Situated on the West Coast of Finland, Ostrobothnia is a breathtakingly beautiful region with the international and bilingual city of Vaasa, with its 65,000 inhabitants, as its centre. The population of Ostrobothnia has steadily been increasing and as for today it is just below 180,000. Besides Vaasa, there are several other towns along the Ostrobothnian coast with an impressive history, e.g. Jakobstad (in Finnish Pietarsaari), Kristinestad (Kristiinankaupunki), Kaskö (Kaskinen) and Nykarleby (Uusikaarlepyy).
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International
Ostrobothnia is one of the country’s most international regions with more foreign inhabitants than on average in Finland. In this multilingual environment using two languages, Finnish and Swedish, is a natural part of everyday life.
The cultural life is vivid. Summer theatres, festivals, barn dances and museums of local history and culture. Music, dancing, art and sports. There are always a lot of activities within the culture scene and the many voluntary associations in the region.
Close to the nature
Sea, open plains and forests. A magnificent archipelago shaped by the glacial age and impressive river landscapes. The break-up of the ice on the river Kyrönjoki in the spring, violent autumn storms on the Kvarken. Thousands of cranes dancing in the fields of Söderfjärden, black grouse courting on a misty marsh. A white-tailed eagle majestically gliding on the winds above the city. The natural environment of Ostrobothnia is truly unique! As a matter of fact, the Kvarken Archipelago was listed as UNESCO World Heritage in 2006. It is the first World Natural Heritage site in Finland.
The coast never stays the same, since Ostrobothnia is literally rising from the sea. Land uplift is a unique natural phenomenon, which continuously alters the coastline of the region. Land is rising from the sea at a speed of eight millimeters a year. It will keep rising some 100 - 150 meters.
Happiness
It’s often stated, that the people living along the Ostrobothnian coast are the happiest in Finland. Why is that? Well, they simply enjoy their life. Quality of life is composed of small elements. Of being able to work or study close to home, of having all places of interest at a short distance. Of seeing your children grow up in a safe environment and of living close to nature in a nice neighbourhood. In Ostrobothnia, the elements of a good life are all there! That’s why the Ostrobothnians are such happy people.
For more information about Ostrobothnia, visit the following sites:
Visit Finland
www.visitfinland.com/web/guest/finland-guide/where-to-go/west-coast/vaasa
Portal of Ostrobothnia
www.ostrobothnia.fi/