
Sorry for an absurd post, but at this point I just *need* to understand.
I’m looking at administrative divisions and I cannot quite get it. On [this website](https://www.espoo.fi/fi/espoon-kaupunginosat-ja-osa-alueet#espoon-viralliset-kaupunginosat-41899), I see there are *suuralueet* (e.g. Tapiola), which are divided into *kaupunginosat* (e.g. Otaniemi), which are then divided into osa-alueet (e.g. Keilaniemi). It makes sense, although I don’t get why some kaupunginosat are spread between two suuralueet or some osa-alueet between multiple kaupunginosat.
But then, on [this website](https://www.espoo.fi/en/population#population-structure-and-population-changes-17442) I can download a file called `Tietoisku 2/2023 Espoon väestö osa-alueittain 31.12.2022.pdf`, and in there things are quite different:
* Instead of Tapiola or Leppävaara there are Suur-Tapiola, Suur-Leppävaara etc.
* It seems to be divided into three levels, similar as above (suuralue -> kaupunginosa -> osa-alue), but the details are different. For example:
* Under Suur-Tapiola there is Kanta-Tapiola, that’s completely missing in the first website
* There is Haukilahti-Westend kaupunginosa (?) divided into osa-alueet Haukilahti and Westend osa-alueet, but both Haukilahti and Westend are clearly listed as kaupunginosat in the first website
* Keilaniemi is completely missing in this file
So, how does it work? Which one is correct? 😉 My Finnish is very rusty at this point, so I might be reading something wrong.
And bonus point – are there any widely accepted translations of these terms? Kaupunginosa seems to map more or less to a district to me, while osa-alue could be ward or neighbourhood (?). Suuralue might be maybe what they call a district in Spain.
​
by katafrakt