Salo, Finland

Salo
City
Salon kaupunki
Salo stad
Salo town centre by night
Salo town centre by night
Coat of arms of Salo
Location of Salo in Finland
Location of Salo in Finland
Coordinates: 60°23′10″N 023°07′30″E / 60.38611°N 23.12500°E / 60.38611; 23.12500
CountryFinland
RegionSouthwest Finland
Sub-regionSalo
Market town1887
City rights1960
Government
 • City managerAnna-Kristiina Korhonen
Area
 (2018-01-01)[1]
 • City
2,168.30 km2 (837.19 sq mi)
 • Land1,987.44 km2 (767.35 sq mi)
 • Water181.78 km2 (70.19 sq mi)
 • Rank30th largest in Finland
Population
 (2024-10-31)[2]
 • City
50,890
 • Rank20th largest in Finland
 • Density25.61/km2 (66.3/sq mi)
 • Metro
64,650
Population by native language
 • Finnish90.5% (official)
 • Swedish1.2%
 • Others8.4%
Population by age
 • 0 to 1414%
 • 15 to 6458.2%
 • 65 or older27.8%
Time zoneUTC+02:00 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+03:00 (EEST)
ClimateDfb
Websitesalo.fi/en/

Salo (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈsɑlo]) is a town in Finland, located in the southwestern interior of the country. The population of Salo is approximately 51,000, while the sub-region has a population of approximately 59,000. It is the 20th most populous municipality in Finland, and the 24th most populous urban area in the country.

Salo is located in the Southwest Finland. Salo covers an area of 2,168.30 square kilometres (837.19 sq mi) of which 181.78 km2 (70.19 sq mi) is water.[1] The population density is 25.61/km2 (66.3/sq mi). The municipality is unilingually Finnish.

The name Salo means woodland, backwoods, but also a wooded island in Finnish. It is believed that Salo originally referred to an island located south of the current town over a thousand years ago, which is now a hill due to post-glacial rebound, and not even close to the sea today.[6]

Salo is a small city located between the capital Helsinki (114 kilometres (71 mi) away) and the provincial capital Turku (52 kilometres (32 mi) away). The city's proximity to these larger cities has contributed to the growth of Salo's business sector. Additionally, farming plays a significant role in the area. Salo shares borders with Koski Tl, Lohja, Kimitoön, Marttila, Paimio, Raseborg, Sauvo and Somero. Salo is also twinned with Saint Anthony Village in Minnesota.

Salo was previously recognised for its significant consumer electronics and mobile phone industry. Nokia, and briefly Microsoft Mobile, operated a manufacturing plant in the town. However, the plant was closed in 2015, resulting in high unemployment rates.

Salo is the birthplace of the former president of Finland Sauli Niinistö.

  1. ^ a b "Area of Finnish Municipalities 1.1.2018" (PDF). National Land Survey of Finland. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  2. ^ "Finland's preliminary population figure was 5,635,560 at the end of October 2024". Population structure. Statistics Finland. 19 November 2024. ISSN 1797-5395. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
  3. ^ "Population growth biggest in nearly 70 years". Population structure. Statistics Finland. 26 April 2024. ISSN 1797-5395. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  4. ^ "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.
  5. ^ a b "Luettelo kuntien ja seurakuntien tuloveroprosenteista vuonna 2023". Tax Administration of Finland. 14 November 2022. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
  6. ^ Paikkala, Sirkka (19 June 2018). "Etunimien ajankuva". Virittäjä. 122 (2). doi:10.23982/vir.68985. ISSN 2242-8828.