Turku and Pori Province, or Åbo and Björnborg County, was an administrative province (, ) in Finland. It existed as part of the Kingdom of Sweden from 1634 to 1809, the Grand Duchy of Finland under the Russian Empire from 1809 to 1917, and the Republic of Finland from 1917 until the province was abolished in 1997.

The province was first established in the 1634 Instrument of Government as the Province of North and South Finland, with its seat in Turku (Åbo). It was formed by uniting the slottsläns corresponding to Finland Proper, Satakunta and the Åland Islands. In 1641, Satakunta was briefly separated to form Pori Province with the seat in Pori (Björneborg), but the division proved short-lived, and in 1646 the areas were reunited as Turku and Pori Province.

During the 18th century, administrative adjustments reduced the size of the province. In Gustav III's great provincial reform of 1775, most of Upper Satakunta was transferred to the newly established Vaasa Province.

When Finland was annexed by the Russian Empire in 1809 and reorganized as the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland, the provincial administration remained largely unchanged, and Turku and Pori Province continued under Russian rule. Under Swedish rule, the governor's title had been landshövding, but in 1837 it was changed to guvernör.

In 1918, after Finland’s independence, Åland was separated from the province and made into a distinct autonomous territory, while some municipalities of Satakunta were transferred to Häme Province. Proposals to divide Turku and Pori Province into separate provinces of Finland Proper and Satakunta were considered in the early 1980s but never realized.

In 1997, Turku and Pori Province was merged with the northern part of the Häme Province and with the provinces of Vaasa and Central Finland to form the new Western Finland Province. All Finnish provinces were abolished on 1 January 2010.

Maps

Municipalities in 1997 (cities in bold)

Alastaro Askainen Aura Dragsfjärd Eura Eurajoki Halikko Harjavalta Honkajoki Houtskär Huittinen Iniö Jämijärvi Kaarina Kankaanpää Karinainen Karvia Kimito Kiikala Kiikoinen Kisko Kiukainen Kodisjoki Kokemäki Korpo Koski Tl Kullaa Kustavi Kuusjoki Köyliö Laitila Lappi Lavia Lemu Lieto Loimaa Loimaan kunta Luvia Marttila Masku Mellilä Merikarvia Merimasku Mietoinen Muurla Mynämäki Naantali Nakkila Nagu Noormarkku Nousiainen Oripää Pargas Paimio Perniö Pertteli Piikkiö Pomarkku Pori Punkalaidun Pyhäranta Pöytyä Raisio Rauma Rusko Rymättylä Salo Sauvo Siikainen Somero Suodenniemi Suomusjärvi Säkylä Särkisalo Taivassalo Tarvasjoki Turku Ulvila Uusikaupunki Vahto Vammala Vampula Vehmaa Velkua Västanfjärd Yläne Äetsä

Former municipalities (disestablished before 1997)

Ahlainen Angelniemi Hinnerjoki Hitis Honkilahti Kakskerta Kalanti Karjala Karkku Karuna Kauvatsa Keikyä Kiikka Kuusisto Lokalahti Maaria Metsämaa Naantalin mlk Paattinen

Porin mlk Pyhämaa Rauman mlk Suoniemi Tyrvää Uskela

Governors

Swedish realm

North and South Finland Province, including Åland * 1634–1637 1637–1641

Turku Province, including Åland 1641–1642 1642–1646

Pori Province Two governors were appointed, but neither assumed the post.

Turku and Pori Province, including Åland 1647–1648 Lorentz Creutz the Elder 1649–1655 1655–1666 1666 1666–1682 1682–1698 1698–1706 1706–1714 1714–1722 (acting 1711–1713) 1722–1746 1747–1749 (acting 1744–1747) Johan Georg Lillienberg 1749–1757 1757–1769 1769–1776 1776–1781 1782–1790 (acting 1789–1790) Ernst Gustaf von Willebrand 1790–1806 (acting 1801–1802) 1806–1809 Otto Reinhold Meurman (acting governor over Åland 1808–1809)

Grand Duchy of Finland

Turku and Pori Province, including Åland

1809–1816 Otto Herman Lode (acting 1811–1813) Carl Erik Mannerheim 1816–1826 Lars Gabriel von Haartman (acting 1820–1822) Eric Wallenius 1826–1828 (acting 1822–1826) Adolf Broberg 1828–1831 Lars Gabriel von Haartman 1831–1842 (acting 1820–1822) Gabriel Anton Cronstedt 1842–1856 (acting 1840–1842) Samuel Werner von Troil (acting 1856) Carl Fabian Langenskiöld 1856–1858 Selim Mohamed Ekbom (acting 1857–1858) Johan Axel Cedercreutz 1863 (acting 1858–1863) Carl Magnus Creutz 1866–1889 (acting 1864–1866) Axel Gustaf Samuel von Troil 1889–1891 Wilhelm Theodor von Kraemer 1891–1903 Theodor Hjalmar Lang 1903–1905 Knut Gustaf Nikolai Borgenström 1905–1911 Eliel Ilmari Wuorinen 1911–1917

Independent Finland

Turku and Pori Province Albert Alexander von Hellens (acting 1917) Kaarlo Collan 1918–1922 (acting 1917–1918) Ilmari Helenius 1922–1932 Wilho Kyttä 1932–1949 Erkki Härmä 1949–1957 Esko Kulovaara 1957–1971 Sylvi Siltanen 1972–1977 Paavo Aitio 1977–1985 Pirkko Työläjärvi 1985–1997

Notes

References

Sources