Major regions 2016

The purpose of regional classifications used in statistics is to describe regional variations of various phenomena and regional structure in general. In the Finnish regional division, major regions form the regional division corresponding to the NUTS 2 level.

Major regions were formed by combining regions. In the Finnish regional division, major regions form the regional division corresponding to the NUTS 2 level.

On 1 January 2013, Suomenniemi (775) was merged with the municipality of Mikkeli (491) and the area of the former municipality of Suomenniemi moved from the major region of Southern Finland (2) to that of Northern and Eastern Finland (4). On 1 January 2012, the major region of Southern Finland (1) divided into the major regions of Helsinki-Uusimaa (1) and Southern Finland (2). The major regions of Eastern Finland (3) and Northern Finland (4) merged. The name of the new major region is the major region of Northern and Eastern Finland and its code is 4. The regions of the classification of major regions in 2012 are: 1 Helsinki-Uusimaa 2 Southern Finland 3 Western Finland 4 Northern and Eastern Finland 5 Åland.

A new division of major regions comprising five regions was taken into use at the beginning of 2012. The division of major regions is based on the Regulation of the European Parliament and the Council concerning the NUTS classification 1059/2003, which was reviewed in 2011 (Commission Regulation 31/2011).