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Utö is a small island in the Archipelago Sea in the Baltic sea and belongs to Pargas municipality. It is the southernmost year-round inhabited island in Finland. Utö has an area of 0.81 square kilometres (0.31 square miles) and the population was ca 40 (as of 2005).
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NameEdit
The name of the island, Utö, means "outer island" in Swedish.
DescriptionEdit
The island has a lighthouse, pilot station, a small guest harbour, a shop and a post office. The island is also known from the marine weather observations that began in 1881. Due to the remoteness of the island, the island has its own local school. In former times, the Finnish Defence Forces kept a small station on the island, but left the island in 2005. The island is also known as the first rescue station of the Estonia disaster in September 1994.
ClimateEdit
The annual average temperature at Utö is 6.5 °C (43.7 °F) and annual precipitation 549 mm (21.61 inches) (1981-2010). Average snow-covered period last from 23 January to 15 March. The open sea areas around Utö are covered by ice only approximately every five years.