Maakuntia
Maakuntia, singular maakunta, is a Finnish term meaning region. In Finland, maakunnat are the country’s main subnational administrative units, grouping several municipalities to support regional development, planning, and coordination of services. There are 19 maakunnat, each covering its own geographic area and demographic profile. The autonomous Åland Islands form a separate regional administration with special status and are not usually counted among the 19.
Each maakunta has a regional council (maakuntavaltuusto) whose members are elected by the municipalities within the
The regional level also interacts with the state administration, which operates at the regional level through
Historically, Finland replaced the older provincial system (lääni) with the maakunta model in the late 20th