Vaasa

Vaasa (Finnish: [ˈvɑːsɑ]; Swedish: Vasa, Finland Swedish: [ˈvɑːsːɑ] ), formerly (1855–1917) known as Nikolaistad (Finnish: Nikolainkaupunki; lit. 'city of Nicholas'), is a city in Finland and the regional capital of Ostrobothnia, located on the west coast of the country, on the Gulf of Bothnia. Vaasa city has approximately 71,000 inhabitants, while the Vaasa sub-region has a population of approximately 112,000. It is the 14th-most populous municipality in Finland, and the tenth-most populous urban area in the country. The settlement developed from 1606 near Korsholm; King Charles IX of Sweden granted Vaasa its municipal charter in 1611, naming the town after the Swedish royal House of Vasa.