Editing Politics of Finland (section)

==Administrative divisions==
{{main|Municipalities of Finland}}
{{main|Subdivisions of Finland}}
[[File:Ålands lagting.jpg|thumb|[[Parliament of Åland|Ålands Lagting]], the parliament of the [[Åland|Åland region]], in [[Mariehamn]]]]
Finland is divided into 313 democratically independent municipalities, which are grouped into 70 [[sub-regions of Finland|sub-regions]].<ref name="KN">{{cite web |url= http://www.kunnat.net/fi/tietopankit/tilastot/aluejaot/kuntien-lukumaara/Sivut/default.aspx |title=Kaupunkien ja kuntien lukumäärä     |date=1 January 2016 |website= Kunnat |language=fi|access-date=29 April 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tilastokeskus.fi/meta/luokitukset/seutukunta/001-2013/index_en.html|title=Tilastokeskus - Luokitukset - Sub-regional units 2013 -|website=www.tilastokeskus.fi}}</ref>

As the highest-level division, [[Finland]] is divided into 19 [[Regions of Finland|regions]].<ref name="kk">{{cite web |url=http://www.suomi.fi/suomifi/english/state_and_municipalities/municipalities_and_local_government/regions_and_municipalities/index.html |title=Regions and municipalities  |date=1 January 2016 |website= Suomi.fi |access-date=29 April 2016}}</ref>

A municipality in Finland can choose to call itself either a "city" or "municipality". A municipality is governed by a municipal council (or a city council) elected by proportional representation once every four years.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.finlex.fi/fi/lainsaadanto/saadoskokoelma/2015/410 |title=Kuntalaki 4 §, 15§ |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |website= Finlex |publisher=Ministry of Justice |language=fi |access-date=3 September 2016}}</ref> Democratic decision-making takes place on either the municipal or national level with few exceptions.

Until 2009, the state organization was divided into six provinces. However, the provinces were abolished altogether in 2010. Today,{{When|date=March 2018}} state local presence on mainland Finland is provided by 6 regional state administrative agencies (''aluehallintovirasto'', ''avi''), and 15 Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (''elinkeino-, liikenne- ja ympäristökeskus'', ''ely-keskus''). Regional state administrative agencies have mostly law enforcement, rescue and judicial duties: police, fire and rescue, emergency readiness, basic services, environmental permits and enforcement and occupational health and safety protection. The centres implement labor and industrial policy, provide employment and immigration services, and promote culture; maintain highways, other transport networks and infrastructure; and protect, monitor and manage the environment, land use and water resources.

[[Åland]] is located near the 60th parallel between [[Sweden]] and Finland. It enjoys local [[self-governance|autonomy]] by virtue of an international convention of 1921, implemented most recently by the [[Act on Åland Self-Government]] of 1951. The islands are further distinguished by the fact that they are entirely Swedish-speaking. Government is vested in the provincial council, which consists of 30 delegates elected directly by Åland's citizens.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.eurooppa-tiedotus.fi/doc/en/publications/oland.pdf |title=Åland in the European Union |editor-last1=Silverström |editor-first1=Sören   |date=2005 |publisher=Europe Information, Ministry for Foreign A airs of Finland|page=13}}</ref>

=== Regional and local administration ===
Finland is divided between six [[Regional State Administrative Agency|Regional State Administrative Agencies]], which are responsible for basic public services and legal permits, such as rescue services and environmental permits.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.avi.fi/en/web/avi-en/#.WIE0SDJh2Rs|title=Regional State Administrative Agencies|website=avi.fi|access-date=19 January 2017}}</ref> The 15 [[Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment|Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment]] (ELY Centres) are responsible for the regional implementation and development tasks of the central government.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ely-keskus.fi/en/web/ely-en/|title=Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment|website=ely-keskus.fi|access-date=19 January 2017}}</ref>

The basic units for organising government and public services in Finland are the [[Municipalities of Finland|municipalities]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.finlex.fi/fi/lainsaadanto/2009/1698|title=Kuntarakennelaki|website=Finlex|language=fi|access-date=19 January 2017}}</ref> As of 2017, there are 311 municipalities, which incorporate the entire country.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://vm.fi/kuntien-lukumaara|title=Kuntien lukumäärä|website=vm|language=fi|access-date=19 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171223021015/http://vm.fi/kuntien-lukumaara|archive-date=23 December 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Indirect public administration ===
Indirect public administration supplements and supports the authorities in managing the tasks of the welfare society.<ref name="SANDM3"/> It comprises organisations which are not authorities, but which carry out public tasks or execute public powers. Examples of this are issuing [[hunting licence]]s or carrying out motor [[vehicle inspection]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.suomi.fi/suomifi/english/state_and_municipalities/indirect_public_administration/index.html|title=Indirect public administration|website=Suomi.fi|access-date=20 January 2017}}</ref>

=== Wellbeing services counties ===
{{main|Wellbeing services counties of Finland}}

[[Wellbeing services counties of Finland|Wellbeing services counties]] are responsible for organising  [[Health system|health]], [[Social services|social]] and [[emergency service]]s. There are 21 Wellbeing services counties, and the county structure is mainly based on the region structure. Wellbeing services districts are self-governing. They do not have the right to levy taxes. Their funding is based on central government funding. Central government allocates different amounts of funding to the different wellbeing services counties depending on the structure of their population.<ref name="stm-counties-2023">{{cite web|url=https://stm.fi/en/wellbeing-services-counties|title=Wellbeing services counties will be responsible for organising health, social and rescue services on 1 January 2023|website=Ministry of Social Affairs and Health|access-date=7 September 2023}}</ref>

The county council is the highest decision-making body in the county and is responsible for operations, administration and finance. The delegates and deputy commissioners of the county council are elected in county elections for a term of four years. The number of delegates varies from 59 to 89. It depends on the population of the county.<ref name="stm-counties-2023"/>