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As a cultural area, South Ostrobothnia is larger than its current regional borders and includes the region of Ostrobothnia as well.[4]
History
South Ostrobothnia had its first permanent settlements during the Iron Age. Swedish control began in the 12th century, leaving a lasting impact on the region's cultural identity. Swedish remains a spoken language alongside Finnish. In 1809, Finland, including South Ostrobothnia, became part of the Russian Empire as the Grand Duchy of Finland. The region endured hardships during the tumultuous 19th century, including the Crimean War (1853-1856) and the throes of industrialization. The early 19th century also saw the rise of religious revival movements like Pietism, shaping the region's social fabric. Finland gained independence in 1917, and South Ostrobothnia played a role in the nation-building process. The 20th century witnessed significant industrial development, with metalworking, machinery, and electronics becoming major contributors to the economy. Despite the devastation of the Winter War (1939-1945) against the Soviet Union, the region persevered. Since the mid-20th century, the economy has diversified, with the service sector playing an increasingly important role.
One of the biggest rock festivals in Finland, Provinssirock, and the world's oldest tango festival Tangomarkkinat are both held in Seinäjoki.[4] The folk music festival Eteläpohjalaiset Spelit is held annually in different South Ostrobothnian locations[9] and the opera and music festival Ilmajoen Musiikkijuhlat is held in Ilmajoki.[10] Many of the cultural events in South Ostrobothnia are rooted in local folk festivals and communal work.[11]
There are several local folk costumes.[12]Jussipaita is a traditional sweater that has become a symbol for South Ostrobothnian identity.[13]
Notable architecture in South Ostrobothnia include the Lakeuden Risti Church and other buildings in the Aalto Centre in Seinäjoki designed by the South Ostrobothnian-born architect Alvar Aalto.[14] A traditional peasant house, ”pohjalaistalo” (Ostrobothnian house), is a part of the local folk culture.[15]
South Ostrobothnia is the most homogenous region in Finland, with the highest share of the population speaking Finnish (97.1%) and the lowest share of people with a foreign-background (2.7%). Swedish is spoken by 637 people (0.3%). The highest shares of Swedish-speakers are in Evijärvi (2%) and Karijoki (1.6%), both of which border majority Swedish-speaking municipalities in the region of Ostrobothnia. The most spoken immigrant languages are Russian (0.5%), Estonian (0.4%), Ukrainian (0.2%), Hungarian (0.2%) and Thai (0.1%).[17]
South Ostrobothnia has the highest proportion of people who belong to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland out of any region, at 82.8%. It also has the fourth highest dependency ratio at 74.3, higher than the national average of 62.4. The region has a higher proportion of people aged 0-14 and those aged 65 and over than the national average. The proportion of people in the working age (aged 15-64) is one of the lowest in the country.[18] Kauhajoki in South Ostrobothnia is estimated to have the highest proportion of Finnish Kale in Finland, at 5%.[19] In 2019, the city of Seinäjoki became one of the first in the country to fly the Romani flag during International Romani Day.[20]
Population by background country as of 31 December 2021:[21]
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article South_Ostrobothnia, and is written by contributors.
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