The
Province of Western Finland is a
province of
Finland. It borders the provinces of
Oulu,
Eastern Finland and
Southern Finland. It also borders the
Gulf of Bothnia towards
Åland.
On January 1, 1998 the Province of Turku and Pori, the Province of Vaasa, the Province of Central Finland and the northern parts of the Province of Häme were joined to form the new Province of Western Finland.
The Western Finland State Provincial Office is a joint regional administrative authority of seven ministries. The State Provincial Office serves at five localities; the main office is in Turku, regional service offices are located in Jyväskylä, Tampere and Vaasa, and finally there is an office in Pori. The State Provincial Office is led by Governor Rauno Saari. Approximately 350 persons work at the State Provincial Office. The agency is divided into eight departments.
Western Finland is divided into seven regions