magnet for Immigrants".
- ^ "PX-Web - Valitse muuttuja ja arvot". Archived from the original on 2019-02-12. Retrieved 2018-08-26.
External links
edit
Media related to Närpes at Wikimedia Commons
- Town of Närpes – Official website
Närpes travel guide from Wikivoyage
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