On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page famous nz female chefs from the article title. This article is about a city of North Ostrobothnia, Finland.

For a town in Bayfield County, Wisconsin, see Oulu, Wisconsin. Due to its large population and geopolitically economic and cultural-historical location, Oulu has been called the “capital of Northern Finland”. Once known for wood tar and salmon, Oulu has evolved into a major high-tech centre, particularly in IT and wellness technology. Other prominent industries include wood refining, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, paper, and steel. Oulu has been chosen as the European Capital of Culture for 2026. 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’, but there are other suggestions. The most probable theory is that the name derives from the Finnish dialectal word oulu, meaning “floodwater”, which is related to e. Two other word families have also been speculated to be related. Oulu is situated by the Gulf of Bothnia, at the mouth of river Oulujoki, which is an ancient trading site. The city proper was founded on 8 April 1605 by King Charles IX of Sweden, opposite the fort built on the island of Linnansaari. In 1822, a major fire destroyed much of the city.

Satellite image of the Oulu region. Oulu is located in northern Finland, a considerable distance from the other cities in the country. Mainland Finland’s northernmost and southernmost points are roughly equidistant from Oulu. The map of Oulu from 1886.