Oulu
This article is about the Finnish city; for other uses see Oulu (disambiguation).
Oulu (Uleåborg in Swedish) is a city and municipality of about 125,000 inhabitants in the province of Oulu and the region of Northern Ostrobothnia, in Finland. It is the largest and most important city in Northern Finland and the sixth biggest city in the country. Its population growth rate is almost comparable with that of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area.
Founded on 1605-04-08 by King Karl IX of Sweden opposite the castle built on the island of Linnansaari, Oulu is situated by the Gulf of Bothnia, at the mouth of Oulu River, which is an ancient trading site. The name Oulu possibly comes from a word in the Sami language meaning floodwater. Oulu has been the capital of Oulu province since 1776.
From being a town known for wood tar and salmon, Oulu has evolved into a major centre of competence in the field of high technology, particularly IT and wellness technology. Other prominent industries are wood refining, paper and steel industry. The University of Oulu is located 6 km north of the city center. The Oulu Airport, located in neighbouring municipilaty of Oulunsalo, is the second busiest in Finland.
The City of Oulu will be celebrating its 400th anniversary in 2005.
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