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Väståboland

Pargas
PargasParainen
Town
Pargas stad
Paraisten kaupunki
The city centre of Pargas
The city centre of Pargas
Coat of arms of Pargas
Coat of arms
Location of Pargas in Finland
Location of Pargas in Finland
Coordinates: 60°18′N 022°18′E / 60.300°N 22.300°E / 60.300; 22.300Coordinates: 60°18′N 022°18′E / 60.300°N 22.300°E / 60.300; 22.300
Country Finland
Region Southwest Finland
Sub-region Åboland–Turunmaa sub-region
Charter 2009
Seat Pargas
Government
 • Town manager Patrik Nygrén
Area (2011-01-01)
 • Total 5,548.25 km2 (2,142.19 sq mi)
 • Land 881.79 km2 (340.46 sq mi)
 • Water 4,666.46 km2 (1,801.73 sq mi)
Area rank 11th largest in Finland
Population (2016-03-31)
 • Total 15,456
 • Rank 76th largest in Finland
 • Density 17.53/km2 (45.4/sq mi)
Population by native language
 • Swedish 57.6% (official)
 • Finnish 41.2% (official)
 • Others 1.2%
Population by age
 • 0 to 14 17.2%
 • 15 to 64 63.3%
 • 65 or older 19.5%
Time zone EET (UTC+2)
 • Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3)
Municipal tax rate 19.25%
Website www.pargas.fi

Pargas (Finnish: Parainen) (Finnish: Länsi-Turunmaa and Swedish: Väståboland in 2009–2011) is a municipality of Finland, in the Archipelago Sea. The big limestone mine in Pargas is the base of the main industry, while there are still significant rural areas. Except for the central parts of Pargas, the municipality is mostly rural.

Pargas is located in Åboland in the province of Western Finland and is part of the Southwest Finland region. It was created as Väståboland on January 1, 2009 in Southwest Finland, when the municipalities of Pargas, Nagu, Korpo, Houtskär and Iniö were united into a single municipality.

The municipality has a population of 15,456 (31 March 2016) and covers an area of 5,548.25 square kilometres (2,142.19 sq mi) of which 4,666.46 km2 (1,801.73 sq mi) is water. The population density is 17.53 inhabitants per square kilometre (45.4/sq mi).

The town is bilingual with a majority (57.6%) speaking Swedish as their native language.

Pargas has a large limestone industry, with the industry and Nordkalk as an important local employer, agriculture employs many in the rural regions of the municipality. Furthermore, the shipping industry is a relevant industry in the region. The municipality is suffering from high debt.


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