lounais

Lounais is a Finnish term meaning "southwestern" and is used to describe the southwestern part of a country or region. In Finnish geography, it functions as an orientation descriptor and appears in descriptive labels, maps, and statistical or planning contexts to designate the southwestern area of a larger region.

In Finland, Lounais is closely associated with the former administrative unit known as Lounais-Suomen lääni, or the Southwestern Province. This province existed from 1997 to 2010 and covered the southwest coastal areas of the country. It included several well-known cities in the region, with Turku and Pori among its major urban centers. In 2010, the province system was dismantled, and its responsibilities were transferred to the newly established regional (maakunta) structure.

Today, the term Lounais continues to be used informally to refer to the southwestern part of Finland or to describe the southwest in maps, demographic statistics, and local discourse. It is not, in contemporary administrative terms, a formal unit, but it remains a common descriptive label for the region’s southwestern portion.

Beyond Finland, Lounais can appear in general-purpose geographic language to denote the southwestern direction or area in other contexts where Finnish-language usage or influence is present. However, its most specific historical reference remains the defunct Southwestern Province of Finland.

See also: Southwest Finland, Finnish administrative divisions, Finnish geography.