View source for Uusimaa (historical province)

{{Short description|Historical province of Finland}}
{{about|the former historical jurisdiction; linguistic and cultural province|other former provinces by this name|Uusimaa (disambiguation)}}
{{more citations|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox settlement
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| name               = Uusimaa
| image_caption      = 
| image_shield       = Uudenmaan historiallisen maakunnan vaakuna.svg
| shield_size        = 100px
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| image_map          = Historical province of Uusimaa, Finland.svg
| mapsize            = 250px
| map_alt            = 
| map_caption        = Historical province of Uusimaa in blue (borders of the modern regions in yellow)
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| image_size         = 290px
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| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = {{FIN}}<br/>{{SWE}} (before 1809)
| settlement_type    = [[Historical provinces of Finland|Historical province]]
| subdivision_type1  = Regions
| subdivision_type2  = 
| subdivision_name1  = [[Uusimaa (region)|Uusimaa]]<br/>Part of [[Kymenlaakso]]
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'''Uusimaa''' ({{langx|sv|Nyland}}; {{literal translation|new land}}) is a [[Historical provinces of Finland|historical province]] in the south of Finland. It borders [[Finland Proper (historical province)|Finland Proper]], [[Tavastia (historical province)|Tavastia]], [[Savonia (historical province)|Savonia]], and [[Finnish Karelia|Karelia]]. From the Middle Ages to 1809, most of the present-day Finland was a part of [[Sweden]]. Uusimaa was thus also included among the [[Historical provinces of Sweden|historical Swedish provinces]]. The modern province of [[Uusimaa]] is included within the borders of the historical province.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nyland |url=https://www.uppslagsverket.fi/sv/sok/view-170045-Nyland |access-date=2025-04-13 |website=Uppslagsverket Finland}}</ref>

==History==
Along with the rest of southern and western Finland, Uusimaa was ruled by the [[Kingdom of Sweden]] from the 12th or 13th century onwards. Coastal Uusimaa had earlier been semi-deserted, but was soon populated by Swedish settlers.

All the provinces of Finland were [[treaty of Fredrikshamn|ceded]] to [[Russian Empire|Russia]] in September 1809, after the 1808-1809 [[Finnish War]]. Uusimaa became [[Uudenmaan lääni]] in the old [[lääni]] (province) system until 1997, when it  was merged into the new administrative province of [[Southern Finland]]. In 2010 the administrative provinces were abolished and Uusimaa was divided between two new [[regions of Finland]], [[Uusimaa (region)|Uusimaa]] and [[Eastern Uusimaa]]. However, this arrangement lasted for only one year, and in 2011 Eastern Uusimaa was merged into Uusimaa, which now forms a single administrative unit once again.

==Culture==
Historically, coastal Uusimaa was a Swedish-speaking area. However, the capital of Finland, [[Helsinki]], and most of the other towns in Uusimaa now have Finnish-speaking majorities.

==Heraldry==
<!--{{main|Heraldry of Uusimaa}} -->
The arms of Uusimaa were granted at the burial of [[Gustav I of Sweden]] in 1560. The arms are crowned by a count's coronet, though by Finnish tradition this more resembles a Swedish baronial coronet. Blazon: "Azure, between two bars wavy Argent, a boat Or with rudder."

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Historical provinces of Finland}}

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[[Category:Historical provinces of Finland]]