Vaasa Province (Finnish:Vaasan lääni [ˈʋɑːsɑnˈlæːni]; Swedish:Vasa län, Finland Swedish:[ˈvɑːsɑˈleːn], Sweden Swedish:[ˈvɑ̂ːsaˈlɛːn]; Russian:Вазаская губерния) 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 (Russian:Николайстада, Finnish:Nikolainkaupunki). 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

Provinces of Finland 1634: 1: Turku and Pori, 14: Nyland and Tavastehus, 18: Ostrobothnia, 20: Viborg and Nyslott, 21: KexholmProvinces of Finland 1776: 1: Turku and Pori, 4: Vaasa, 10: Oulu, 14: Nyland and Tavastehus, 15: Kymmenegård, 16: Savolax and KareliaProvinces of Finland 1960: 1: Turku and Pori, 2: Uusimaa, 3: Häme, 4: Vaasa, 5: Kymi, 6: Mikkeli, 7: Central Finland, 8: Kuopio, 9: Northern Karelia, 10: Oulu, 11: Lapland, 12: ÅlandProvinces of Finland 1996: 1: Turku and Pori, 2: Uusimaa, 3: Häme, 4: Vaasa, 5: Kymi, 6: Mikkeli, 7: Central Finland, 8: Kuopio, 9: Northern Karelia, 10: Oulu, 11: Lapland, 12: ÅlandProvinces of Finland 1997: 10: Oulu, 11: Lapland, 12: Åland, 22: Southern Finland, 23: Western Finland, 24: Eastern Finland

Municipalities in 1997 (cities in bold)

Former municipalities (disestablished before 1997)

Governors

  • Bror Cederström 1775–1785
  • Adolf Tandefeldt 1785–1794
  • Carl Fridrik Krabbe 1794–1805
  • Magnus Wanberg 1805–1808
  • Nils Fredric von Schoultz[sv] 1808
  • Carl Constantin de Carnall[fi; ru] 1808–1822
  • Herman Henrik Wärnhjelm[fi] 1822–1830
  • Gustaf Magnus Armfelt 1830–1832
  • Carl Gustaf von Mannerheim 1832–1833 (acting) and 1833–1834
  • Carl Olof Cronstedt[fi; fr; ru; sv] 1834–1837 (acting) and 1837–1845
  • John Ferdinand Bergenheim 1845–1847
  • Berndt Federley[fi; sv] 1847–1854
  • Alexander von Rechenberg[fi] 1854–1858
  • Otto Leonard von Blom[fi; ru] 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
  • Gustaf Axel von Kothen[fi; ru] 1898–1900
  • Fredrik Geronimo Björnberg[fi] 1900–1903
  • Theodor Knipovitsch 1903–1906
  • Kasten Fredrik Ferdinand de Pont[fi; ru] 1906–1910
  • Bernhard Otto Widnäs[fi; ru; uk] 1910–1913
  • Nikolai Sillman[fi; ru] 1913–1916
  • Leo Aristides Sirelius[fi; ru] 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
  • Toivo Tarjanne[fi; sv] 1943–1944
  • K. G. R. Ahlbäck[fi; sv] 1944–1967
  • Martti Viitanen 1967–1977
  • Antti Pohjonen[arz; eo; fi] 1977–1978
  • Mauno Kangasniemi[fi] 1978–1991
  • Tom Westergård[fi] 1991–1997

63°06′00″N 21°37′00″E/63.1000°N 21.6167°E/ 63.1000; 21.6167