OULU

in full Oulun Lni, Swedish Uleborgs Ln, lni (province), central Finland, bounded on the west by the Gulf of Bothnia and on the east by Russia. It has a land area of 21,956 square miles (56,866 square km). It was founded in 1776 when the former province of Ostrobothnia was replaced by the lnit (provinces) of Oulu and Vaasa. Oulu included all of Finnish Lapland until 1938, when the lni of Lappi was created out of the northern portion. Level along the coast, the province rises in the east to forested hills; the large Oulujrvi (lake; 348 square miles [900 square km]) is situated in its south-central part. Economic activities are dominated by agriculture (mostly barley with some oats), forestry, iron mining at Otanmki, cattle raising, and the manufacture of wood products. Principal towns are Oulu (the administrative capital), Kajaani, and Raahe. Pop. (1991 est.) 439,242. Swedish Uleborg, city, capital of Oulun lni (Oulu province), west-central Finland, at the mouth of the Oulu River on the Gulf of Bothnia. During the European Middle Ages a trading post was located on the site. In 1590 the prospering settlement was fortified, and town rights were granted in 1610. The fortress was destroyed by an explosion in 1793, and the city was almost completely destroyed by fire in 1822; but it became one of Finland's major commercial centres in the 19th century. An important seaport, the city specialized in the export of wood tar; the tar depots and harbour facilities were destroyed, however, during the Crimean War by the British. During World War II, many sections of the city were destroyed, and postwar building has modernized it considerably. Oulu has been the seat of a bishopric since 1900, and its cathedral was built in 183032, incorporating the remains of an earlier church destroyed in 1822. The city is an important educational centre, with a university (founded 1959), a summer university, and the district hospital. The city's industries include lumber, flour, and cellulose mills, as well as shipyards, fisheries, tanneries, and a foundry. The Meri Rapids, on which the city is located, provide hydroelectric power and are also a major tourist attraction. Oulu is connected by air, rail, and sea to the rest of Finland. Pop. (1986 est.) mun., 97,297.