Vårdö

In today's world, Vårdö has become a topic of great relevance and interest to a wide range of people. Whether due to its impact on society, its relevance in history, its influence on popular culture or any other aspect, Vårdö has captured the attention of a large audience. In this article, we will explore in depth the many facets of Vårdö, from its origins to its impact on the contemporary world. We will examine its relevance in different areas, as well as the implications it has for various sectors of society. In addition, we will analyze the perspectives of experts and varied points of view on Vårdö, with the aim of providing a comprehensive and enriching vision on this topic that is so relevant today.

Vårdö
Municipality
Vårdö kommun
Boathouses in Simskäla, island in the north of Vårdö
Boathouses in Simskäla, island in the north of Vårdö
Flag of Vårdö
Flag
Coat of arms of Vårdö
Coat of arms
Location of Vårdö in Finland
Location of Vårdö in Finland
Vårdö is located in Åland
Vårdö
Vårdö
Location in Åland
Coordinates: 60°14.5′N 020°22.5′E / 60.2417°N 20.3750°E / 60.2417; 20.3750
Country Finland
RegionÅland
Sub-regionArchipelago
Government
 • Municipal managerErik Brunström
Area
 (2018-01-01)[1]
 • Total
572.56 km2 (221.07 sq mi)
 • Land101.75 km2 (39.29 sq mi)
 • Water471.16 km2 (181.92 sq mi)
 • Rank298th largest in Finland
Population
 (2024-12-31)[2]
 • Total
462
 • Rank304th largest in Finland
 • Density4.54/km2 (11.8/sq mi)
Population by native language
[3]
 • Swedish85.6% (official)
 • Finnish4.1%
 • Others10.2%
Population by age
[4]
 • 0 to 1416.7%
 • 15 to 6453.3%
 • 65 or older30%
Time zoneUTC+02:00 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+03:00 (EEST)
Websitewww.vardo.ax

Vårdö is an island municipality of Åland, an autonomous territory of Finland.

The municipality has a population of 462 (31 December 2024)[6] and covers an area of 572.56 square kilometres (221.07 sq mi) of which 471.16 km2 (181.92 sq mi) is water.[1] The population density is 4.54 inhabitants per square kilometre (11.8/sq mi) of land.

The municipality is unilingually Swedish.

Two notable Finnish authors, Sally Salminen and Anni Blomqvist, were born in Vårdö. Blomqvist lived her whole life on the Vårdö island of Simskäla.

Vårdö church and cemetery

The word "vårdö" means "the guardian island". On the highest mountain of Vårdö people used to light bonfires to warn the other islands of danger.

The old post route from Stockholm to Turku went through Vårdö, by road from Båthusviken to Hullvik on the main island, otherwise by water. The local citizens took care of the mail transport in any type of weather. The dangerous mail transport lasted for over 300 years (1638–1910). Many people drowned on these journeys and in the memory of them the municipality of Vårdö has erected a memorial on the seashore of Hullvik. Today the post route road is marked with milestones.

References

  1. ^ a b "Area of Finnish Municipalities 1.1.2018" (PDF). National Land Survey of Finland. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  2. ^ "Population increased most in Uusimaa in 2024". Population structure. Statistics Finland. 2025-01-23. ISSN 1797-5395. Retrieved 2025-01-23.
  3. ^ "Number of foreign-language speakers exceeded 600,000 during 2024". Population structure. Statistics Finland. 2025-04-04. ISSN 1797-5395. Retrieved 2025-04-05.
  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. ^ "Ennakkoväkiluku sukupuolen mukaan alueittain, maaliskuu.2016" (in Finnish). Statistics Finland. Retrieved 31 March 2016.

Media related to Vårdö at Wikimedia Commons


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