Oulu

Sister cities

• Bursa
• Matera
• Alta
• Hangzhou
• Leverkusen
• Halle (Saale)
• Odesa
• Astana
• Szigetszentmiklós
• Matagalpa
• Boden Municipality
• Siófok

History

Oulu is situated by the Gulf of Bothnia, at the mouth of river Oulujoki, which was an official trading centre. Following the Treaty of Nöteborg in 1323, the status of Oulu was disputed in its ownership, as both the Novgorod Republic and the Kingdom of Sweden held much influence. In 1345, the Swedish annexed territory up to the Kemi River for the Diocese of Turku. In 1375, the Novgorodians built a defensive castle which was later captured by the Swedish forces in 1377. The 1400s were characterized by Russian raids in the region, during these raids captured people would be killed and/or taken back to the region of Russia. In 1531, the city was granted permission to act as a trading post. In 1765, Oulu received township rights granting them to trade outside of Sweden. Oulu was the capital of the Province of Oulu from 1776 to 2009. In 1822, a major fire destroyed much of the city, especially the city centre as most of the city was made from wood. The architect Carl Ludvig Engel, chiefly known for the neoclassical (empire style) buildings around Helsinki Senate Square, was enlisted to provide the plan for its rebuilding. 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. During the Åland War, part of the Crimean War, Oulu's harbour was raided by the British fleet, who destroyed ships and burned tar houses, leading to international criticism. The city was the site of the Battle of Oulu on 3 February 1918 between the Whites and the Reds during the Finnish Civil War.

Geography

Oulu is located in northern Finland, a considerable distance from the other major cities in the country. It is located north of the capital city Helsinki. Mainland Finland's northernmost and southernmost points are roughly equidistant from Oulu. Oulu's coast sits at the Bothnian Bay (Perämeri in Finnish) and the Swedish mainland is about 180 km directly west across the Bothnian Bay. From the center of Oulu in the direction of Oulunsalo, there is , a smaller but wide, meadow-belted bay, and part of it has been listed as a nature conservation area. The nearby island Hailuoto is just off the coast, away in the Bothnian Bay. Along the coast to the southwest, about of Oulu is Raahe (Brahestad), known for its historic wooden town, and, further to the southwest, about of Oulu is Kalajoki, known for its popular sandy beaches. Oulu is divided into 106 city districts. The largest of these are Haukipudas, Oulunsalo, Kaakkuri, Ritaharju, Tuira, and . The municipality of Ylikiiminki was merged with the city of Oulu on 1 January 2009. Oulu and the municipalities of Haukipudas, Kiiminki, Oulunsalo, and Yli-Ii were merged on 1 January 2013. Oulu has a subarctic climate (Köppen: Dfc, Trewartha Eolo), bordering a humid continental climate (Köppen: Dfb, Trewartha Dclo). It is the largest Finnish city entirely in this climatic zone as well as one of the largest such in the world. The typical features are cold and snowy winters with short and mild summers. Average annual temperature is . The average annual precipitation is falling 105 days per year, mostly in late summer and fall. The warmest temperature ever recorded in Oulu was in July 1957, while the coldest temperature on record was in February 1966. Due to Oulu's far northern location, and its frequent overcast skies,…

Most-observed species

• Great Tit

  Parus major Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  4,721
• Eurasian Blue Tit

  Cyanistes caeruleus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  3,071
• Willow Tit

  Poecile montanus (Conrad von Baldenstein, 1827) · Aves
  2,993
• European Pied Flycatcher

  Ficedula hypoleuca (Pallas, 1764) · Aves
  2,142
• Eurasian Magpie

  Pica pica (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,957
• Common Chaffinch

  Fringilla coelebs Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  1,848
• Fieldfare

  Turdus pilaris Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  1,631
• Hooded Crow

  Corvus cornix Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  1,450

Most recent

• M 3.5 — 2017-12-07
  5 km ENE of Lumijoki, Finland