Salo (IPA: [ˈsɑlo]) is a town and municipality of Finland. It is located in the province of Western Finland and is part of the Finland Proper region. The municipality has a population of 24,878 (2004-12-31) and covers an area of 143.82 km² (excluding sea) of which 0.43 km² is inland water. The population density is 173.50 inhabitants per km². The municipality is unilingually Finnish. Salo has existed as a small town since at least the 16th century, though it was very small and remote (the very name Salo means "uninhabited forest" in Finnish). Although it has long been a center of rural commerce, it wasn't officially incorporated until 1960. Today its main claim to fame is its Nokia cellular phone developing and manufacturing plants. It could be considered as the original home town of Nokia phones.