Coastal islands in Finland
Rating: 8,2/10 (680 votes)  The Coastal Islands is a national park covering an area of about 500 sq. km off the southwest coast of Finland. Founded in 1983. In 2007, the park received a certificate from the international organization PAN. Also, the park is part of the UNECO international biosphere reserve.
The national park includes many islands and rocks located in the territories of Korppoo, Nauvo, Dragsfjord, Varsinais-Suomi province. The largest islands in the park have a permanent population. Such islands are connected with the mainland. There are about a thousand permanent residents in total. In the summer, the population increases significantly due to summer residents and vacationers.
Most of the coastal islands are covered with forests, where spruce, fir, birch, less often oak, ash, and aspen grow. On the islands farther from the coast, there is no woody vegetation, flowering plants grow here, for example, scurvy herb or medicinal spoon, various types of onions. On the sandstone islands hare cabbage, angelica, toadflax, fescue grow. Often there are islands with meadow lands, where blood-red geraniums, buttercups and carnations are found. Red and green algae grow in the coastal water.
25 species of mammals live on the territory of the national park, of the large ones, the elk are especially interesting, sailing to wooded islands from the mainland. There are also two marine mammals in the coastal waters - the gray leopard seal and the ringed seal. On remote islands, seals form whole harems. The park is home to 132 species of birds; part of the park is closed to the public during the breeding season. It is inhabited by eiders, terns, black gulls, ducks, scoopers, long-nosed mergansers. Guillemots, auks, guillemots make their nests on the rocks. There are birds that are on the verge of extinction, such as black duck and Caspian tern. The predatory white-tailed eagle lives in the coastal islands national park, which feeds on fish, carrion and small animals. The underwater world of the coastal islands is not rich due to the fact that the water is too salty for freshwater species, and for the sea - not salty enough. The park is home to a rare beautiful mnemosyne butterfly, or black apollo.
In addition to natural treasures and picturesque landscapes, the park contains man-made sights such as the wooden church of Nycho, the stone church on Hari Island, the lighthouse of Nyotho and the Bengtskor island lighthouse.
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