Kvarken

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Location of the Kvarken
Kvarken before Vaasa

Kvarken (Finnish: Merenkurkku ) is a region in the Baltic Sea between Sweden and Finland . It is part of the Gulf of Bothnia and divides it into a northern part, the Bottenwiek , and a southern part, the Bottensee . In Sweden, the Kvarken is sometimes referred to as northern Kvarken ( Norra kvarken ), with southern Kvarken ( Södra kvarken ) being the name for the northernmost, narrowest part of the Åland Sea between the Åland Islands and the Swedish mainland further south.

geography

The region lies at the narrowest point of the Baltic foothills between the city of Umeå in Sweden and Vaasa in Finland. There is an archipelago in the region , the land mass of which is growing by around 100 hectares annually due to the post-glacial uplift . The distance between mainland Finland and Sweden is around 80 km, but the widest gully between the islands is only 25 km. The average water depth in this region is just 25 meters. On July 12, 2006, parts of the Finnish Kvarken were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List as a natural continuation of the Höga Kusten area ; the world heritage site has since been called the archipelago - Kvarken archipelago .

traffic

Umeå and Vaasa have long been linked by a ferry line. This is the shortest ferry route between mainland Sweden and Finland. For a long time it was operated by the Vasabåtarna ferry line , then by Silja Line . Today a Wasaline ship sails over the Kvarken . The connection is subsidized by the Finnish state.

On an island in the middle of Kvarken is a lighthouse designed by Gustave Eiffel . Like most lighthouses in Finland, it is now automated.

During the winter war of 1939/40 and most recently in 1966 and 1970, there was an ice road from Finland to Sweden through the Kvarken, i.e. across the Gulf of Bothnia. In the past, the region was used intensively for the transport of mail in winter, as the sea carried a solid layer of ice every year. Various political parties have suggested building a bridge over the Kvarken. These proposals are currently in the discussion phase.

Web links

Commons : Kvarken  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 63 ° 30 '  N , 21 ° 0'  E