Oulu

This article is about the Finnish city; for other uses see Oulu (disambiguation).

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Oulu or Uleåborg in Swedish (65°00'N 25°28'E) is a city and municipality of about 130,000 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.

Related Topics:
Swedish - Municipality - Province - Oulu - Northern Ostrobothnia - Finland - Helsinki Metropolitan Area

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Oulu was founded on August 8 1605 by King Karl IX of Sweden opposite the castle built on the island of Linnansaari. This took place after favourable peace settlements with the Russians, which removed the threat of them attacking the region 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 Oulu River, which is an ancient trading site. One source for the name Oulu is a word in the Sami language meaning floodwater, but there are other suggestions. Oulu has been the capital of Oulu province since 1776.

Related Topics:
August 8 - 1605 - King Karl IX - Sweden - Gulf of Bothnia - Oulu River - Sami language - Oulu - Province - 1776

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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 municipality of Oulunsalo, is the second busiest in Finland.

Related Topics:
Wood tar - Salmon - IT - Wellness - University of Oulu - Oulu Airport - Oulunsalo

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The best known cultural exports of the city of Oulu are Air Guitar World Championships, Mieskuoro Huutajat (also known as the Screaming Men), and metal band Sentenced.

Related Topics:
Air Guitar - Mieskuoro Huutajat - Screaming Men - Sentenced

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The City of Oulu celebrates its 400th anniversary this year.

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An amusing feature of the downtown landscape has been, for years, a certain piece of graffiti. The words "paska kaupunni" have been repeatedly written on a wall on Uusikatu street, between the bars Linnankrouvi and Cuba (formerly Reidar). The graffito has survived countless overpaintings, sometimes appearing with an added N. The most recent variation (as seen on the site paskakaupunni.com) has been cleverly added to, and now reads: "Paraskaikest kaupunni 400!" meaning "best-of-all-city 400!"

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Paska kaupunni means "shitty city" with the word city misspelt to make it sound like the local dialect, and is probably a reference to a song by Oulu-born Finnish rock musician and author Kauko Röyhkä.

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