Maaria (''S:t Marie'' in
Swedish
Swedish or ' may refer to:
Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically:
* Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland
** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
) is a former
municipality of
Finland in what is now the northern part of the city of
Turku. The area has been inhabited since the
Iron Age, and it became an important village in the 15th century with the construction of a church dedicated to the
Virgin Mary (hence the district's name). Also
Koroinen, with the former residence of the
Bishop of Finland
The Archdiocese of Turku ( fi, Turun arkkihiippakunta, sv, Åbo ärkestift), historically known as '' Archdiocese of Åbo'', is the seat of the Archbishop of Turku. It is a part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, and its see city is ...
is in the area. The municipality of Maaria was founded in 1868, and it included the northern parts of modern Turku south of
Paattinen
Paattinen () is a village in south-west Finland and a district of the city of Turku. It is located to the north of the city, and is the largest of the city's districts by area. It borders the neighbouring municipalities of Vahto, Nousiainen, Myn ...
, some
enclave
An enclave is a territory (or a small territory apart of a larger one) that is entirely surrounded by the territory of one other state or entity. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is sometimes used improperly to deno ...
s to the north of Paattinen, and the island of
Hirvensalo
Hirvensalo is an island in the Archipelago Sea, belonging to the city of Turku, Finland. It is divided into 14 districts, the largest ones being Moikoinen, Kukola and Haarla. Most of the island's economic activity is concentrated on the suburb of ...
to the south of Turku.
In 1944, Hirvensalo,
Raunistula and some other parts of the municipality were annexed into Turku, and the rest of the municipality followed suit in 1967. Since then, it has seen considerable growth. The Maaria Reservoir, which serves as an alternative source of tap water for Turku, was constructed in the area in 1982.
The area that used to be central Maaria is currently divided into the districts of
Jäkärlä
Jäkärlä is a district in the Maaria-Paattinen ward of the city of Turku, in Finland. It is located to the north of the city, and is a very sparsely populated area.
The current () population of Jäkärlä is 3,460, and it is decreasing at an ...
,
Saramäki
Saramäki (Finnish; ''Starrbacka'' in Swedish) is a district in the Maaria-Paattinen ward of the city of Turku, in Finland. It is located to the north of the city, and is a very sparsely populated area.
The current () population of Saramäki i ...
,
Turku Airport and
Yli-Maaria
Yli-Maaria (Finnish; ''Övre S:t Marie'' in Swedish) is a district in the Maaria-Paattinen ward of the city of Turku, in Finland. It is located to the north of the city, and is a very sparsely populated area. The district was previously part of ...
. The former municipality's name is preserved in administrative units such as the parish of Maaria, the district of Yli-Maaria and the ward of
Maaria-Paattinen
Maaria-Paattinen (Finnish; ''S:t Marie-Patis'' in Swedish) is a ward (, ) of Turku, Finland, also known as Ward 9. The ward includes almost half of the city's land area, and is its most sparsely populated district. It is located to the north of th ...
, which includes the five northern
districts of Turku The city of Turku, Finland is divided into nine wards (''see Wards of Turku''), which in turn are divided into 78 non-governmental districts ( in Finnish, in Swedish). These are composed of individual suburbs, and in the very centre of the city, se ...
.
Former municipalities of Finland
History of Turku
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