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Merikarvia

Merikarvia
Sastmola
Municipality
Merikarvian kunta
Coat of arms of Merikarvia
Coat of arms
Location of Merikarvia in Finland
Location of Merikarvia in Finland
Coordinates: 61°51.5′N 021°30′E / 61.8583°N 21.500°E / 61.8583; 21.500Coordinates: 61°51.5′N 021°30′E / 61.8583°N 21.500°E / 61.8583; 21.500
Country  Finland
Region Satakunta
Sub-region Pori sub-region
Charter 1639
Government
 • Municipal manager Pentti Ala-Luopa
Area (2016-01-01)
 • Total 446.08 km2 (172.23 sq mi)
 • Land 446.04 km2 (172.22 sq mi)
 • Water 800.2 km2 (309.0 sq mi)
Area rank 194th largest in Finland
Population (2016-03-31)
 • Total 3,178
 • Rank 226th largest in Finland
 • Density 7.12/km2 (18.4/sq mi)
Population by native language
 • Finnish 99.1% (official)
 • Swedish 0.3%
 • Others 0.6%
Population by age
 • 0 to 14 13.9%
 • 15 to 64 59%
 • 65 or older 27.1%
Time zone EET (UTC+2)
 • Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3)
Municipal tax rate 19.5%
Climate Dfc
Website www.merikarvia.fi

Merikarvia (Swedish: Sastmola) is a municipality of Finland.

It is located in the Satakunta region. The neighboring municipalities are Isojoki, Kristiinankaupunki, Pomarkku, Pori and Siikainen.

The municipality has a population of 3,178 (31 March 2016) and it covers an area of 446.08 square kilometres (172.23 sq mi), of which 800.2 km2 (309.0 sq mi) is water. The population density is 7.12 inhabitants per square kilometre (18.4/sq mi).

The municipality is unilingually Finnish. The coastline was formerly Swedish-speaking. Merikarvia is known by the Oura Archipelago, which is part of the Bothnian Sea National Park.

The area has been inhabited since as early as 1800 BC. There are grave sites from the Bronze and Iron Ages within the municipality. Most of the cairns are located in Tuorila village located east of the municipal center.

The birth of the earliest villages in Merikarvia - Kasala, Riispyy, Ala- and Yli-Kylä, and Köörtilä - is dated to between the 13th and 14th centuries. As a separate municipality, Merikarvia has existed since 1865.

The first church in Merikarvia was built in 1776 and was named after the queen consort of Sweden at the time, Sofia Magdalena. The church, still in use today, was finished in 1899.

As a coastal municipality, Merikarvia largely lived from the sea until modern times. Fishing, sawmills and shipyards were common businesses until the end of the 19th century.


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