Kuopio
—  City  —
Kuopion kaupunki
Kuopio viewed from the Puijo Tower
Coat of arms
Coordinates: 62°53′33″N 027°40′42″E / 62.8925°N 27.67833°E / 62.8925; 27.67833Coordinates: 62°53′33″N 027°40′42″E / 62.8925°N 27.67833°E / 62.8925; 27.67833
Country	Finland
Region	Northern Savonia
Sub-region	Kuopio sub-region
Settled	1653
Charter	1775
Government
• City manager	Petteri Paronen
Area(2011-01-01)[1]
• Total	2,317.24 km2 (894.69 sq mi)
• Land	1,597.39 km2 (616.76 sq mi)
• Water	719.85 km2 (277.94 sq mi)
Area rank	32nd largest in Finland
Population (2012-01-31)[2]
• Total	97,552
• Rank	9th largest in Finland
• Density	61.07/km2 (158.2/sq mi)
Population by native language[3]
• Finnish	97.8% (official)
• Swedish	0.1%
• Others	2.1%
Population by age[4]
• 0 to 14	15.6%
• 15 to 64	68.9%
• 65 or older	15.4%
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Postal code	FI-70100
Municipal tax rate[5]	19.5%
Website	www.kuopio.fi

Kuopio is a city and a municipality located in the region of Northern Savonia, Finland. A population of 97,552^[2] makes it the ninth biggest city in the country. The city has a total area of 2,317.24 square kilometres (894.69 sq mi), of which 719.85 km² (277.94 sq mi) is water^[1] and half forest. The population density is only 61 /km² (160 /sq mi), but the city's urban areas are populated very densely (urban area: 1 617.6 /km²^[6]), nationally second only to capital Helsinki (urban area: 1,690.0/km²^[6]).^[7] The population of the entire Kuopio region is 119,472.^[8]

Name[link]

There are several explanations behind the name Kuopio. The first is that in the 16th century, a certain influential person named Kauhanen in Tavinsalmi changed his name to Skopa and the people's pronunciation was Coopia and finally Cuopio. The second explanation is that it comes from the verb kuopia, meaning when, for example, a horse paws the ground with its hoof. A third theory is that it came from a certain Karelian man's name Prokopij, from Ruokolahti in the Middle Ages.^[9] This is the most probable explanation, supported by the Research Institute for the Languages of Finland.

History[link]

This section requires expansion.

Kuopio was founded in 1653 by Governor Peter Brahe, but the official date is recognized as November 17, 1775, when King Gustav III of Sweden ordered the establishment of the city of Kuopio. The municipality of Karttula joined the city of Kuopio in 2011,^[10] like did Vehmersalmi in 2005, Riistavesi in 1973 and Kuopion maalaiskunta in 1969.

Kuopio is almost completely surrounded by lake Kallavesi.

Geography[link]

The city is surrounded by lake Kallavesi, and several parts of it are built on islands. Kuopio's ample waterfronts and islands are also utilized in the Saaristokaupunki (lit. Archipelago city) -project, the biggest residential area currently being built in Finland.^[11] Saaristokaupunki will accommodate a total of 14,000 inhabitants in 2015. All houses will be situated no more than 500 metres (1,600 ft) from the nearest lakeshore.^[12]

Transport[link]

The city has a nationally unique feature in its street network, where every second street is practically a pedestrian and cycle street,^[13] so called "rännikatu" (lit. rain gutter street). These streets provide pedestrians a calm environment aside from the main street traffic.^[14] This setup dates back all the way to 1776 and the first town plan by Pehr Kjellman. Originally rännikatu, gränd (in Swedish) were created as a fire barrier to prevent a possible fire escalating in a city mostly built with wood.^[15]

Transport connections to Kuopio include Pendolino trains and air service from Kuopio Airport with Finnair, Blue1 and Finncomm (domestic, to Helsinki-Vantaa

Education and business[link]

Kuopio City Hall (built 1882–1886) on a fair day.

Puijo tower, built in 1963 (3rd; 2nd from 1906 was demolished when this was completed; 1st was built in 1856)

Kuopio has always been a city of education. Some of the first schools offering education in Finnish (such as the School for the Blind in 1871, and the Trade School in 1887) were established in Kuopio. Currently the most important institutions are the University of Eastern Finland, the Savonia University of Applied Sciences, Vocational College of Northern Savonia and the Kuopio department of the Sibelius Academy.

Kuopio is known as a strong center of health (e.g. it has the biggest yearly enrollment rate of medical students in Finland), pharmacy, environment, food & nutrition (all legalized Clinical and Public Health Nutritionists in Finland graduate from the University of Eastern Finland), safety (education in Emergency Services is centered in Kuopio^[18]) and welfare professions, as the major organisations University of Kuopio, Savonia University of Applied Sciences and Technopolis Kuopio are particularly oriented to those areas.

Technology centre Technopolis Kuopio is situated in Kuopio Science Park.

There are about 4,200 enterprises in Kuopio,^[19] of which approximately 180 are export companies.^[20] These provide about 45,000 jobs.^[20]

People and culture[link]

Kuopio is known as the cultural center of Eastern Finland. A wide range of musical (from kindergarten to doctorate-level studies) and dance education is available and the cultural life is active. Notable events include ANTI – Contemporary Art Festival, Kuopio Dance Festival, Kuopio Rockcock, Kuopio Wine Festival and Finland Ice Marathon. A notable place, however, to enjoy the local flavor of Kuopio life and food is Sampo, a fish restaurant loved by locals and tourists as well.

Kuopio is known for its association with a national delicacy, Finnish fish pastry (Kalakukko), and the dialect of Savo, as well as the hill of Puijo and the Puijo tower. Besides being a very popular outdoor recreation area, Puijo serves also as a stage for a yearly World Cup ski jumping competition.

In Finland the inhabitants of Kuopio have a special reputation: they are known as jovial and verbally joking.^{[citation needed]} Within the Savo culture, the onus is placed on the listener to interpret the story. People of Kuopio region and Eastern Finland have always had many health problems and the mortality has been higher than on an average in Finland. Because of this, Eastern Finland has been a sweetspot for Public Health studies. The North Karelia Project by the University of Kuopio in coordination with the National Public Health Institute and the World Health Organization, beginning in the 1970s was one of its first steps towards world class research.

During the 2000s (decade), Kuopio has placed very well in a number image, popularity and city-attractiveness surveys. In 2007 it was placed third, behind Tampere and Oulu.

Religion[link]

The largest church of Finland, Evangelical Lutheran Church has a diocese in Kuopio, which is shepherded by bishop Jari Jolkkonen^[21].

Kuopio is home of the Finnish Orthodox Church where its primate, archbishop of Karelia and all Finland Leo (Makkonen) is seated. This is an autonomous cell within the autocephalous jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. It is the only mainstream Orthodox faction to celebrate Easter on the Latin date. The late Archbishop Paul had been successful in producing literature of popular theology.

The town is also home to the first Burmese Buddhist monastery in Finland, named the Buddha Dhamma Ramsi monastery.^[22]

Climate[link]

Notable persons[link]

The Fighting Capercaillies by Ferdinand von Wright in 1886 is one of Finland's best known paintings.

Sports in Kuopio[link]

Kuopio bid for the 2012 Winter Youth Olympics, a youth sports festival in the tradition of the Olympics. It became a finalist in November 2008, but ultimately lost to Innsbruck, Austria. Kuopio's image as a small city with a large University and many active young people was considered a model of what the International Olympic Committee seeks for the Games.^[24]

• KalPa (ice hockey)
• KuPS (football)
• Kuopion Taitoluistelijat (Figure Skating)
• Puijon Hiihtoseura (skiing, ski jumping, nordic combined, biathlon)
• Puijon Pesis (pesäpallo)
• Kuopion Reippaan voimistelijat (gymnastics)
• Finland Ice Marathon (ice skating event)
• Kuopio Steelers (american football)

International relations[link]

Twin towns — Sister cities[link]

Kuopio is twinned with:

References[link]

Notes

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Kuopio

• City of Kuopio – Official website (Finnish) (Swedish) (English) (German)
• KuopioInfo – Various resources about different areas of interest related to Kuopio History and Life (Finnish) (English) (German) (Russian) (Chinese)
• 360° panorama of Kuopio Marketplace
• Savonia University of Applied Sciences (English)
• University of Eastern Finland (English)
• Technopolis Kuopio (Finnish) (English) (Russian)
• Invest in Kuopio -factsheet (English)
• Satellite picture by Google Maps

v t e Municipalities of Northern Savonia Municipalities Iisalmi Juankoski Kaavi Keitele Kiuruvesi Kuopio Lapinlahti Leppävirta Maaninka Nilsiä Pielavesi Rautalampi Rautavaara Siilinjärvi Sonkajärvi Suonenjoki Tervo Tuusniemi Varkaus Vesanto Vieremä Former municipalities Iisalmen maalaiskunta Karttula Kuopion maalaiskunta Muuruvesi Riistavesi Säyneinen Varpaisjärvi Vehmersalmi Northern Savonia Finland

v t e 50 most populous urban areas in the Nordic countries  Denmark  Finland  Iceland  Norway  Sweden 1.  Stockholm 1,372,565 2.  Copenhagen 1,199,224 3.  Helsinki 1,061,798 4.  Oslo 907,288 5.  Gothenburg 549,839 6.  Malmö 280,415 7.  Turku 253,332 8.  Aarhus 252,107 9.  Bergen 234,800 10.  Stavanger 221,616 11.  Tampere 215,337 12.  Reykjavik 195,000 13.  Odense 167,615 14.  Trondheim 160,072 15.  Oulu 144,114 16.  Uppsala 140,454 17.  Jyväskylä 132,115 18.  Fredrikstad 126,971 19.  Aalborg 124,921 20.  Västerås 110,877 21.  Örebro 107,038 22.  Linköping 104,232 23.  Lahti 102,383 24.  Drammen 100,023 25.  Kuopio 97,610 26.  Helsingborg 97,122 27.  Jönköping 89,396 28.  Kouvola 87,548 29.  Norrköping 87,247 30.  Skien 86,923 31.  Pori 83,156 32.  Lund 82,800 33.  Umeå 79,594 34.  Joensuu 73,807 35.  Lappeenranta 72,156 36.  Esbjerg 71,576 37.  Gävle 71,033 38.  Kristiansand 67,547 39.  Hämeenlinna 67,293 40.  Tromsø 66,669 41.  Borås 66,273 42.  Eskilstuna 64,679 43.  Södertälje 64,619 44.  Karlstad 61,685 45.  Täby 61,272 46.  Rovaniemi 60,699 47.  Randers 60,656 48.  Vaasa 60,491 49.  Seinäjoki 58,836 50.  Halmstad 58,577

For Real was an American R&B and soul quartet, that formed in 1993.^[1] In the latter part of that decade they were nominated for a Grammy, Billboard Music Award, and Soul Train Music Award.

Biography[link]

For Real secured their recording contract by accident. "We were picking up our manager from the airport. So we decided to greet him with an acappella song. Someone from A&M Records just happened to be in the airport and heard them perform. Not long after, they were signed," said Latanyia Baldwin.^[2]

The band released their debut album, It's a Natural Thang, with production from Brian McKnight on A&M Records in 1994, and it became a critical success, including a rare four stars from Rolling Stone magazine.^[3] Their first single, "You Don't Wanna Miss" hit #28 on the Billboard chart, courtesy of a danceable new jack swing remix by Steve "Silk" Hurley, which was featured in the song's video. A second single, "Easy to Love", peaked at #65 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The album scored another chart hit with the a cappella love song, "You Don't Know Nothin'", which was written and produced by Mervyn Warren, and which peaked at #27. The song peaked at #54 in the UK Singles Chart in July 1995.^[4] The album sold over one million copies worldwide, and peaked at #80 on the Billboard 200.

In 1995, the band appeared in Italian Vogue, modeling men's suits. They toured alongside Stevie Wonder,^[5] and lent their voices to the Martin Scorsese film project Grace of My Heart. The foursome also forayed into acting with appearances in the film Shake, Rattle and Rock! starring Renée Zellweger and Howie Mandel^[6] on Showtime.

They also hit the US Top 20 with the single "Freedom (Theme from Panther)" featuring Aaliyah, TLC, En Vogue, BlackGirl, SWV, and Vanessa Williams from the film Panther. They also recorded a duet with Stevie Wonder called "Stubborn Kind of Fellow", which appeared on the Marvin Gaye tribute album, Inner City Blues: The Music of Marvin Gaye.^[7] For Real also recorded songs for the soundtracks of the films Waiting to Exhale and Fled.

After a label change from A&M to Dallas Austin's Arista imprint Rowdy Records in 1996, For Real struck again with the Austin-produced, 60s-leaning single "Like I Do", from their second album Free. "Like I Do" hit #10 on the Billboard singles chart. The video also earned a Billboard nomination for Best R&B Clip; the album made the Top 100, and sold nearly 400,000 copies in the US. The album's next and last single was the Diane Warren-penned pop ballad "The Saddest Song I Ever Heard" which hit #65 on the Top 100 singles chart. The band performed "Saddest Song" on the TV series All That. Free included production from top R&B/pop producers like Babyface, Mario Winans, and Jon B..

The band also recorded three songs ("I Do", "Born to Love That Boy" and "Unwanted Number") and appeared in the critically acclaimed film Grace of My Heart. The film's soundstrack won a Satellite Award in 1997.^[9][10]

In January 1997, the band won an American Music Award for their work on the Waiting to Exhale soundtrack, in Summer 1997, the group earned a Soul Train Award nomination for Album of the Year (By a Group, Band or Duo) for Free.

In 1999, Wendi Williams lent her voice to the Emmy-winning film Introducing Dorothy Dandridge with Halle Berry, in which Berry plays a singer but Williams is behind her singing voice.^[11]

In 2002, their song "Love Will Be Waiting at Home" appeared in the film Two Can Play That Game, which starred Vivica A. Fox and Morris Chestnut.

In 2009, CoryLavel began to work with Josina Elder on her new album.

Discography[link]

• It's a Natural Thang (1994)
• Free (1996)

Awards and nominations[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• SingingFool.com Streaming music videos for "Like I Do" and "The Saddest Song I Ever Heard"
• Allmusic^{[dead link]} Discography, biographies, and pictures
• IUMA Group photos, lyrics, message board, audio streams, and biography
• Google Album info, photos, and lyrics

Medal record
Olli Muotka
Men's ski flying
World Championships
Bronze	2010 Planica	Team

Olli Muotka (born 14 July 1988 in Rovaniemi) is a Finnish ski jumper and former Nordic combined athlete.

Before 2007 Muotka competed mainly in Nordic combined, in the Junior World Ski Championships and World Cup B competitions.^[1]

Since 2007 Muotka started to concentrate on ski jumping. In 2007 Junior World Ski Championships he finished eighth in the normal hill and won a bronze medal in the team competition. He made his Continental Cup debut in December 2007, his best result being a twelfth place from Zakopane in February 2008. He made his World Cup debut in January 2010 in Sapporo, collecting his first World Cup points with a fourteenth place.^[2]

Muotka earned a bronze in the team event at the FIS Ski-Flying World Championships 2010 in Planica.

References[link]

This biographical article relating to Nordic skiing is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

This biographical article relating to Finnish ski jumping is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e