Saltvik

See also Saltvik, Sweden.
For the prison, see Saltvik Prison.
Saltvik
Municipality
Saltviks kommun

Coat of arms

Location of Saltvik in Finland
Saltvik

Location in Åland

Coordinates: 60°16.5′N 020°03.5′E / 60.2750°N 20.0583°E / 60.2750; 20.0583Coordinates: 60°16.5′N 020°03.5′E / 60.2750°N 20.0583°E / 60.2750; 20.0583
Country Finland
Region Åland
Sub-region Åland Countryside sub-region
Government
  Municipal manager Ben-Erik Alm
Area (2011-01-01)[1]
  Total 1,166.70 km2 (450.47 sq mi)
  Land 152.07 km2 (58.71 sq mi)
  Water 1,014.63 km2 (391.75 sq mi)
Area rank 96th largest in Finland
Population (2016-03-31)[2]
  Total 1,827
  Rank 301st largest in Finland
  Density 12.01/km2 (31.1/sq mi)
Population by native language[3]
  Swedish 94% (official)
  Finnish 3.9%
  Others 2.1%
Population by age[4]
  0 to 14 17.2%
  15 to 64 64.3%
  65 or older 18.5%
Time zone EET (UTC+2)
  Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3)
Municipal tax rate[5] 16.25%
Website www.saltvik.ax

Saltvik is a municipality of Åland, an autonomous territory of Finland. The total area is 1 161,8 km², of which 150,7 km² is land, 4,7 km² lakes and 1006,4 km² sea.

The archipelago north of Saltvik is perhaps the most beautiful one in Åland. Closest to land are the big islands Boxö, Sommarö, Flatö and Ryssö. Beyond, the horizon opens up and after passing Saggö it is more or less unbroken.

History

The municipality has a rich history. When Åland emerged from the sea about 8,000 BC, Saltvik was the first land to be seen. During the Viking ages, Kvarnbo used to be a central crown court- and place of merchandise. Today, you may visit the medieval church and at the court place see the memorial monument.

The church St:a Maria is located by Kvarnboviken in the east of Saltvik. The red granite church is one of the oldest in Åland, and was once the main church in the province. The church has been rebuilt and extended several times. The oldest parts are from the late 13th century, but various reconstructions have been made from the 14th century until today. For example, the chalk drawings on the walls have first been painted, then covered and then uncovered again. Around and under the church, there are traces of houses from Viking Age. This is not so strange, considering the church is located in the middle of the biggest grave field from Iron Age in Åland.

A former Finnish government lands official claims a 17,800-square-meter (0.004 acre) plot on the island of Saltvik "had been handed over to Russia's Foreign Ministry in 2009, in accordance with a 1947 post-war peace treaty that saw German holdings in Finland transferred to the Soviet Union". [6][7]

Business

About 50% of the people living in Saltvik work in the service industry or in the public sector. 15% work in transport and 14% in industry. Construction and farming/fishing employ, respectively, 10 and 7%.

The head office and one factory of the Chips Group is located in the municipality. The company begun its operations in Saltvik in 1969 and was the first potato chip producer in Finland. Through acquisitions, new establishments and growth, the group has grown and is today the market leader within snacks in the Nordic and Baltic countries. The best-known brands are Taffel, OLW, KiMs and Oolannin. In 2005, the Norwegian industrial group Orkla ASA acquired all the shares in the Chips Group.

Points of interest

References

  1. "Area by municipality as of 1 January 2011" (PDF) (in Finnish and Swedish). Land Survey of Finland. Retrieved 9 March 2011.
  2. "Ennakkoväkiluku sukupuolen mukaan alueittain, maaliskuu.2016" (in Finnish). Statistics Finland. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
  3. "Population according to language and the number of foreigners and land area km2 by area as of 31 December 2008". Statistics Finland's PX-Web databases. Statistics Finland. Retrieved 29 March 2009.
  4. "Population according to age and gender by area as of 31 December 2008". Statistics Finland's PX-Web databases. Statistics Finland. Retrieved 28 April 2009.
  5. "List of municipal and parish tax rates in 2011". Tax Administration of Finland. 29 November 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
  6. "Vladimir Putin's secret 'Swedish' beach plot". The Local (14 October 2014). Retrieved 15 October 2014.
  7. "Finnish Official Reveals Putin as 'Secret' Owner of Swedish-Speaking Island". The Moscow Times. 15 October 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2014.

Media related to Saltvik at Wikimedia Commons

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