Outokumpu, Finland


Outokumpu is a town and municipality of Finland.
It is located in the North Karelia region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is. Neighbouring municipalities are Heinävesi, Kaavi, Liperi, Polvijärvi and Tuusniemi.
The municipality is unilingually Finnish.

History

The municipality was formerly known as Kuusjärvi. In 1968 it became a market town and was renamed as Outokumpu after the copper mine located in the municipality. Outokumpu gained town privileges in 1977. The town began to form around the Outokumpu Copper Mine, which was active between 1913-1989. The is still clearly visible as it is situated in the town centre and nowadays it has been developed into a tourist attraction.

Economy & companies

The steel manufacturer Outokumpu originates from the town of Outokumpu. Outokumpu Copper Mine was a big employer in Outokumpu from the beginning of 20th century until 1989 when the ore was shut down.
In Outokumpu there is a rather vibrant industrial park, which was founded in 1979 when it became apparent that the mine was to be shut down during the next decade. Most of the town's biggest employers are situated in Outokumpu Industrial Park as it has the role of organizing and developing the local businesses.
Nowadays Outokumpu is home to many technology industry companies such as , , , and . It is said that in Outokumpu there is one of the highest densities of CNC machines and tools in Finland compared to population.
Relevant employers from other branches of the economy include among others: , , .
There was some 2502 jobs in Outokumpu in 2014.

Tourism

Main tourist attraction in Outokumpu is the Outokumpu Old Mine. An area where you can find a mining museum, theme park Children's mine for children, some restaurants and a Disc golf track that surrounds the old mining area.
Other destinations of interest are the , track, lake Juojärvi and the municipal .
During summer season you can go for on the small and beautiful lakes surrounding the Outokumpu Nature Park. You can also go fishing in Children's fishing Oasis and rent a beach sauna from touristic services.

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities