Houtskär

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Houtskär
HoutskärHoutskari
Former municipality
Houtskärs kommun
Houtskarin kunta
Boathouses in Hyppeis
Boathouses in Hyppeis
Coat of arms of Houtskär
Coat of arms
Location of Houtskär in Finland
Location of Houtskär in Finland
Coordinates: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Country Finland
Region Southwest Finland
Sub-region Åboland
Consolidated 2009
Area[1]
 • Total 566.81 km2 (218.85 sq mi)
 • Land 119.93 km2 (46.31 sq mi)
 • Water 446.88 km2 (172.54 sq mi)
Population (2008-12-31)[2]
 • Total 621
 • Density 5.18/km2 (13.4/sq mi)
Population by native language
 • Finnish 14% (official)
 • Swedish 86% (official)
Population by age (2007)
 • 0 to 14 14.8%
 • 15 to 64 60.3%
 • 65 or older 24.8%
Time zone EET (UTC+2)
 • Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3)

Houtskär (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈhuːtʃæːr]; Finnish: Houtskari [ˈhoutskɑri]) is a former municipality of Finland. On 1 January 2009, it was consolidated with Iniö, Korpo, Nagu and Pargas to form the new town of Väståboland.

It is located in the Archipelago Sea in the province of Western Finland and is part of the Southwest Finland region. The municipality had a population of 621 (as of 31 December 2008)[2] and covered a land area of 119.93 square kilometres (46.31 sq mi).[1] The population density was 5.18 inhabitants per square kilometre (13.4/sq mi).

The municipality was bilingual with the majority (88%) being Swedish and minority Finnish speakers.

In the 2004 municipal elections, the Swedish People's Party got 100% of the votes.[3]

In Houtskär are three stores, a bank and mail, and the church of Santa Maria in Näsby center. At various times throughout the year organized dances, which is an old tradition that is kept alive by both older and younger participants, everyone dance different couplesdances from humppa to schottis, always to live music.

Houtskär consists of a group of bigger islands and a large number of smaller islands in the surrounding sea area. Communications to the mainland is by the ”Archipelago road” through Pargas, Nagu and Korpo, with three ferries considered part of the road network, the trip with the last one from Korpo to Houtskär lasting half an hour. The main islands are connected by bridges or cable ferries, the outer inhabited islands usually have daily connections with ship-like ferries.

Notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. Ministry of Justice Finland: Results of 2004 election in Houtskär (English)

External links

Media related to Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. at Wikimedia Commons