Oulu

Template:Short description Template:About Template:Infobox settlement Oulu (Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell,<ref>Template:Cite American Heritage Dictionary</ref><ref>Template:Cite Merriam-Webster</ref> Template:IPA; Template:Langx Template:IPA) is a city in Finland and the regional capital of North Ostrobothnia. It is located on the northwestern coast of the country at the mouth of the River Oulu. The population of Oulu is approximately {{#expr:Template:Data Finland municipality/population countround −3}}, while the sub-region has a population of approximately {{#expr: Template:Data Finland municipality/population count + Template:Data Finland municipality/population count + Template:Data Finland municipality/population count + Template:Data Finland municipality/population count + Template:Data Finland municipality/population count + Template:Data Finland municipality/population count + Template:Data Finland municipality/population countround −3}}. It is the Template:Ordinal most populous municipality in Finland, and the fourth most populous urban area in the country. Oulu is also the most populous city in Northern Finland.

Oulu's neighbouring municipalities are: Hailuoto, Ii, Kempele, Liminka, Lumijoki, Muhos, Pudasjärvi, Tyrnävä and Utajärvi. Oulu is the third northernmost city in the world with a population of over 100,000, after Murmansk and Norilsk in Russia.

Due to its large population and geopolitical, economic and cultural-historical position, Oulu has been called the "capital of Northern Finland".<ref name="ouka">Template:Cite web</ref> Oulu is also considered one of Europe's "living labs", where residents experiment with new technologies (such as NFC tags and ubi-screens) on a community-wide scale.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Although only in the top 2% of universities,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the University of Oulu is regionally renowned in the field of information technology.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Oulu Innovation Alliance</ref><ref>Tietotekniikka, Tietotekniikan tutkinto-ohjelma, tekniikan kandidaatti ja diplomi-insinööri (3v + 2v) – Opintopolku Template:Webarchive Template:In lang</ref> Oulu has also been very successful in recent city image surveys; in a study published by the Finnish Economic Survey in 2008, Oulu received the best image rating among large cities in the country, including ratings from respondents in all provinces.<ref>Template:Cite web Template:Dead link</ref> In the 2023 T-Media survey, Oulu was tied with Kuopio as the second most attractive city in Finland, while Tampere was ranked first.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2025, Oulu had the cleanest air quality among all European cities according to European Environment Agency (EEA).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Once known for wood tar and salmon,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Oulu has become a major high-tech centre, particularly in IT and wellness technology.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2024, Oulu placed third in the European Commission’s Capital of Innovation Awards (iCapital) in the Rising Innovative Cities category.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Other important industries include wood processing, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, paper and steel.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Oulu has been selected as the European Capital of Culture for 2026.<ref>YLE: Oulu on Euroopan kulttuuripääkaupunki 2026 Template:In lang</ref><ref>Oulu in Northern Finland selected as European Capital of Culture for 2026 – High North News</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Etymology

The city is named after the river Oulujoki, which originates in the lake Oulujärvi. There have been a number of other theories for the origin of the name Oulu. One possible source is a word in the Sami language meaning 'flood water', but there are other suggestions. 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 Sami 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 Sami 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 Sami variety would have to be assumed having added further derivational suffixes.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

History

Drawing of central Oulu from the 19th century

Oulu is situated by the Gulf of Bothnia, at the mouth of river Oulujoki, which was an official trading centre.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite book</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In 1531, the city was granted permission to act as a trading post.<ref name=":1" /> In 1590, the Oulu Castle was built by the Swedes and in 1595, the Treaty of Teusina firmly established Sweden's control over Oulu.

The city was founded on 8 April 1605 by King Charles IX of Sweden, and granted city privileges in 1610.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1765, Oulu received township rights granting them to trade outside of Sweden.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> 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,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> leading to international criticism.Template:Citation needed

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.<ref name=":02">Template:Cite web</ref>

Geography

Oulu is located in northern Finland, a considerable distance from the other major cities in the country. It is located Template:Convert 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 Template:Ill, a smaller but wide, meadow-belted bay,<ref>Kempeleenlahti Bay, Oulu, Finland</ref> and part of it has been listed as a nature conservation area.<ref>Kempeleenlahden suojelualue (in Finnish)</ref> The nearby island Hailuoto is just off the coast, Template:Convert away in the Bothnian Bay. Along the coast to the southwest, about Template:Convert of Oulu is Raahe (Brahestad), known for its historic wooden town, and, further to the southwest, about Template:Convert of Oulu is Kalajoki, known for its popular sandy beaches.

Subdivisions

Template:Category see also

Oulu is divided into 106 city districts. The largest of these are Haukipudas, Oulunsalo, Kaakkuri, Ritaharju, Tuira, and Template:Ill.

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.<ref name="uusioulu">Template:Cite web</ref>

Climate

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Average annual temperature is Template:Convert. The average annual precipitation is Template:Convert falling 105 days per year, mostly in late summer and fall.Template:Citation needed The warmest temperature ever recorded in Oulu was Template:Convert in July 1957,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> while the coldest temperature on record was Template:Convert in February 1966.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Due to Oulu's far northern location, and its frequent overcast skies, it only sees on average 15 minutes of sunshine per day in December. During the winter solstice days only last 3 hours and 34 minutes with the sun rising 1.9 degrees over the horizon. On the other hand, during the summer solstice days last 22 hours and 3 minutes, with the sun dipping 1 degree below the horizon. This gives Oulu white nights during the summer.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Template:Weather box

Demographics

Population

Template:Historical populations

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Languages

Template:Pie chart Oulu is the second largest monolingual Finnish-speaking municipality in Finland after Tampere. Template:As of, the majority of the population, Template:Data Finland municipality/native language Finnish persons (Template:Percentage), spoke Finnish as their first language. In addition, the number of Swedish speakers was Template:Data Finland municipality/native language Swedish persons (Template:Percentage) of the population. Foreign languages were spoken by Template:Pct of the population.<ref name="statistics-finland-population-2024-final"/> As English and Swedish are compulsory school subjects, functional bilingualism or trilingualism acquired through language studies is not uncommon.

At least 100 different languages are spoken in Oulu. The most common foreign languages are Russian (0.6%), Arabic (0.5%), English (0.5%), Chinese (0.4%) and Persian (0.3%).<ref name="statistics-finland-population-2024-final"/>

Immigration

Nationality	Population	%
Population by country of birth (2024)<ref name="statistics-finland-population-2024-final"/>
Template:Flag	201,144	93.1
Template:Flag	1,923	0.9
Template:Flag	1,094	0.5
Template:Flag	771	0.4
Template:Flag	637	0.3
Template:Flag	527	0.2
Template:Flag	463	0.2
Template:Flag	454	0.2
Template:Flag	452	0.2
Template:Flag	446	0.2
Template:Flag	429	0.2
Template:Flag	413	0.2
Template:Flag	393	0.2
Template:Flag	378	0.2
Template:Flag	329	0.2
Other	5,836	2.7

Template:As of, 14,159 people with a foreign background lived in Oulu, or 7% of the population.Template:Refn There are 15,008 residents who were born abroad, which or 7% of the population. The number of foreign citizens in Oulu is 10,198. Most foreign-born citizens come from the former Soviet Union, Sweden, China, India, Iraq, Iran and Vietnam.<ref name="statistics-finland-population-2024-final"/>

The relative share of immigrants in Oulu's population is below the national average. Nevertheless, the city's new residents are increasingly of foreign origin. This will increase the proportion of foreign residents in the coming years.

Religion

In 2023, the Evangelical Lutheran Church was the largest religious group with 67.2% of the population of Oulu. Other religious groups accounted for 1.9% of the population. 30.9% of the population had no religious affiliation.<ref>Key figures on population by region, 1990-2023 Statistics Finland</ref>

Oulu, as well as other parts of North Ostrobothnia, is well known as a strong support area of the Conservative Laestadianism revival movement.<ref>Lestadiolaiset pitävät Pohjois-Pohjanmaan väkiluvun kasvussa – MTVuutiset (in Finnish)</ref> A Laestadian background has been estimated to be common in construction sector management.<ref>Lestadiolaisyrittäjä hyötyy uskonyhteisön verkostoista – Taloushyödyt houkuttavat jäämään, vaikka vakaumus olisi jo mennyt – YLE (in Finnish)</ref>

Economy

Technopolis Linnanmaa is home to nearly 200 corporations.

As of 31 December 2008, the active working population was employed as follows:<ref name="oulu_business_and_industry">Template:Cite web</ref>

Industries	Working population
Services	43,049
Industry	11,111
Commerce	10,848
Construction	5,449
Transport	3,698
Farming, forestry and mining	582
Unknown	431
Unemployment rate	13.8%<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Total	75,158

In 2011, the most important employers were:<ref name="oulu_business_and_industry"/>

Employer	No. of employees
City of Oulu	9,709
Northern Ostrobothnia Hospital District	6,144
University of Oulu	3,045
Nokia Networks	2,100
Nokia Group	2,000
The Oulu Region Joint Authority for Vocational Training	1,955
Kesko Group	1,426
Cooperative Arina Group (S Group)	1,107
Stora Enso Group	1,155
Itella Corporation	780
ISS Palvelut Oy	730
ODL Group	653

Culture

Template:More citations needed section

The best known cultural exports of the city of Oulu are the Air Guitar World Championships held annually in August, Mieskuoro Huutajat (also known as Screaming Men), the now defunct metal band Sentenced, and the crime drama series All the Sins which was filmed in the Oulu region in 2018-21.

Many artists, writers, and musicians live in the city. A variety of concerts – rock, classical, and jazz – as well as other cultural events take place each year. Examples include the Oulu Music Video Festival, the Air Guitar World Championships, both in August. In July, the annual rock festival Qstock takes place. The Oulu Music Festival is held in winter and the Oulunsalo Music Festival in summer. The Irish Festival of Oulu takes place each October, and the International Children's Film Festival each November.

Museums in Oulu include the Northern Ostrobothnia museum, the Oulu Museum of Art (OMA), the Tietomaa science center, and the Turkansaari open-air museum.

Notable statues and sculptures in Oulu include a sculpture of Frans Michael Franzén and The Bobby at the Market Place statue.

Food

In the 1980s, rössypottu, salmon soup and sweet cheese (juhannusjuusto) were named Oulu's traditional parish dishes.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Sights

Tietomaa, a science center with over 150 exhibits
The Rapids Center, the area in the estuary of the Oulu river consisting of small islands connected with bridges and fountains in the middle of the river, and including a housing area of building blocks planned by Alvar Aalto
The Market Square with the City Library, the City Theatre, the Toripolliisi statue and old salt and tar storehouses
Hupisaaret Islands, a large park area located in the estuary of the Oulu river
The F. M. Franzen memorial
The Koitelinkoski rapids
The Northern Ostrobothnia museum
The Pateniemi Sawmill Museum
The Vehicle Museum
The University of Oulu Botanical Gardens (situated in Linnanmaa)
The Arctic Gallery
Technopolis, the technology village
Turkansaari (historical open-air museum)
Spa Hotel Eden and sand beach in Nallikari recreation and tourism area
Mannerheim Park
Old observatory in Linnansaari, built in 1875 on top of the ruins of the Castle of Oulu
Oulu Museum of Art

Churches

Other points of interest

Qstock music festival
Oulu Music Video Festival
Air Guitar World Championships
Jalometalli Metal Music Festival
The Irish Festival of Oulu
Laitakari beacon tower
Madetoja Hall, housing the Oulu Music Centre, 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 Template:Citation needed

Transport

Intercity

Oulu is served by Oulu Airport, the third largest airport in Finland by passenger volume. It is located Template:Convert south-west of 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 and Oritkari docks. There is also a ferry service in Oulu, which is mostly used between Oulunsalo and the Hailuoto Island.<ref>IS: Vieraille lauttamatka on osa Hailuodon idylliä (in Finnish)</ref>

The shortest travel time from Oulu railway station to Helsinki Central railway station is 5 h 34 min, operated by VR. Other destinations include 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.<ref name="autoilijan_tiekartta2007">Template:Cite map</ref>

Within the city

Oulu is notable for its transportation network dedicated to non-motor vehicular traffic, including pedestrians and bicycles (termed "light" traffic in Finland). In 2022, the city contained more than Template:Convert of pathways and more than 300 underpasses and bridges devoted exclusively to pedestrian and bicycle traffic. The network is used year-round. The ratio of walking and cycling traffic pathways to residents is the highest in Finland and the cycling mode share is 20 percent.<ref>Jeffrey Pratte, "Mainstreaming Bicycling in Winter Cities: The case of Oulu, Finland", Masters thesis, University of Manitoba (Canada), 2011. P. 99-100</ref><ref>Anders Swanson, "Winter Cycling for Everyone", (Video, 21:30 min.), Vimeo, 2013</ref><ref>BBC, "The cycle-mad city in Finland that doesn't stop for snow", (Video, 2 min.)</ref>

Even in winter, bicycle commuting remains strong in Oulu, in spite of the cold, dark, and snow. About 12% of winter trips are by bicycle, and about half of trips to school or university are. The city has a robust system for keeping bike paths maintained and clear of snow, and bike paths and lanes are plowed before roadways to encourage such human-scale winter transit in the city where 12% already do so.<ref>Laurel Ives. (20 December 2023). "How Oulu became the winter cycling capital of the world". BBC website Retrieved 25 December 2023.</ref> The Winter Cycling Federation was founded in Oulu in 2013, and the first Winter Cycling Congress was held there.<ref>Template:Cite web Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2015, a large underground parking facility, Kivisydän (Stone Heart), opened in the city center directly beneath main shopping streets. The network of parallel roads for cars and pedestrians was drilled in the rock at the depth of Template:Convert. The parking facility includes two ramps, 900 visitor parking lots (expandable to 1500), six access points to the ground served by 19 elevators (expandable to nine and 25), a service facility for commercial delivery vehicles, and ubi-screens that guide the driver to the selected ground access point and help locate the parked car by its license number.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Solar power

In 2015, the Kaleva Media printing plant in Oulu became the most powerful photovoltaic solar plant in Finland, with 1,604 solar photovoltaic (PV) units on its roof. Although the city of Oulu, located near the Arctic Circle, has only two hours of weak sunlight in December, the photovoltaic cells work almost around the clock in the summer. The cold climate means the PV panels can get up to a 25% boost per hour, as they don't overheat.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref>

Because the sun is quite low in the sky at this latitude, vertical PV installations are popular on the sides of buildings. These solar walls also capture light reflected from snow.<ref name=":0" />

Snow is not necessarily cleared from rooftop solar installations.<ref name=":0" />

The local utility, Oulun Energia, is owned by the city of Oulu. The energy mix it receives from the Nordic-wide grid includes wood pellets, waste incineration, bioenergy, hydro-electric, geothermal, wind, nuclear, peat, natural gas and coal.<ref name=":0" />

Sports

Ice hockey is the most popular spectator sport in Oulu. The local club Kärpät has won the SM-liiga championship title eight times (1981, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2014, 2015 and 2018). It has also twice been the runner-up in the IIHF European Champions Cup, in 2005 and in 2006.

In football AC Oulu plays in Veikkausliiga, the premier division of Finnish football. So far only OPS has claimed the Finnish football championship twice by winning Mestaruussarja in 1979 and in 1980. Other notable football clubs include OLS, OTP and JS Hercules.

Oulu has one well-known bandy club, OLS, which plays in Bandyliiga and has become Finnish champions 14 times, most recently in 2014. The other bandy club, OPS, with its 7 championships and a bronze medal as late as in 2009, announced it would be closing down after the 2009–10 season. In 2001 the city was the main venue for the Bandy World Championship.

Oulu is also home to several other sports clubs such as Oulu Northern Lights (American football), Oulun NMKY (Basketball), Oulun Lippo (Pesäpallo), Oulun Pyrintö (Track and field), SK Pohjantähti (Orienteering)), OYUS (Rugby union), Oulu Irish Elks (Gaelic football) and ETTA (Volleyball).

Oulun Tervahiihto is an annual ski marathon event held since 1889.

Terwa Run & Marathon is an annual running event held since 1989 in late May.

Pokkinen Park in Oulu hosts the northern-most Parkrun every Saturday at 9:30.

A former motorcycle speedway track known as the Iinat Motor Sports Center was located north of the Pirttilammentie and east of the Iinatintie (Template:Coord).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Center opened in 1979 and hosted many events, including the Finnish Final, as part of the qualifying round of the Speedway World Championship in 1983.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Education

The University of Oulu and Oulu University of Applied Sciences have their main campuses 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. Template:Citation needed

Oulu Vocational College has over 13 000 students. It houses several different study subjects in different units which are spread over Oulu and neighbouring municipalities. Oulu Vocational College School of Business Studies is one of the few vocational schools which has game programming in its curriculum.

Oulu International School is one of nine schools in Finland offering basic education in English. There's also a Swedish-speaking private school (Swedish Svenska Privatskolan i Uleåborg) for students up until high school. The school is the northernmost Swedish-speaking school in Finland.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Notable people

Saara Aalto, singer, X Factor UK finalist
Eero Aho, actor
Outi Alanko-Kahiluoto, politician
Marcus Amand, Finnish-French racing driver
Peter von Bagh, film historian and director
Blind Channel, a post-hardcore band, Finlands' Eurovision representatives 2021
Kalmah, a melodic death metal-band formed in 1998.
Vladislav Delay, electronic musician
Eeva Riitta Fingerroos, Paralympic swimmer
Frans Michael Franzén, poet
Lars Gallenius, 17th century painter
Heidi Hautala, politician
Matti Hautamäki, ski jumper
Aaro Hellaakoski, poet
John von Julin, pharmacist, factory owner and vuorineuvos
Yrjö Kallinen, politician
Jorma Kontio, harness driver
Pekka Korpi, harness driver
V.A. Koskenniemi, poet
Ville Laihiala, musician and former frontman of the discontinued local metal band Sentenced
Vilho Lampi, painter
Miki Liukkonen, writer, poet and musician
Taavetti Lukkarinen, former foreman of Kemi Oy; man who was convicted to death and hanged of treason
Fanni Luukkonen, the leader of Lotta Svärd
Leevi Madetoja, composer
Impaled Nazarene, nuclear metal band
Iivo Niskanen, Olympic champion cross-country skier
Kerttu Niskanen, cross-country skier
Jaakko Ohtonen, actor
Patrik Pasma, racing driver
Leena Peltonen-Palotie, geneticist
Michael Maria Penttilä, serial killer
Susanna Pöykiö, figure skater
Ville Ranta, comic artist
Mika Ronkainen, filmmaker
Keke Rosberg, 1982 Formula One world champion
Kauko Röyhkä, author and rock musician
Martti Suosalo, singer and actor
Mikael Toppelius, church painter
Risto Tuorila, actor
Juha Väätäinen, athlete
Sara Wacklin, teacher and writer
Gustaf Wilson, Finnish-American pioneer and businessman
Three former presidents of the country Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg, Kyösti Kallio and Martti Ahtisaari, also a Nobel Peace Prize laureate
Ice Hockey players: Kari Jalonen, Mikael Granlund, Markus Granlund, Joni Pitkänen, Reijo Ruotsalainen, Mika Pyörälä, Lasse Kukkonen, Markus Nutivaara and Sebastian Aho
Football/soccer players: Rasmus Karjalainen, Otso Liimatta, Aki Lahtinen, Antti Niemi, Markus Heikkinen, Janne Hietanen, Mika Nurmela and Seppo Pyykkö
Qiyu Zhou, chess player, commentator, and streamer

International relations

Template:See also

Twin towns and sister cities

Oulu is twinned with:<ref name="Oulu Twin Cities">Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Div col

Alta Municipality, Norway (since 1948)<ref name="Oulu Twin Cities"/><ref name="Alta twinning">Template:Cite web</ref>
Arkhangelsk, Russia (since 1993)<ref name="Oulu Twin Cities"/><ref name="Arkhangelsk">Template:Cite web</ref>
Astana, Kazakhstan (since 2013)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Boden, Sweden (since 1948)<ref name="Oulu Twin Cities"/>
Bursa, Turkey (since 1978)<ref name="Oulu Twin Cities"/><ref name="Bursa twinnings">Template:Cite web</ref>
Halle, Germany (since 1968)<ref name="Oulu Twin Cities"/>
Leverkusen, Germany (since 1968)<ref name="Oulu Twin Cities"/>
Odesa, Ukraine (since 1957)<ref name="Oulu Twin Cities"/>
Siófok, Hungary (since 1978)<ref name="Oulu Twin Cities"/>
Hangzhou, China (since 2010)<ref name="Oulu Twin Cities"/>

Template:Div col end

Oulu also maintains relationships with cities twinned to former municipalities merged with Oulu in 2013:<ref name="Oulu Twin Cities" />

Matera, Italy (twinned with Oulunsalo since 2010)
Szigetszentmiklós, Hungary (twinned with Haukipudas since 1992)
Kronstadt, Russia (twinned with Haukipudas, Kiiminki, and Yli-Ii since 1991)

Partnership and twinning cities

In addition Oulu has eight 'Partnership & Twinning cities':<ref name="Oulu Partnership and twinning cities">Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Div col

Glasgow, UK<ref name="Oulu Partnership and twinning cities"/>
Ilembula, Tanzania<ref name="Oulu Partnership and twinning cities"/>
Karlsruhe, Germany<ref name="Oulu Partnership and twinning cities"/>
Luleå, Sweden<ref name="Oulu Partnership and twinning cities"/>
Matagalpa, Nicaragua<ref name="Oulu Partnership and twinning cities"/>
Sendai, Japan (since 2005)<ref name="Oulu Partnership and twinning cities"/>
Umeå, Sweden<ref name="Oulu Partnership and twinning cities"/>
Vienne, France<ref name="Oulu Partnership and twinning cities"/>

Template:Div col end

International municipal projects

The educational department was a part of the Lifelong Learning Programme 2007–2013 in Finland.

Crime

Oulu was the site of the 2018 Oulu child sexual exploitation scandal. Prime Minister Juha Sipilä declared that "Sex crimes against children are inhumane acts of incomprehensible evil."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Notes

Template:Reflist

References

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External links

Template:Sister project links

Template:Official website
VisitOulu.fi – official tourism website of Oulu (archived 2 May 2017)

Template:Geographic location Template:NorthernOstrobothnia Template:50 most populous Nordic urban settlements Template:50 most populous Finnish municipalities Template:Finland topics Template:European Capital of Culture Template:Authority control

Oulu

Contents

Etymology

History