Kuusamo
Kuusamo (Finnish: [ˈkuːsɑmo]; Northern Sami: Guossán; Inari Sami: Kuáccám) is a town and municipality in Finland. It is located in Koillismaa, the northeastern part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The municipality has a population of 15,017 (31 December 2023) and covers an area of 5,808.92 square kilometres (2,242.84 sq mi) of which 830.81 km2 (320.78 sq mi) is water. The population density is 3.02 inhabitants per square kilometre (7.8/sq mi).
Kuusamo | |
|---|---|
Town and municipality | |
| Kuusamon kaupunki Kuusamo stad | |
Snow-covered trees in Kuusamo | |
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Coat of arms | |
Location of Kuusamo in Finland | |
| Coordinates: 65°58′N 029°11′E | |
| Country | Finland |
| Region | North Ostrobothnia |
| Sub-region | Koillismaa |
| Charter | 1868 |
| Government | |
| • Town manager | Jouko Manninen |
| 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) |
| • Rank | 11th largest in Finland |
| Population (2023-12-31) | |
| • Total | 15,017 |
| • Rank | 75th largest in Finland |
| • Density | 3.02/km2 (7.8/sq mi) |
| Population by native language | |
| • Finnish | 96.4% (official) |
| • Swedish | 0.3% |
| • Others | 3.3% |
| 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) |
| Website | www |
The municipality is unilingually Finnish.
Kuusamo is a major center for winter sports and receives approximately a million tourists every year. One of the largest ski resorts in Finland, Ruka, is situated in Kuusamo. Ruka is also the host of many international competitions in ski jumping, cross-country skiing, and Nordic combined. The 2005 World Championships of Freestyle Skiing was held in Kuusamo. Kuusamo Airport is located 6 kilometres (4 mi) northeast of Kuusamo's town centre.