Vaasa Province ( ; , , Sweden ; ) was a province of Finland, established in 1775 when Finland was an integrated part of Sweden from the southern part of Ostrobothnia County and disbanded in 1997. The province was named after the city of Vaasa.
On the death of Tsar Nicholas I in 1855, a small group of citizens in the city of Vaasa tendered a petition to change the name of the city after him. The name of the city came from the Royal House of Vasa and despite that only 15 citizens were backing the proposal the name of the city was changed to Nikolaistad (, ). However, the name of the province was not changed.
In 1960 the eastern part was separated as the Province of Central Finland. In 1997 it was reunited with Central Finland, together they merged with the northern part of the Province of Häme and the Province of Turku and Pori to establish the new Province of Western Finland.
The former province corresponds to the current regions of Ostrobothnia, Central Ostrobothnia and Southern Ostrobothnia.
Maps
Municipalities in 1997 (cities in bold)
Alahärmä Alajärvi Alavus Evijärvi Halsua Himanka Ilmajoki Isojoki Isokyrö Jakobstad Jalasjärvi Jurva Kannus Karijoki Kaskinen Kauhajoki Kauhava Kaustinen Kokkola Korsnäs Kortesjärvi Kristinestad Kronoby Kuortane Kurikka Kälviä Laihia Lappajärvi Lapua Larsmo Lehtimäki Lestijärvi Lohtaja Malax Maxmo Korsholm Nurmo Nykarleby Närpes Oravais Pedersöre Perho Peräseinäjoki Seinäjoki Soini Teuva Toholampi Töysä Ullava Vaasa Veteli Vimpeli Vähäkyrö Vörå Ylihärmä Ylistaro Ähtäri
Former municipalities (disestablished before 1997)
Bergö Björköby Esse Jeppo
Kvevlax Lappfjärd
Nedervetil
Petalax Purmo Pörtom Replot
Terjärv
Öja Övermark
Governors Bror Cederström 1775–1785 Adolf Tandefeldt 1785–1794 Carl Fridrik Krabbe 1794–1805 Magnus Wanberg 1805–1808 1808 1808–1822 1822–1830 Gustaf Magnus Armfelt 1830–1832 Carl Gustaf von Mannerheim 1832–1833 (acting) and 1833–1834 1834–1837 (acting) and 1837–1845 John Ferdinand Bergenheim 1845–1847 1847–1854 1854–1858 1858–1861 Carl Gustaf Fabian Wrede 1862–1863 (vt.) and 1863–1884 Viktor Napoleon Procopé 1884–1888 August Alexander Järnefelt 1888–1894 Waldemar Schauman 1894–1898 1898–1900 1900–1903 Theodor Knipovitsch 1903–1906 1906–1910 1910–1913 1913–1916 1916–1917 Juho Torppa 1917 (acting) Teodor August Heikel 1917–1920 Bruno Sarlin 1920–1930 Erik Heinrichs 1930 Kaarlo Martonen 1930–1938 Jalo Lahdensuo 1938–1943 1943–1944 1944–1967 Martti Viitanen 1967–1977 1977–1978 1978–1991 1991–1997
References