Oulu - Transportation, Sports

65°00N 25°26E, pop (2000e) 104 000. Seaport and capital of Oulu province, W Finland, on the Gulf of Bothnia, at mouth of R Oulu; established, 1605; destroyed by fire, 1822; airfield; railway; university (1958); shipbuilding, timber; Tar Ski Race, cross-country ski race founded in 1889; Oulu Music Summer (Jul–Aug).

Oulun kaupunki
(Uleåborg stad, City of Oulu)

City	Oulu (1605)
Administrative Province	Oulu province
Historical Province	Ostrobothnia
Area (2004-01-01)  – Total (excl. sea areas)  – Land  – Inland water	Ranked 244th 384.99 km² 373.10 km² 11.89 km²
Population  – Total (2005-08-31)  – Density	Ranked 6th 128,095 343.3/km²

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

Oulu (listen (help·info)) (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.

Oulu was founded on April 8, 1605 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. 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. The University of Oulu is located 6 km north of the city center.

The best known cultural exports of the city of Oulu are Air Guitar World Championships, Mieskuoro Huutajat (also known as Screaming Men), and the now defunct metal band Sentenced. The Oulu Music Video Festival (originally the host of the Air Guitar Championships) is also a significant event. Franzen memorial The North-Ostrobothnia Museum The Pateniemi Sawmill Museum The Vehicle Museum The Linnanmaa University Botanical Garden The Oulu Art Museum The Arctic Gallery Technopolis, the technology village

Other points of interest

Oulu Music Video Festival Air Guitar World Championships Qstock Rock Festival (website) Oulu City Theatre (website) Oulu Children's Theatre Festival (website) The University of Oulu Oulu Hall (a large indoor sports facility consisting of a low dome, described as a landed flying saucer) Nallikari Recreational Centre (with sandy beach and camping grounds) Eden Hotel & Spa (in Nallikari) The Terva-skiing event The Oulu Horse Show The American Car Show The Winter Swimming World Championship Oulu University of Applied Sciences (formerly Oulu Polytechnic)

Nightlife

.45 Special, Saaristonkatu, started as a rock club, the "45" (or simply "numero", number) is the usual venue for nationally touring rock bands.

Transportation

Air

Oulu is served by Oulu Airport, the second biggest airport in Finland by passenger volume.

Oulu Airport can be reached by bus number 19 from the centre of the city and Technopolis.

Rail

The shortest travel time from Oulu Railway Station to Helsinki Central Railway Station is 5 h 44 mins, operated by VR.

Road

Helsinki 550 km S Jyväskylä 333 km S Kotka 582 km S Kuopio 284 km SSE Lahti 505 km S Lappeenranta 548 km SSE Pori 501 km SSW Rovaniemi 207 km NE Tampere 476 km SSW Tornio 131 km NNW Turku 620 km SSW Vaasa 290 km SW

Sports

Oulu's icehockey team Oulun Kärpät have won Finnish Icehockey League Championships three times (1981, 2004 and 2005).

Oulu, Wisconsin, Oulu's namesake in the United States, is a small town with a population of about 540.