Finnish

The 19 current maakunta or regions of Finland

Noun

maakunta

1. county, province, region (administrative or historical region widely varying in size and significance but always a subdivision of a state and consisting of a number of municipalities)

Declension

Usage notes

In the current administrative model Finland is divided into 19 maakunta, which are translated as "region" in English. Legally they are not subdivisions of the state government but associations of the municipalities of the region, called maakunnan liitto ‎(“regional council”). The tasks of regional councils deal with regional zoning and promotion of the regional economy. They are governed by the municipalities, which elect maakuntavaltuusto ‎(“regional council”) to decide the strategic issues and to nominate maakuntahallitus ‎(“regional board”). Note that same English term "regional council" is used of both the association and the council that governs it. The executive director of the office of the regional council is called maakuntajohtaja. The state government in regions is organized through seven aluehallintovirasto ‎(“regional state administrative agency”) and fifteen ELY-keskus ‎(“Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment”), each of them covering one or more regions.

Coordinate terms

• kreivikunta (in the United Kingdom)
• piirikunta (in the United States)

Derived terms

See also

• aluehallintovirasto
• ELY-keskus
• lääni
• seutukunta