Ostrobothnia
regionscoat of armsmartenblue
The coat of arms of Ostrobothnia (Pohjanmaa) features a golden sable (marten) on a blue field, the classic Ostrobothnian heraldic symbol without the sword found in the South Ostrobothnia variant. The sable represents the historic fur trade that was central to the region's economy. Ostrobothnia is Finland's most Swedish-speaking region, with Vaasa as its capital, and the bilingual culture gives it a unique character.
Ostrobothnia is so strongly Swedish-speaking that in some municipalities, over 90% of the population speaks Swedish as their first language, and the region has its own distinct Swedish dialect.
Adopted: 1997
