Oulu
Oulu (Uleåborg in Swedish) is a municipality in the province of Oulu, in Finland.
Founded in 1605 by King Karl IX of Sweden opposite the castle built on the island of Linnansaari, Oulu is situated by the Gulf of Bothnia, at the mouth of Oulu River, which is an ancient trading site. The name Oulu possibly comes from a word in the Sami language meaning floodwater. Oulu has been the capital of Oulu province since 1776.
With its population of 125,970 (Jan 1, 2004), Oulu is the sixth largest city in Finland. The municipality covers an area of 411.1 km² of which 87.7 km² is water. The population density is 380.27 inhabitants per km². Oulu is part of the Pohjois-Pohjanmaa region (Northern Ostrobothnia).
From being a town known for tar and salmon, Oulu has evolved into a major centre of competence in the field of high technology, particularly IT and wellness technology. Other prominent industries are wood refining, paper and steel industry. The University of Oulu is located 6 km north from the city center.
The City of Oulu will be celebrating its 400th anniversary in 2005.
Distances
- Helsinki 550 km
- Jyväskylä 333 km
- Kuopio 284 km
- Rovaniemi 207 km
- Tampere 476 km
- Tornio 131 km
- Turku 620 km
- Vaasa 290 km
See also: Oulu (disambiguation)
External links
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