Kristinestad

Kristinestad (Finland Swedish: [krisˈtiːneˌstɑːd]; Finnish: Kristiinankaupunki [ˈkristiːnɑŋˌkɑu̯puŋki]; Latin: Christinea; lit. 'Christine Town') is a town in Finland, located on the west coast of the country. Kristinestad is situated in Ostrobothnia, along the Gulf of Bothnia. The population of Kristinestad is approximately 6,000, while the sub-region has a population of approximately 17,000. It is the 153rd most populous municipality in Finland. Kristinestad is located in the western part of Finland on the shore of the Bothnian Sea. Kristinestad covers an area of 683.25 km2 (263.80 sq mi) (excluding sea areas) of which 14.66 km2 (5.66 sq mi) is inland water. The population density is 8.95/km2 (23.2/sq mi). Kristinestad is a bilingual municipality with Finnish and Swedish as its official languages. The population consists of 39% Finnish speakers, 52% Swedish speakers, and 9% speakers of other languages. The Finnish name "Kristiinankaupunki" is the longest municipality name currently in use in Finland. In the vernacular, locally and on some maps, the town itself is known only as "Kristiina".