Etelä

Etelä is the Finnish word for "south." It functions as a directional term in Finnish and is commonly used as a component in the names of geographic regions to indicate their southern position within a larger area. In everyday language, etelä translates to south and is used in navigation, maps, and descriptions of geography.

In Finnish toponymy, many regions and administrative units include Etelä in their name to designate the southern part of a larger entity. Examples include Etelä-Savo (South Savo), Etelä-Pohjanmaa (South Ostrobothnia), and Etelä-Karjala (South Karelia). These names typically label the southern portions of the related historical provinces or current regions (maakunnat).

Historically, Etelä was also used in the official name of a Finnish county-level unit, the Etelä-Suomen lääni (Southern Finland Province), which existed from the late 20th century until administrative reforms in the 2010s reorganized regional governance. Since then, the prefix Etelä appears primarily in regional names and in directional usage rather than as a standalone administrative entity.

The word is also used in other contexts to indicate southern regions or parts of countries that Finnic languages influence, though its most common usage remains Finnish toponymy and language. The counterpart terms include pohjoinen (north), itä (east), and länsi (west).