Kuusamo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kuusamo
Town and municipality
Kuusamon kaupunki Kuusamo stad
Snow-covered trees in Kuusamo
Coat of arms
Location of Kuusamo in Finland
Country	Finland
Region	North Ostrobothnia
Sub-region	Koillismaa
Charter	1868
Area  (2018-01-01)
• Total	5,808.92 km2 (2,242.84 sq mi)
• Land	4,978.85 km2 (1,922.34 sq mi)
• Water	830.81 km2 (320.78 sq mi)
Area rank	11th largest in Finland
Population  (2023-12-31)
• Total	15,019
• Rank	75th largest in Finland
• Density	3.02/km2 (7.8/sq mi)
Population by native language
• Finnish	95.7% (official)
• Swedish	0.3%
• Others	4%
Population by age
• 0 to 14	14.8%
• 15 to 64	56.9%
• 65 or older	28.3%
Time zone	UTC+02:00 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+03:00 (EEST)

Kuusamo is a lively town and municipality in Finland. It is located in the northeastern part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. Kuusamo is known for its beautiful nature and as a big center for winter sports.

About a million tourists visit Kuusamo every year. One of Finland's largest ski resorts, Ruka, is here. Ruka hosts many international sports events. These include competitions in ski jumping, cross-country skiing, and Nordic combined. The 2005 World Championships of Freestyle Skiing were also held in Kuusamo. Kuusamo Airport is just 6 kilometers (4 miles) from the town center.

History of Kuusamo

Early Sami Settlement

Before the 1600s, the Kuusamo area was home to the Sami. They were a semi-nomadic group, meaning they moved around with the seasons. In winter, they lived in villages like Maanselkä and Kitka.

In spring, they moved to rivers to fish. In summer, after the ice melted, they went to lakes. There, they fished and gathered berries and mushrooms. In autumn, they hunted reindeer, bears, and beavers in the forests. The Sami also traded animal furs with Finns and Karelians.

Swedish Rule and New Settlers

From the 1400s, Finnish fishermen started visiting Kuusamo. They came for the good fishing spots. But they didn't settle permanently because the land wasn't good for farming.

In 1673, the Swedish government offered tax breaks to people who settled in Lapland. This brought many settlers from other parts of Finland, like Savo and Kainuu. These new settlers used a farming method called "slash and burn." This meant they cut down and burned forests to clear land for crops.

This new way of life threatened the Sami's hunting and gathering. Over a few decades, the Sami either joined the Finnish settlers or moved away. By 1718, only two Sami families remained in Kuusamo. They had already started speaking Finnish.

The first church in Kuusamo was built in 1695. By the late 1600s, the area around Lake Kuusamojärvi became known as Kuusamo. The name might come from a Sami word for "spruce forest."

Kuusamo grew steadily in the 1700s. Farming, raising cattle, and reindeer herding became more common. By 1770, about 2,000 people lived in Kuusamo. In 1775, Kuusamo became part of the new Oulu province. A bigger church was built between 1797 and 1804. By the early 1800s, the population reached 3,000. However, a famine in 1803 and a smallpox disease in 1804 reduced the population.

Russian Rule and Growth

In 1809, Kuusamo, like the rest of Finland, came under Russian rule. The area faced several famines and diseases in the early 1800s. But Kuusamo was lucky during the big crop failure of 1867. Its population grew steadily after that.

By 1886, 7,000 people lived in the town. By 1894, it was 8,000. When forestry became important in the late 1800s, more workers moved to the area. By 1910, Kuusamo had 10,500 people. In 1868, Kuusamo officially became a municipality.

Kuusamo Since Independence

Memorial to civilians killed in the Second World War

Finland became independent in 1917. The border with Russia closed, which affected Kuusamo's economy. The forestry business suffered because wood could no longer be floated to Russian ports. Reindeer herding also faced problems as some herds were on the Russian side.

Between the two World Wars, farming became the most important part of the economy. In 1925, the population reached 14,634. But it dropped by about 2,000 the next year when some villages became part of other municipalities.

At the start of the Winter War in December 1939, Kuusamo was evacuated. People feared a Soviet invasion. The war ended in March 1940. Finland lost parts of its land, including a section of Kuusamo, to the Soviet Union. This part of Kuusamo was 1,653 square kilometers (638 sq mi) and included several villages. Its 2,100 residents moved to other parts of Kuusamo.

During the Continuation War (1941-1944), German and Finnish troops used Kuusamo as a supply base. When it seemed Germany might lose the war, Finland made a separate peace with the Soviet Union. People in Kuusamo left again, fearing Russian occupation. The Russians did briefly occupy Kuusamo and burned the village before leaving. One peace condition was that all German troops had to leave Finland. This led to a small war between Finns and Germans, called the Lapland War.

Kuusamo was rebuilt between 1945 and 1952. By the late 1960s, the population grew to almost 21,000. However, farming couldn't provide enough jobs for everyone. So, many young people started moving to bigger cities.

In 1954, the first ski run was built on Rukatunturi. As the Ruka ski center grew, Kuusamo became a major tourist spot. In 2000, Kuusamo officially became a town.

Geography and Nature

A beautiful view from Iivaara

Kuusamo is in eastern Finland, right on the border with Russia. The town center is just a small part of the whole municipality. Most of Kuusamo is made up of forests and wild, unpopulated areas.

Kuusamo is surrounded by other municipalities: Suomussalmi to the south, Taivalkoski and Posio to the west, and Salla to the north. The nearest big cities are Rovaniemi (192 km or 119 miles northwest) and Oulu (215 km or 134 miles southwest). Finland's capital, Helsinki, is 796 km (495 miles) away.

The town sits on a high plateau, about 250 meters (820 feet) above sea level. From here, water flows in five different directions. Kuusamo has many hills (called vaara in Finnish) and fells (called tunturi). The highest points include Valtavaara (492 m or 1,614 ft) and Rukatunturi (492 m or 1,614 ft), where the Ruka ski center is located.

About 90% of Kuusamo's land is covered by forests. Most of these are pine trees (70%), with some spruce (20%) and other trees (10%). Water covers about 801 square kilometers (309 sq mi), which is 14% of Kuusamo's total area. There are 166 lakes here! Some of the largest are Joukamojärvi, Kitka, and Kuusamojärvi.

Rivers like Oulankajoki and Kitkajoki flow east towards the White Sea. The Iijoki river flows west to the Gulf of Bothnia.

Oulanka National Park

Marshland near Liikasenvaara

Part of the Oulanka National Park is in northern Kuusamo. This park covers 270 square kilometers (104 sq mi). It has beautiful pine forests, the Oulankajoki river with its rapids, and large marsh areas.

The park is home to 30 types of mammals and 120 bird species. You might see brown bears, eagles, and even rare wolves or lynxes. The Oulankajoki river has several famous rapids, including Kiutaköngäs and Myllykoski. Near the southern border, there's a canyon lake called Julma Ölkky with cliffs up to 50 meters (164 ft) high.

Kuusamo is also known for having some of the cleanest air in the world!

Climate and Seasons

Kuusamo has a cool climate. The average temperature for the whole year is 0.7 °C (33.3 °F). July is the warmest month, averaging +15.0 °C (59.0 °F). January is the coldest, averaging −11.5 °C (11.3 °F). The coldest temperature ever recorded was −48 °C (−54 °F).

Kuusamo gets a lot of snow. The ground is covered in snow for about 200 days a year, from late October to mid-May. The snow can be 80 to 90 centimeters (31 to 35 inches) deep.

Kuusamo is about 60 kilometers (37 miles) south of the Arctic Circle. This means it experiences midnight sun in summer. From June 14 to June 29, the sun stays visible all night long!

Population of Kuusamo

The Kuusamo town center

Kuusamo Market Square

A cozy cottage at the Rukatunturi fell

As of 31 December 2023, Kuusamo had 15,019 residents. Most people live in the town center, while others live in smaller villages.

Like many places in northern and eastern Finland, Kuusamo has seen people move to bigger cities. The population was highest in the late 1960s, with almost 21,000 residents. Since then, the population has slowly gone down.

This movement of people means that younger people often leave Kuusamo. For example, between 1998 and 2001, the number of people under 15 years old dropped. At the same time, the number of people over 64 years old increased.

Economy and Tourism

The main ways people make a living in Kuusamo are:

• Forestry: working with forests and wood.
• Reindeer husbandry: raising reindeer.
• Small local businesses.
• Tourism: welcoming visitors.

The unemployment rate in Kuusamo was 16.2% in 2003, which is quite high.

In 2002, there were 248 farms in Kuusamo. Because of the cold climate, milk and meat production are very important. This includes reindeer meat from the about 10,000 semi-domesticated reindeer that live in Kuusamo. The forestry and wood processing industries also employ over 1,000 people.

Tourism in Kuusamo

Ruka in winter

The Ruka village

About one million tourists visit Kuusamo every year. In 2002, visitors stayed for 291,222 nights. About 17% of these visitors were from other countries. Kuusamo has around 6,000 cottages (called mökki in Finnish), which is more than any other municipality in Finland.

The Ruka ski center is one of Finland's largest. It is built around the 492-meter (1,614 ft) high Rukatunturi fell. Ruka has 16,000 beds for guests, four hotels, and 28 restaurants. You can enjoy activities like:

• Skiing
• Snowmobile tours
• Excursions with reindeer and dog sleds

Ruka has a long snowy season, from mid-October to mid-June.

In summer, Kuusamo is a popular place for outdoor adventures. People come for fishing, kayaking, and hiking. The most popular hiking trail is Bear's Ring (Karhunkierros). It is 80 kilometers (50 miles) long and mostly runs through the Oulanka National Park.

Transportation

National road 20 in Kuusamo

National highway 5 (E63) connects Kuusamo to southern Finland. Highway 20 goes from Kuusamo to Oulu, and main road 81 leads to Rovaniemi.

There is a border crossing to Russia in Suoperä, Kuusamo. It opened for international travel in 2006. In 2007, about 17,000 people crossed the border there.

Kuusamo Airport is 6 kilometers (4 miles) from the town center and 27 kilometers (17 miles) from Ruka. It opened in 1969 and has been made bigger several times. The airline Finnair has daily direct flights from Helsinki. During the tourist season, there are extra charter flights. Other airlines also offer seasonal flights. In 2007, over 108,000 passengers used the airport.

Culture and Attractions

The Church of Kuusamo

Kuusamo is mostly famous for its amazing nature. The town center was completely destroyed during the Lapland War. It was rebuilt quickly and simply, so it doesn't have many old or fancy buildings. However, for a small town, Kuusamo has a lively cultural scene.

The Kuusamo Hall in the town center was finished in 1996. It is a place for meetings and cultural events. You can find regular music and theater shows there. It also hosts different art exhibitions.

The Kuusamo Local History Museum is an outdoor museum set up on an old farm. There is also a school museum in the old Kirkkoketo school building.

The church in Kuusamo's center was built in 1951. It stands where an older wooden church from 1802 once was. That old church was burned down by German troops in the 1944 Lapland War. Before leaving, German soldiers buried the church's two bells in the cemetery to keep them safe from Soviet troops. The bells were thought to be lost until 1959. That's when a former German commander visited Kuusamo and told everyone where the bells were buried. Today, these same bells are in the rebuilt church.

Sports in Kuusamo

Rukatunturi ski jumping hill

Kuusamo hosts many international winter sports events. In Ruka, there is a stadium with the Rukatunturi-hill (HS142) and a smaller K-64 ski jumping hill. There are also lighted trails for skiing and a biathlon facility.

Since 2002, the World Cup season for ski jumping, Nordic combined, and cross-country skiing starts in Ruka. This event is called Ruka Nordic Opening and happens in late November. In 2006, 16,000 people watched the competition. Ruka also hosted the Freestyle Skiing World Cup in 2005.

International Connections

Twin Towns and Sister Cities

Kuusamo has friendly connections with these towns:

• Hørning Municipality, Denmark
• Avesta Municipality, Sweden
• Askøy, Norway
• Loukhsky District, Russia

Notable People from Kuusamo

• Alexander Kuoppala, former guitarist for the band Children Of Bodom
• Enni Rukajärvi, a slopestyle snowboarder and silver medalist at the 2014 Winter Olympics
• Hannu Hautala, a famous photographer
• Anssi Koivuranta, a ski-jumper and former Nordic combined athlete
• Pirkko Määttä, a cross-country skier
• Jarkko Oikarinen, who created IRC
• Kalevi Oikarainen, a cross-country skier
• Jarkko Petosalmi, a musician
• Tuomas "Zuppi" Törmänen, a professional Age of Empires II player

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See also

In Spanish: Kuusamo para niños