- published: 27 Apr 2012
- views: 38362
- author: CityofOulu
Vimeo results:
Youtube results:
add
Loading...
Open Collage in a new Window
Email the Collage
- Loading...
Loading suggestions ...
- 1980 Mestaruussarja
- Aalborg
- Aarhus
- AC Oulu
- Air guitar
- Alavieska
- Alta, Norway
- Alvar Aalto
- Arkhangelsk
- Association football
- Bandy
- Bandyliiga
- Bergen
- Black metal
- Boden Municipality
- Borås
- Bothnian Bay
- Bursa, Turkey
- Carl Ludvig Engel
- Charles IX of Sweden
- Charter
- City and town halls
- City manager
- Commons Oulu
- Copenhagen
- Daylight saving time
- Demographics
- Denmark
- Drammen
- Esbjerg
- Eskilstuna
- European route E75
- European route E8
- Finland
- Finland Swedish
- Finnish language
- Floodwater
- Flying saucer
- Fredrikstad
- Germany
- Gothenburg
- Gulf of Bothnia
- Gävle
- Haapajärvi
- Haapavesi
- Hailuoto
- Halle, Saxony-Anhalt
- Halmstad
- Harbour
- Hard rock
- Haukipudas
- Helsingborg
- Helsinki
- Highways in Finland
- Hungary
- Hämeenlinna
- Ice hockey
- Iceland
- Ii, Finland
- Impaled Nazarene
- Itella
- Japan
- Joensuu
- Jokerit
- Joni Pitkänen
- Jyväskylä
- Jönköping
- Kajaani
- Kalajoki
- Kalmah
- Karlstad
- Kauko Röyhkä
- Kemi
- Kempele
- Kesko
- Kestilä
- Kiiminki
- Kolari
- Kouvola
- Kristiansand
- Kuivaniemi
- Kuopio
- Kuusamo
- Kyösti Kallio
- Kärpät
- Kärsämäki
- Lahti
- Languages of Finland
- Lappeenranta
- Leevi Madetoja
- Leverkusen
- Liminka
- Linköping
- Loanword
- Lumijoki
- Lund
- Malmö
- Mannerheim Park
- Market Square, Oulu
- Martti Ahtisaari
- Matti Hautamäki
- Matti Pennanen
- Merijärvi
- Mestaruussarja
- Mieskuoro Huutajat
- Miika Tenkula
- Mika Nurmela
- Mikael Granlund
- Muhos
- Musixine
- Nivala
- Nokia
- Nordic countries
- Norrköping
- Norway
- Odense
- Odessa
- Oslo
- Oulainen
- Oulu
- Oulu Airport
- Oulu Cathedral
- Oulu railway station
- Oulujoki
- Oulujärvi
- Oulun Luistinseura
- Oulun Palloseura
- Oulunsalo
- Paavola
- Pattijoki
- Pekka Rinne
- Piippola
- Pori
- Port of Oulu
- Province of Oulu
- Pudasjärvi
- Pulkkila
- Pyhäjoki
- Pyhäjärvi
- Pyhäntä
- Qstock
- Raahe
- Randers
- Rantsila
- Rautio
- Regions of Finland
- Reijo Ruotsalainen
- Reisjärvi
- Revonlahti
- Reykjavik
- Rotuaari
- Rovaniemi
- Russia
- Ruukki
- S Group
- Salmon
- Saloinen
- Sami languages
- Screaming Men
- Seinäjoki
- Sendai
- Sentenced
- Sentenced (band)
- Sievi
- Siikajoki
- Siikalatva
- Siófok
- Skien
- SM-liiga
- Southern Saami
- Stavanger
- Stockholm
- Stora Enso
- Subarctic climate
- Sweden
- Swedish language
- Södertälje
- Taivalkoski
- Tampere
- Tar
- Temmes
- Time zone
- Town twinning
- Tromsø
- Trondheim
- Turkansaari
- Turkey
- Turku
- Tyrnävä
- Täby
- Ukraine
- Umeå
- University of Oulu
- Uppsala
- Uralic languages
- Utajärvi
- UTC+2
- UTC+3
- Utsjoki
- Vaasa
- Vihanti
- VR Group
- Västerås
- Wikimedia Commons
- Wikitravel
- Ykkönen
- Yli-Ii
- Ylikiiminki
- Ylivieska
- Örebro
-
Aalborg
Aalborg (or Ålborg) (Danish pronunciation: [ˈʌlb̥ɒːˀ] (
listen)) is a Danish industrial and university city in North Jutland. The city of Aalborg has a population of 104,885 (126,556 including Nørresundby) making it the fourth largest city in Denmark in terms of population. The municipality of Aalborg has a population of 201,142 (2012) making it the third most populous municipality in the country after Copenhagen and Århus. The earliest settlements date back to around AD 700. Aalborg's location by the Limfjord made it an important harbour during the Middle Ages, and an industrial centre later. Today, the city is in transition from a working-class industrial city to a knowledge-based one.
Aalborg traces its history back over 1000 years. It was originally settled as a trading post because of its position on the Limfjord. The sites of what were two settlements and a visible burial ground can be seen on Lindholm Høje, a hill overlooking the city. The sizes of these settlements emphasise the significance of this place as a crossroads. The first mention of Aalborg under its original name Alabu, is found on a coin dated to 1040. An alternative spelling is Alebu and an approximate translation of the name is The (dwelling) place by the stream.
wn.com/Aalborg -
Aarhus
Aarhus (Danish pronunciation: [ˈɒːhuːˀs] ( listen)) is the second-largest city in Denmark. The principal port of Denmark, Aarhus is on the east side of the peninsula of Jutland in the geographical center of Denmark. Aarhus is the seat of the council of Aarhus municipality with 315,193 inhabitants and 252,213 (1 January 2012) in the inner urban area. According to Aarhus municipality, the "Greater Aarhus" area has a population of about 1.2 million people. The city claims the unofficial title "Capital of Jutland".
Aarhus is the main and biggest city in the East Jutland metropolitan area (Danish: Byregion Østjylland), which is a co-operation in eastern Jutland with 17 municipalities. With more than 1.2 million people living in the East Jutland metropolitan area it represents approximately 23% of the population of Denmark. Aarhus has the second-largest urban area in Denmark after Copenhagen.
The city was mentioned for the first time by Adam of Bremen who stated that "Reginbrand, bishop of the church of Aarhus (Harusa)" participated in a church meeting in the city of Ingelheim in Germany.
wn.com/Aarhus -
Alavieska
Alavieska is a municipality of Finland.
It is located in the province of Oulu and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The municipality has a population of 2,752 (31 January 2012) and covers an area of 253.03 square kilometres (97.70 sq mi) of which 1.66 km2 (0.64 sq mi) is water. The population density is 10.95 inhabitants per square kilometre (28.4 /sq mi). Mayor of Alavieska is Tapani Vierimaa.
The municipality is unilingually Finnish.
Media related to Alavieska at Wikimedia Commons
wn.com/Alavieska -
Arkhangelsk
Arkhangelsk (Russian: Архангельск; IPA: [ɐrˈxanɡʲɪlʲsk]), formerly known in English as Archangel, is a city and the administrative center of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. It lies on both banks of the Northern Dvina River near its exit into the White Sea in the north of European Russia. The city spreads for over 40 kilometers (25 mi) along the banks of the river and numerous islands of its delta. Arkhangelsk was the chief seaport of medieval Russia, until 1703. It is served by the Talagi Airport and a smaller Vaskovo Airport. The city is located at the northern end of a 1,133-kilometer (704 mi) long railroad, connecting it to Moscow via Vologda and Yaroslavl. Population: 348,716 (2010 Census preliminary results); 356,051 (2002 Census); 415,921 (1989 Census).
The area where Arkhangelsk is situated was known to the Vikings as Bjarmaland. Ohthere of Hålogaland told from his travels circa 800 of an area by a river and the White Sea with many buildings. This was probably the place later known as Arkhangelsk. According to Snorri Sturluson, there was a Viking raid on this area in 1027, led by Thorir Hund.
wn.com/Arkhangelsk -
Bergen
Bergen (Norwegian pronunciation: [ˈbærɡən] (listen)) is a city and municipality in Hordaland on the west coast of Norway. As of 26 June 2012, the municipality had a population of 265,800 and Greater Bergen had a population of 391,000, making Bergen the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and area of 465 square kilometers (180 sq mi) and is located on the peninsula of Bergenshalvøyen. The city center and northern neighborhoods are located on Byfjorden and the city is built around the Seven Mountains. Many of the extra-municipal suburbs are located on islands. Bergen is the administrative center of Hordaland and consists of eight boroughs—Arna, Årstad, Åsane, Bergenhus, Fana, Fyllingsdalen, Laksevåg and Ytrebygda.
Trading in Bergen may have started as early as the 1020s, but the city was not incorporated until 1070. It served as Norway's capital from 1217 to 1299, and from the end of the 13th century became a bureau city of the Hanseatic League. Until 1789, Bergen enjoyed exclusive rights to mediate trade between Northern Norway and abroad. The remains of the quays, Bryggen, is a World Heritage Site. The city was hit by numerous fires. The Norwegian School of Economics was founded in 1936 and the University of Bergen in 1946. From 1831 to 1972, Bergen was its own county, after which Bergen amalgamated with the surrounding municipalities.
wn.com/Bergen -
Boden Municipality
Boden Municipality (Swedish: Bodens kommun) is a municipality in Norrbotten County in northern Sweden. Its seat is located in Boden.
In 1919 the evolving garrison town of Boden was detached from Överluleå and instituted as a city municipality of its own. In 1967 the rest of Överluleå was merged into the city together with a part of Råneå. In 1971 Edefors (which in 1892 also had been detached from Överluleå) was added and the present municipality was formed.
According to recent finds, the oldest human settlements are believed to be from around 5,000 BC. From this early time nothing is known (except some scarce finds). First accounted-for sources are from the 16th century, when Boden is referred to as Bodebyn or Bodarna, which may refer to the sheds (bod means "shed"). In 1543 there were seven farmers in the community (each farmer at that time might have several workers and a family). It was also mentioned that native Sami people were living in the proximity.
The closest larger city is Luleå, which is located some 35 kilometres southeast on the coast of the Gulf of Bothnia. Luleå is the largest city in Norrbotten County and hosts the main campus of Luleå University of Technology.
wn.com/Boden_Municipality -
Borås
Borås (Swedish pronunciation: [bʊˈroːs]) is a locality and the seat of Borås Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden. It had 66,273 inhabitants in 2010.
Borås is located at the point of two crossing railways, among them the railway between Gothenburg and Kalmar, and is often considered[citation needed] the Swedish city gaining the most from the nationwide railway system laid between 1870-1910.
The city of Borås received its privileges in 1621 by King Gustav II Adolf. The reason was to give local pedlars a legal place for vending their merchandise. The city developed soon after it was founded. After a century it had increased to over 2,000 inhabitants.
Borås has been ravaged by fires four times: in 1681, 1727, 1822 and 1827. The Caroli church is the oldest of Borås's buildings, and has withstood all fires.
The city arms depicts two sheep-shearing scissors, a tribute to the vast number of smiths in the town in early history. It currently holds the Swedish record in the number of established mail-order firms.
wn.com/Borås -
Bothnian Bay
The Bothnian Bay or Bay of Bothnia (Swedish: Bottenviken, Finnish: Perämeri) is the northernmost part of the Gulf of Bothnia, the northern part of the Baltic Sea. Its northernmost point is situated in Töre. The bay is bounded by Finland to the east, Sweden to the west, and the Kvarken sound to the south.
Major ports on the Finnish side are the ports in Oulu, Kemi and Raahe.
The maximum depth of the bay is 482 feet (147 m).
The bay has the highest rate of rising of land by post-glacial rebound in the Baltic Sea with an estimated 9 mms a year, this being the area in Northern Europe where the glacier was at its thickest. Today the Bothnian Bay lies around 300 meters higher than it did at the end of the Ice age. Ancient coastlines can be seen at much higher sites than today's sealevel.
Coordinates: 65°0′N 23°0′E / 65°N 23°E / 65; 23
wn.com/Bothnian_Bay -
Copenhagen
Copenhagen (
/ˈkoʊpənheɪɡən/ or /ˈkoʊpənhɑːɡən/; Danish: København pronounced [kʰøb̥m̩ˈhɑʊ̯ˀn] ( listen), Latin: Hafnia) is the capital of Denmark and its most populous city, with an urban population of 1,213,822 (as of 1 January 2012 (2012 -01-01)[update]) and a metropolitan population of 1,935,746 (as of 1 April 2012 (2012 -04-01)[update]). With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region. Within this region, Copenhagen and the Swedish city of Malmö are growing into a combined metropolitan area. Copenhagen is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager.
First documented in the 11th century, Copenhagen became the capital of Denmark in the beginning of the 15th century. During the 17th century, under the reign of Christian IV, it became a significant regional centre.
Copenhagen is a major regional centre of culture, business, media, and science, as indicated by several international surveys and rankings (see International rankings below). Life science, information technology and shipping are important sectors, and research & development plays a major role in the city's economy. Its strategic location and excellent infrastructure, with the largest airport in Scandinavia,Kastrup, located 14 minutes by train from the city centre, have made it a regional hub and a popular location for regional headquarters and conventions.
wn.com/Copenhagen -
Denmark
The Kingdom of Denmark (Danish: Kongeriget Danmark, pronounced [ˈkɔŋəʁiːəð ˈdanmɑɡ̊] ( listen)) is a constitutional monarchy and sovereign state consisting the country of Denmark in northern Europe and two autonomous constituent countries, the Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic and Greenland in North America. The kingdom is a unitary state with some power being devolved from Denmark proper to Greenland and the Faroe Islands; this polity is referred to as the Danish Realm. Denmark proper is the hegemonial area, where judicial, executive, and legislative power resides. The Faroe Islands are defined to be a community of people within the kingdom, and the Greenlandic people are defined as a separate people with the right to self-determination.
Denmark is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, located southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. The country consists of a large peninsula, Jutland and many islands, most notably Zealand, Funen, Lolland, Falster and Bornholm, as well as hundreds of minor islands often referred to as the Danish Archipelago.
wn.com/Denmark -
Drammen
Drammen is an industrial city in Buskerud County, Norway. The port and river city of Drammen is centrally located in the eastern and most populated part of Norway.
There are more than 63 000 inhabitants in the municipality, but the city is the regional capital of an area with more than 150,000 inhabitants. Drammen and the surrounding communities are growing more than ever before. The city makes good use of the river and inland waterway called Drammensfjord, both for recreation, activities and housing. No city in the country has received as many awards for environmental and urban development as Drammen: 6 national and 2 international prizes since 2003.
The Old Norse form of the city's name was Drafn, and this was originally the name of the inner part of Drammensfjord. The fjord is, however, probably named after the river Drammenselva (Norse Drǫfn), and this again is derived from drǫfn f 'wave'. The coat-of-arms is from modern times. They were granted on 17 November 1960. The arms are blue with a gray/silver column on top of a foundation of rocks. A key and a sword are crossed in the middle forming an x. It is based upon the old seal dating from 1723 for Bragernes, one of the central parts of Drammen. The motto for Bragernes (in Latin) was In Fide Et Justitia Fortitudo (English: in faith and justice is strength), and the items in the seal are referring to this: key = faith, sword = justice, column on rocks = strength.
wn.com/Drammen -
Esbjerg
Esbjerg (Danish pronunciation: [ˈɛs.bjɛʁʔ], English: /ˈɛsbjərɡ/) is a seaport on the west coast of the Jutland peninsula in southwest Denmark, the main town of Esbjerg Municipality, the site of its municipal council and with a population of 71,579 (1 January 2012) the fifth largest city in Denmark, and the largest in west Jutland. Its municipality has a population of 115,112.
The city is situated on the southwestern coast of Denmark, and is a seaport of the North Sea.
The city of Esbjerg was established in 1868 as a replacement for the harbour in Altona, which had previously been Denmark's most important North Sea harbour. In 1874 Esbjerg was connected by rail to Fredericia and Varde.
The city has been voted "City of the Year" twice. The first time was in 1997 where the city was awarded the title because of the corporate work between public and private companies. In 2006 the city was again awarded "City of the Year". The second award was given due to the work and support of young talents. The talents in sport, artwork and music have been given good support and given the best facilities to develop their talent even further. The city holds an annual music festival spanning two weekends (nine days) during mid-August and is focused around the central Torvet Square which hosts the main stage. The festival celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2006.
wn.com/Esbjerg -
Eskilstuna
Eskilstuna (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈɛskilsˈtʉːna]) is a city and the seat of Eskilstuna Municipality, Södermanland County, Sweden with 97 692 inhabitants in 2012. Eskilstuna has a large Sweden Finn population. The town is located on the River Eskilstunaån, which connects Lake Hjälmaren and Lake Mälaren.
Eskilstuna's history dates back to medieval times when English monk Saint Eskil made "Tuna" his base and diocese of the South coast of Lake Mälaren. Saint Eskil was stoned to death by the pagan vikings of neighbouring town Strängnäs, 30 km east of Eskilstuna, trying to convert them to Christianity. Saint Eskil was buried in his monastery church in Tuna. Later the pagan city of Strängnäs was Christianised and was given the privilege of becoming diocese of South Lake Mälaren. Later "Eskil" was added in to the word "Tuna". However, the town of Eskilstuna did not receive municipal privileges due to its proximity to the medieval city of Torshälla. The monastery of Saint Eskil was completely destroyed by Swedish king Gustav Vasa during the Protestant Reformation and was replaced with the royal castle of Eskilstuna House. The city's first city privileges were granted in 1659, and its boundaries included Tunafors and the newly founded town of Karl Gustavs Stad ("City of Karl Gustav"), located on the west side of the river. Karl Gustavs Stad was built around the iron forges of master smith Reinhold Rademacher, encouraged by King Karl X Gustav. The first products of the forges were small arms and artillery.
wn.com/Eskilstuna -
Finland
Coordinates: 65°N 27°E / 65°N 027°E / 65; 027
Finland
i/ˈfɪnlənd/ ( Finnish: Suomi; Swedish: Finland (help·info)), officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.
Around 5.4 million people reside in Finland, with the majority concentrated in the southern region. It is the eighth largest country in Europe in terms of area and the most sparsely populated country in the European Union. Finland is a parliamentary republic with a central government based in Helsinki and local governments in 336 municipalities, and an autonomous region of the Åland Islands. About one million residents live in the Greater Helsinki area, which consists of Helsinki, Espoo, Kauniainen and Vantaa, and a third of the country's GDP is produced there. Other larger cities include Tampere, Turku, Oulu, Jyväskylä, Lahti and Kuopio.
wn.com/Finland -
Fredrikstad
Fredrikstad (help·info) (previously Frederiksstad) (literally Fredrik's Town) is a city and municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Fredrikstad.
The city of Fredrikstad was founded in 1567 by King Frederick II, and established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). The rural municipality of Glemmen was merged with Fredrikstad on 1 January 1964. The rural municipalities of Borge, Onsøy, Kråkerøy, and Rolvsøy were merged with Fredrikstad on 1 January 1994.
The city straddles the river Glomma where it meets the Skagerrak. Along with neighboring Sarpsborg, Fredrikstad forms the fifth largest city in Norway: Fredrikstad/Sarpsborg. As of 1 January 2008, according to Statistics Norway, these two municipalities have a total population of 123,029 with 71,976 in Fredrikstad and 51,053 in Sarpsborg.
Fredrikstad was built at the mouth of Glomma as a replacement after Sarpsborg (15 km upstream) was burned down by the Swedes. Almost half the population of Sarpsborg stayed behind, and rebuilt their old town at its original site.
wn.com/Fredrikstad -
Germany
Germany (i/ˈdʒɜrməni/), officially the Federal Republic of Germany (German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland, pronounced [ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant] ( listen)), is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate. With 81.8 million inhabitants, it is the most populous member state and the largest economy in the European Union. It is one of the major political powers of the European continent and a technological leader in many fields.
A region named Germania, inhabited by several Germanic peoples, was documented before AD 100. During the Migration Period, the Germanic tribes expanded southward, and established successor kingdoms throughout much of Europe. Beginning in the 10th century, German territories formed a central part of the Holy Roman Empire. During the 16th century, northern German regions became the centre of the Protestant Reformation while southern and western parts remained dominated by Roman Catholic denominations, with the two factions clashing in the Thirty Years' War, marking the beginning of the Catholic–Protestant divide that has characterized German society ever since. Occupied during the Napoleonic Wars, the rise of Pan-Germanism inside the German Confederation resulted in the unification of most of the German states into the German Empire in 1871 which was Prussian dominated. After the German Revolution of 1918–1919 and the subsequent military surrender in World War I, the Empire was replaced by the Weimar Republic in 1918, and partitioned in the Treaty of Versailles. Amidst the Great Depression, the Third Reich was proclaimed in 1933. The latter period was marked by Fascism and World War II. After 1945, Germany was divided by allied occupation, and evolved into two states, East Germany and West Germany. In 1990 Germany was reunified.
wn.com/Germany -
Gothenburg
Gothenburg (Swedish: Göteborg; pronounced [jœtəˈbɔrj] ( listen)) is the second largest city in Sweden by population and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 520,374, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 938,580 inhabitants in the metropolitan area. Gothenburg is classified as a global city by GaWC, with a ranking of Gamma−.
The City of Gothenburg was founded in 1621 by King Gustavus Adolphus. It lies by the sea at the mouth of Göta Älv—the river running through the city—and is the largest seaport in the Nordic countries.
Gothenburg is home to many students, as the city includes both the University of Gothenburg and Chalmers University of Technology. Volvo was founded in Gothenburg in 1927. The city is a major centre in Sweden for sports and home to the IFK Göteborg, BK Häcken, GAIS and Örgryte IS association football teams as well as the Frölunda HC ice hockey team.
Gothenburg is served by Gothenburg-Landvetter Airport, located 30 km (18.64 mi) southeast of the city centre. It is the second largest airport in Sweden. The city is also served by Gothenburg City Airport, located 15 km (9.32 mi) from the city centre.
wn.com/Gothenburg -
Gulf of Bothnia
The Gulf of Bothnia (Finnish: Pohjanlahti; Swedish: Bottniska viken, i.e. Bottenviken + Bottenhavet) is the northernmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It is situated between Finland's west coast and Sweden's east coast. In the south of the gulf lie the Åland Islands, between the Sea of Åland and the Archipelago Sea.
Bothnia is a Latinization. "Botten" in the Swedish name "Bottenviken" originally meant "gulf" or "bay" ; hence "Bottenviken" means "the Gulf-gulf".
The name botn was applied to the Gulf of Bothnia as Helsingjabotn in Old Norse, after Hälsingland, which at the time referred to the coastland west of the gulf. Later, botten was applied to the regions Västerbotten on the western side and Österbotten the eastern side ("East Bottom" and "West Bottom"). The Finnish name of Österbotten, Pohjanmaa, or "Pohja"-land, gives a hint as to the meaning in both languages: pohja means both "bottom" and "north."[citation needed]
Botn/botten is cognate with the English word bottom, and it might be part of a general north European distinction of lowlands, as opposed to highlands, such as the Netherlandic region, Samogitia (Lithuanian), and Sambia (Russia).[clarification needed][citation needed]
wn.com/Gulf_of_Bothnia -
Gävle
Gävle [ˈjæːvlə] is a city in Sweden, the seat of Gävle Municipality and the capital of Gävleborg County. It had 71,033 inhabitants in December 2010. It is the oldest city in the historical Norrland (Sweden's Northern Lands), having received its charter in 1446 from Christopher of Bavaria.
It is believed that the name Gävle derives from the word gavel, meaning river banks in Old Swedish and referring to the Gavleån (Gävle River). The oldest settlement was called Gavle-ägarna, which means "Gavel-owners". This name was shortened to Gavle, then Gefle, and finally Gävle.
For a long time Gävle consisted solely of small, low, turf or shingle roofed wooden buildings. Boat-houses lined the banks of Gavleån, Lillån, and Islandsån. Until the 18th century the town was built, as was the practice then, around the three most important buildings: the church, the regional palace, and the town hall. Over the last 300 years Gävle has been ablaze on three different occasions. After the fire of 1776 the town was rebuilt with straight streets and rectangular city blocks. The number of stone and brick houses also started to increase. The biggest town fire occurred 1869, when out of a population of around 10,000 approximately 8,000 inhabitants lost their homes, and about 350 farms were destroyed. Almost the whole town north of Gavleån was burnt down. All the buildings south of Gavleån were saved. An area of the old town between the museum and the library has been preserved to this day as a historic reserve, Gamla Gefle.
wn.com/Gävle -
Haapajärvi
Haapajärvi is a town and municipality of Finland.
It is located in the province of Oulu and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The town has a population of 7,601 (31 January 2012) and covers an area of 789.08 square kilometres (304.67 sq mi) of which 23.44 km2 (9.05 sq mi) is water. The population density is 9.93 inhabitants per square kilometre (25.7 /sq mi).
The municipality is unilingually Finnish.
Media related to Haapajärvi at Wikimedia Commons
wn.com/Haapajärvi -
Haapavesi
Haapavesi is a town and a municipality of Finland.
It is located in the province of Oulu and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The town has a population of 7,380 (31 January 2012) and covers an area of 1,086.15 square kilometres (419.36 sq mi) of which 36.41 km2 (14.06 sq mi) is water. The population density is 7.03 inhabitants per square kilometre (18.2 /sq mi).
The municipality is unilingually Finnish.
The town is most known of the Haapavesi Folk Music Festival which gathers fantastic folkmusicians together from all over the world. Haapavesi is also known for its great skiers and even better moonshine.
Haapavesi has got a mediocre roundabout in the centre of the village.[citation needed]
At Haapavesi, there is a 327 metres (1,073 ft) tall guyed TV mast, which belongs to Finland's tallest man-made structures.
The Haapavesi Folk High School (Finnish: Haapaveden opisto) is an ideologically independent boarding school. Haapavesi Folk High School is one of the eleven folk high schools cooperating in the HUMAK University of Applied Sciences. HUMAK offers education and training in the fields of Civic and youth work, Cultural management and production as well as Sign language interpreter. In Haapavesi Unit of HUMAK the focus is on civic and youth work.
wn.com/Haapavesi -
Hailuoto
Hailuoto (Swedish: Karlö) is an island and a municipality in the province of Oulu, Finland. The population of Hailuoto is 1,002 (January 31, 2012) and the municipality covers an area of 200.53 km2 (77.43 sq mi) (excluding sea areas) of which 1.70 km2 (0.66 sq mi) is inland water (January 1, 2011). The population density is 5 /km2 (13 /sq mi).
Hailuoto is located on an island of the same name opposite the city of Oulu in the Gulf of Bothnia. A ferry operates regularly between Hailuoto and Oulunsalo. In winter an official ice road connects the island to the mainland.
Land in the region is constantly rising due to post-glacial rebound. It is estimated that the first parts of Hailuoto appeared from the Baltic Sea about 1700 years ago. The current island of Hailuoto was formed from many smaller islands. Two large sections, Santonen and Hanhinen merged into the main island (Luoto) only about two centuries ago. The island is continuously expanding and eventually it will join with the continent. Kirkkosalmi, a wetland region between Hanhinen and Luoto is renowned for being an important bird refuge where rare bird species are observed.
wn.com/Hailuoto -
Halmstad
Halmstad [ˈhamsta] is a port, university, industrial and recreational city at the mouth of Nissan in the province of Halland on the Swedish west coast. Halmstad is the seat of Halmstad Municipality and the capital of Halland County. The city has a population of about 58,577, out of a municipal total of nearly 90,000. Halmstad is located about midway between Gothenburg and Malmö.
Halmstad, at the time part of the Kingdom of Denmark, received its first city charter in 1307, and the city celebrated its 700th anniversary in 2007. The oldest remains of that first town are to be found at "Övraby" upstream on Nissan, quite close to the regiment buildings. The remains of the church can still be seen today between a defunct brick industry and a former landfill.
In the 1320s the town moved to the present day town centre. At this time there were two monasteries in the town and during the 15th century the St. Nikolai church was built. Halland was the object of numerous battles, sieges and occupations by Swedish troops.
wn.com/Halmstad -
Haukipudas
Haukipudas is a municipality of Finland. It is located in the province of Oulu and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. Its shore runs along the Gulf of Bothnia, with the river Kiiminkijoki running through the province.
The municipality has a population of 19,035 (31 January 2012) and covers an area of 1,023.62 square kilometres (395.22 sq mi) of which 582.61 km2 (224.95 sq mi) is water. The population density is 43.16 inhabitants per square kilometre (111.8 /sq mi).
The municipality is unilingually Finnish.
There are 16 villages in Haukipudas: Kirkonkylä, Santaholma, Ukonkaivos, Martinniemi, Asemakylä, Onkamo, Halosenniemi, Holstinmäki, Häyrysenniemi, Jokikylä, Kalimeenkylä, Kello, Kiviniemi, Parkumäki, Takkuranta and Virpiniemi.
The educational department takes part in Lifelong Learning Programme 2007–2013 in Finland.
Municipal border sign
Haukipudas railway station
Kiiminki River railway bridge
Martinniemi sawmill
Haukipudas Church
Kiviniemi fishing village
Island of Laitakari
Kalimeenoja creek
wn.com/Haukipudas -
Helsingborg
Helsingborg (Swedish pronunciation: [hɛlsiŋˈbɔrj]) is a town and the seat of Helsingborg Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden. It had 97,122 inhabitants in 2010. Helsingborg is the centre of an area in the Øresund region of about 320,000 inhabitants in north-west Scania, and is Sweden's closest point to Denmark, with the Danish city Helsingør clearly visible on the other side of the Øresund about 4 km to the west.
Between 1912 and 1971 the name of the town was officially spelled Hälsingborg (rather like Hälsingland but unlike Helsingør and Helsingfors (Helsinki)).
Historic Helsingborg, with its many old buildings, is a scenic coastal city. The buildings are a blend of old-style stone-built churches and a medieval fortress (Kärnan) in the city centre, which has stood guard in Helsingborg for over 600 years, and more modern commercial buildings. The streets vary from wide avenues to small alley-ways. Kullagatan, the main pedestrian shopping street in the city, was the first pedestrian shopping street in Sweden.
wn.com/Helsingborg -
Helsinki
Helsinki ( listen (help·info); Swedish: Helsingfors, listen (help·info)) is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is 596,233 (31 January 2012), making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is located some 400 kilometres (250 mi) east of Stockholm, Sweden, 300 kilometres (190 mi) west of St. Petersburg, Russia and 80 kilometres (50 mi) north of Tallinn, Estonia. Helsinki has close historical connections with these three cities.
The Helsinki Metropolitan Area includes the city of Helsinki and three other cities: Espoo and Vantaa, which immediately border Helsinki to the west and north, respectively; and Kauniainen, which is an enclave within the city of Espoo. The Helsinki metropolitan area is the world's northernmost urban area among those with a population of over one million people, and the city is the northernmost capital of a EU member state. Altogether 1.1 million people, approximately one in five Finns, live in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area.
wn.com/Helsinki -
Hungary
Hungaryi/ˈhʌŋɡəri/ (Hungarian: Magyarország [ˈmɒɟɒrorsaːɡ] ( listen)) is a country, which is located in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The country's capital, and largest city, is Budapest. Hungary is a member of the European Union, NATO, the OECD, the Visegrád Group, and is a Schengen state. The official language is Hungarian, also known as Magyar, which is part of the Finno-Ugric group and is the most widely spoken non-Indo-European language in Europe.
Following a Celt (after c. 450 BC) and a Roman (AD 9 - c. 430) period, the foundation of Hungary was laid in the late 9th century by the Hungarian prince Árpád, whose great-grandson Saint Stephen I was crowned with a crown sent by the pope from Rome in 1000 AD. The Kingdom of Hungary lasted for 946 years, and at various points was regarded as one of the cultural centres of the Western world. After about 150 years of partial Ottoman occupation (1541–1699), Hungary was integrated into the Habsburg Monarchy, and later constituted half of the Austro-Hungarian dual monarchy (1867–1918).
wn.com/Hungary -
Hämeenlinna
Hämeenlinna (Swedish: Tavastehus) is a city and municipality of about 67,000 inhabitants in the heart of the historical province of Häme in the south of Finland and is the birthplace of composer Jean Sibelius. Today, it belongs to the region of Tavastia Proper, and until 2010 it was the residence city for the Governor of the province of Southern Finland. Nearby cities include the capital Helsinki (98 km/61 mi), Tampere (73 km/45 mi) and Lahti (72 km/45 mi).
The medieval Häme Castle (Hämeen linna) is located in the city.
The municipalities of Hauho, Kalvola, Lammi, Renko and Tuulos were consolidated with Hämeenlinna on 1 January 2009.
There has been a settlement called Vanaja by the lake Vanajavesi where the city now stands since the Viking Age. The castle was built in the late 13th century to secure Swedish power in central Finland. A village was established near Häme Castle to provide services and goods to its inhabitants.
The village was granted city rights in 1639 and soon after that the King of Sweden moved it one kilometre south to the hill on which it still stands.
wn.com/Hämeenlinna -
Iceland
Icelandi/ˈaɪslənd/ (Icelandic: Ísland, IPA: [ˈislant]) is a Nordic European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The country has a population of about 320,000 and a total area of 103,000 km2 (40,000 sq mi). The capital and largest city is Reykjavík, with the surrounding areas in the southwestern region of the country being home to two-thirds of the country's population. Iceland is volcanically and geologically active. The interior mainly consists of a plateau characterised by sand fields, mountains and glaciers, while many glacial rivers flow to the sea through the lowlands. Iceland is warmed by the Gulf Stream and has a temperate climate despite a high latitude just outside the Arctic Circle.
According to Landnámabók, the settlement of Iceland began in AD 874 when the chieftain Ingólfur Arnarson became the first permanent Norse settler on the island. Others had visited the island earlier and stayed over winter. Over the following centuries, Norsemen settled Iceland, bringing with them thralls (slaves) of Gaelic origin. From 1262 to 1918 Iceland was part of the Norwegian and later the Danish monarchies. Until the 20th century, the Icelandic population relied largely on fisheries and agriculture, and the country was one of the poorest and least developed in the world. Industrialisation of the fisheries and aid from the Marshall Plan brought prosperity in the years after World War II, and by the 1990s it was one of the world's wealthiest countries. In 1994, Iceland became party to the European Economic Area, which made it possible for the economy to diversify into economic and financial services.
wn.com/Iceland -
Japan
Japan
i/dʒəˈpæn/ (Japanese: 日本 Nihon or Nippon; formally 日本国 
Nippon-koku or Nihon-koku, literally the State of Japan) is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south. The characters that make up Japan's name mean "sun-origin", which is why Japan is sometimes referred to as the "Land of the Rising Sun".
Japan is an archipelago of 6,852 islands. The four largest islands are Honshū, Hokkaidō, Kyūshū and Shikoku, together accounting for ninety-seven percent of Japan's land area. Japan has the world's tenth-largest population, with over 127 million people. The Greater Tokyo Area, which includes the de facto capital city of Tokyo and several surrounding prefectures, is the largest metropolitan area in the world, with over 30 million residents.
Archaeological research indicates that people lived in Japan as early as the Upper Paleolithic period. The first written mention of Japan is in Chinese history texts from the 1st century AD. Influence from other nations followed by long periods of isolation has characterized Japan's history. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, victory in the First Sino-Japanese War, the Russo-Japanese War and World War I allowed Japan to expand its empire during a period of increasing militarism. The Second Sino-Japanese War of 1937 expanded into part of World War II in 1941, which came to an end in 1945 following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Since adopting its revised constitution in 1947, Japan has maintained a unitary constitutional monarchy with an emperor and an elected parliament called the Diet.
wn.com/Japan -
Joensuu
Joensuu (lit. "mouth of the river") is a city and municipality in North Karelia in eastern Finland. It is located in the province of Eastern Finland and is part of North Karelia region. It was founded in 1848. The population of Joensuu is 73,871 (January 31, 2012).
Joensuu is a lively student city with over 15,000 students enrolled at the University of Eastern Finland and a further 4,000 at the North Karelia Technical School.
The largest employers are the municipal City of Joensuu, North Karelian Hospital District Federation of Municipalities, Abloy and Punamusta.
The European Forest Institute, the University and many other institutes and export enterprises such as Abloy and John Deere Forestry give Joensuu an international flavour.
The city of Joensuu, which was founded by the Czar Nicholas I of Russia in 1848, is the regional centre and the capital of North Karelia. During the 19th century Joensuu was a city of manufacture and commerce. When in 1860 the city received dispensation rights to initiate commerce, former restrictions against industry were removed and the local sawmills began to prosper and expand. Water traffic was improved by the building of the Saimaa Canal. Consequently, a lively commerce between the regions of North Karelia, St.Petersburg and Central Europe was enabled. At the end of the 19th century Joensuu was one of the largest harbour cities in Finland.
wn.com/Joensuu -
Jyväskylä
Jyväskylä (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈjyvæsˌkylæ]) is a city and municipality in Central Finland in the western part of the Finnish Lakeland. It is the largest city in central Finland and on the Finnish Lakeland. Jyväskylä is located on the northern coast of Lake Päijänne, 147 kilometres (91 mi) north-east of Tampere and 270 kilometres (170 mi) north of Helsinki. The hilly and forested terrain in Jyväskylä is surrounded by hundreds of lakes. The summers in Jyväskylä are warm and winters cold and snowy.
Elias Lönnrot, the compiler of the Finnish national epic Kalevala, gave the city a nickname "Athens of Finland". This nickname is used to describe the major role of Jyväskylä as an education centre and the first place in the world to provide education in Finnish.
The works of the most famous Finnish architect Alvar Aalto can be seen throughout the city. The city hosts Neste Oil Rally Finland, which is part of the World Rally Championship. It is also home of the annual Jyväskylä Arts Festival.
wn.com/Jyväskylä -
Jönköping
Jönköping (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈjœnːˈɕøːpiŋ]) is a city in southern Sweden with 89,396 inhabitants (2010). It is the 9th most populous city of Sweden. Jönköping is situated by the southern end of Sweden's second largest lake, Vättern. The original town Jönköping has grown together with Huskvarna and Norrahammar forming a contiguous urban area, since 1971 wholly within the same municipality.
The city is the seat of Jönköping Municipality which has a population of 128 305 (2011), and also the seat of Jönköping County which has a population of 331,539 (2006). Jönköping is the seat of a district court and a court of appeal as well as the Swedish National Courts Administration. It is also the seat of the Swedish Board of Agriculture.
Jönköping is an old trading center (Köping), since it was located on a crossroad for the roads following along the rivers Nissan and Lagan, and the road between the provinces Östergötland and Västergötland. This was rather natural due to the geographical position of the city at the southern end of lake Vättern, which divided the two counties. On 18 May 1284, Jönköping received rights as a City in Sweden as one of the first communities in the country, by King Magnus Ladulås, who at that time largely ruled the nation from Vättern's largest island Visingsö. In the name of the city "Jön-" is derived from a creek, "Junebäcken", which was situated in the nowadays western part of the city, Talavid. This was the location of the first known settlement in the area. The second part of the name "-köping", as mentioned above, is an old word for a trading center or market place.
wn.com/Jönköping -
Kajaani
Kajaani (Swedish: Kajana) is a town and municipality in Finland.
It is the capital of the Kainuu region. It is located southeast of Oulujärvi (Lake Oulu), which drains to the Gulf of Bothnia along the Oulujoki (river Oulu). There are 38,038 (31 January 2012) inhabitants and city surface area is 2,264.01 square kilometres (874.14 sq mi) of which 428.94 km2 (165.61 sq mi) is water. The population density is 20.73 inhabitants per square kilometre (53.7 /sq mi) . The town is unilingually Finnish.
Kajaani is in the center of the region of Kainuu. Folklorist Elias Lönnrot began his travels from here when collecting folklore in Karelia.
Kajaani was one of the cities founded in 1651 by the Governor General of Finland, Per Brahe. At that time, the Kainuu region—as wood country—was an important producer of tar derived from pine, and the tar trade was its major industry. The barrels of tar were shipped to Oulujärvi and then along Oulujoki to Oulu on the Bothnian coast of the Baltic sea. From there, tar was shipped to continental Europe, where it was used as a sealant and an anti-rot agent for ship hulls.
wn.com/Kajaani -
Kalajoki
Kalajoki is a town and municipality of Finland.
It is located in the province of Oulu and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The town has a population of 12,613 (31 January 2012) and covers an area of 2,391.31 square kilometres (923.29 sq mi) of which 1,469.15 km2 (567.24 sq mi) is water. The population density is 13.68 inhabitants per square kilometre (35.4 /sq mi).
The municipality is unilingually Finnish.
The first reference to Kalajoki can be found from the beginning of 16th century and it got the status of a parish in 1525, it was designated as a regional parish in 1545. This status ended with the abolishment of the parish form of organization in the early 1860s. Kalajoki was a significant market place and controlled the whole regions tar trading. By the end of 19th century the meaning of tar was diminishing as a good and the importance of Kalajoki was reduced thereafter.
The tar trade was a derivative of the forestry industry, and Kalajoki has long been the location of forestry activities. There are still sawmills in operation in the city today.
wn.com/Kalajoki -
Karlstad
Karlstad [ˈkɑːɭsta] is a city, the seat of Karlstad Municipality, the capital of Värmland County, and the largest city in the province Värmland in Sweden. The city had 61,685 inhabitants in 2010 out of a municipal total that during the first quarter 2010 was 84,885 inhabitants. Karlstad has a university and a cathedral.
Karlstad is built on the river delta where Sweden's longest river, Klarälven, runs into Sweden's largest lake, Vänern. It has the second largest lake port in the country after Västerås.
Karlstad is often associated with sunshine and the symbol for Karlstad is a happy sun. Karlstad is reputed to be one of the sunniest towns in Sweden and a local waitress, known as "Sola i Karlstad" (the Sun in Karlstad) for her sunny disposition, is also commemorated with a statue.
On Karlstad's largest islet, there was a place of counsel called Tingvalla in the medieval age, which had roots from the Viking Age before 1000 AD. It was also used as a market place.
Karlstad was granted its city charter on March 5, 1584 by the Swedish Duke Charles, who would later be crowned King Charles IX of Sweden. The city derives its name from the King – Karlstad literally means Charles' city. The Duke also granted Karlstad the right as a governmental seat in the region, and gave it a substantial amount of land.
wn.com/Karlstad -
Kemi
Kemi (Northern Sami: Giepma) is a town and municipality of Finland. It is located very near the city of Tornio. It was founded in 1869 by royal decree, because of its proximity to a deep water harbour.
Kemi is situated by the Bothnian Bay, at the mouth of river Kemijoki, and it is part of Lapland region. The town has a population of 22,386 (31 January 2012) and covers an area of 747.44 square kilometres (288.59 sq mi) of which 652.1 km2 (251.8 sq mi) is water. The population density is 234.8 inhabitants per square kilometre (608 /sq mi).
The main economic activity in Kemi is centred on two large paper and woodpulp mills and on the only chromium mine in Europe (which supplies the Outokumpu ferrochrome plant in Tornio). A polytechnic university is also situated in Kemi.
Kemi also has a claim to fame as the home of the world's largest snow castle (reconstructed every year with a different architecture). The snowcastle is usually located at the inner harbour of Kemi.
A model of The Crown of Finland (original was never made for the King of Finland) is kept in the Gemstone gallery. There are also replicas like the Imperial State Crown of Great Britain; the Sceptre of the Czar of Russia; Orbs of Denmark and the Diamond necklace of Marie Antoinette among other things.
wn.com/Kemi -
Kempele
Kempele is a municipality in the province of Oulu, in Finland. The municipality is located in Northern Finland just south of city of Oulu. The population of Kempele is 16,162 (31 January 2012) and the municipality covers an area of 110.33 square kilometres (42.60 sq mi) (excluding sea areas) of which 0.21 square kilometres (0.081 sq mi) is inland water (2011-01-01). The population density is 147 inhabitants per square kilometre (380 /sq mi) (31 January 2012). The municipality of Kempele was founded in 1867.
Neighbourhood municipalities are Liminka, Oulu, Oulunsalo and Tyrnävä.
First permanent inhabitants settled in Kempele area approximately 500 years ago – at that time coast line was closer than what it is today. Kempele was part of Greater Liminka and consisted only of three houses in 1568 when the area was called as Kempele first time in official context. Full church privileges were granted to Kempele in 1774, which also meant separation from Liminka. Municipality administration was established in 1867.
wn.com/Kempele -
Kestilä
Kestilä is a former municipality of Finland. It is located in the province of Oulu and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region.
Established in 1867, the population was 1,574 as of 31 December 2008. The municipality covered an area of 606.53 km2 (234.18 sq mi) of which 5.09 km2 (1.97 sq mi) is water. The population density was 2.62 inhabitants per square kilometre (6.8 /sq mi).
The municipality was unilingually Finnish.
The municipality was consolidated with Piippola, Pulkkila and Rantsila on 2009-01-01 to form a new municipality of Siikalatva.
Media related to Kestilä at Wikimedia Commons
wn.com/Kestilä -
Kiiminki
Kiiminki (Swedish: Kiminge) is a municipality of Finland.
It is located about north-east 20 kilometres (12 mi) from the Oulu city centre, in the province of Oulu and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The municipality has a population of 13,263 (31 January 2012) and covers an area of 339.00 square kilometres (130.89 sq mi) of which 326.82 km2 (126.19 sq mi) is water. The population density is 40.58 inhabitants per square kilometre (105.1 /sq mi).
The municipality is unilingually Finnish.
There is a 326-metre tall guyed mast for FM- and TV broadcasting.
Media related to Kiiminki at Wikimedia Commons
wn.com/Kiiminki -
Kolari
Kolari is a municipality of Finland at the Swedish border, which follows the Torne River, the longest free-flowing river in Europe.
It is located in the province of Lapland. The municipality has a population of 3,839 (31 January 2012) and covers an area of 2,617.76 square kilometres (1,010.72 sq mi) of which 59.15 km2 (22.84 sq mi) is water. The population density is 1.5 inhabitants per square kilometre (3.9 /sq mi). Kolari railway station is the northernmost station in Finland.
The municipality is unilingually Finnish.
Ylläs, one of the most popular ski resorts in Finland, is located in Kolari. The area also features the country's largest bog with a thousand-year-old forest.
Media related to Kolari at Wikimedia Commons
wn.com/Kolari -
Kouvola
Kouvola is a town and municipality in southeastern Finland. It is located 134 kilometres (83 mi) northeast of the capital, Helsinki.
The city has a population of 87,592 (31 January 2012) and covers an area of 2,883.30 square kilometres (1,113.25 sq mi) of which 325.06 km2 (125.51 sq mi) is water. The population density is 34.24 inhabitants per square kilometre (88.7 /sq mi).
Kouvola's central location within Finland's borders and as a border post between the European Union and Russian Federation makes it a quite lively town.[original research?] The town originally grew up around the junction of the north–south and east–west rail tracks. It was also a major road transport junction.
In January 2009, the six municipalities – Kouvola, Kuusankoski, Elimäki, Anjalankoski, Valkeala and Jaala – were consolidated, forming the new municipality of Kouvola. Kouvola can now claim the natural beauty of Valkeala and Jaala as well as the cultural heritage of Elimäki and Anjalankoski as its own. Kouvola has also assumed the slogan Kymijoen kaupunki (the town of Kymijoki) previously used by Anjalankoski.
wn.com/Kouvola -
Kristiansand
Kristiansand (help·info) (formerly Christianssand) is a city, municipality and the county capital of Vest-Agder county in Southern Norway. Kristiansand municipality is the 5th largest in Norway with a population of 82,562 as of 1 April 2011. The Kristiansand urban area, entirely located in the municipality, had a population of 67,547 on 1 January 2009, and is thus the 8th largest urban area in Norway. In addition, the Statistics Norway (no:Statistisk Sentralbyrå) counts that there are 4 other densely populated areas in the municipality: Skålevik (Flekkerøy) with a population of 2,635, Strai (Torridal) with a population of 1,332, Justvik with a population of 1,613 and Tveit with a population of 1,390 citizens (January 2009).
The city was named after its founder King Christian IV in 1641. The last element sand refers to the sandy headland the city was built on (see also Lillesand).
The name was written "Christian(s)sand" (for "Christians sand" – meaning en:[King] "Christian's Sand") until 1877 – then, according to an official spelling reform (that changed ch to k), the form was changed to "Kristianssand". (See also the names Kristiansund and Kristiania that were affected by the same reform.) The name was again changed to its present form Kristiansand in 1889.
wn.com/Kristiansand -
Kuivaniemi
Kuivaniemi is a former municipality of Finland.
It was located in the province of Oulu and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The municipality had a population of 1,977 on 31 December 2006 (ranked 351st) and covered a land area of 927.21 square kilometres (358.00 sq mi) on 1 January 2006. The population density was 2.1 inhabitants per square kilometre (5.4 /sq mi).
The municipality was unilingually Finnish.
Kuivaniemi was incorporated into Ii municipality on 1 January 2007. The formed municipality inherited Kuivaniemi's seal-sporting coat of arms.
Media related to Kuivaniemi at Wikimedia Commons
wn.com/Kuivaniemi -
Kuopio
Kuopio is a city and a municipality located in the region of Northern Savonia, Finland. A population of 97,552 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 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), nationally second only to capital Helsinki (urban area: 1,690.0/km²). The population of the entire Kuopio region is 119,472.
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. This is the most probable explanation, supported by the Research Institute for the Languages of Finland.
wn.com/Kuopio -
Kuusamo
Kuusamo is a town and municipality in Finland. It is located in the Oulu province and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The municipality has a population of 16,378 (31 January 2012) and covers an area of 5,808.92 square kilometres (2,242.84 sq mi) of which 830.81 km2 (320.78 sq mi) is water. The population density is 3.29 inhabitants per square kilometre (8.5 /sq mi).
The municipality is unilingually Finnish.
Kuusamo is a major center for winter sports and receives approximately a million tourists every year. One of the largest ski resorts in Finland, Ruka, is situated in Kuusamo. Ruka is also the host of many international competitions in ski jumping, cross country skiing and Nordic combined. The 2005 World Championships of Freestyle Skiing was held in Kuusamo. Kuusamo Airport is located 6 kilometres (4 mi) north-east from Kuusamo town centre.
Until the 17th century, the area of Kuusamo was inhabited by the semi-nomadic Sami. During the cold season they lived in the villages Maanselkä and Kitka. In spring they moved to the rivers and in summer, after the melting of the ice, to the lakes; there they fished and gathered berries and mushrooms; in autumn they hunted reindeer, bears and beavers in the forest. Apart from fishing and hunting the Sami earned their living by trading fur with the Finns settled on the coast of the Gulf of Bothnia and the Karelians of the White Sea coast.
wn.com/Kuusamo -
Kärsämäki
Kärsämäki is a municipality of Finland.
It is located in the province of Oulu and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The municipality has a population of 2,808 (31 January 2012) and covers an area of 700.87 square kilometres (270.61 sq mi) of which 6.06 km2 (2.34 sq mi) is water. The population density is 4.04 inhabitants per square kilometre (10.5 /sq mi).
The name Kärsämäki means literally "snout hill".
The municipality is unilingually Finnish.
Media related to Kärsämäki at Wikimedia Commons
wn.com/Kärsämäki -
Lahti
Lahti (Swedish: Lahtis) is a city and municipality in Finland.
Lahti is the capital of the Päijänne Tavastia region. It is situated on a bay at the southern end of lake Vesijärvi about 100 kilometres (60 mi) north-east of the capital Helsinki. In English, the Finnish word Lahti literally means bay and Vesijärvi means water lake.
The symbol of the city depicts a train wheel surrounded by sparkling flames.
Lahti was first mentioned in documents in 1445. The village belonged to the parish of Hollola and was located at the medieval trade route of Ylinen Viipurintie, which linked the towns of Hämeenlinna and Vyborg.
The completion of the Riihimäki – St. Petersburg railway line in 1870 and the Vesijärvi canal in 1871 turned Lahti into a lively station, and industrial installations began to spring up around it. For a long time, the railway station at Vesijärvi Harbour was the second busiest station in Finland. Craftsmen, merchants, a few civil servants and a lot of industrial workers soon mixed in with the existing agricultural peasantry.
wn.com/Lahti -
Lappeenranta
Lappeenranta (Swedish: Villmanstrand) is a city and municipality that resides on the shore of the lake Saimaa in South-Eastern Finland, about 30 kilometres (19 mi) from the Russian border. It belongs to the region of South Karelia. With approximately 72,000 inhabitants (31 January 2012) Lappeenranta is the 13th largest city in Finland. The neighboring municipality of Joutseno was consolidated with Lappeenranta on January 1, 2009, and the neighboring municipality of Ylämaa on January 1, 2010.
Lappeenranta was originally formed around a headland pointing to lake Saimaa. In the 16th century, the market place moved from Lappee's old centre Kauskila to the current fortress headland. The first mention of Lapwes, as it was called, is in a privilege charter from 1542 that subjugated the market place under Viborg's authority.
The town was chartered in 1649 by Queen Christina of Sweden, legitimizing the trade in the then popular marketplace of Lapvesi. However, the parliamentary privilege charter and the coat of arms were attested in 1652 after the town layout by Erik Aspegren was affirmed. At the time, Lappeenranta was an important port for tar.
wn.com/Lappeenranta -
Liminka
Liminka (Swedish: Limingo) is a municipality in the Northern Ostrobothnia region, in the province of Oulu, in Finland. Founded in 1477, Liminka is located about 25 kilometres (16 mi) south of Oulu.
The municipality has a population of 9,178 (31 January 2012) and covers an area of 651.64 square kilometres (251.60 sq mi) of which 14.54 km2 (5.61 sq mi) is water. The population density is 14.41 inhabitants per square kilometre (37.3 /sq mi). The neighbouring municipalities are Kempele, Lumijoki, Muhos, Oulunsalo, Siikajoki, Siikalatva, Tyrnävä and Vaala.
The Liminganlahti Bay is a famous bird paradise.
Media related to Liminka at Wikimedia Commons
wn.com/Liminka -
Linköping
Linköping [ˈlɪnːˈɕøːpɪŋ] is a city in southern middle Sweden, with 104,232 inhabitants in 2010. It is the seat of Linköping Municipality and the capital of Östergötland County. Linköping is also the episcopal see of the Diocese of Linköping (Church of Sweden) and is well known for its cathedral. Linköping is the center of an old cultural region and celebrated its 700th anniversary in 1987. Nowadays Linköping is known for its university and its high-technology industry. Dominating the city's skyline from afar is the steeple of the cathedral.
The city is possibly named after the Lionga ting assembly which according to Medieval Scandinavian laws was the most important thing in Östergötland. Exact location of the Lionga ting is not known, but it was along the Eriksgata. Köping means there was a market there.
Historically, Linköping is famed for being an early diocese, second in Sweden (within its pre-1658 boundaries) only to Skara. The diocese is first mentioned in 1104 in the so-called "List of Florence" (Lionga. Kaupinga). The monastery of Vreta Kloster near Roxen north of Linköping was established in 1128, and the oldest parts of the cathedral are also from the 12th century (although it has been changed many times since then, the eye-catching tower with copper roofing being a 19th century product). On several occasions attempts to achieve a separate Swedish archdiocese were based in Linköping, although, when they finally were successful in 1164, Uppsala was chosen instead.
wn.com/Linköping -
Lumijoki
Lumijoki (meaning "Snow River") is a municipality of Finland.
It is located in the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The municipality has a population of 2,041 (31 January 2012) and covers an area of 290.29 square kilometres (112.08 sq mi) of which 77.1 km2 (29.8 sq mi) is water. The population density is 9.57 inhabitants per square kilometre (24.8 /sq mi).
The municipality is unilingually Finnish.
Media related to Lumijoki at Wikimedia Commons
wn.com/Lumijoki -
Lund
Lund (Swedish pronunciation: [lɵnd] ( listen)) is a city in the province of Scania, southern Sweden. The town has 82,800 inhabitants in 2010, out of a municipal total of 110,824. It is the seat of Lund Municipality, Skåne County. The city is believed to have been founded around 990, when Scania belonged to Denmark. It soon became a major Christian center of the Baltic Sea region, at a time when the area was still a frontier area for Christian mission, and within Scandinavia and especially Denmark through the Middle Ages. From 1103 it was the seat of an archbishop. At the center of the city stands the towering Lund Cathedral, built ca 1090-1145.
Lund University, established 1666, is today one of Scandinavia's largest institutions for education and research.
Along with Sigtuna, Lund is the oldest city in present-day Sweden. Lund's origins are unclear. Until the 1980s, the town was thought to have been founded around 1020 by either Sweyn I Forkbeard or his son Canute the Great of Denmark. The area was then part of the kingdom of Denmark. But, recent archaeological discoveries suggest that the first settlement dated to circa 990, possibly the relocation of settlers at Uppåkra. The Uppåkra settlement dates back to the first century B.C. and its remains are at the present site of the village of Uppåkra. King Sweyn I Forkbeard moved Loda to its present location, a distance of some five kilometres. The new location of Lund, on a hill and across a ford, gave the new site considerable defensive advantages in comparison with Uppåkra, situated on the highest point of a large plain.
wn.com/Lund -
Malmö
Malmö (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈmalːˈmøː] ( listen)), in the southernmost province of Scania, is Sweden's third largest city by population after Stockholm and Gothenburg, and is one of the largest cities in Scandinavia.
Malmö is the seat of Malmö Municipality and the capital of Skåne County. The administrative entity for most of the city is Malmö Municipality which has 300,515 inhabitants in eight different localities, with 30% being of foreign origin (either born outside of Sweden or having both parents born abroad). Malmö is also a bimunicipal locality, as part of it is formally situated in Burlöv Municipality. The total population of the urban area was 280,415 in December 2010.
Greater Malmö is one of Sweden's three officially recognized Metropolitan areas (storstadsområden) and since 2005 is defined as the municipality of Malmö and 11 other municipalities in the southwestern corner of Scania. On 30 June 2008, its population was recorded to be 628,388. The region covers an area of 2,535.76 square kilometres (979.06 sq mi). The municipalities included, apart from Malmö, are Burlöv, Eslöv, Höör, Kävlinge, Lomma, Lund, Skurup, Staffanstorp, Svedala, Trelleborg and Vellinge. Lund, with a municipal population of over 100,000 and home to one of Scandinavia's major universities, is together with Malmö the region's economic and education hub.
wn.com/Malmö -
Mannerheim Park
The Mannerheim Park is a small urban park in Oulu, Finland. With a fountain made from rough granite blocks and plenty of benches, the park is a favorite hangout for many. The park is adjacent to the KELA (Social Services) building, and features a grill kiosk and a children's play area with rides and swings.
The park was named after Carl Gustav Mannerheim in honour of his 75th birthday in 1942.
Media related to Mannerheim Park at Wikimedia Commons
Coordinates: 65°0′34″N 25°28′5″E / 65.00944°N 25.46806°E / 65.00944; 25.46806
wn.com/Mannerheim_Park -
Merijärvi
Merijärvi is a municipality of Finland.
It is located in the province of Oulu and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The municipality has a population of 1,199 (31 January 2012) and covers an area of 231.63 square kilometres (89.43 sq mi) of which 1.8 km2 (0.69 sq mi) is water. The population density is 5.22 inhabitants per square kilometre (13.5 /sq mi).
The municipality is unilingually Finnish.
Media related to Merijärvi at Wikimedia Commons
wn.com/Merijärvi -
Muhos
Muhos is a municipality of Finland.
It is located in the province of Oulu half an hour drive (35 km) on route 22 from the city of Oulu, the capital of Northern Finland and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The municipality has a population of 8,936 (31 January 2012) and covers an area of 797.39 square kilometres (307.87 sq mi) of which 13.78 km2 (5.32 sq mi) is water. The population density is 11.4 inhabitants per square kilometre (30 /sq mi). The river Oulujoki flows through the town and its countryside with the wide open plains of Pohjanmaa on the south side of the river and the forested hills of Kainuu on the northern side. Located in Muhos is the Pyhäkoski hydro-electric power plant which was commissioned in 1949 and has the highest fall in Finland (32.4 m). The power station has been designed by renowned Finnish architect Aarne Ervi.
The town has a culture centre which consists of the town library and space for various cultural activities which can be rented for a nominal fee. The culture centre also has a movie theater.
wn.com/Muhos -
Nivala
Nivala is a town and municipality of Finland.
It is located in the province of Oulu and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The town has a population of 11,053 (31 January 2012) and covers an area of 536.87 square kilometres (207.29 sq mi) of which 8.92 km2 (3.44 sq mi) is water. The population density is 20.94 inhabitants per square kilometre (54.2 /sq mi).
Kyösti Kallio, the fourth President of Finland (1937–1940), was a resident of Nivala.
The municipality is unilingually Finnish.
Media related to Nivala at Wikimedia Commons
wn.com/Nivala -
Nordic countries
The Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe and the North Atlantic which consists of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden and their associated territories, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland. In English, Scandinavia is sometimes used as a synonym for the Nordic countries (but excluding Greenland), despite the fact that that word is most strictly defined to refer only to Denmark, Norway and Sweden.
The region's five nation-states and three autonomous regions share much common history as well as common traits in their respective societies, such as political systems and the Nordic model. Politically, Nordic countries do not form a separate entity, but they co-operate in the Nordic Council. The Nordic countries have a combined population of approximately 25 million spread over a land area of 3.5 million km² (Greenland accounts for around 60% of the total area).
Although the area is linguistically heterogeneous, with three unrelated language groups, the common linguistic heritage is one of the factors making up the Nordic identity. The continental Scandinavian languages – Danish, Norwegian and Swedish – are considered mutually intelligible. These languages are taught in school throughout the Nordic countries; Swedish, for example, is a mandatory subject in Finnish schools, whereas Danish is mandatory in Icelandic, Faroese and Greenlandic schools. For this reason, (continental) Scandinavian language is considered the lingua franca of all of the Nordic countries. Besides these and the insular North Germanic languages Faroese and Icelandic, all belonging to the Indo-European language group, there are the Finnic and Sami branches of the Uralic languages, spoken respectively in northern Norway, Sweden and Finland, and Greenlandic, an Eskimo–Aleut language, spoken in Greenland.
wn.com/Nordic_countries -
Norrköping
Norrköping [ˈnɔrːˈɕøːpɪŋ] is a city in the province of Östergötland in eastern Sweden and the seat of Norrköping Municipality, Östergötland County. The city has a population of 87,247 inhabitants in 2010, out of a municipal total of 130,050, making it Sweden's tenth largest city and eighth largest municipality.
The city is situated by the mouth of the river Motala ström, at Bråviken, an inlet of the Baltic Sea. Water power from the Motala ström and the good harbour were factors that facilitated the rapid growth of this once industrial city, known for its textile industry. It has several nicknames such as: "Sweden's Manchester", "Peking" and "Surbullestan" (Surbulle [sour bun] was a local nickname for the textile workers, and stan is short for Staden, which means The City or The Town in Swedish)
The city has medieval foundations by settlers around the Norrköping twin city with Linköping Motala stream estuary, who used the falls and rapids to power their mills. The stream was also full of fish such as salmon. Exact dates are uncertain, but there are mentions of a church in the 12th century. It was dedicated to Saint Olaf, Norway's patron.
wn.com/Norrköping -
Norway
Norwayi/ˈnɔrweɪ/ (Norwegian: Norge (Bokmål) or Noreg (Nynorsk)), officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and the subantarctic Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of 385,252 square kilometres (148,747 sq mi) and a population of about 5 million. It is the second least densely populated country in Europe. The majority of the country shares a border to the east with Sweden; its northernmost region is bordered by Finland to the south and Russia to the east; in its south Norway borders the Skagerrak Strait across from Denmark. The capital city of Norway is Oslo. Norway's extensive coastline, facing the North Atlantic Ocean and the Barents Sea, is home to its famous fjords.
wn.com/Norway -
Odense
The city of Odense (Danish pronunciation: [ˈoðˀn̩sə] ( listen)) is the third largest city in Denmark. Odense City has a population of 168,798 (as of 1 January 2012 (2012 -01-01)[update]) and is the main city of the island of Funen. The city is the seat of Odense Municipality, with a population of 191,610 (as of 1 January 2012 (2012 -01-01)[update]), and was the seat of Odense County until 1970, and Funen County from 1970 until 1 January 2007, when Funen County became part of the Region of Southern Denmark.
Odense (from Odins Vé, meaning "Odin's shrine", referring to the god Odin of Denmark's indigenous Norse mythology), is one of the oldest cities of Denmark and had its 1000th anniversary in 1988. To celebrate this, a forest named "the Thousand Year Forest" (Danish: Tusindårsskoven) was cultivated. The shrine of Saint Canute (Danish: Sankt Knud / Knud den Hellige) in Saint Canute's Cathedral held great attraction for pilgrims throughout the Middle Ages.
In the 16th century, the town was the meeting-place of several parliaments, and down to 1805 it was the seat of the provincial assembly of Funen.
wn.com/Odense -
Odessa
Odessa (Russian: Одесса, pronounced [ɐˈdʲesːə]) or Odesa (Ukrainian: Одеса, pronounced [ɔˈdɛsɑ]) is the third largest city in Ukraine, with a population of 1,003,705. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast.
The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement, was founded by Hacı I Giray, the Khan of Crimea, in 1240 and originally named after him as "Hacıbey"[citation needed]. After a period of Lithuanian control, it passed into the domain of the Ottoman Sultan in 1529 and remained in Ottoman hands until the Ottoman Empire's defeat in the Russo-Turkish War of 1792. The city of Odessa was founded by a decree of the Empress Catherine the Great in 1794. From 1819 to 1858 Odessa was a free port. During the Soviet period it was the most important port of trade in the Soviet Union and a Soviet naval base. On 1 January 2000 the Quarantine Pier of Odessa trade sea port was declared a free port and free economic zone for a term of 25 years.
wn.com/Odessa -
Oslo
Oslo (English pronunciation: /ˈɒzloʊ/, OZ-loh,Norwegian pronunciation: [²ʊʃlʊ] ( listen) or [²ʊslʊ]) is the capital of and most populous city in Norway. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III, the city was elevated to a bishopric in 1070 and a capital under Haakon V around 1300. Personal unions with Denmark from 1397 to 1523 and again from 1536 to 1814 and with Sweden from 1814 to 1905 reduced its influence. After being destroyed by a fire in 1624, the city was moved closer to Akershus Castle during the reign of King Christian IV and renamed Christiania in his honour. It was established as a municipality (formannskapsdistrikt) on 1 January 1838. Following a spelling reform, it was known as Kristiania from 1877 to 1925, when its original Norwegian name was restored.
Oslo is the economic and governmental centre of Norway. The city is also a hub of Norwegian trade, banking, industry and shipping. It is an important centre for maritime industries and maritime trade in Europe. The city is home to many companies within the maritime sector, some of which are amongst the world's largest shipping companies, shipbrokers and maritime insurance brokers. Oslo is a pilot city of the Council of Europe and the European Commission intercultural cities programme.
wn.com/Oslo -
Oulainen
Oulainen is a town and a municipality of Finland, founded in 1865. It received township rights in 1977.
It is located in the province of Oulu and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The municipality has a population of 7,912 (31 January 2012) and covers an area of 597.54 square kilometres (230.71 sq mi) of which 10.01 km2 (3.86 sq mi) is water. The population density is 13.47 inhabitants per square kilometre (34.9 /sq mi).
Notable annual events include the National Veteran Machines Fair (Waltakunnalliset Weteraanikonepäivät) and Oulainen Music Weeks (Oulaisten Musiikkiviikot). Oulainen Music Weeks were organized for the twentieth time in 2006. The Oulainen Youth Choir (Oulaisten Nuorisokuoro) has received international acclaim.
In addition to the town center, the municipality includes the villages of Kilpua, Lehtopää, Matkaniva, Petäjäskoski, Piipsjärvi and Honkaranta.
The municipality is unilingually Finnish. The municipality has previously also been known as "Oulais" in Swedish documents, but is today referred to as "Oulainen" also in Swedish.
wn.com/Oulainen -
Oulu
Oulu (pronounced [ˈoulu] ( listen), Swedish: Uleåborg [ˈʉːleɔˌbɔrj]) is a city and municipality of 143,988 inhabitants (31 January 2012) in the region of Northern Ostrobothnia, in Finland. It is the most populous city in Northern Finland and the sixth most populous city in the country. It is one of the northernmost larger cities in the world.
Oulu was founded on April 8, 1605, by King Charles IX of Sweden opposite to the fort built on the island of Linnansaari. This took place after favourable peace settlements with the Russians, which removed the threat of attack via the main east-west waterway, the river Oulu. The surrounding areas were populated much earlier. Oulu is situated by the Gulf of Bothnia, at the mouth of river Oulujoki, which is an ancient trading site. One possible source for the name Oulu is a word in the Sami language meaning 'flood water', but there are other suggestions. Oulu was the capital of the Province of Oulu from 1776 to 2009.
In 1822, a major fire destroyed much of the city. The architect Carl Ludvig Engel, chiefly known for the neoclassical (empire style) buildings around Helsinki Senate Square, was enlisted to provide the plan for the rebuilding of the city. With minor changes, this plan remains the basis for the layout of Oulu's town center. The Oulu Cathedral was built in 1832 to his designs, with the spire being finished in 1844.
wn.com/Oulu -
Oulu Airport
Oulu Airport (IATA: OUL, ICAO: EFOU) (Finnish: Oulun lentoasema) is located in the municipality of Oulunsalo, Finland, 5.7 NM (10.6 km; 6.6 mi) south-west of Oulu city centre. The airport is the second busiest in Finland after Helsinki-Vantaa airport, as measured by the number of passengers (973,912 in 2011) and the amount of freight transported. There are around twenty daily flights to Helsinki. Oulu Airport is also extensively used by Finnish Air Forces for training purposes. Recently the old terminal was demolished for more apron space. A major extension of the main terminal (mainly jetbridges) was completed in September 2011. The managing body of the airport is Finavia. Oulu Airport has offered free wireless network access for passengers since May 2007.
Oulu Airport has one runway, 12/30, which is 2,501 m (8,205 ft) long and 60 m (197 ft) wide. Runway 12 is equipped with Category II Instrument landing system.
wn.com/Oulu_Airport -
Oulunsalo
Oulunsalo is a municipality in the region of Northern Ostrobothnia, in Finland. The municipality is located in Northern Finland just south-west of the city of Oulu. The municipality has a population of 9,746 (31 January 2012) and covers an area of 211.22 square kilometres (81.55 sq mi) of which 127.86 km2 (49.37 sq mi) is water. The population density is 116.91 inhabitants per square kilometre (302.8 /sq mi). The municipality was founded in 1882.
Oulu Airport is located in Oulunsalo.
Oulunsalo is one of the fastest growing areas in Finland among the other municipalities around Oulu.
The municipality is unilingually Finnish. The municipality has previously also been known as Uleåsalo in Swedish documents, but is today referred to as Oulunsalo also in Swedish.
Results of the Finnish parliamentary election, 2011 in Oulunsalo:
Media related to Oulunsalo at Wikimedia Commons
wn.com/Oulunsalo -
Paavola
Paavola is a former municipality of Finland, now a village in the municipality of Siikajoki. The village is located beside the Siikajoki river. Though lacking rail transport connections, the settlement does lie beside the crossroads of routes 86 and 807.
In 1973, Paavola was consolidated with the neighboring municipality of Revonlahti to form the municipality of Ruukki. Ruukki in turn was consolidated with Siikajoki in 2007.
Paavola Church Campanile
Media related to Paavola at Wikimedia Commons
wn.com/Paavola -
Piippola
Piippola is a former municipality of Finland.
Piippola is located in the province of Oulu and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The municipality had a population of 1,251 (31 December 2008) and covered an area of 464.98 km2 (179.53 sq mi) of which 9.28 km2 (3.58 sq mi) is water. The population density was 2.75 inhabitants per square kilometre (7.1 /sq mi).
The municipality was unilingually Finnish.
The municipality was consolidated with Kestilä, Pulkkila and Rantsila on 1 January 2009 to form a new municipality of Siikalatva.
Media related to Piippola at Wikimedia Commons
wn.com/Piippola -
Pori
Pori (Swedish: Björneborg) is a city and municipality on the west coast of Finland. The city is located some 15 kilometres (9 mi) from the Gulf of Bothnia, on the estuary of the Kokemäenjoki river, which is the largest in Finland. It was established in 1558 by John III (Finnish: Juhana III or Juhana-herttua). Pori is the most important town in the Satakunta region.
The municipality has a population of 83,192 (31 January 2012) and covers an area of 1,704.07 square kilometres (657.95 sq mi) of which 870.01 km2 (335.91 sq mi) is water. The population density is 99.74 /km2 (258.3 /sq mi). The municipality is unilingually Finnish. Pori is the 11th largest city in Finland, and the 7th largest urban area.
The Neo-Gothic Juselius Mausoleum, located in the Käppärä cemetery in central Pori, was built in 1903 by the wealthy industrialist F.A. Juselius for his daughter Sigrid, who died when she was only 11 years old. The mausoleum was designed by the architect Josef Stenbäck. The mausoleum originally had frescoes painted by artist Akseli Gallen-Kallela, but these decayed after a short time. The frescoes were restored by Akseli's son Jorma Gallen-Kallela using his father's sketches.
wn.com/Pori -
Pudasjärvi
Pudasjärvi is a town and a municipality of Finland.
It is located in the province of Oulu and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The city has a population of 8,717 (31 January 2012) and covers an area of 5,867.24 square kilometres (2,265.35 sq mi) of which 228.67 km2 (88.29 sq mi) is water. The population density is 1.55 inhabitants per square kilometre (4.0 /sq mi). Pudasjärvi is by area the second largest town in Finland (as of 2006, Rovaniemi is the largest) and one of the largest in the world.
Pudasjärvi is famed for its nature, and is the home of the southernmost fell area in Finland, Syöte.
The oldest dated rock formations within the European Union can be found in Siuruankylä, Pudasjärvi. The trondhjemite gneiss is aged 3,500 million years.
Two famous Finnish melodic death metal bands, Kalmah and Eternal Tears of Sorrow have been formed in Pudasjärvi.
Results of the Finnish parliamentary election, 2011 in Pudasjärvi:
Media related to Pudasjärvi at Wikimedia Commons
wn.com/Pudasjärvi -
Pulkkila
Pulkkila is a former municipality and a village located in Northern Finland. Pulkkila is the administrative center of the municipality of Siikalatva and belongs to the region of Northern Ostrobothnia.
The village is located 90 kilometres (56 mi) south from Oulu and 250 kilometres (160 mi) north from Jyväskylä. Pulkkila has circa 1,500 inhabitants and the village is unilingually Finnish.
Pulkkila is best known for its metal industry and the artificial lake of Uljua.
Pulkkila was an independent municipality until it was consolidated with Kestilä, Piippola and Rantsila on 1 January 2009 to form a new municipality of Siikalatva.
Media related to Pulkkila at Wikimedia Commons
wn.com/Pulkkila -
Pyhäjoki
Pyhäjoki is a municipality of Finland.
It is located in the province of Oulu and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The municipality has a population of 3,350 (31 January 2012) and covers an area of 1,365.31 square kilometres (527.15 sq mi) of which 823.25 km2 (317.86 sq mi) is water. The population density is 6.18 inhabitants per square kilometre (16.0 /sq mi). The municipality is unilingually Finnish.
Fennovoima, a Finnish nuclear power company, plans to build a nuclear power plant at Pyhäjoki. The power plant would be operational in 2020.
Media related to Pyhäjoki at Wikimedia Commons
wn.com/Pyhäjoki -
Pyhäjärvi
Pyhäjärvi (1993–1995 Pyhäsalmi) is a town and municipality in the south of Northern Ostrobothnia region, Finland. Pyhäjärvi also borders the Northern Savonia and Central Finland regions. The town belongs to the subregion of Nivala–Haapajärvi. Its seat is in Pyhäsalmi.
As the highway 4 (E75), the highway 27 and the Ylivieska–Iisalmi railway all run through the town, Pyhäjärvi is well situated in an intersection of communication and transport services. The town has also an airfield.
The town of Pyhäjärvi, was founded in 1866, and it was then named after Lake Pyhäjärvi, a lake of 125 square kilometres (48 sq mi) and rich in fish. Pyhäjärvi became officially a town in January 1993. The town has 5,879 inhabitants (31 January 2012), of whom some 60 percent live in the two population centres Pyhäsalmi and Ruotanen.
Pyhäjärvi contains Europe's deepest mine, the 1,444 metres (4,738 ft) deep Pyhäsalmi Mine from where zinc and copper is mined.
Media related to Pyhäjärvi at Wikimedia Commons
wn.com/Pyhäjärvi -
Pyhäntä
Pyhäntä is a municipality of Finland.
It is located in the province of Oulu and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The municipality has a population of 1,581 (31 January 2012) and covers an area of 847.48 square kilometres (327.21 sq mi) of which 36.72 km2 (14.18 sq mi) is water. The population density is 1.95 inhabitants per square kilometre (5.1 /sq mi).
The municipality is unilingually Finnish.
Media related to Pyhäntä at Wikimedia Commons
wn.com/Pyhäntä -
Raahe
Raahe (Swedish: Brahestad) is a town and municipality of Finland. Founded by Swedish statesman and Governor General of Finland Count Per Brahe the younger in 1649, it is one of 10 historic wooden towns (or town centers) remaining in Finland. Examples of other Finnish historic wooden towns are Kaskinen (Kaskö), Old Rauma, Porvoo (Borgå), Jakobstad (Pietarsaari), and Vaasa (Vasa). After a devastating fire in 1810, Raahe was rebuilt adhering to new design principles which minimized the risk of fire and enlarged some civic spaces. Old Raahe is noted for its Renaissance-inspired rectilinear town plan featuring an unusual central-square (called Pekkatori) with closed corners.
Raahe is located on the northern shores of the Gulf of Bothnia in the province of Oulu and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The municipality has a population of 22,606 (January 31, 2012) and covers an area of 1,399.26 square kilometres (540.26 sq mi) of which 870.77 km2 (336.21 sq mi) is water. The population density is 42.77 /km2 (110.8 /sq mi). Historically an agricultural and maritime region, Ostrobothnia supplied the largest number of immigrants from Finland to the US and other countries such as Canada and Australia during the great migration of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
wn.com/Raahe -
Randers
Randers (Danish pronunciation: [ˈʁɑnɐs]) is a city in Randers municipality (Aarhus County, Region Midtjylland) on the Jutland peninsula in central Denmark. It is Denmark's sixth-largest city, with a population of 61,121 (1 January 2012). Randers city is the main town of the municipality and the site of its municipal council.
Randers municipality has 94,750 inhabitants (2010). The municipality is also a part of the East Jutland metropolitan area, which has 1.2 million inhabitants..
Randers, Denmark's only natural river harbour, is on the banks of the River Guden (Gudenå), about 6 miles (10 km) above its mouth in Randers Fjord, and 111 miles (179 km) west-northwest of Copenhagen. This location has had great significance for trade by sea. Barges on the Guden River and the Northern River (Nørreå) transported goods into Randers from Silkeborg and Viborg for export. In return, items were imported.
A vast agricultural area, and good transportation by land and by water, helped make Randers a dynamic center for trade and commerce. Known for the many access roads leading into the city, it has engendered the popular saying, "Where the waterway meets the 13 highways" ("Hvor søvejen møder de 13 landeveje").
wn.com/Randers -
Rantsila
Rantsila is a former municipality of Finland.
It is located in the province of Oulu and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The municipality had a population of 2,001 (31 December 2008) and covered a land area of 732.23 km2 (282.72 sq mi). The population density was 2.73 inhabitants per square kilometre (7.1 /sq mi). The municipality was unilingually Finnish.
The municipality had previously also been known as "Frantsila" in Swedish documents, but is today referred to as "Rantsila" also in Swedish.
During the Finnish War (1808–1809), which resulted in Finland being ceded to the Russian Empire, the last battle engaged within Finland was held in the Kerälä village of Rantsila, between the Russian and Swedish-Finnish armies. General J.A. Sandels was perhaps the most highly respected commander of the Finnish troops, and in honour of him and his noble and highly renowned horse Bijou, an equestrian statue was erected in the center of Rantsila in 1989.
The municipality was consolidated with Kestilä, Piippola and Pulkkila on 1 January 2009 to form a new municipality of Siikalatva.
wn.com/Rantsila -
Rautio
Rautio is a former municipality, now a small village of Kalajoki, Finland. It was consolidated to Kalajoki in 1973.
Coordinates: 64°04′30″N 024°12′20″E / 64.075°N 24.20556°E / 64.075; 24.20556
wn.com/Rautio -
Reisjärvi
Reisjärvi is a municipality of Finland.
It is located in the province of Oulu and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The municipality has a population of 2,992 (31 January 2012) and covers an area of 503.17 square kilometres (194.28 sq mi) of which 28.81 km2 (11.12 sq mi) is water. The population density is 6.31 inhabitants per square kilometre (16.3 /sq mi).
The municipality is unilingually Finnish.
The habitation in Reisjärvi is clustered into villages ("kylä"). The locals might recognize at least the following villages: Keskusta (the center), Hylkiranta, Järvikylä, Kalaja, Kangaskylä, Kinnulanranta, Kiljanranta, Köyhänperä, Leppälahti, Levonperä, Lokkiperä, Metsäperä, Mäntyperä, Räisälänmäki.
Reisjärvi has a highly diverse nature, with lots of lakes, ponds and smaller rivers, rocks and cliffs but also marshes and lowlands. Following the Peuranpolku ("deer's path") trailing route, which begins in Reisjärvi, provides an excellent view into the landscape of the area. The cliffs and rock fields of the Raura area have been shaped by the ice age.
wn.com/Reisjärvi -
Rovaniemi
Rovaniemi ( pronunciation (help·info); Inari Sami: Ruávinjargâ; Northern Sami: Roavenjárga and Roavvenjárga; Skolt Sami: Ruäˊvnjargg) is a city and municipality of Finland. It is the administrative capital and commercial centre of Finland's northernmost province, Lapland. It is situated close to the Arctic Circle and is between the hills of Ounasvaara and Korkalovaara, at the confluence of the Kemijoki River and its tributary, the Ounasjoki. The city and the surrounding Rovaniemen maalaiskunta (Rural municipality of Rovaniemi) were consolidated into a single entity on January 1, 2006. The new municipality has an area of 8,016.72 square kilometres (3,095.27 sq mi) and an approximate population of 61,000.
The rova part in the name Rovaniemi has often been considered to be of Saamic origin, as "roavve" in Saami denotes a forested ridge or hill or the site of an old forest fire. In Southern Saami dialects, however, rova means a heap of stones, a rock or a group of rocks in a stretch of rapids, or even a sauna stove.[citation needed] The niemi part of the name means "cape".
wn.com/Rovaniemi -
Russia
Russiai/ˈrʌʃə/ or /ˈrʊʃə/ (Russian: Россия, tr. Rossiya; IPA: [rɐˈsʲijə] ( listen)), also officially known as the Russian Federation (Russian: Российская Федерация, tr. Rossiyskaya Federatsiya; IPA: [rɐˈsʲijskəjə fʲɪdʲɪˈratsɨjə] ( listen)), is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects. From northwest to southeast, Russia shares borders with Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland (both via Kaliningrad Oblast), Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia, and North Korea. It also has maritime borders with Japan by the Sea of Okhotsk, and the US state of Alaska by the Bering Strait. At 17,075,400 square kilometres (6,592,800 sq mi), Russia is the largest country in the world, covering more than one eighth of the Earth's inhabited land area. Russia is also the eighth most populous nation with 143 million people. It extends across the whole of northern Asia and 40% of Europe, spanning nine time zones and incorporating a wide range of environments and landforms. Russia has the world's largest reserves of mineral and energy resources and is the largest producer of oil and natural gas globally. Russia has the world's largest forest reserves and its lakes contain approximately one-quarter of the world's fresh water.
wn.com/Russia -
Ruukki
Ruukki is a former municipality of Finland.
It is located in the province of Oulu and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The municipality had a population of 4,505 (31 December 2006) and covered an area of 772.58 square kilometres (298.29 sq mi) of which 5.79 km2 (2.24 sq mi) is water. The population density was 5.88 inhabitants per square kilometre (15.2 /sq mi).
The municipality was unilingually Finnish.
In 2007 municipality of Ruukki joined together with Siikajoki.
Media related to Ruukki at Wikimedia Commons
wn.com/Ruukki -
Seinäjoki
Seinäjoki is a city located in Southern Ostrobothnia, Finland. Seinäjoki originated around the Östermyra bruk iron and gunpowder factories founded in 1798. Seinäjoki became a municipality in 1868, market town in 1931 and town in 1960. In the beginning of 2009, the neighbouring municipalities of Nurmo and Ylistaro were consolidated with Seinäjoki.
The Town library, Lakeuden Risti church and central administrative buildings are designed by Alvar Aalto.
The asteroid 1521 Seinäjoki bears the town's name.
Seinäjoki was historically called Östermyra in Swedish. Today this name is very seldom used even among the Swedish speakers. Literal translation for Seinäjoki is "Wallriver".
Seinäjoki Airport is located in the neighbouring municipality of Ilmajoki, 11 kilometres (10 mi) south of Seinäjoki city centre.
The settlement spread in the area of the present Seinäjoki during the first half of the 16th century. During the 1550s there is said to have been three houses in Seinäjoki, Marttila, Jouppi and Uppa houses. House of Jouppila, which separated from the house of Jouppi, was established during the same century. All of the houses were located on the shore of the river.
wn.com/Seinäjoki -
Sievi
Sievi is a municipality of Finland.
It is located in the province of Oulu and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The municipality has a population of 5,279 (31 January 2012) and covers an area of 800.88 square kilometres (309.22 sq mi) of which 13.55 km2 (5.23 sq mi) is water. The population density is 6.7 inhabitants per square kilometre (17 /sq mi).
The municipality is unilingually Finnish.
Media related to Sievi at Wikimedia Commons
wn.com/Sievi -
Siikajoki
Siikajoki is a municipality of Finland. It is located in the province of Oulu and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The municipality has a population of 5,617 (31 January 2012) and covers an area of 1,653.96 square kilometres (638.60 sq mi) of which 601.94 km2 (232.41 sq mi) is water. The population density is 5.34 inhabitants per square kilometre (13.8 /sq mi). The municipality is unilingually Finnish.
The current municipality of Siikajoki consists of three previous municipalities of Paavola and Revonlahti, that were merged into the municipality of Ruukki in 1973, and the municipality of Siikajoki founded in 1868. The municipalities of Ruukki and Siikajoki were disbanded and replaced by the new municipality of Siikajoki on January 1, 2007.
Siikajoki is particularly famous for the legend-called
It is located at Kauppatie 20, 92320, Siikajoki, Keskikylä/siikasavontie
Opening hours: Mon 16-22 Tue-Thu 11-22 Fri-Sat 11-02
Media related to Siikajoki at Wikimedia Commons
wn.com/Siikajoki -
Siikalatva
Siikalatva is a municipality of Finland.
Siikalatva is located in the province of Oulu and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. It was created on January 1, 2009 when the municipalities of Kestilä, Piippola, Pulkkila and Rantsila were consolidated into a single municipality.
The municipality has a population of 6,070 (31 January 2012) and covers an area of 2,229.20 square kilometres (860.70 sq mi) of which 58.78 km2 (22.70 sq mi) is water. The population density is 2.8 inhabitants per square kilometre (7.3 /sq mi).
The municipality is unilingually Finnish.
Media related to Siikalatva at Wikimedia Commons
wn.com/Siikalatva -
Siófok
Siófok is a city in Hungary on the southern bank of Lake Balaton in Somogy County. The city is one of Hungary's most popular holiday destinations, famous for its beaches and nightlife. Siófok is one of the richest municipalities of Hungary due to tourism. Hungarians often call the town "the capital of Balaton", as it is the largest city on its shores and acts as the commercial and tourism hub of the region.
In Siófok, the channel Sió flows out of the lake.
Siófok is twinned with:
wn.com/Siófok -
Skien
Skien (help·info) is a city and municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Grenland. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Skien. Skien is also the administrative centre of Telemark county.
The municipality of Skien was established on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). The rural municipalities of Gjerpen and Solum were merged into the municipality of Skien on 1 January 1964.
The conurbation of Skien and Porsgrunn is considered by Statistics Norway to be the seventh largest city in Norway straddling an area of three municipalities: Skien municipality (about 52% of the population), Porsgrunn (35%), and Bamble (11.5%). The area is home to more than 90,000 people.
Skien was historically Norway's most important port town for shipping timber. The city was the birthplace and boyhood home of playwright Henrik Ibsen, and many of his famous dramas are set in in places reminiscent of 19th century Skien.
The Old Norse form of the name was Skiða (from the word skiða which means "straight plank"), and the town is probably named after a brook (with a straight run) with this name.
wn.com/Skien -
Stavanger
Stavanger (Norwegian pronunciation: [stɑˈʋɑŋər] (listen)) is a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway. Stavanger municipality has a population of 126,469. There are 197,852 people living in the Stavanger conurbation, making Stavanger the fourth largest city, but the third largest urban area, in Norway. Stavanger is the centre of the Stavanger metropolitan area, which has a population of 297,569, and the administrative centre of Rogaland county. The city is commonly referred to as the Petroleum Capital of Norway.
Despite its age, dating back at least to the Viking Age, Stavanger only grew to its position among the most important Norwegian cities in the second half of the 20th century, after oil was discovered in the North Sea. Today, the city is marked by noticeable foreign influences as a result of the presence of several major international oil companies. Stavanger also houses the NATO Joint Warfare Center.
Norway's oldest cathedral, Stavanger domkirke, is situated in the city centre, right next to Breiavatnet lake. The two most popular recreational areas are situated around lakes, namely Mosvatnet and Stokkavatnet.
wn.com/Stavanger -
Stockholm
Stockholm (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈstɔkːˈhɔlm, ˈstɔkːˈɔlm, ˈstɔkːɔlm]( listen to the second one)) is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 864,324 in the municipality (2010), 1.4 million in the urban area (2010), and around 2.1 million in the 6,519 km2 (2,517.00 sq mi) metropolitan area (2010). As of 2010, the Stockholm metropolitan area is home to approximately 22% of Sweden's population.
Founded no later than c. 1250, possibly as early as 1187, Stockholm has long been one of Sweden's cultural, media, political, and economic centres. Its strategic location on 14 islands on the south-central east coast of Sweden at the mouth of Lake Mälaren, by the Stockholm archipelago, has been historically important. Stockholm has been nominated by GaWC as a global city, with a ranking of Alpha-. In The 2008 Global Cities Index, Stockholm ranked 24th in the world, 10th in Europe, and first in Scandinavia. Stockholm is known for its beauty, its buildings and architecture, its abundant clean and open water, and its many parks. It is sometimes referred to as Venice of the North.
wn.com/Stockholm -
Sweden
Sweden (i/ˈswiːdən/ SWEE-dən; Swedish: Sverige [ˈsværjɛ] ( listen)), officially the Kingdom of Sweden (Swedish: Konungariket Sverige (help·info)), is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland, and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Øresund.
At 450,295 square kilometres (173,860 sq mi), Sweden is the third largest country in the European Union by area, with a total population of about 9.4 million. Sweden has a low population density of 21 inhabitants per square kilometre (54 /sq mi) with the population mostly concentrated to the southern half of the country. About 85% of the population live in urban areas. Sweden's capital city is Stockholm, which is also the largest city.
Sweden emerged as an independent and unified country during the Middle Ages. In the 17th century, the country expanded its territories to form the Swedish Empire. The empire grew to be one of the great powers of Europe in the 17th and early 18th century. Most of the conquered territories outside the Scandinavian Peninsula were lost during the 18th and 19th centuries. The eastern half of Sweden, present-day Finland, was lost to Russia in 1809. The last war in which Sweden was directly involved was in 1814, when Sweden by military means forced Norway into a personal union. Since then, Sweden has been at peace, practicing "non-participation in military alliances during peacetime and neutrality during wartime". However, Sweden has been a member of the European Union since 1 January 1995 and is a member of the OECD.
wn.com/Sweden -
Södertälje
Södertälje (Swedish pronunciation: [sœdəˈʈɛlːˈjə] ( listen)) is a city and the seat of Södertälje Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden with 64,619 inhabitants in 2010.
The industrial city, about 30 kilometers (19 mi) south of Stockholm, is the home to truck maker Scania AB and a top 10 pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca.
Södertälje is an international municipality and this fact is reflected in business, cultural life and the population.
Prior to 600 AD, the lake Mälaren was connected to the sea. Due to land elevation, the lake was slowly cut off, and boats had to be carried over land to and from the lake.
The name Telje is mentioned in the 11th century. To resolve a name conflict with another town that was founded north of Stockholm in the 17th century, Söder (meaning south) was added to create Södertälje; Norr (North) was added to the other to create Norrtälje.
In the 18th century Södertälje had a charter. Due to the Great Northern War and a series of plague epidemics, the population of the city dipped to barely above 200.
wn.com/Södertälje -
Taivalkoski
Taivalkoski is a municipality of Finland, it is located in the Province of Oulu and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region.
The municipality has a population of 4,407 (31 January 2012) and covers an area of 2,650.63 square kilometres (1,023.41 sq mi) of which 212.59 km2 (82.08 sq mi) is water. The population density is 1.81 inhabitants per square kilometre (4.7 /sq mi).
The municipality is unilingually Finnish.
Taivalkoski was the home of famous writer Kalle Päätalo and TV-comedian Pekka Jalava. Also world champion ski jumper Tapio Räisänen and ice hockey-player Joni Pitkänen were born in Taivalkoski.
The Iijoki River runs through the centre of the village.
Media related to Taivalkoski at Wikimedia Commons
wn.com/Taivalkoski -
Tampere
Tampere (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈtɑmpere] ( listen); Swedish: Tammerfors [tamərˈfɔrs] or [tamərˈfɔʂ]) is a city in southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of 215,315, growing to approximately 300,000 people in the conurbation and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in Finland, after the Greater Helsinki municipalities of Helsinki and Espoo. In 2007, the entire Pirkanmaa region had around 470,000 residents, of which 230,000 were employed, and a turnover of 25 billion euros.
Tampere is located between two lakes, Näsijärvi and Pyhäjärvi. Since the two lakes differ in level by 18 metres (59 ft), the rapids linking them, Tammerkoski, have been an important power source throughout history, most recently for generating electricity. Tampere is dubbed the "Manchester of Finland" for its industrial past as the former center of Finnish industry, and this has given rise to its Finnish nickname "Manse" and terms such as "Manserock".
wn.com/Tampere -
Temmes
Temmes is a former municipality in Northern Ostrobothnia in central western Finland. In 2000, the area had a population of 700. It is the birth place of the renowned Finnish folklorist and poet Martti Haavio. Since 2001, most parts of the area have been part of the municipality of Tyrnävä. Separate enclaves were merged to Liminka, Lumijoki and Rantsila. Villages in the area include Haapakylä, Haurukylä, Kärsämä, Temmes and Ylipää.
The Temmes area has had inhabitants since the Stone Age, when the area bordered an ocean. Population in the area became steady in the 14th century and the number of inhabitants increased in the 1550s, when Gustav I of Sweden ordered the wilderness to be populated. Settlement advanced by the Temmesjoki river. During the Greater Wrath, Temmes area was largely destroyed. During the Middle Ages and the beginning of modern times, the main trade was fishing. Agriculture began in the 18th century.
Media related to Temmes at Wikimedia Commons
wn.com/Temmes -
Tromsø
Tromsø (Norwegian pronunciation: [ˈtrʊmsø] (listen); Northern Sami: Romsa;Kven: Tromssa) is a city and municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Tromsø.
Tromsø city is the ninth largest urban area in Norway by population, and the seventh largest city in Norway by population. It is the largest city and the largest urban area in Northern Norway, and the second largest city and urban area in Sápmi (following Murmansk). Most of Tromsø, including the city centre, is located on the small island of Tromsøya in the county of Troms, 350 kilometres (217 mi) inside the arctic circle. Substantial parts of the urban area are also situated on the mainland to the east, and on parts of Kvaløya - a large island to the west. Tromsøya is connected to the mainland by the Tromsø Bridge and the Tromsøysund Tunnel, and to the island of Kvaløya by the Sandnessund Bridge. The city is warmer than most other places located on the same latitude, due to the warming effect of the Gulf Stream.
wn.com/Tromsø -
Trondheim
Trondheim (Norwegian pronunciation: [ˈtrɔnhæjm]), historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 176,348, it is the third most populous municipality in Norway and city in the country, although the fourth largest urban area. It is the administrative centre of Sør-Trøndelag county. Trondheim lies on the south shore of the Trondheimsfjord at the mouth of the river Nidelva. The city is dominated by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), SINTEF, St. Olavs University Hospital and other technology-oriented institutions.
The settlement was founded in 997 as a trading post, and was the capital of Norway during the Viking Age until 1217. From 1152 to 1537, the city was the seat of the Archdiocese of Nidaros; since it has remained the seat of the Diocese of Nidaros and the Nidaros Cathedral. It was incorporated in 1838. The current municipality dates from 1964, when Trondheim merged with Byneset, Leinstrand, Strinda and Tiller.
wn.com/Trondheim -
Turkansaari
Coordinates: 64°56′53″N 25°42′22″E / 64.948°N 25.706°E / 64.948; 25.706
Turkansaari is an island in Oulujoki river with an open air museum in Madekoski neighbourhood in Oulu, Finland. The museum is run by Northern Ostrobothnia museum.
Turkansaari island has been an ancient market place for Russian traders in Oulujoki river. The open-air museum was started out when the old church, from the year 1694, was restored on the island in 1922.
Every summer there is a tar kiln lit to produce tar in the traditional way.
Media related to Turkansaari at Wikimedia Commons
wn.com/Turkansaari -
Turkey
Turkey (Turkish: Türkiye), known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( Türkiye Cumhuriyeti (help·info)), is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia (mostly in the Anatolian peninsula) and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe. Turkey is bordered by eight countries: Bulgaria to the northwest; Greece to the west; Georgia to the northeast; Armenia, Azerbaijan (the exclave of Nakhchivan) and Iran to the east; and Iraq and Syria to the southeast. The Mediterranean Sea and Cyprus are to the south; the Aegean Sea is to the west; and the Black Sea is to the north. The Sea of Marmara, the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles (which together form the Turkish Straits) demarcate the boundary between East Thrace and Anatolia; they also separate Europe and Asia.
Turkey is one of the six independent Turkic states. The vast majority of the population are Muslims. The country's official language is Turkish, whereas Kurdish and Zazaki languages are spoken by Kurds and Zazas, who constitute 18% of the population.
wn.com/Turkey -
Turku
Turku (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈturku] ( listen); Swedish: Åbo [ˈoːbu] ( listen)) is a city on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River, in the region of Finland Proper. It is believed to have been first settled around the end of the 13th century, making it the oldest city in Finland. It quickly became the most important city in Finland, a status it retained for hundreds of years. After Finland became part of the Russian Empire (1809), and the capital of the Grand Duchy of Finland was moved to Helsinki (1812), Turku continued to be the most populous city in Finland, until the end of the 1840s. Today it remains a regional capital and an important business and cultural center.
Because of its long history it has been the site of many important events, and has extensively influenced Finnish history. Along with Tallinn, the capital city of Estonia, Turku was designated the European Capital of Culture for 2011. In 1996 it was declared the official Christmas City of Finland.
wn.com/Turku -
Tyrnävä
Tyrnävä is a municipality of Finland.
It is located in the province of Oulu and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The municipality has a population of 6,482 (31 January 2012) and covers an area of 494.89 square kilometres (191.08 sq mi) of which 3.07 km2 (1.19 sq mi) is water. The population density is 13.18 inhabitants per square kilometre (34.1 /sq mi).
The municipality is unilingually Finnish.
Media related to Tyrnävä at Wikimedia Commons
wn.com/Tyrnävä -
Täby
Täby is a trimunicipal locality and the seat of Täby Municipality in Stockholm County, Sweden, with 61,272 inhabitants in 2010. It is also partly located in Danderyd Municipality (the Enebyberg area) and Sollentuna Municipality. However, Täby kyrkby in the northern part of Täby Municipality, forms part of the Vallentuna urban area.
Täby consists of the following districts: Arninge, Ella Gård, Ella Park, Enebyberg, Ensta, Erikslund, Gribbylund, Hägernäs, Lahäll, Löttingelund, Lövbrunna, Näsbypark, Roslags Näsby, Skarpäng, Täby Centrum, Viggbyholm, Vallatorp, and Visinge.
Täby is famous for its racecourse, which is called "Täby Galopp". The course opened in 1960 and it replaced the earlier course Ulriksdal in Solna. The Center of Täby is called "Täby centrum", and it is the largest mall in Sweden.
European route E18 and Norrortsleden pass through Täby, as does the urban railway Roslagsbanan.
The name Täby is derived from tä, which is an old word that was used for "narrow road between roundpole fences", and by which means village. It is therefore believed that the Täby area was rich in such roads in the Viking age. The name Täby is found carved into the Jarlabanke Runestones, close to Täby church.
wn.com/Täby -
Ukraine
Ukraine (i/juːˈkreɪn/ yew-KRAYN; Ukrainian: Україна, transliterated: Ukrayina, [ukrɑˈjinɑ]; Russian: Украина; Crimean Tatar: Ukraina) is a country in Central and Eastern Europe. Ukraine borders the Russian Federation to the east and northeast, Belarus to the northwest, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary to the west, Romania and Moldova to the southwest, and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to the south and southeast, respectively. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after the Russian Federation.
According to a popular and well established theory, the medieval state of Kievan Rus was established by the Varangians in the 9th century as the first historically recorded East Slavic state which emerged as a powerful nation in the Middle Ages until it disintegrated in the 12th century. By the middle of the 14th century, Ukrainian territories were under the rule of three external powers—the Golden Horde, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and the Kingdom of Poland. After the Great Northern War (1700–1721) Ukraine was divided between a number of regional powers and, by the 19th century, the largest part of Ukraine was integrated into the Russian Empire with the rest under Austro-Hungarian control. A chaotic period of incessant warfare ensued, with several internationally recognized attempts at independence from 1917 to 1921, following World War I and the Russian Civil War. Ukraine emerged from its own civil war, and on December 30, 1922 Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic became one of the founding republics of the Soviet Union. The Ukrainian SSR's territory was enlarged westward during the civil war shortly before, and after World War II, and further south in 1954 with the Crimea transfer. In 1945, the Ukrainian SSR became one of the founding members of the United Nations.
wn.com/Ukraine -
Umeå
Umeå (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈʉːmɛo] ( listen); Finnish: Uumaja, Northern Sami: Ubmi) is a university town in northern Sweden. It is the seat of Umeå Municipality and the capital of Västerbotten County. The city is located at the Ume River.
Umeå is the biggest city in Norrland and the twelfth biggest in Sweden, with 79,594 inhabitants in 2010. The municipality has 115,229 inhabitants as of 2010. When the university was established in 1965, growth sped up, and the number of housing has doubled in the last 30 years. As of 2011[update], 700 to 800 new apartments are constructed each year.
Umeå is a center of education, technical and medical research in Sweden, with two universities and over 30,000 students. The city is elected European Capital of Culture of 2014.
The first written mention of Umeå is from the 14th century. The northern parts of Sweden, including the counties of Västerbotten and Norrbotten, were settled by Sami people before this time, though not necessarily in the city's exact location. Umeå in its first form was a parish with a wooden church and trade post located in the section of town now known as Backen (or Kyrkbacken). Its location near the coast and on a river was probably one of the reasons that people chose to settle there.
wn.com/Umeå -
Uppsala
Uppsala (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈɵpːˈsɑːla]; older spelling Upsala) is the capital of Uppsala County and the fourth largest city of Sweden. It had 140,454 inhabitants in 2010.
Located 67 km north of the capital, Stockholm, it is also the seat of the Uppsala Municipality. Since 1164, Uppsala has been the ecclesiastical centre of Sweden, being the seat of the Archbishop of the Church of Sweden. Founded in 1477, Uppsala University is the oldest centre of higher education in Scandinavia.
Uppsala was originally located a few kilometres to the north, at a location now known as Gamla Uppsala (Old Uppsala). Today's Uppsala was then called Östra Aros. (Old) Uppsala was, according to medieval writer Adam of Bremen, the main pagan centre of Sweden, and the Temple at Uppsala contained magnificent idols of the Æsir gods.
As a replacement for the Scandinavian gods, Uppsala was made into a strong Christian centre. A bishop was soon consecrated, and in 1164 Uppsala was made into an archdiocese, with Stefan, a monk from Alvastra Abbey, being consecrated the first Archbishop of Uppsala and primate of Sweden.
wn.com/Uppsala -
Utajärvi
Utajärvi is a municipality of Finland.
It is located in the province of Oulu and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The municipality has a population of 2,952 (31 January 2012) and covers an area of 1,736.70 square kilometres (670.54 sq mi) of which 65.55 km2 (25.31 sq mi) is water. The population density is 1.77 inhabitants per square kilometre (4.6 /sq mi). The municipality is unilingually Finnish.
The municipaly is probably best known of the moraine region of Rokua, which is a popular summer and sports resort.
The popular rockgroup 22-Pistepirkko was formed in Utajärvi in 1980.
Media related to Utajärvi at Wikimedia Commons
wn.com/Utajärvi -
Utsjoki
Utsjoki (Northern Sami: Ohcejohka, Inari Sami: Uccjuuhâ, Skolt Sami: Uccjokk) is a municipality in Finland. It is located in Lapland and borders Norway as well as the municipality of Inari. The municipality was founded in 1876. It has a population of 1,281 (31 January 2012) and covers an area of 5,371.78 square kilometres (2,074.06 sq mi) of which 227.51 km2 (87.84 sq mi) is water. The population density is 0.25 inhabitants per square kilometre (0.65 /sq mi).
Utsjoki has two official languages: Finnish and Northern Sami. It is the municipality in Finland with the largest portion of Sami speakers; 46.6% of the population.
The border to Norway follows the river Teno which flows into the Arctic Sea. The river is a popular site for recreational fishing because it is rich in salmon. The most northern village in Finland and in the European Union is Nuorgam which is also the most northern land border crossing in the world.
Utsjoki is the northern end of highway 4, the longest highway in Finland. The European route E75 runs along the Sami Bridge further to Norway.
wn.com/Utsjoki -
Vaasa
Vaasa (Swedish: Vasa) is a city on the west coast of Finland. It received its charter in 1606, during the reign of Charles IX of Sweden and is named after the Royal House of Vasa. Today, Vaasa has a population of 60,435 (31 January 2012) (approximately 90,000 in the Vaasa sub-region), and is the regional capital of Ostrobothnia (Swedish: Österbotten, Finnish: Pohjanmaa).
The city is bilingual with 69.8% of the population speaking Finnish as their first language and 24.8% speaking Swedish. The city is an important centre for Finland-Swedish culture.[citation needed]
Over the years, Vaasa has changed its name several times, due to alternative spellings, political decisions and language condition changes. At first it was called Mustasaari or Mussor after the village where it was founded in 1606, but just a few years later the name was changed to Wasa to honor the royal Swedish lineage. Mustasaari (Finnish) or Korsholm (Swedish) remains as the name of the surrounding mostly rural municipality, which since 1973 surrounds the city. The city was known as Wasa between 1606 and 1855, Nikolaistad (Swedish) and Nikolainkaupunki (Finnish) between 1855 and 1917, Vasa (Swedish) and Vaasa (Finnish) beginning from 1917, with the Finnish spelling of the name being the primary one from ca 1930 when Finnish speakers became the majority in the city.
wn.com/Vaasa -
Vihanti
Vihanti is a municipality of Finland.
It is located in the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The municipality has a population of 3,069 (31 January 2012) and covers an area of 489.64 square kilometres (189.05 sq mi) of which 4.93 km2 (1.90 sq mi) is water. The population density is 6.33 inhabitants per square kilometre (16.4 /sq mi).
Vihanti is home of the heavy rock band "Gobra". The original cast was all-Vihantian, but the current one includes also outsiders. The band has a rehearsal facilities in the Lampinsaari village.
The great dance hall in Mäntylampi was the biggest one in the whole province during the 1970s but is now used only couple of times per year. The Mäntylampi camping area has not been well kept.
The municipality is unilingually Finnish.
Media related to Vihanti at Wikimedia Commons
wn.com/Vihanti -
Västerås
Västerås [vɛstərˈoːs] (English exonym: West Aros) is a city in central Sweden, located on the shore of Lake Mälaren in the province Västmanland, some 100 km west of Stockholm. The city has a population of 110,877 inhabitants in 2010, out of the municipal total of 137,207 (2010).
Västerås is the seat of Västerås Municipality, the capital of Västmanland County and an episcopal see.
Västerås is one of the oldest cities in Sweden and Northern Europe. The name originates from Västra Aros, which refers to the river mouth of Svartån. The area has been populated since the Nordic Viking Age, before 1000 AD. In the beginning of the 11th century it was the second largest city in Sweden, and by the 12th century had become the seat of the bishop.
Anundshög is located just outside the City of Västerås. Anundshög is Sweden's largest burial mound. "Hög" is derived from the Old Norse word haugr meaning mound or barrow. It was built about 500 AD and is over 74 yards wide and is almost 10 yards high.
In the ensuing centuries a cathedral and a monastery were built. The first City Arms date from the end of the 13th century.
wn.com/Västerås -
Ylikiiminki
Ylikiiminki (Swedish: Överkiminge) is a former municipality of Finland. It was consolidated with the city of Oulu on 1 January 2009.
It was located in the province of Oulu and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The municipality had a population of 3,512 (31 December 2008) and covered a land area of 1,040.66 km2 (401.80 sq mi). The population density was 3.37 inhabitants per square kilometre (8.7 /sq mi). The municipality was unilingually Finnish.
Media related to Ylikiiminki at Wikimedia Commons
wn.com/Ylikiiminki -
Ylivieska
Ylivieska is a town and a municipality of Northern Ostrobothnia region, Finland. It has a population of 14,307 (31 January 2012), and it serves as the administrative centre for Kalajokilaakso and Pyhäjokilaakso, an area with about 90,000 inhabitants.
Ylivieska is also the commercial center of the Oulu South region, the southern part of the late Oulu province.
The closest cities near Ylivieska are Oulu (130 km/81 mi) and Kokkola (79 km/49 mi), the neighbouring municipalities are Oulainen, Haapavesi, Nivala, Sievi, Kalajoki, Alavieska and Merijärvi.
The municipality is unilingually Finnish.
Ylivieska is located in Northern Ostrobothnia about 130 kilometres (80 mi) south of the city of Oulu.
The town is characterized by the Kalajoki River, which runs SE–NW through the town centre. The agricultural and economical area of the Kalajoki river basin is known as Kalajokilaakso.
Ylivieska is situated along the Ostrobothnia railway, which leads from Helsinki the national capital to Rovaniemi in the north of the country. The railway was opened 1886 and it has had a significant role in the town's economical development.
wn.com/Ylivieska -
Örebro
Örebro [œrəˈbruː] is a city, the seat of Örebro Municipality and the capital of Örebro County in Sweden with 107,038 inhabitants in 2010.
Örebro received its Royal Charter and city privileges not later than 1404.
Örebro literally means a bridge over gravel banks, which is how the geography looks, with the stream Svartån draining into the lake Hjälmaren. The location became a natural seat of commerce in the (Scandinavian) medieval time, and is mentioned in print in the 13th century. Old buildings from the early days include the foundations of the city church, a building which has undergone several modifications. The natural center of the city is otherwise the magnificent Örebro Castle, situated on an islet in the Svartån, and dividing the town into a northern and a southern part. This castle was constructed during the stewardship of Birger Jarl during the early 13th century and then modified and enlarged during the reign of King Gustav Vasa in the 1560s.
Notable events in Örebro's history include the national diet meeting at Örebro in 1810, where Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte was elected crown prince of Sweden.
wn.com/Örebro
-
Alvar Aalto
Hugo Alvar Henrik Aalto (February 3, 1898, Kuortane – May 11, 1976, Helsinki) was a Finnish architect and designer. His work includes architecture, furniture, textiles and glassware. Aalto's early career runs in parallel with the rapid economic growth and industrialization of Finland during the first half of the twentieth century and many of his clients were industrialists; among these were the Ahlström-Gullichsen family. The span of his career, from the 1920s to the 1970s, is reflected in the styles of his work, ranging from Nordic Classicism of the early work, to a rational International Style Modernism during the 1930s to a more organic modernist style from the 1940s onwards. What is typical for his entire career, however, is a concern for design as a Gesamtkunstwerk, a total work of art; whereby he - together with his first wife Aino Aalto - would design not just the building, but give special treatments to the interior surfaces and design furniture, lamps, and furnishings and glassware. The Alvar Aalto Museum, designed by Aalto himself, is located in what is regarded as his home city Jyväskylä.
wn.com/Alvar_Aalto -
Carl Ludvig Engel
Carl Ludvig Engel, or Johann Carl Ludwig Engel (3 July 1778 – 4 May 1840), was a German architect known for his neoclassical (empire) style. He had a great impact on the architecture of Finland in the first part of the 19th century.
His most noted work can be found in Helsinki, which he helped rebuild. His works include the Senate Square and the buildings surrounding it. The buildings are Helsinki Cathedral, The Senate (now the Palace of the Council of State), the library and the main building of Helsinki University. The square is the monumental centre of Helsinki.
Carl Ludvig Engel was born in 1778 in Charlottenburg, Berlin, into a family of bricklayers. It was probably as a bricklayer apprentice that he first came in contact with his future profession as an architect. He trained at the Berlin Institute of Architecture after which he served in the Prussian building administration. The stagnation caused by Napoleon's victory over Prussia in 1806 forced him and other architects to find work abroad. In 1808 he applied for the position as town architect of Tallinn, Estonia. He got the job and this way he came into the vicinity of St. Petersburg and the Russian Empire. Finland was also close by and was soon to experience a new governmental phase as a Grand Duchy under Russian rule.
wn.com/Carl_Ludvig_Engel -
Charles IX of Sweden
Charles IX of Sweden also Carl, Swedish: Karl IX (4 October 1550 – 30 October 1611) was King of Sweden from 1604 until his death. He was the youngest son of King Gustav I of Sweden and his second wife, Margaret Leijonhufvud, brother of Eric XIV and John III, and uncle of Sigismund I/III, king of both Sweden and Poland. By his father's will he got, by way of appanage, the Duchy of Södermanland, which included the provinces of Närke and Värmland; but he did not come into actual possession of them till after the fall of Eric and the succession to the throne of John in 1568.
The Swedish kings Eric XIV (1560–68) and Charles IX (1604–1611) took their numbers according to a fictitious History of Sweden. This was actually the third Swedish king called Charles.
He came into the throne by championing the Protestant cause during the increasingly tense times of religious strife between competing sects of Christianity, where forcible conversion was considered a "best course", a period where the Catholics were growing increasingly belligerent— which, in just over a decade, would break out as the Thirty Years' War—as it had already caused the dynastic squabble rooted in religious freedom that deposed his nephew and brought him to rule as king of Sweden.
wn.com/Charles_IX_of_Sweden -
Joni Pitkänen
Joni Pitkänen (born September 19, 1983) is a Finnish professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Pitkänen started his pro hockey career in the Kärpät organization in the Finnish SM-liiga, and after three seasons there he crossed the Atlantic to play for the Philadelphia Flyers, who drafted him in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft with their first round draft pick (fourth overall). After a good opening season that saw Pitkänen cement his place on the team lineup, he played for the Philadelphia Phantoms during the 2004–05 NHL lockout when the team won the Calder Cup. When the NHL resumed in 2005, Pitkänen returned to the Flyers and became the team's top-scoring defenseman, recording 46 points in 58 games. However, he was hampered by injuries during the second half of the season.
When Joni Pitkänen came to the United States to play for the Philadelphia Flyers, he hardly spoke a word of English, so teammate and fellow Finn Sami Kapanen translated for him, and eventually taught him English.
wn.com/Joni_Pitkänen -
Kauko Röyhkä
Kauko Röyhkä, (born Jukka-Pekka Välimaa, 12 February 1959, Valkeakoski), is Finnish rock musician and author. Since early 1980s he has been one of the most foremost rock artists in Finland known especially as a strong lyricist.
Röyhkä lived his youth in Oulu and has later lived in Turku and Helsinki. His recording career began in 1980 with the debut album Steppaillen. Today he has recorded 23 full length albums. His most famous backing band has been Narttu that was together in various line-ups throughout the years 1980–1990. There has been many side projects including a band called 500 kg lihaa. In 2007 Röyhkä performed his songs with Mikkeli town string orchestra.
Röyhkä has studied literature and has got praise of his profound lyrics especially during late 1980s. Röyhkä is singer and guitarist. He has told that after he realized that he cannot learn to play similarly as his idols, he wanted to create his own style of playing. In public Röyhkä has been a slightly provocative figure. He managed to raise some fuss in the early 1990s by claiming to be satanist (later he explained that the statement was just an experiment with publicity). Some of the most well known songs by Röyhkä include "Lauralle", "Talo Meren Rannalla", "Paska Kaupunki" and "Paha Maa". Albums Maa on voimaa and Pikku enkeli found their way to Soundi magazine's list of alltime 50 greatest Finnish popular music albums.
wn.com/Kauko_Röyhkä -
Kyösti Kallio
Kyösti Kallio (Finnish pronunciation: [kyøsti kɑllio], April 10, 1873 – December 19, 1940) was the fourth President of Finland (1937–1940). He was a prominent leader of the Agrarian League, and served as Prime Minister four times and Speaker of the Parliament six times.
Kyösti (originally Gustaf) Kallio was born in Ylivieska, Finland. His father was a farmer and a prominent local politician.
Kallio served in the Diet of Finland 1904–1906 as a member of the Estate of the Peasantry. He joined the newly founded Agrarian Union (a farmers' party) in 1906 and became one of its prominent leaders. He became an Agrarian minister in the Senates of Oskari Tokoi, Pehr Evind Svinhufvud and Juho Kusti Paasikivi.
During the Civil War in Finland, he hid in Red-dominated Helsinki, because he was at least nominally on the White side and therefore a "class enemy"; he formed a new senate (government) in Helsinki after German troops had defeated the Reds in the city. Afterwards he became a moderate peace-maker and disapproved of retaliation against the Reds.
wn.com/Kyösti_Kallio -
Leevi Madetoja
Leevi Antti Madetoja (17 February 1887, Oulu – 6 October 1947, Helsinki) was a Finnish composer.
Born in Oulu, he was the son of Antti Madetoja and Anna Hyttinen. His father emigrated to the United States to earn money for the family, but died of tuberculosis by the Mississippi river, never having seen his son.
Madetoja studied music in Helsinki (1906–1910), Paris (1910–1911), Vienna and Berlin (1911–1912). In 1913, he married the writer Hilja Onerva Lehtinen (1882–1972), who wrote under the pseudonym L. Onerva.
His music is strongly influenced by the traditional music of his home region, Ostrobothnia. His three symphonies are based on the legacy of Sibelian and Russian romanticism, Gallic clarity and folk elements.
The sombre Symphony Nº 2 was written during the civil war and could be described as a war symphony. Another fine work written in the same year is the elegant piano piece Kuoleman Puutarha (Garden of Death), dedicated to his brother, who had died during the war. His finest works are considered the opera The Ostrobothnians, the Third Symphony, Comedy Overture, the ballet Okon Fuoko, and his songs for male choir. His inspiration slowly dried up, though a fully scored fourth symphony was reportedly lost when his briefcase was stolen at a Paris railroad station in 1938. He was planning a violin concerto at the time he died, aged 60, from exhaustion, overwork and heart disease.
wn.com/Leevi_Madetoja -
Martti Ahtisaari
Martti Oiva Kalevi Ahtisaari (pronounced [ˈmɑrtti ˈoiʋɑ ˈkɑleʋi ˈɑxtiˌsɑːri] ( listen); born 23 June 1937) is a Finnish politician, the tenth President of Finland (1994–2000), Nobel Peace Prize laureate and United Nations diplomat and mediator, noted for his international peace work.
Ahtisaari was a UN Special Envoy at the Kosovo status process negotiations, aimed at resolving a long-running dispute in Kosovo, which declared its independence from Serbia in 2008. In October 2008, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize "for his efforts on several continents and over more than three decades, to resolve international conflicts". The Nobel statement said that Ahtisaari has played a prominent role in resolving many conflicts in Namibia, Indonesia, Kosovo and Iraq, among other areas.
Martti Ahtisaari was born in Viipuri, Finland (now Vyborg, Russia). His father, Oiva Ahtisaari (whose grandfather Julius Marenius Adolfsen had emigrated with his parents to Finland in 1872 from Tistedalen in Southern Norway) took Finnish citizenship in 1929 and changed his surname from Adolfsen in 1937. The Continuation War (World War II) took Martti's father to the Eastern Front as an NCO army mechanic, while his mother, Tyyne, moved to Kuopio with her son to escape immediate danger from the war. Kuopio was where Ahtisaari spent most of his childhood, eventually attending the Kuopion Lyseo high school.
wn.com/Martti_Ahtisaari -
Matti Hautamäki
Matti Antero Hautamäki (born July 14, 1981 in Oulu) is a Finnish ski jumper.
Matti made his first ski-jumping attempts at the age of seven near his home town of Oulu. When his older brother Jussi and his friend Lauri Hakola moved to Kuopio, Matti followed them. At first it was quite difficult to be independent at the age of 16, but he got much help and support from his brother, with whom he was living at the time. The help of his new coach Pekka Niemelä, whom he met at the sports school in Kuopio, also quickly helped him advance. In the same year Matti had his first real successes and won medals at 1997 and 1999 Junior World Cups.
At the Four Hills Tournament in 2001–02 Hautamäki finished second, and in 2005 he won the Nordic Tournament for the second time after 2002, with four back-to-back victories. In the 2004–05 season he won six jumps in a row (including the pre-Olympic rehearsal in Pragelato, the four Nordic Tournament jumps, and the first jump in Planica) and thus matched the record for the most consecutive victories. (Janne Ahonen had six consecutive victories in the same season.) His jumps have been judged with the maximum score of 20 multiple times, and he is considered the best ski flier. From 2003 to 2005 he maintained the world record in ski flying of 231 meters. In March 2005 in Planica he even reached 235.5 m, but lost the world record in the same competition to Bjørn Einar Romøren, who achieved 239 m.
wn.com/Matti_Hautamäki -
Miika Tenkula
Miika Tenkula (6 March 1974 – 18 February 2009) was a Finnish heavy metal musician. He was the lead guitarist and the main songwriter for the band Sentenced until it disbanded. He was also the band's original vocalist from 1989 to late 1992.
Miika Tenkula was found dead on February 19, 2009 in his home. He had a serious drinking problem which escalated after Sentenced disbanded. Shortly after his death, the surviving members of Sentenced issued the following statement:
An autopsy revealed that he had suffered from a genetic heart condition, and suffered a heart attack at his home on February 18, 2009. Miika Tenkula is buried at the Kirkkosaari cemetery in Muhos, Finland.
wn.com/Miika_Tenkula -
Mika Nurmela
Mika Nurmela (born 26 December 1971, Oulu) is a Finnish footballer who plays as a midfielder for the Finnish Ykkönen club AC Oulu.
Nurmela has been capped 71 times for the Finnish national team, scoring four goals. He ended his international career in January 2008.
wn.com/Mika_Nurmela -
Mikael Granlund
Mikael Antero Granlund (born February 26, 1992) is a Finnish professional ice hockey centre who most recently played for HIFK of the Finnish SM-liiga. He was the ninth overall pick, selected by the Minnesota Wild, in the 2010 NHL Draft and is currently under contract with the Wild. He is the older brother of Markus Granlund, who was drafted by the Calgary Flames.
Granlund played junior ice hockey with Kärpät in 2007–08 and 2008–09, averaging greater than a point per game in both seasons, and was named a first-team All-Star by his junior A league in 2009. He gained his first professional experience late that season, making his debut with Kärpät's team in the SM-liiga on his 17th birthday. He played only two games before he became embroiled in a contract dispute with the team. Granlund and his agent alleged that the four year junior contract he signed with Kärpät in 2007 was invalid, because it failed to define what compensation he would get from the team, and that the team had altered the end date on his SM-liiga insurance application from April 2009 to April 2011 without his approval. The team admitted that mistakes were made, but that they were made in good faith as both the team and player wished to get him in their top team immediately.
wn.com/Mikael_Granlund -
Pekka Rinne
Pekka Rinne (born November 3, 1982) is a Finnish professional hockey goaltender who plays for the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Rinne was developed in Kärpät playing predominantly for their junior team between 2000–2003 and after that, for their men's team in championship-winning years 2004 and 2005, mostly as a backup of Niklas Bäckström.
Rinne was drafted 258th overall in the 8th round of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft by the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was signed by the Predators on August 23, 2005 and began his North American playing career with the Predators' top minor league affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League (AHL). Initially Rinne was slated to be the backup for Brian Finley, but Rinne became the starter as a consequence of Finley's poor play. In the summer of 2006, Rinne was "roughed up by a couple of unknown assailants"[citation needed] and during the fight he dislocated his shoulder. As a result, he had to have surgery and missed the first four months of the season.
wn.com/Pekka_Rinne -
Reijo Ruotsalainen
Reijo Ruotsalainen (born April 1, 1960) is a Finnish retired ice hockey defenceman. He was twice named Finland's top defenceman, and won two Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers, in 1987 and 1990.
Reijo Ruotsalainen started his career in Kärpät. From his early days, "Reksa" was recognized as a talented defenseman while playing for Kärpät Junior teams.
Kärpät, along with Ruotsalainen, got promoted to SM-liiga from 1. Divisioona for the 1977–78 season, and Ruotsalainen played 30 games and posted 23 points in his first SM-liiga season.
During the 1979–80 season, Ruotsalainen and Kärpät played in the SM-liiga Playoffs, but were eliminated from the Finals by HIFK. Kärpät, however, won the bronze medal series, 2-0, against TPS, and Ruotsalainen along with Kärpät got to enjoy their first medals in SM-liiga history.
The 1980–81 season proved to be a breakthrough for Ruotsalainen. Kärpät broke their way through to finals against Tappara. Before the fifth and decisive game, the series was tied 2 games to 2. After the first period, Tappara was leading 2-0 but Kärpät made a spectacular comeback and won the game 5-2.
wn.com/Reijo_Ruotsalainen -
Sentenced
Sentenced was a Finnish heavy metal band that played melodic death metal in their early years. The band formed in 1989, in the town of Muhos, Finland, and broke up in 2005.
Sentenced started in 1989 as Deformity and changed their name to Sentenced in 1989, after a few line-up changes. The original line-up consisted of Miika Tenkula (lead guitar and vocals), Sami Lopakka (guitar), Vesa Ranta (drums), and Lari Kylmänen (bass). They recorded two demo tapes: When Death Joins Us... in 1990 and Rotting Ways to Misery in 1991. The band actually got their very first record deal (with the French label Thrash Records) after their first demo.
In 1991, bassist Taneli Jarva joined the band, replacing Kylmänen just as the band was about to record their debut album, Shadows of the Past. At that time, their musical style was fast, typical European melodic death metal. In Spring 1992, they recorded a three-song promotional tape, Journey to Pohjola, and as a result got a deal with the Finnish Spinefarm Records.
wn.com/Sentenced
Send this Playlist by SMS
Email this Page
Oulu - Kaupunkielämää
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:07
- Updated: 24 Feb 2013
Oulu - Kaupunkielämää. Oulu - People and the City. Oulu - Kaupunkielämää on lyhytelokuva Oulusta, oululaisista ihimisistä ja elämästä kaupungissa. Kesto 3.07...
http://wn.com/Oulu_Kaupunkielämää
Oulu - Kaupunkielämää. Oulu - People and the City. Oulu - Kaupunkielämää on lyhytelokuva Oulusta, oululaisista ihimisistä ja elämästä kaupungissa. Kesto 3.07...
Banned Oulu city commercial
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:26
- Updated: 04 Mar 2013
A commercial for city of Oulu in Northern-Finland that was banned. The commercial introduces the culinary life of the city.
http://wn.com/Banned_Oulu_city_commercial
A commercial for city of Oulu in Northern-Finland that was banned. The commercial introduces the culinary life of the city.
- published: 17 Apr 2012
- views: 123853
- author: Culinary Oulu
Oulu - A State of Mind
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 10:28
- Updated: 05 Mar 2013
Oulu - A state of Mind is a warm-hearted short film of a vibrant, dynamic city and its people.
http://wn.com/Oulu_A_State_of_Mind
Oulu - A state of Mind is a warm-hearted short film of a vibrant, dynamic city and its people.
- published: 07 Aug 2009
- views: 22550
- author: CityofOulu
Road trip - Finland, Oulu
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 10:00
- Updated: 16 Feb 2013
Driving around in Oulu, in a sunny weather. Red lights a plenty, and some construction too. Roads: Hwy 4 / E75 / E8, Hwy 20, 847, Hwy 22 Speed: 200% Date: Ju...
http://wn.com/Road_trip_Finland,_Oulu
Driving around in Oulu, in a sunny weather. Red lights a plenty, and some construction too. Roads: Hwy 4 / E75 / E8, Hwy 20, 847, Hwy 22 Speed: 200% Date: Ju...
- published: 02 Jul 2010
- views: 3085
- author: C2S07
Study Abroad Oulu, Finland: vlog 1
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:10
- Updated: 17 Feb 2013
about 25 days before I leave for Oulu, Finland as an exchange student. I will be there until the end of July 2012. I know I don't seem excited in this video,...
http://wn.com/Study_Abroad_Oulu,_Finland_vlog_1
about 25 days before I leave for Oulu, Finland as an exchange student. I will be there until the end of July 2012. I know I don't seem excited in this video,...
- published: 09 Dec 2011
- views: 2737
- author: 03AngieLa
Oulu palaa - kaupunki joka katosi
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 58:01
- Updated: 03 Mar 2013
Dokumenttielokuva vuodelta 1997. Ohjaus ja käsikirjoitus: Mika Ronkainen. Kuvaus: Jukka Karjalainen. Elokuva on Ronkaisen ja Karjalaisen lopputyö Oulun käsi-...
http://wn.com/Oulu_palaa_kaupunki_joka_katosi
Dokumenttielokuva vuodelta 1997. Ohjaus ja käsikirjoitus: Mika Ronkainen. Kuvaus: Jukka Karjalainen. Elokuva on Ronkaisen ja Karjalaisen lopputyö Oulun käsi-...
- published: 16 Aug 2012
- views: 4714
- author: Mika Ronkainen
Peti - Oulu Shangri-la
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:15
- Updated: 07 Mar 2013
Kun hyvinvointivaltiota Oulussa me luodaan Dippainsinööritkin ne Intiasta tuodaan Hurahuhhahhei mistä halvimmalla saadaan Sillä niin me tehdään Oulustakin Sh...
http://wn.com/Peti_Oulu_Shangri-la
Kun hyvinvointivaltiota Oulussa me luodaan Dippainsinööritkin ne Intiasta tuodaan Hurahuhhahhei mistä halvimmalla saadaan Sillä niin me tehdään Oulustakin Sh...
- published: 29 Oct 2011
- views: 47466
- author: ViolentWire
Oulu -- Smart Cleantech City
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:26
- Updated: 09 Feb 2013
Älykäs asuminen ja liikenne, tulevaisuuden innovaatiot sekä vahva ja monipuolinen energiaosaaminen ovat cleantech-alan kärkeä Oulussa.
http://wn.com/Oulu_-_Smart_Cleantech_City
Älykäs asuminen ja liikenne, tulevaisuuden innovaatiot sekä vahva ja monipuolinen energiaosaaminen ovat cleantech-alan kärkeä Oulussa.
- published: 30 Jan 2013
- views: 1117
- author: CityofOulu
My hometown Oulu in 1970 - Kotikaupunkini Oulu
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:17
- Updated: 08 Feb 2013
Kuvasimme Oulua kirjeenvaihtokaverille Singaporeen. Filmiä ei koskaan lähetetty sinne. We filmed Oulu to our correspondence friend from Singapore. Film was n...
http://wn.com/My_hometown_Oulu_in_1970_Kotikaupunkini_Oulu
Kuvasimme Oulua kirjeenvaihtokaverille Singaporeen. Filmiä ei koskaan lähetetty sinne. We filmed Oulu to our correspondence friend from Singapore. Film was n...
- published: 19 Feb 2011
- views: 4822
- author: Movielunatic
Norwegian Air Shuttle takeoff from Oulu (EFOU) Full HD
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:05
- Updated: 03 Feb 2013
Norwegian Air Shuttle Boeing 737-800 taxing and taking off from Oulu Airport (EFOU) © 2012 Sami Räihä All rights reserved.
http://wn.com/Norwegian_Air_Shuttle_takeoff_from_Oulu_EFOU_Full_HD
Norwegian Air Shuttle Boeing 737-800 taxing and taking off from Oulu Airport (EFOU) © 2012 Sami Räihä All rights reserved.
- published: 09 Aug 2012
- views: 1357
- author: 1996sampsa
Look At Oulu - Finland
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:23
- Updated: 21 Feb 2013
Look At Oulu - Oulu City Tourist Office - www.visitoulu.fi.
http://wn.com/Look_At_Oulu_Finland
Look At Oulu - Oulu City Tourist Office - www.visitoulu.fi.
- published: 15 Jan 2010
- views: 22318
- author: CityofOulu
Summer Days in Oulu | Timelapse (Juha Kal)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:59
- Updated: 01 Mar 2013
Timelapse video of the best summer days in Oulu, Finland. 90 days in 3 minutes. Please watch in HD mode (720p). Enjoy! More pictures of Oulu, Finland: http:/...
http://wn.com/Summer_Days_in_Oulu_|_Timelapse_Juha_Kal
Timelapse video of the best summer days in Oulu, Finland. 90 days in 3 minutes. Please watch in HD mode (720p). Enjoy! More pictures of Oulu, Finland: http:/...
- published: 27 Jan 2013
- views: 4733
- author: Juha Kal
Oulu Rotuaari 1991
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 5:26
- Updated: 25 Feb 2013
Oulu palaa kaupunki joka katosiby Mika Ronkainen 4586 views; 1000. Watch Later My hometown Oulu in 2011 Kotikaupunkini Ouluby Movielunatic 1464 views; 423. Watch Later Look At Oulu Finlandby cityofoulu 22231 views; 151. Watch Later Oulu Rautasilta 1991by unclezeppy 2067 views; 853. Watch Later Oulun Amisvideo4by IGP84 38484 views; 141. Watch Later Oulu Uutislähetys nuorisomellakoista Kristalliyö v1990by Tori Polliisi 271 views; 1028. Watch Later Oulu A State of Mindby cityofoulu ...
http://wn.com/Oulu_Rotuaari_1991
Oulu palaa kaupunki joka katosiby Mika Ronkainen 4586 views; 1000. Watch Later My hometown Oulu in 2011 Kotikaupunkini Ouluby Movielunatic 1464 views; 423. Watch Later Look At Oulu Finlandby cityofoulu 22231 views; 151. Watch Later Oulu Rautasilta 1991by unclezeppy 2067 views; 853. Watch Later Oulun Amisvideo4by IGP84 38484 views; 141. Watch Later Oulu Uutislähetys nuorisomellakoista Kristalliyö v1990by Tori Polliisi 271 views; 1028. Watch Later Oulu A State of Mindby cityofoulu ...
- published: 14 Jun 2009
- views: 20415
- author: unclezeppy
Oulu Pohjantie 6.3.2013
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:08
- Updated: 07 Mar 2013
Tiesääkameran kuvia onnettomuuspaikan raivauksesta 6.3.2013 klo 14.10 - 18.00.
http://wn.com/Oulu_Pohjantie_632013
Tiesääkameran kuvia onnettomuuspaikan raivauksesta 6.3.2013 klo 14.10 - 18.00.
- published: 07 Mar 2013
- views: 1
- author: TheEastTours
Kotikutoset - Oulu-laulu
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:41
- Updated: 05 Mar 2013
http://www.myspace.com/kotikutoset http://www.pohjonenproductions.com/ Videokuvaaja, leikkaaja: Ville Pohjonen Ohjaus: Ville Pohjonen ja Kotikutoset Käsikirj...
http://wn.com/Kotikutoset_Oulu-laulu
http://www.myspace.com/kotikutoset http://www.pohjonenproductions.com/ Videokuvaaja, leikkaaja: Ville Pohjonen Ohjaus: Ville Pohjonen ja Kotikutoset Käsikirj...
- published: 27 Nov 2012
- views: 13626
- author: ThePohjonen
Erotiikan aika Oulu
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:50
- Updated: 29 Nov 2012
Erotiikan Aika on uusi liike keskellä Oulua. Pohjois- Suomen suurin liike, laajin valikoima ja ammattitaitoinen palvelu takaavat sen että jokainen saa haluam...
http://wn.com/Erotiikan_aika_Oulu
Erotiikan Aika on uusi liike keskellä Oulua. Pohjois- Suomen suurin liike, laajin valikoima ja ammattitaitoinen palvelu takaavat sen että jokainen saa haluam...
- published: 29 Nov 2012
- views: 509
- author: Fonecta03
![Awsome fireworks of new year 2013 Oulu, Finland [HD]](http://web.archive.org./web/20130308005454im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/4JOxR3dCkbM/default.jpg "Awsome fireworks of new year 2013 Oulu, Finland [HD]")
Awsome fireworks of new year 2013 Oulu, Finland [HD]
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 5:15
- Updated: 03 Jan 2013
fireworks of Oulu city in new year 2012-2013 at baseball stadium.
http://wn.com/Awsome_fireworks_of_new_year_2013_Oulu,_Finland_HD_
fireworks of Oulu city in new year 2012-2013 at baseball stadium.
- published: 01 Jan 2013
- views: 353
- author: 1996sampsa
Faces of Oulu
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:42
- Updated: 20 Jan 2013
People Behind the Intelligence.
http://wn.com/Faces_of_Oulu
New Year Eve Oulu 2013 Full Fireworks Must Watch
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 6:02
- Updated: 04 Jan 2013
Oulu is welcoming 2013 with great fireworks. This is full almost six minutes show with no cut. You can hear people cheers with attractive playback music. I a...
http://wn.com/New_Year_Eve_Oulu_2013_Full_Fireworks_Must_Watch
Oulu is welcoming 2013 with great fireworks. This is full almost six minutes show with no cut. You can hear people cheers with attractive playback music. I a...
- published: 31 Dec 2012
- views: 253
- author: Imran Khalid
Crazy Ice Hole Swimming in Oulu, Finland
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:00
- Updated: 13 Feb 2013
I went to Finland and they have this crazy costume/tradition of swimming in a frozen lake/river. At first I thought it was just insane....I am from Costa Ric...
http://wn.com/Crazy_Ice_Hole_Swimming_in_Oulu,_Finland
I went to Finland and they have this crazy costume/tradition of swimming in a frozen lake/river. At first I thought it was just insane....I am from Costa Ric...
- published: 16 Mar 2012
- views: 3589
- author: Federico Herrera
OULU - Finland - My Trips (Giorgio Blasco)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 8:21
- Updated: 31 Jan 2013
Oulu - Finland - Oulu Music Academy - Giorgio Blasco - Trips.
http://wn.com/OULU_Finland_My_Trips_Giorgio_Blasco
Oulu - Finland - Oulu Music Academy - Giorgio Blasco - Trips.
- published: 03 Jun 2012
- views: 198
- author: Giorgio Blasco
Kreator - Extreme Aggression & People of the Lie @ Teatria, Oulu
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 8:08
- Updated: 28 Jan 2013
Club Teatria, Oulu, Finland, 8.12.2012.
http://wn.com/Kreator_Extreme_Aggression_People_of_the_Lie_@_Teatria,_Oulu
photo: AP / David Guttenfelder
07 Mar 2013
Posted. March 7, 2013. North Korea threatened a preemptive nuclear attack against the United States ahead of an upcoming vote on additional UN sanctions against Pyongyang. The country also accused the United States of performing military drills in South Korea as a launching pad for nuclear war. North Korea adds that it plans to scrap the armistice that ended Korean War hostilities ... The statement read. ... Category. Asia. Tags ... Posted ... ....(size: 2.5Kb)
photo: AP / Aaron Favila
05 Mar 2013
Manila. Members of a major Philippine Muslim rebel force who were meant to have disarmed in the 1990s as part of a peace pact are involved in deadly battles in Malaysia, the group’s leader said on Tuesday. Nur Misuari, who founded the Moro National Liberation Front in the late 1960s, confirmed “freedom fighters” from his group were part of the militia sent by a self-proclaimed sultan to claim the Malaysian state of Sabah....(size: 2.6Kb)
photo: AP / Bullit Marquez
07 Mar 2013
The conflict has wreaked political havoc for both Malaysia and the neighboring Philippines ... Ismail said at least 52 Filipinos have now been killed in the past week since hostilities in the Sabah security crisis escalated ... World news....(size: 1.3Kb)
photo: AP / Andrew Medichini
07 Mar 2013
Former Italian former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has been sentenced to a year in prison over the publication of leaked transcripts from a police wiretap in one of his newspapers. Mr Berlusconi, who faces two more verdicts this month for tax fraud and having sex with an underage prostitute, can appeal the conviction and so doing suspend the sentence under Italian law ... ....(size: 1.7Kb)
photo: AP / Ariel Schalit
07 Mar 2013
9.58 PM. The U.N. is demanding the immediate release of 21 peacekeepers seized by members of the Syrian opposition in the disputed Golan Heights area between Syria and Israel. Here's a statement from U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon. ... "The Secretary-General reminds all actors in Syria that UNDOF is mandated to monitor the Disengagement of Forces Agreement between Israel and Syria ... The U.N ... A U.N ... Here's more from The New York Times. ... U.N ... ....(size: 4.0Kb)
noodls
06 Mar 2013
(Source. FINAVIA Oyj) 6.3.2013. This year, Finavia, responsible for airport and air navigation services in Finland, will highlight security check matters to an even greater extent to make airport security check lines as smooth as possible. "Security checks are a compulsory part of modern air travel ... Passenger opinions are important ... Recently, Finavia has upgraded its security checkpoints at Helsinki Airport, Oulu, Turku and Vaasa....(size: 2.5Kb)
noodls
06 Mar 2013
(Source. Lappeenranta University of Technology). Lappeenranta University of Technology (LUT) and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland launched the PuMi research project, which develops water treatment technology for the needs of the mining industry ... Water is needed at many stages of the mine's production process ... ... For more information. ... VTT's main branches are located in Espoo, Tampere, Oulu and Jyväskylä. distributed by....(size: 4.1Kb)
noodls
05 Mar 2013
(Source. Helsinki-Vantaa Airport). The free online access provided by Finavia at Helsinki Airport increases in popularity every year ... Compared to the figures in January 2009, the increase is even more extensive ... Helsinki Airport, Helsinki-Malmi, Ivalo, Joensuu, Jyväskylä, Kajaani, Kemi-Tornio, Kittilä, Kokkola-Pietarsaari, Kuopio, Kuusamo, Lappeenranta, Mariehamn, Oulu, Pori, Rovaniemi, Savonlinna, Tampere-Pirkkala, Turku, and Vaasa....(size: 3.3Kb)
noodls
05 Mar 2013
(Source. FINAVIA Oyj) 5.3.2013. The free online access provided by Finavia at Helsinki Airport increases in popularity every year ... Compared to the figures in January 2009, the increase is even more extensive ... Helsinki Airport, Helsinki-Malmi, Ivalo, Joensuu, Jyväskylä, Kajaani, Kemi-Tornio, Kittilä, Kokkola-Pietarsaari, Kuopio, Kuusamo, Lappeenranta, Malmi, Mariehamn, Oulu, Pori, Rovaniemi, Savonlinna, Tampere-Pirkkala, Turku, and Vaasa....(size: 3.3Kb)
noodls
04 Mar 2013
(Source. JAIF - Japan Atomic Industrial Forum Inc). 4 March, 2013 Toshiba Invited for Direct Negotiations on Finnish Nuclear Power Plant, with. Midsized Option Being Considered ... 1,800MW), which it plans to build in Pyhäjoki in Oulu province. Toshiba also made a similar announcement. In January, Areva of France and Toshiba had submitted final updates to their commercial bids ... Editor ... ©....(size: 1.8Kb)
The Times of India
03 Mar 2013
Several experts from India and abroad Eminent persons including S R Vijayshrenivas, director of the college, Yves Ducq, professor in University of Bordeaux, Matti Muhos, research director, Northern Research and Innovation Platform, University of Oulu, Finland, Rika Hadiguna, Andalas University, James E Yao, Professor, School of Business, Montclair ......(size: 7.9Kb)
noodls
01 Mar 2013
(Source. Byggmax Group AB) Byggmax opens in Kangasala in the summer of 2013. Byggmax opens its 10th store in Finland in the summer ... Last year Byggmax opened a store in Oulu ... Byggmax current stores in Finland are located in Jyväskylä, Lahti, Pori, Porvoo, Raisio, Turku, Oulu, Vaasa and Vantaa....(size: 1.3Kb)
Fox News
01 Mar 2013
American parents may think they’ve got the naptime drill down, ensuring that their infant is on her back with no loose covers or pillows, possibly in a sleep sack if it’s chilly ... fresh air, even in winter ... The optimal outdoor temp is 23 degrees Fahrenheit, according to Marjo Tourula, a research coordinator at the University of Oulu in Finland who wrote her thesis on children sleeping outdoors ... ....(size: 2.0Kb)
noodls
01 Mar 2013
(Source. Bank of Finland). Page Content. Association for Teachers of History and Social Studies in Finland. Bank of Finland. Federation of Finnish Financial Services. Antti Luukkanen from Helsingin normaalilyseo lukio school, Helsinki won the Economic Guru 2013 competition designed for senior high school pupils ... The final competition consisted of a written and an oral round ... • Jere Huovinen, Kastellin lukio, Oulu ... +358 10 831 2689....(size: 3.8Kb)
noodls
28 Feb 2013
(Source. Ixonos Oyj) ... A year of change behind us - Renewal continues in 2013. The financial period in brief. - Turnover for the financial period was EUR 56.9 million (2011. EUR 81.4 million), a change of −30.2 per cent ... EUR 0.06) ... EUR −0.01) ... Finnish customers include Dimcos, Elisa, Fonecta, Kone, Kuntien Tiera, Numpac, OP-Pohjola, the cities of Oulu, Tampere, Lahti and Turku, TeliaSonera, Neste Oil, Sanoma Pro and the Ministry of Finance ... D....(size: 45.1Kb)
noodls
27 Feb 2013
(Source. Tampere University of Technology). 27.02.2013 9.32 Digital image acquisition is an intricate process and subject to various errors. The doctoral dissertation of MA Markku Mäkitalo explores methods for removing or reducing image noise without compromising other characteristics ... The opponents will be Professor Rebecca Willett (Duke University) and Professor Janne Heikkilä (University of Oulu) ... Further information. ... Naukkarinen Anna....(size: 3.4Kb)
noodls
25 Feb 2013
The Tornado Moscow Region players celebrate the successful EWCC title defence in Oulu ... OULU, Finland - Tornado Moscow Region won its third European Women's Champions Cup in four years, sweeping the opposition to capture its second consecutive trophy. The women from Dmitrov in the Moscow Region defeated the ZSC Lions Zurich, MODO Örnsköldsvik, and hosts Kärpät Oulu in the round-robin final to earn the right to hoist the Champions Cup....(size: 3.3Kb)
Joy Online
25 Feb 2013
FIFA is investigating Zambian officials over allegations they allowed eight players banned for match-fixing in a notorious case in Finland to return to football without permission ... Seven players from RoPS team in Rovaniemi and two from AC Oulu were linked to taking bribes from Singaporean fixer Wilson Raj Perumal to help Asian organized criminals arrange betting coups ... ....(size: 2.3Kb)
For other uses, see Oulu (disambiguation).
| Oulu | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| — City — | |||
| Oulun kaupunki | |||
 |
|||
|
|||
 |
|||
| Coordinates: 65°01′N 025°28′E / 65.017°N 25.467°E / 65.017; 25.467Coordinates: 65°01′N 025°28′E / 65.017°N 25.467°E / 65.017; 25.467 | |||
| Country | Finland | ||
| Region | Northern Ostrobothnia | ||
| Sub-region | Oulu sub-region | ||
| Charter | 1605-04-08 | ||
| Government | |||
| • City manager | Matti Pennanen | ||
| Area(2011-01-01)[1] | |||
| • Total | 1,513.37 km2 (584.32 sq mi) | ||
| • Land | 1,410.17 km2 (544.47 sq mi) | ||
| • Water | 103.2 km2 (39.8 sq mi) | ||
| Area rank | 67th largest in Finland | ||
| Population (2012-01-31)[2] | |||
| • Total | 143,988 | ||
| • Rank | 6th largest in Finland | ||
| • Density | 102.11/km2 (264.5/sq mi) | ||
| Population by native language[3] | |||
| • Finnish | 97.3% (official) | ||
| • Swedish | 0.2% | ||
| • Others | 2.4% | ||
| Population by age[4] | |||
| • 0 to 14 | 17% | ||
| • 15 to 64 | 70.5% | ||
| • 65 or older | 12.5% | ||
| Time zone | EET (UTC+2) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | EEST (UTC+3) | ||
| Municipal tax rate[5] | 19% | ||
| Website | www.ouka.fi | ||
Oulu (pronounced [ˈoulu] ( listen), Swedish: Uleåborg [ˈʉːleɔˌbɔrj]) is a city and municipality of 143,988 inhabitants (31 January 2012)[2] in the region of Northern Ostrobothnia, in Finland. It is the most populous city in Northern Finland and the sixth most populous city in the country. It is one of the northernmost larger cities in the world.
Contents |
History[link]
 |
This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability. |
Oulu was founded on April 8, 1605, by King Charles IX of Sweden opposite to the fort built on the island of Linnansaari. This took place after favourable peace settlements with the Russians, which removed the threat of attack via the main east-west waterway, the river Oulu. The surrounding areas were populated much earlier. Oulu is situated by the Gulf of Bothnia, at the mouth of river Oulujoki, which is an ancient trading site. One possible source for the name Oulu is a word in the Sami language meaning 'flood water', but there are other suggestions. Oulu was the capital of the Province of Oulu from 1776 to 2009.
In 1822, a major fire destroyed much of the city. The architect Carl Ludvig Engel, chiefly known for the neoclassical (empire style) buildings around Helsinki Senate Square, was enlisted to provide the plan for the rebuilding of the city. With minor changes, this plan remains the basis for the layout of Oulu's town center. The Oulu Cathedral was built in 1832 to his designs, with the spire being finished in 1844.
Once known for wood tar and salmon, Oulu has evolved into a major high-tech centre, particularly in IT and wellness technology. Other prominent industries include wood refining, paper, and steel. The University of Oulu is located six kilometres north of the city center. The Oulu Airport, located in the neighboring municipality of Oulunsalo, is the second busiest in Finland.
The municipality of Ylikiiminki was merged with the city of Oulu on January 1, 2009. Oulu and the municipalities of Haukipudas, Kiiminki, Oulunsalo and Yli-Ii will be merged on January 1, 2013.[6]
Name[link]
The city is named after the river Oulujoki, which originates in the lake Oulujärvi. There have been a number of theories for the origin of the name Oulu. At minimum, the structure of the word requires that if originally given by speakers of a Uralic language, the name must be a derivative. In all likelihood it also predates Finnish settlement and is thus a loanword from one of the now-extinct Saami languages once spoken in the area.
The most probable theory is that the name derives from the Finnish dialectal word oulu, meaning "floodwater", which is related to e.g. Southern Saami åulo, meaning "melted snow", åulot meaning "thaw" (of unknown ultimate origin). Two other word families have also been speculated to be related. The first is seen in the Northern Savo dialectal word uula and its Saami counterpart oalli, both meaning "river channel". The second is the Uralic root reconstructed as *uwa, meaning "river bed" (reflected as vuo in modern Finnish, also in derivatives such as vuolas "heavy-flowing"). To either of these roots, some Saami variety would have to be assumed having added further derivational suffixes.[7]
Geography[link]
Climate[link]
Oulu has a subarctic climate with cold, snowy winters and short, warm summers. Average annual temperature is 2 °C (36 °F). The average annual precipitation is 433 mm (17.05 in) falling on 98 days a year, mostly in late summer and fall.
| Climate data for Oulu, Finland | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | −6 (21) |
−5.7 (21.7) |
−0.9 (30.4) |
5.6 (42.1) |
12.5 (54.5) |
17.9 (64.2) |
21.1 (70.0) |
18.5 (65.3) |
12.5 (54.5) |
5.8 (42.4) |
−0.4 (31.3) |
−4 (25) |
6.4 (43.5) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −9.6 (14.7) |
−9.3 (15.3) |
−4.8 (23.4) |
1.4 (34.5) |
7.8 (46.0) |
13.5 (56.3) |
16.8 (62.2) |
14.3 (57.7) |
8.9 (48.0) |
3.3 (37.9) |
−2.8 (27.0) |
−8.2 (17.2) |
2.61 (36.69) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −15.4 (4.3) |
−14.7 (5.5) |
−10.1 (13.8) |
−3.4 (25.9) |
2.8 (37.0) |
8.8 (47.8) |
11.4 (52.5) |
9.5 (49.1) |
4.9 (40.8) |
0.3 (32.5) |
−5.9 (21.4) |
−12.1 (10.2) |
−1.99 (28.41) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 26 (1.02) |
21 (0.83) |
23 (0.91) |
19 (0.75) |
30 (1.18) |
43 (1.69) |
57 (2.24) |
65 (2.56) |
48 (1.89) |
42 (1.65) |
31 (1.22) |
28 (1.1) |
433 (17.05) |
| Avg. precipitation days | 8 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 98 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 18.6 | 65.0 | 127.1 | 189.0 | 266.6 | 288.0 | 285.2 | 204.6 | 126.0 | 74.4 | 27.0 | 6.2 | 1,677.7 |
| Source: Hong Kong Observatory,[8] | |||||||||||||
Culture[link]
The best known cultural exports of the city of Oulu are Air Guitar World Championships, Mieskuoro Huutajat (also known as Screaming Men), and the now defunct metal band Sentenced.
There are many artists, writers and musicians resident in the city. A variety of concerts, both rock, classical music, and jazz, as well as other cultural events take place each year; for example, Oulu Music Video Festival – the host of the Air Guitar World Championships and Musixine Music Film Competition – in August, annual rock festival Qstock in July, the Oulu Music Festival in winter, the Oulunsalo Music Festival in summer, The Irish Festival of Oulu in October and the International Children's Film Festival in November. Kalmah is a melodic death metal-band from Oulu that formed in 1998.
Notable people from Oulu[link]
- Leevi Madetoja composer
- Three former Presidents of the country, Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg, Kyösti Kallio and Martti Ahtisaari.
- Black metal band Impaled Nazarene.
- Hard rock band Sentenced.
- Miika Tenkula metal musician
- Kauko Röyhkä author and rock musician
- Matti Hautamäki ski jumper
- Ice hockey players, Pekka Rinne, Mikael Granlund, Joni Pitkänen and Reijo Ruotsalainen.
- Football players, Antti Niemi and Mika Nurmela.
Sights[link]
- Tietomaa, a science center with over 150 exhibits
- Ainola Park, formerly a university botanical garden before the university was moved to Linnanmaa
- The Rapids Center, the area in the estuary of the Oulu river consisting of small islands connected with bridges, fountains in the middle of the river, and including a housing area of building blocks planned by Alvar Aalto
- The Rotuaari pedestrian street
- The Market Square with the City Library, the City Theatre and old salt and tar storehouses
- Mannerheim Park
- The Oulu Cathedral
- Hupisaaret, a large park area located in the estuary of the Oulu river
- The F. M. Franzen memorial
- The Northern Ostrobothnia museum
- The Pateniemi Sawmill Museum
- The Vehicle Museum
- The University of Oulu Botanical Gardens (situated in Linnanmaa)
- The Oulu Art Museum
- The Arctic Gallery
- Technopolis, the technology village
- Turkansaari (historical open-air museum)
Other points of interest[link]
- Oulu Music Video Festival
- Air Guitar World Championships
- Qstock Rock Festival (website)
- Jalometalli Metal Music Festival
- Jalometalli Winterfest
- Madetoja Hall, housing the Oulu Music Centre (website) the residence of the Oulu Symphony Orchestra
- Oulu Hall (a large indoor sports facility consisting of a low dome, which looks somewhat like a landed flying saucer)
- Terwa Marathon & Run event in late May (since 1989)
- The Terva-skiing event in early March (since 1889)
- The Winter Swimming World Championship
Education[link]
The University of Oulu and Oulu University of Applied Sciences (formerly Oulu Polytechnic) are located in Oulu.
Oulu is home to the most northerly architecture school in the world. The school is best known for its strong regionalistic ideas for developing architecture. This movement is named "the Oulu school" ("Oulun koulu") of architecture.[citation needed]
Transportation[link]
Oulu is served by Oulu Airport, the second largest airport in Finland by passenger volume. It is located in the neighbouring municipality of Oulunsalo, 15 kilometres (9 mi) from the city centre.
The Port of Oulu is one of the busiest harbours on the Bothnian Bay. It includes four separate harbour areas: Vihreäsaari oil and bulk docks, Nuottasaari docks, Oritkari docks, and the Toppila docks.
The shortest travel time from Oulu railway station to Helsinki Central railway station is 5 h 44 mins, operated by VR. Other destinations include, for instance, Kolari, Rovaniemi, Seinäjoki and Tampere.
The most important road in Oulu is highway 4 (E8/E75) that runs from Helsinki to Utsjoki via Lahti, Jyväskylä, Oulu, Kemi and Rovaniemi. Other highways running to and from Oulu are highway 20 to Kuusamo and highway 22 to Kajaani.[9]
Employment[link]
As of December 31, 2005, the active working population was employed as follows:[10]
| Industries | Working population |
|---|---|
| Services | 36,616 |
| Industry | 11,439 |
| Commerce | 9,394 |
| Construction | 4,659 |
| Transport | 4,469 |
| Farming and forestry | 471 |
| Unknown | 1,200 |
| Total | 68,248 |
In 2008, the most important employers were:[10]
| Employer | No. of employees |
|---|---|
| City of Oulu | 9,760 |
| Northern Ostrobothnia Hospital District | 5,546 |
| Nokia Group | 4,700 |
| University of Oulu | 3,050 |
| The Oulu Region Joint Authority for Education | 1,651 |
| Stora Enso Group | 1,155 |
| Kesko Group | 1,054 |
| Itella Corporation | 920 |
| Cooperative Arina Group (S Group) | 830 |
| Deaconesses' Institution | 694 |
Sports[link]
Ice hockey is the most popular spectator sport in Oulu. The local club Kärpät have won the SM-liiga championship title five times (1981, 2004, 2005, 2007, and 2008). They have also been the runner-up in the IIHF European Champions Cup twice, in 2005 and 2006.
In football AC Oulu and OPS are playing in Ykkönen, the second tier of Finnish league system. Up to date only OPS have claimed Finnish football championship by winning Mestaruussarja twice in 1979 and 1980.
Oulu has two well known bandy clubs. OLS which has become Finnish champions 14 times, and OPS with their 7 championships. Currently only OLS is playing in Bandyliiga, the top level in Finnish bandy. In 2001 the city was the main venue for the Bandy World Championships.
Terwa Marathon & Run is an annual event run in late May (since 1989).
International relations[link]
Twin towns — Sister cities[link]
|
Friendship cities[link]
Sendai, Japan (since 2005)
International municipal projects[link]
The educational department takes part in Lifelong Learning Programme 2007–2013 in Finland.
See also[link]
References[link]
- ^ "Area by municipality as of 1 January 2011" (in Finnish and Swedish) (PDF). Land Survey of Finland. http://www.maanmittauslaitos.fi/sites/default/files/pinta-alat_2011_kunnannimenmukaan.xls. Retrieved 9 March 2011.
- ^ a b "Population by municipality as of 31 January 2012" (in Finnish and Swedish). Population Information System. Population Register Center of Finland. http://vrk.fi/default.aspx?docid=5919&site=3&id=0. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
- ^ "Population according to language and the number of foreigners and land area km2 by area as of 31 December 2008". Statistics Finland's PX-Web databases. Statistics Finland. http://pxweb2.stat.fi/Dialog/varval.asp?ma=060_vaerak_tau_107_fi&ti=V%E4est%F6+kielen+mukaan+sek%E4+ulkomaan+kansalaisten+m%E4%E4r%E4+ja+maa%2Dpinta%2Dala+alueittain++1980+%2D+2008&path=../Database/StatFin/vrm/vaerak/&lang=3&multilang=fi. Retrieved 29 March 2009.
- ^ "Population according to age and gender by area as of 31 December 2008". Statistics Finland's PX-Web databases. Statistics Finland. http://pxweb2.stat.fi/Dialog/varval.asp?ma=050_vaerak_tau_104_fi&ti=V%E4est%F6+i%E4n+%281%2Dv%2E%29+ja+sukupuolen+mukaan+alueittain+1980+%2D+2008&path=../Database/StatFin/vrm/vaerak/&lang=3&multilang=fi. Retrieved 28 April 2009.
- ^ "List of municipal and parish tax rates in 2011". Tax Administration of Finland. 29 November 2010. http://www.vero.fi/nc/doc/download.asp?id=7996;193801. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
- ^ "Uusi Oulu [New Oulu]" (in Finnish). Oulu: City of Oulu. 9 September 2011. http://www.ouka.fi/uusioulu/. Retrieved 19 September 2011.
- ^ "Oulu-nimen etymologia". Scripta.kotus.fi. http://scripta.kotus.fi/www/verkkojulkaisut/julk125/oulunsalo/oulun_etymologia.shtml. Retrieved 2011-09-16.
- ^ "Climatological Information for Oulu, Finland". Hong Kong Observatory. http://www.weather.gov.hk/wxinfo/climat/world/eng/europe/n_europe/oulu_e.htm.
- ^ AffectoGenimap Finland Oy (2006). Autoilijan Tiekartta 2007 – Road map (Map). 1:800,000. ISBN 978-951-593-047-7.
- ^ a b "Business and industry". Information about Oulu. Oulu: City of Oulu. 2008-09-15. http://www.ouka.fi/city/english/elinkeinot.asp. Retrieved 5 January 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Twin towns". www.ouka.fi. http://www.ouka.fi/kansainvalisyys/english/ystavyyskaupungit.html. Retrieved 2009-11-07.
- ^ "Информация о городах-побратимах" (in (Russian)). www.arhcity.ru. 2007-10-26. http://www.arhcity.ru/?page=232/0. Retrieved 2009-09-17.
- ^ Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Web Site; Sister Cities.
External links[link]
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: |
- City of Oulu – Official website
- Oulu travel guide from Wikitravel
- 65 Degrees North: Oulu's English Language Newspaper
- Oulu This Week event calendar
- Photos from Oulu
|
||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
http://wn.com/Oulu
Related pages:
http://it.wn.com/Oulu
http://cs.wn.com/Oulu
http://id.wn.com/Oulu
http://es.wn.com/Oulu
http://ru.wn.com/Оулу
http://nl.wn.com/Oulu (stad)
http://pl.wn.com/Oulu
http://fr.wn.com/Oulu
http://de.wn.com/Oulu
http://pt.wn.com/Oulu
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oulu
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
