Maakuntaa

Maakuntaa is one of the inflected forms of the Finnish noun maakunta, typically used as the partitive or accusative singular in sentences such as maakuntaa koskevat lait (laws concerning the region). In Finland, a maakunta refers to a regional administrative unit that groups municipalities for regional planning and development. The purpose of a maakunta is to coordinate cross‑municipal activities and to support regional services and development that extend beyond the borders of a single municipality.

Each maakunta has a governing body known as the maakuntaliitto, a joint municipal authority elected by representatives from the region’s municipalities. The maakuntaliitto coordinates regional development, economic planning, transport, environmental protection and culture. The state also operates at the regional level through regional administration, ensuring that national tasks are implemented across the region.

Finland is divided into nineteen maakunnat. The regions work alongside municipalities and the national government to implement regional strategies, allocate resources, and influence regional infrastructure and services. Åland, while an autonomous region of Finland, is not a maakunta and operates under its own government and parliament.

In everyday language, maakuntaa appears in official texts and legal provisions to refer to matters connected with a particular region. The concept is central to Finland’s subnational administration, distinct from the municipality (kunta) and from the autonomous national role of Åland.