Finland - Oulu (2)

Multiviews of Oulu.

Sent by Sari, a postcrosser who lives near Oulu, Finland.

Finland - Ylivieska

Views of Ylivieska.

Sent by Kaki, a postcrosser from Finland.

This is from Wikipedia : Ylivieska is a town and a municipality of Northern Ostrobothnia region, Finland. It has a population of 14,094 (31 January 2011), and it serves as the administrative centre for Kalajokilaakso and Pyhäjokilaakso, an area with about 90,000 inhabitants.

Ylivieska is also the commercial center of the Oulu South region, the southern part of Oulu province.

The closest cities near Ylivieska are Oulu (130 km/81 mi) and Kokkola (79 km/49 mi), the neighbouring municipalities are Oulainen, Haapavesi, Nivala, Sievi, Kalajoki, Alavieska and Merijärvi.

The municipality is unilingually Finnish.

Ylivieska is located in Northern Ostrobothnia about 130 kilometres (80 mi) south of the city of Oulu.

The town is characterized by the Kalajoki River, which runs SE–NW through the town centre. The agricultural and economical area of the Kalajoki river basin is known as Kalajokilaakso.

Ylivieska is situated along the Ostrobothnia railway, which leads from Helsinki the national capital to Rovaniemi in the north of the country. The railway was opened 1886 and it has had a significant role in the town's economical development.

Finland - Oulu (1)

FINLAND
Oulu.

Sent by Pirjo, a postcrosser from Finland.

This is from Wikipedia : Oulu (pronounced [ˈoulu], old Northern Ostrobothnian dialect meaning literally “Flood”; Swedish: Uleåborg [ˈʉːleɔˌbɔrj], literally “Ule River Fort”) is a city and municipality of 141,742 inhabitants (31 January 2011) in the region of Northern Ostrobothnia, in Finland. It is the most populous city in Northern Finland and the sixth most populous city in the country. It is one of the northernmost larger cities in the world.

Oulu was founded on April 8, 1605, by King Charles IX of Sweden opposite to the fort built on the island of Linnansaari. This took place after favourable peace settlements with the Russians, which removed the threat of attack 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 river Oulujoki, which is an ancient trading site. One possible source for the name Oulu is a word in the Sami language meaning 'flood water', but there are other suggestions. Oulu was the capital of the Province of Oulu from 1776 to 2009.

In 1822, a major fire destroyed much of the city. The architect Carl Ludvig Engel, chiefly known for the neoclassical (empire style) buildings around Helsinki Senate Square, was enlisted to provide the plan for the rebuilding of the city. 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.

From being a town known for wood tar and salmon in the past, Oulu has evolved into a major centre of competence in the field of high technology, particularly IT and wellness technology. Other prominent industries include wood refining as well as paper and steel industry. The University of Oulu is located six kilometres north of the city center. The Oulu Airport, located in neighbouring municipality of Oulunsalo, is the second busiest in Finland.

The municipality of Ylikiiminki was merged to the city of Oulu on January 1, 2009. The city of Oulu, and the municipalities of Haukipudas, Kiiminki, Oulunsalo and Yli-Ii will be merged together to form a new city of Oulu on January 1, 2013.

Finland - Kalajoki

Sent by dubbis from Kalajoki in Finland. This postcard shows the beach in her hometown.

This is from Wikipedia : Kalajoki is a town and municipality of Finland.

It is located in the province of Oulu and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The town has a population of 12,534 (31 January 2010)[2] and covers an area of 2,391.34 square kilometres (923.30 sq mi) of which 1,469.2 km2 (567.3 sq mi) is water. The population density is 13.59 inhabitants per square kilometre (35.2 /sq mi).

The municipality is unilingually Finnish.