Salo

Salo (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈsɑlo]) is a town in Finland, located in the southwestern interior of the country. The population of Salo is approximately 51,000, while the sub-region has a population of approximately 59,000. It is the 20th most populous municipality in Finland, and the 24th most populous urban area in the country. Salo is located in the Southwest Finland. Salo covers an area of 2,168.30 square kilometres (837.19 sq mi) of which 181.78 km2 (70.19 sq mi) is water. The population density is 25.55/km2 (66.2/sq mi). The municipality is unilingually Finnish. The name Salo means woodland, backwoods, but also a wooded island in Finnish. It is believed that Salo originally referred to an island located south of the current town over a thousand years ago, which is now a hill due to post-glacial rebound, and not even close to the sea today. Salo is a small city located between the capital Helsinki (114 kilometres (71 mi) away) and the provincial capital Turku (52 kilometres (32 mi) away). The city's proximity to these larger cities has contributed to the growth of Salo's business sector. Additionally, farming plays a significant role in the area. Salo shares borders with Koski Tl, Lohja, Kimitoön, Marttila, Paimio, Raseborg, Sauvo and Somero. Salo is also twinned with Saint Anthony Village in Minnesota. Salo was previously recognised for its significant consumer electronics and mobile phone industry. Nokia, and briefly Microsoft Mobile, operated a manufacturing plant in the town. However, the plant was closed in 2015, resulting in high unemployment rates. Salo is the birthplace of the former president of Finland Sauli Niinistö.