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Oulu (Uleåborg in Swedish) is a city and municipality of about 125,000 inhabitants in the province of Oulu and the region of Northern Ostrobothnia, in Finland. It is the largest and most important city in Northern Finland and the sixth biggest city in the country. Its population growth rate is almost comparable with that of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area.

Founded on August 8 1605 by King Karl IX of Sweden opposite the castle built on the island of Linnansaari. This took place after favourable peace settlements with the Russians, which removed the threat of them attacking the region 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 Oulu River , which is an ancient trading site. One source for the name Oulu is a word in the Sami language meaning floodwater, but there are other suggestions. Oulu has been the capital of Oulu province since 1776.

From being a town known for wood tarFor the computer term, see tar file format. Tar is a viscous black liquid which is derived from the destructive distillation of organic matter. Most tar is produced from coal as a byproduct of coke production, but it can also be produced from petroleum, w and salmonThis article is about the fish. For the color, see salmon (color). Salmon is the common name for several species of fish of the Salmonidae family. Several other fishes in the family are called trout. Salmon live in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans., Oulu has evolved into a major centre of competence in the field of high technology, particularly ITInformation technology (IT) or information and communication technology (ICT) is the technology required for information processing. In particular the use of electronic computers and computer software to convert, store, protect, process, transmit, and ret and wellness technology. Other prominent industries are wood refining, paper and steel industry. The University of OuluThe University of Oulu Oulun yliopisto in Finnish) is the second largest university in Finland. It was founded in 1958. The university has around 15,350 students and 3,225 staff. There are three campus areas: The main campus is located in Linnanmaa, about is located 6 km north of the city center. The Oulu AirportThe Oulu Airport (IATA: OUL is located in Oulunsalo, Finland, about 15 kilometres south-west of Oulu city centre. The airport is the second busiest in Finland after Helsinki-Vantaa airport. There are several daily flights to Helsinki and Stockholm, Sweden, located in neighbouring municipilaty of OulunsaloOulunsalo is a municipality in the province of Oulu, in Finland. The municipality is located in Northern Finland just south-west of city of Oulu. The population of Oulunsalo is 8,915 ( 2003- 12-31) and the municipality covers an area of 81. 65 km² (exclud, is the second busiest in Finland.

The City of Oulu will be celebrating its 400^th anniversary in 2005.