Kaakkoiset

Kaakkoiset is a Finnish term that refers to the southeastern part of a country or region, or to the direction toward the southeast. It is used both as an adjective and as a noun phrase describing the southeastern sector, for example kaakkoiset alueet or kaakkoiset tuulet.

The word derives from kaakko- meaning “southeast” with the suffix -iset that marks a plural or collective sense in Finnish. As with other directional terms, kaakkoiset agrees with the noun it modifies in number and case, for example kaakkoiset alueet (the southeastern regions) or kaakkoiset tuulet (southeasterly winds).

In practice, kaakkoiset appears in meteorology, geography, urban planning, and travel writing to designate the southeastern part of a given area. It is relative rather than absolute; different contexts will define the precise southeastern reference differently.

In Finnish usage, kaakkoiset is a generic directional term used in official contexts such as regional planning or weather reporting, as well as in everyday language when describing location. The expression can be found in discussions of regions, climate patterns, or transportation routes that involve the southeast of a larger area.

Related terms in Finnish include eteläiset (southern) and pohjoiset (northern), which serve to describe other cardinal sectors. Kaakkoiset thus functions as part of a broader system of regional and directional vocabulary in Finnish.