The Province of Oulu ( fi, Oulun lääni, sv, Uleåborgs län) was a

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...

from 1775 to 2009. It bordered the provinces of Lapland,

Western Finland Western Finland ( fi, Länsi-Suomen lääni, sv, Västra Finlands län) was a province of Finland from 1997 to 2009. It bordered the provinces of Oulu, Eastern Finland and Southern Finland. It also bordered the Gulf of Bothnia towards Åland. ...

and

Eastern Finland Eastern Finland ( fi, Itä-Suomen lääni, sv, Östra Finlands län) was a province of Finland from 1997 to 2009. It bordered the provinces of Oulu, Western Finland and Southern Finland. It also bordered Russia to the east. History On Septemb ...

and also the Gulf of Bothnia and Russia.

History

''For History, Geography and Culture see: Ostrobothnia'' The Province of Oulu was established in 1775 when Finland was an integrated part of Sweden from the northern part of

Ostrobothnia County Ostrobothnia County (, ) was a county of the Swedish Empire The Swedish Empire was a European great power that exercised territorial control over much of the Baltic region during the 17th and early 18th centuries ( sv, Stormaktstiden, "the ...

. The new province was named after its administrative seat of Oulu. As a consequence of the tumultuous conflicts of the

Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...

, Sweden had allied itself with the Russian Empire,

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

and the other parties of the Fourth Coalition against

Napoleonic France The First French Empire, officially the French Republic, then the French Empire (; Latin: ) after 1809, also known as Napoleonic France, was the empire ruled by Napoleon Bonaparte, who established French hegemony over much of continental Eu ...

. However, following the treaty of

Treaty of Tilsit The Treaties of Tilsit were two agreements signed by French Emperor Napoleon in the town of Tilsit in July 1807 in the aftermath of his victory at Friedland. The first was signed on 7 July, between Napoleon and Russian Emperor Alexander, when ...

in 1807, Russia made peace with France and left the coalition. This enabled Russia in 1808 to challenge Sweden in the

Finnish War The Finnish War ( sv, Finska kriget, russian: Финляндская война, fi, Suomen sota) was fought between the Kingdom of Sweden and the Russian Empire from 21 February 1808 to 17 September 1809 as part of the Napoleonic Wars. As a re ...

, over the control of Finland. In the

Treaty of Fredrikshamn The Treaty of Fredrikshamn ( sv, Freden i Fredrikshamn; russian: Фридрихсгамский мирный договор), or the Treaty of Hamina ( fi, Haminan rauha), was a peace treaty concluded between Sweden and Imperial Russia on 17 ...

on 17 September 1809 Sweden was obliged to cede all its territory in Finland, to Russia. The ceded territories became a part of the Russian Empire and were reconstituted into the Grand Duchy of Finland, with the Russian Tsar as Grand Duke. The Province of Oulu was expanded in 1809 with the parts of the

Västerbotten County Västerbotten County ( sv, Västerbottens län) is a county or ''län'' in the north of Sweden. It shares the borders with the counties of Västernorrland, Jämtland, and Norrbotten, as well as the Norwegian county of Nordland and the Gulf of Bo ...

(eastern part of the Torne Valley and historical Lapland). After Finland became independent from Russia, in 1917, there were no changes in Oulu Province until 1938, when the northern part was split off and established as the Lapland Province. All the provinces of Finland were abolished on 1 January 2010.

Administration

The State Provincial Office was a joint regional authority of seven different ministries. It promoted national and regional objectives of the State central administration.

Regions

The Province of Oulu was divided into two regions: *

Northern Ostrobothnia North Ostrobothnia ( fi, Pohjois-Pohjanmaa; sv, Norra Österbotten) is a region of Finland. It borders the Finnish regions of Lapland, Kainuu, North Savo, Central Finland and Central Ostrobothnia, as well as the Russian Republic of Karelia. ...

(''Pohjois-Pohjanmaa / Norra Österbotten'') * Kainuu (''Kainuu / Kajanaland'').

Municipalities in 2009 (cities in bold)

The Province of Oulu was divided into 43

municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

in 2009. *

Alavieska Alavieska () is a municipality of Finland. It is located in the province of Oulu and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The municipality has a population of () and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is . The m ...

Haapajärvi Haapajärvi 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 () and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is . Neig ...

Haapavesi Haapavesi is a town and a municipality of Finland. It is located in the North Ostrobothnia region. The name means "Aspen Water". The town has a population of () and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is . Neighbour mun ...

Hailuoto Hailuoto (; sv, Karlö) is a Finnish island in the northern Baltic Sea and a municipality in Northern Ostrobothnia region. The population of Hailuoto is (), which make it the smallest municipality in Northern Ostrobothnia and the former Oulu P ...

Haukipudas Haukipudas is a town and former municipality of Finland. It is located in the province of Oulu and part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. Its shore runs along the Gulf of Bothnia, with the river Kiiminkijoki running through the province. ...

Hyrynsalmi Hyrynsalmi is a municipality in Finland and is part of the Kainuu region. The municipality has a population of () and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is . The municipality is unilingually Finnish Finnish may refe ...

* Ii *

Kajaani Kajaani (; sv, Kajana) is the most populous town and the capital of the Kainuu Region of Finland. It is located southeast of Lake Oulu (Oulujärvi), which drains into the Gulf of Bothnia through the Oulu River (Oulujoki). As of , it had a pop ...

* Kalajoki *

Kempele Kempele is a municipality south of the city of Oulu and south of the Oulu Airport in Northern Finland. Historically it was in the province of Oulu, but today it is in the region of Northern Ostrobothnia. The population of Kempele is () and the m ...

* Kiiminki *

Kuhmo Kuhmo (known as ''Kuhmoniemi'' until 1937) is a town and a municipality in Finland and is located at the south-eastern corner of the Kainuu region. The municipality has a population of () and covers an area of of which is water. The population ...

* Kuusamo *

Kärsämäki Kärsämäki (; literally meaning " snout hill") is a municipality of Finland. It is located in the province of Oulu and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The municipality has a population of () and covers an area of of which is wat ...

Liminka Liminka ( sv, Limingo) is a municipality in the Northern Ostrobothnia region in Finland. Liminka is located about south of Oulu. The municipality has a population of () and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is . The n ...

Lumijoki Lumijoki is a municipality of Finland. It is located in the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The municipality has a population of () and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is . Neighbouring municipalities are Hailuoto, L ...

* Merijärvi *

Muhos Muhos is a municipality of Finland. It is located in the province of Oulu half an hour's drive (35 km) on route 22 from the city of Oulu, the capital of Northern Finland, and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The municipality has a ...

Nivala Nivala is a town and municipality of Finland. It is located in the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The town has a population of () and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is . The municipality is unilingually Finnish. Ge ...

Oulainen Oulainen ( sv, Oulainen, also ) is a town and a municipality of Finland. It is located in the Northern Ostrobothnia region, south of the city of Oulu. The municipality has a population of () and covers an area of of which is water. The populati ...

* Oulu *

Oulunsalo Oulunsalo ( sv, Oulunsalo, also formerly ) is former municipality in the region of Northern Ostrobothnia, in Finland. Along with Haukipudas, Kiiminki and Yli-Ii it lost its municipal status and was merged with the city of Oulu on 1 January 2013. ...

Paltamo Paltamo ( sv, Paltamo, also ) is a municipality of Finland. It is part of the Kainuu region. The municipality has a population of () and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is . There are two built-up areas in the municip ...

Pudasjärvi Pudasjärvi () is a List of cities and towns in Finland, town and a Municipalities of Finland, municipality of Finland. It is located in the provinces of Finland, province of Oulu (province), Oulu and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia regions of ...

Puolanka Puolanka ( sv, Puolanka, also ) is a municipality in Finland located in the Kainuu region. The municipality has a population of () and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is . The municipality is unilingually Finnish. ...

Pyhäjoki Pyhäjoki (; literally the "Holy River") is a municipality of Finland. It is located in the defunct province of Oulu, which was split in two regions; Pyhäjoki is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. It is located southwest of the city of O ...

Pyhäjärvi Pyhäjärvi (1993–1995 ''Pyhäsalmi'') is a town and municipality in the south of Northern Ostrobothnia region, Finland. Pyhäjärvi also borders the Northern Savonia and Central Finland regions. The town belongs to the subregion of Nivala–Ha ...

* Pyhäntä *

Raahe Raahe (; sv, Brahestad; ) is a town and municipality of Finland. Founded by Swedish statesman and Governor General of Finland Count Per Brahe the Younger in 1649, it is one of 10 historic wooden towns (or town centers) remaining in Finland. Exam ...

Reisjärvi Reisjärvi is a municipality of Finland. It is located in the province of Oulu and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The municipality has a population of () and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is . The m ...

Ristijärvi Ristijärvi is a municipality of Finland. It is part of the Kainuu region. The municipality has a population of (), which make it the smallest municipality in Kainuu in terms of population. It covers an area of of which is water. The populati ...

* Sievi *

Siikajoki Siikajoki is a municipality of Finland. It is part of the North Ostrobothnia region. The municipality has a population of () and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is . Neighbour municipalities are Hailuoto, Liminka, Lu ...

Siikalatva Siikalatva (pronounced ) is a geographical area and a municipality of Finland. It lies 90 kilometres to the south of the city of Oulu and belongs to the North Ostrobothnia region. Siikalatva has a population of approximately 6 000 and the municipa ...

Sotkamo Sotkamo is a municipality of Finland, located in the Kainuu region about east of Kajaani, the capital of Kainuu. Vuokatti, in west of Sotkamo, is the most populous village in the municipality and also a popular skiing resort. Both Hiidenportti Nat ...

Suomussalmi Suomussalmi () is a municipality in Finland and is located in the Kainuu region about northeast of Kajaani, the capital of Kainuu and south of Kuusamo. The municipality has a population of () and covers an area of of which is water. The popul ...

* Taivalkoski * Tyrnävä * Utajärvi * Vaala *

Vihanti Vihanti was a municipality of Finland. It was merged with the city of Raahe on 1 January 2013. Vihanti is located in the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The municipality has a population of (31 December 2012) and covers an area of of which is wa ...

Yli-Ii Yli-Ii ( sv, Överijo) was a municipality of Finland. It was located in the province of Oulu and was part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. Alongside Haukipudas, Kiiminki and Oulunsalo municipalities it was merged with the city of Oulu on 1 J ...

Ylivieska Ylivieska () is a town and municipality of Northern Ostrobothnia region, Finland. It has a population of (), and it serves as the administrative centre for Kalajokilaakso and Pyhäjokilaakso, an area with a population of about 90,000 inhabitants ...

Former municipalities (disestablished before 2009)

* Kajaanin mlk *

Oulujoki Oulujoki is a river in Oulu province, Finland. Its name in Finnish means literally "Oulu River" ( sv, Ule älv), originally in old Northern Ostrobothnian dialect literally "Flood River". Its origin is Oulujärvi and its watershed area covers ...

* Paavola *

Rautio Rautio is a former municipality, now a small village of Kalajoki, Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to t ...

* Revonlahti *

Saloinen Saloinen is a former municipality of Finland. It was a part of the Oulu Province, but now located in the region of Northern Ostrobothnia. It was consolidated with the town of Raahe in 1973. It bordered Raahe, Pyhäjoki and Pattijoki. Villag ...

* Kestilä *

Kuivaniemi Kuivaniemi is a List of former municipalities of Finland, former municipality of Finland. It was located in the provinces of Finland, province of Oulu (province), Oulu and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia regions of Finland, region. The munici ...

* Pattijoki * Piippola *

Pulkkila Pulkkila is a former municipality and a village located in Northern Finland. Pulkkila is the administrative center of the municipality of Siikalatva and belongs to the region of Northern Ostrobothnia. The village is located south from Oulu and ...

* Rantsila * Ruukki *

Temmes Temmes is a former municipality in Northern Ostrobothnia in central western Finland. In 2000, the area had a population of 700. It is the birthplace of the renowned Finnish folklorist and poet Martti Haavio. Since 2001, most parts of the area hav ...

* Vuolijoki * Ylikiiminki

Governors

* Carl Magnus Jägerhorn 1775–1782 * Adolf Tandefelt 1782–1785 * Johan Fredrik Carpelan 1785–1800 * Samuel af Forselles 1800–1802 * Adolf Edelsvärd 1802–1804 * Jakob Daniel Lange 1805–1808 *

Carl Henrik Ehrenstolpe Carl may refer to: *Carl, Georgia, city in USA *Carl, West Virginia, an unincorporated community *Carl (name), includes info about the name, variations of the name, and a list of people with the name *Carl², a TV series * "Carl", an episode of tel ...

1809–1820 * Samuel Fredrik von Born 1820–1826 *

Johan Abraham Stjernschantz Johan * Johan (given name) * ''Johan'' (film), a 1921 Swedish film directed by Mauritz Stiller * Johan (band), a Dutch pop-group ** ''Johan'' (album), a 1996 album by the group * Johan Peninsula, Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada * Jo-Han, a manu ...

1826–1834 *

Robert Wilhelm Lagerborg Robert Wilhelm Lagerborg (1796 – 1849) was Governor of Oulu Province, Finland, from 1833 to his death in 1849. Lagerborg was born in Tammela, Finland, Tammela. The Lagerborg family name (registered at Suomen Ritarihuone as #105) originates ...

1834–1849 * Alexander Lavonius 1849–1862 * George von Alfthan 1862–1873 *

Otto Nyberg Otto is a masculine German given name and a surname. It originates as an Old High German short form (variants ''Audo'', '' Odo'', '' Udo'') of Germanic names beginning in ''aud-'', an element meaning "wealth, prosperity". The name is recorded ...

1873–1879 * Carl Johan Jägerhorn 1878–1883 *

Carl Adolf Tamelander Carl may refer to: *Carl, Georgia, city in USA *Carl, West Virginia, an unincorporated community *Carl (name), includes info about the name, variations of the name, and a list of people with the name *Carl², a TV series * "Carl", an episode of tel ...

1883–1884 * Johan Gabriel Masalin 1884–1886 *

Johan Axel Gripenberg Johan * Johan (given name) * ''Johan'' (film), a 1921 Swedish film directed by Mauritz Stiller * Johan (band), a Dutch pop-group ** ''Johan'' (album), a 1996 album by the group * Johan Peninsula, Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada * Jo-Han, a man ...

1886–1889 * Anders Johan Malmgren 1889–1897 * Gustaf Esaias Fellman 1897–1901 * Edvard Furuhjelm 1901–1903 * Otto Savander 1903–1905 * Guido Gadolin 1905–1911 * Hjalmar Langinkoski 1911–1915 * Axel Fabian af Enehjelm 1915–1917 * Matts von Nandelstadh 1917–1925 * Eero Pehkonen 1925–1948 * Kaarle Määttä 1949–1967 * Niilo Ryhtä 1967–1973 *

Erkki Haukipuro Erkki Antero Haukipuro (18 February 1921, Raahe - 27 September 2001, Oulu) was a Finnish farmer and politician. He served as Minister of Agriculture from 4 September 1972 to 31 July 1973. He was a member of the Parliament of Finland The Parl ...

1973–1986 *

Ahti Pekkala Ahti Antti Johannes Pekkala (20 December 1924 – 23 August 2014) was a Finnish politician from the Centre Party. Pekkala worked as a manager in a bank in Haapavesi 1952–1985. He was elected to the parliament in 1970 and was a deputy chairman ...

1986–1991 * Eino Siuruainen 1991–2009

References

External links

Oulu State Provincial Office
– Official site
Ouluphotos.com
{{Authority control Provinces of Finland (1917–97) Provinces of Finland (1997–2009) States and territories established in 1775 States and territories disestablished in 2010