Swedish is Finland's second official language, and most official material exists in both languages. These guidelines address certain considerations that need to be taken into account when translating Swedish source material originating from Finland.
If you are unsure about any context in a Swedish document originating from Finland, please contact STP – most of our Finnish speakers understand Swedish as well and would be happy to help.
FINLEX
http://www.finlex.fi/fi/ contains an official collection of acts and decrees, case-law, secondary legislation, international treaties and government bills in Finland. It is complete in Finnish and Swedish, and partially translated in English.
The Swedish language pages and search functions can be reached from here: http://www.finlex.fi/sv/
The English language pages start here: http://www.finlex.fi/en/laki
It's important the names of acts and decrees are translated correctly where a translation exists. If an official translation can be found in Finlex, please use that, adding the Swedish equivalent in brackets if necessary for the context. If no official translation can be found, please translate as you best see fit and keep the Swedish original in brackets after your translation if space allows and the context requires it.
Geographical names
Many towns especially in the south of Finland and on the west coast have both Finnish and Swedish names, and street names in towns where Swedish is spoken are displayed in both languages. The official rule is that if over half of the population in the municipality speak Swedish as their mother tongue, the street names are displayed first in Swedish and then in Finnish.
The Research Institute for the Languages of Finland's Finnish and Swedish language committees recommend that monolingual areas are referred to by their official language names (Iisalmi, Mariehamn), and bilingual areas according to the majority language (e.g. Helsinki, Turku, Kirkkonummi, Vaasa; Jakobstad, Nykarleby, Pargas, Ekenäs). Kotus' Svenska ortnamn in Finland shows you Swedish placenames with their Finnish equivalents in http://kaino.kotus.fi/svenskaortnamn/.
Depending on the purpose of the translation, another approach might be preferable, for example, for travel guides giving both options may be the best solution, space allowing. Google searches are always a good bet on determining which version of the place name would be best recognised by the English speaking audience.
Below you will find a list of bilingual municipalities in Finland with Swedish as the minority or majority language. A municipality is defined as bilingual when at least 8% of its inhabitants speak another language (source: http://www.kotus.fi/index.phtml?s=575)
Bilingual municipalities with Finnish as majority language
- Espoo – Esbo
- Hanko – Hangö
- Helsinki – Helsingfors
- Vantaa – Vanda
- Kaskinen – Kaskö
- Kauniainen – Grankulla
- Kirkkonummi – Kyrkslätt
- Kokkola – Karleby
- Lapinjärvi – Lappträsk
- Loviisa – Lovisa
- Lohja – Lojo
- Myrskylä – Mörskom
- Pyhtää – Pyttis
- Porvoo – Borgå
- Ruotsinpyhtää – Strömfors
- Sipoo – Sibbo
- Siuntio – Sjundeå
- Turku – Åbo
- Vaasa – Vasa
Bilingual municipalities with Swedish as majority language
- Ingå – Inkoo
- Kimitoön – Kemiönsaari
- Kristinestad – Kristiinankaupunki
- Kronoby – Kruunupyy
- Liljendal
- Väståboland – Länsi-Turunmaa
- Malax – Maalahti
- Korsholm – Mustasaari
- Oravais – Oravainen
- Pernå – Pernaja
- Jakobstad – Pietarsaari
- Pedersöre – Pedersören kunta
- Raseborg – Raasepori
- Nykarleby – Uusikaarlepyy
- Vörå-Maxmo – Vöyri-Maksamaa
Monolingual Swedish-speaking municipalities
- Brändö
- Eckerö
- Finström
- Föglö
- Geta
- Hammarland
- Jomala
- Korsnäs
- Kumlinge
- Kökar
- Lemland
- Lumparland
- Larsmo – Luoto
- Mariehamn – Maarianhamina
- Närpes – Närpiö
- Saltvik
- Sottunga
- Sund
- Vårdö
Monolingual Finnish-speaking municipalities with an existing official Swedish name
- Artjärvi – Artsjö
- Enontekiö – Enontekis
- Eurajoki – Euraåminne
- Hailuoto – Karlö
- Hamina – Fredrikshamn
- Hyvinkää – Hyvinge
- Hämeenkyrö – Tavastkyro
- Hämeenlinna – Tavastehus
- Iisalmi – Idensalmi
- Ikaalinen – Ikalis
- Ilomantsi – Ilomants
- Inari – Enare
- Isojoki – Storå
- Isokyrö – Storkyro
- Jokioinen – Jockis
- Joroinen – Jorois
- Järvenpää – Träskända
- Kaarina – S:t Karins
- Kajaani – Kajana
- Karijoki – Bötom
- Karjalohja – Karislojo
- Karkkila – Högfors
- Kaustinen – Kaustby
- Kerava – Kervo
- Kokemäki – Kumo
- Kustavi – Gustavs
- Köyliö – Kjulo
- Lahti – Lahtis
- Laihia – Laihela
- Lappeenranta – Villmanstrand
- Lapua – Lappo
- Lieto – Lundo
- Liminka – Limingo
- Merikarvia – Sastmola
- Mikkeli – S:t Michel
- Naantali – Nådendal
- Noormarkku – Norrmark
- Nousiainen – Nousis
- Oulu – Uleåborg
- Paimio – Pemar
- Pirkkala – Birkala
- Pomarkku – Påmark
- Pori – Björneborg
- Pornainen – Borgnäs
- Raahe – Brahestad
- Raisio – Reso
- Rauma – Raumo
- Sauvo – Sagu
- Savonlinna – Nyslott
- Taivassalo – Tövsala
- Tampere – Tammerfors
- Teuva – Östermark
- Tornio – Torneå
- Tuusula – Tusby
- Ulvila – Ulvsby
- Uusikaupunki – Nystad
- Veteli – Vetil
- Vihti – Vichtis
- Virrat – Virdois
- Vähäkyrö – Lillkyro
- Ylitornio – Övertorneå
- Ähtäri – Etseri