Raisio: Finland

Raisio (Swedish Reso), city in south-western Finland and an important junction of major roads. The city has a population of 23 216 and is located in the province of Finland Proper, in the region of Western Finland, neighbouring the region’s capital, Turku. The city’s land area is 48.1 square kilometres, and it is landlocked other than for its southern tip, which has some hundreds of metres of coastline to the Bay of Raisio.
Economy
The city’s location on good traffic connections and near the region’s capital has contributed greatly to its growth. Its main industries are services, foodstuffs and chemical manufacturing. The largest employer in the city is the Raisio Group, a manufacturer of paper chemicals, foodstuffs, and health products.
Raisio is also home to the Mylly shopping centre, one of the largest in Scandinavia.
Points of interest
The city of Raisio has many cultural venues, such as the Friisilä handicrafts centre, which offers the visitor a glimpse at traditional Finnish arts and crafts. The cultural centre Harkko in the city centre comprises an arts museum, an archaeological museum and a theatre. The city’s library is also worth mentioning.
Together with Seinäjoki, Raisio is one of Finland’s ‘tango cities’ – it organises the semifinals of the annual Tangomarkkinat contest.
History
The oldest known written records relating to Raisio are from the year 1292, and there is strong evidence of Iron Age settlement in the area, but Raisio did not become a city until 1974. Until the late 20th century, this was an agricultural area. The success of the Raisio Group transformed it into an industrial centre, and triggered a huge increase in population – during the 20th century the population of Raisio grew elevenfold.