Raisio


Raisio is a town and municipality in south-western Finland and an important junction of major roads. The town has a population of and is located in the region of Southwest Finland, neighbouring the region's capital, Turku. The town's land area is, and has about of coastline to the Bay of Raisio on its southern tip.

History

The oldest known written records relating to Raisio are from the year 1292, and there is strong evidence of Stone 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. The town's existence was under threat, as Turku was planning on merging Raisio to it. This changed after Raisio Group became a successful company.

Name

The name Raisio was originally given to its river, Raisionjoki. The earliest form of the river's name is Raisajoki, meaning "marsh/bog river", and etymological evidence of this can be seen in the Estonian word raisnik, meaning "peatland meadow". Another theory behind the etymology of the name Raisio is that it comes from the word raiskio, meaning a forest that's been damaged by poor foresting, because the Raisio landscape was changed due to sloughs and post-glacial rebound after the Ice Age.

Politics

Results of the 2019 Finnish parliamentary election in Raisio:
The town'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 town is the Raisio Group, a manufacturer of foodstuffs, animal feed and health products.
Raisio is also home to the Mylly shopping centre, one of the largest in Scandinavia.
The town also has the third IKEA of Finland.
The biggest employers in Raisio:
Company
Workers
Raisio City
1,294
Shopping center Mylly
1,000
Raisio Group
630
Deltamarin Oy
255
DNA Oyj
230
Kaukora Oy
175
Multilift Oy
170
Turun Pelti ja Eristys Oy
over 100
Konepaja Häkkinen Oy
85
Orsap Oy
80
Veho Oy
68
Korhonen P O Oy
70
Trafomic Oy
70
Sähkö-Insto
60
Niko
1

Points of interest

The town of Raisio has many cultural venues, such as the Friisilä handicrafts center, which offers the visitor a glimpse at traditional Finnish arts and crafts. The cultural center Harkko in the town center comprises an arts museum, an archaeological museum and a theatre. The city library and swimming center Ulpukka are also worth mentioning. In Raisio is also Finland's biggest
middle school which is called "Vaisaaren yläkoulu".

Twin towns – sister cities

Raisio is twinned with: