Oulujärvi (; sv, Ule träsk; also known as Lake Oulu) is a large
lake
A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...
in the
Kainuu region of Finland. With an area of it is the
fifth largest lake in the country. The lake is drained by the
Oulu River
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 ...
, which flows northwestward from the lake into the
Gulf of Bothnia. Its nickname is the "Kainuu Sea", and it is bordered by the three
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 ...
of
Vaala
Vaala is a municipality in Finland. It is located in the North Ostrobothnia region. Established in 1954 (predecessor municipality ''Säräisniemi'', established in 1867), the municipality has a population of () and covers an area of of which ...
,
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 ...
and
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 ...
.
About 40 percent of the lake is in Vaala.
See also
*
Mulkkusaaret Mulkkusaaret (literally translates to ''Dick Islands'' or ''Penis Islands'') is a group of three small islands and one rock in lake Oulujärvi in the Paltamo municipality in Finland. The islands are located north of Tevä island, approximately sou ...
References
External links
*
Oulujarvi, Official tourism websiteJärviwiki Web Service
Oulujoki basin
Landforms of Kainuu
{{OuluProvince-geo-stub
