Uusimaa (Finnish: [ˈuːsimɑː]; Swedish: Nyland, Finland Swedish: [ˈnyːlɑnd]) is a region of Finland. It borders the regions of Southwest Finland, Kanta-Häme, Päijät-Häme, and Kymenlaakso. Finland's capital and largest city, Helsinki, along with its surrounding metropolitan area, is located in the Uusimaa region, which is Finland's most populous region. Its population is 1,734,000.
From the time of the Vikings in the 8th century, an eastern road ran along the Gulf of Finland. The first inhabitants were nomads. The place name of Nuuksio derives from the Sami word njukča which means 'swan'. Later Finns proper and Tavastians inhabited the area. Some place names have traces of Tavastian village names, like Konala, which likely derives from the older Tavastian village name Konhola. Estonians inhabited the region to a smaller extent, specifically for seasonal fishing.
Swedish colonisation of coastal Uusimaa started after the second crusade to Finland in the 13th century. The colonisation was part of converting pagan areas to Catholicism. Eastern Uusimaa had its first Christian Swedish colonialists earlier than the western part, which got its colonialists in one mass transfer of people to Porvoo in the 14th century. The colonisation was supported by the Swedish kingdom and the immigrants were provided with grain seeds and cattle. They also got a four-year tax exemption from the crown. All the Swedish place names of Uusimaa date back to this period.
The names Uusimaa and Nyland, meaning 'new land' in English, derived from the Swedish colonisation era. The Swedish-language name Nyland appears in documents from the 14th century. The Finnish-language name Uusimaa appears for the first time in 1548 as Wsimaa in the first translation of the New Testament to Finnish by Mikael Agricola. Much of Uusimaa is literally new – it has risen off the Baltic Sea due to post-glacial rebound.
The Finnish provinces (lääni, län) were ceded to Russian Empire after the Finnish War in 1809, when they were organized as the Grand Duchy of Finland. Finland became independent in 1917.
The provincial system was restructured in 1997, and from 1997 to 2010 Uusimaa formed a part of the Southern Finland Province. The provincial system was abolished in 2010 in favour of regions (maakunta, landskap). The regions had traditionally existed as cultural units but were made into administrative units in 1994. Initially, Uusimaa was divided into the regions of Uusimaa and Eastern Uusimaa, but in 2011 the two regions were merged into a single region, Uusimaa.
The coat of arms features two silver, wavy fesses on a blue field, with a golden boat with a rudder between them. The boat symbolizes the coastal character of the region, while the silver fesses may represent its rivers.
Uusimaa Province received its coat of arms at the end of the 16th century, and it is attested in 1599. In 1997, when the regional system was formalized, the traditional provincial coat of arms was adopted as the coat of arms of the Uusimaa region.
The region of Uusimaa consists of four sub-regions and 26 municipalities, 13 of which have city status (marked in bold).
Uusimaa, the region surrounding Finland’s capital Helsinki, offers many sights and attractions, from historical landmarks to natural wonders.
Amusement parks: Linnanmäki, Serena Waterpark
Castles and fortresses: Suomenlinna, Raseborg Castle, Svartholm fortress, Musto Castle
Churches and cathedrals: Helsinki Cathedral, Porvoo Cathedral, Espoo Cathedral, Temppeliaukio Church, Sipoo Old Church, Church of St. Lawrence, Vantaa
Historical houses: Seurasaari, Parliament House, Helsinki, Paikkari croft, Glims, Hvitträsk, Alikartano, Malmgård Mansion
Ironworks: Fiskars Bruk, Billnäs Bruk, Fagervik Brik, Strömfors
Libraries: Helsinki Central Library Oodi, National Library of Finland, Helsinki University Library
Museums: Ainola, Ateneum, Espoo Car Museum, Finnish Aviation Museum, Finnish Railway Museum, Gallen-Kallela Museum, Helsinki City Museum, Heureka, Home of Runeberg, Kiasma, Mannerheim Museum, National Museum of Finland, Taaborinvuori, WeeGee house
Natural attractions: Nuuksio National Park, Karkali Strict Nature Reserve, Sipoonkorpi National Park, Porvoo Linnamäki