Facts About Oulu
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Oulu is a city in Northern Ostrobothnia, Finland. It is the biggest city in Northern Finland.
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Oulu was established in 1605, it’s more than 400 years old.
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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.
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Oulu is considered one of Europe’s “living labs”, where residents experiment with new technology on a community-wide scale.
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Oulu has been the seat of a bishopric since 1900.
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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.
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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’.
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Oulu is twinned with: Alta, Norway; Arkhangelsk, Russia; Boden, Sweden; Bursa, Turkey; Halle, Germany; Leverkusen, Germany; Odessa, Ukraine; Siófok, Hungary & Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan
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Oulu has eight ‘Partnership & Twinning cities’: Luleå, Sweden; Glasgow, Scotland; Karlsruhe, Germany; Sendai, Japan; Vienne, France; Umeå, Sweden; Matagalpa, Nicaragua & Ilembula, Tanzania.
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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.
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The Population of Oulu and municipality is 208,939, as of 2019.
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The University of Oulu and Oulu University of Applied Sciences have their main campuses located in Oulu.
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Notable statues and sculptures in Oulu include a sculpture of Frans Michael Franzén and The Bobby at the Market Place statue.
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Oulu was the site of the 2018 Oulu child sexual exploitation scandal.
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Oulu is divided into 106 city districts. The largest of these are Haukipudas, Oulunsalo, Kaakkuri, Ritaharju, Tuira, and Kell
