Sister Cities

Sister city relationship between two cities is an official and public friend relationship. The activities centre on exchange programs and cooperation between the two cities. Sister city and municipality activities are the oldest form and the basis of international activities of cities and municipalities. 

Boden, Sweden 

Boden is municipality of 28 000 habitants in northern Sweden, in the Norrbotten County. Due to building a fortification of the Swedish Military in the municipality, Boden became a city in 1919. Boden is the crossing point of two main railways, the Northern main line and the Ore line. The largest employers in the region are the Swedish Military and the municipality of Boden. 
Boden and Oulu have been sister cities since 1948. 

Alta, Norway 

The capital of the Finnmark County, Alta is a growing municipality in northern Norway. The majority of the approximately 20 000 inhabitants of the municipality live in the city of Alta. There are unique Stone Age rock drawings in Alta which are on the Unesco World Heritage List. Finnish immigrants have played a significant role in populating Alta and there is a Finnish minority living in the region today. 
Oulu and Alta became sister cities in 1948. 

Odesa, Ukraine 

Odesa is a city with a population of over one million on the coast of the Black Sea in southern Ukraine. The city of Odesa was founded in 1794, and it quickly developed into a significant port and trade city. Ship transport is important for Odesa and the city includes five ports. Odesa is the centre of Ukraine’s industry, and tourism is an important source of livelihood. 
Odesa and Oulu became sister cities in 1957. 

Leverkusen, Germany 

Leverkusen is a city of over 160 000 inhabitants in North Rhine-Westphalia State between Cologne and Düsseldorf. The city along the Rhine River is very young as it was founded in 1930 by connecting nearby municipalities into a city. Leverkusen has grown thanks to the chemical industry and the main office of Bayer AG is still located in the city. 
Leverkusen and Oulu became sister cities in 1968. 

Halle, Germany 

Halle is the largest city in the Saxony-Anhalt State with a population of 240 000. The city of Halle was founded in the Middle Ages and it gathered its wealth by producing salt. Later Halle developed into a city of chemical industry. Today, Halle is a centre of science and technology in the region. The Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg is located in the city. The composer Friedrich Händel was born in Halle in 1685 and a music festival is held annually in his honor. 
Oulu and Halle became sister cities in 1968. 

Siófok, Hungary 

Siófok is a city of over 25 000 inhabitants on the southern shore of Lake Balaton. Siófok developed into a bustling beach tourism city in the 1860s when a railway and a port were established in the city. The sandy beaches of Lake Balaton attract visitors to spend summers in Siófok and tourism is still the most important source of livelihood in the city. 
Oulu and Siófok became sister cities in 1978. 

Bursa, Turkey 

The city of Bursa is located in western Turkey, and it is the capital city of the Bursa Province. There are approximately 1,8 million inhabitants in the city, making it Turkey’s fourth largest city. Bursa’s history begins in ancient times. Briefly, Bursa was the capital city in the 1300s. The city began industrializing in the 1960s, and today Bursa is the centre of Turkey’s car industry. The Bursa Uludaĝ University is located in the city. 
Oulu and Bursa became sister cities in 1978. 

Arkhangelsk, Russia 

All sister city activities with Arkhangelsk have been temporarily discontinued due to Russia’s military attack against Ukraine. 

Arkhangelsk is a city with a population of 355 000 in northern Russia, on the coast of the White Sea. The city was founded in 1584 for trade and seafaring. Today, the third largest port in Russia is located in Arkhangelsk. The region has rich natural resources, such as forests, gas, oil and precious metals. 
Oulu and Arkhangelsk became sister cities in 1993. 

Astana, Kazakhstan 

The current capital of the Republic of Kazakhstan Astana is the second largest city in the country and has a population of approximately one million. It is located in the centre of the country and the Ishmin River flows through the city. There are multiple universities in Altana. Multiple industries are pursued in the region, such as oil and steel processing as well as iron ore and coal production. The city has had many names, such as Nur-Sultan, Aqmola, Teslinograd, Akmolinsk. 
Oulu and Astana became sister cities in 2013. 

Matera, Italy 

Matera is located in southern Italy in the Province of Matera. It has a population of approximately 60 000. Sassi di Matera is a part of the old town and a Unesco World Heritage site. It is one of the oldest settlements in Italy. The region is mountainous and significant sources of livelihood are tourism and farming (olives and wine). Many international movies have been filmed in the area. 
Matera has been a sister city of Oulunsalo since 2010 and Oulu’s sister city since 2013 when Oulunsalo joined Oulu.  

Szigetszentmiklós, Hungary 

Szigetszentmiklós is located on Csepel Island in the Pest County, about 13 kilometers south of Budapest. The city has a population of approximately 40 000. There is some small-scale industry in the region, for example the country’s largest flower farm. The city’s name refers to Saint Nicholas, who is called Szent Miklós in Hungarian.  
Szigetzentmiklós has been a sister city of Haukipudas since 1992 and became Oulu’s sister city in 2013 when Haukipudas joined Oulu. 

Kronstadt, Russia 

All sister city activities with Kronstadt have been temporarily discontinued due to Russia’s military attack against Ukraine. 

Kronstadt is an old fort city at the far end of the Gulf of Finland, near St. Petersburg. It is located on the Kotlin Island (Retusaari in Finnish). The city was founded by Peter the Great in 1703 as a fort and a base for Russia’s Baltic navy. Parts of the Kronstadt fortress are listed as a Unesco World Heritage site. Kronstadt’s population is approximately 43 000 and it is administered by the city of St. Petersburg. Nowadays, you can reach Kronstadt from the mainland by road over an embankment. 
Kronstadt has been a sister city of Haukipudas, Kiiminki and Yli-Ii since 1991. Kronstadt and Oulu became sister cities in 2013 when Haukipudas, Kiiminki and Yli-Ii joined Oulu. 

Hangzhou, China 

Hangzhou is the capital of Zhejiang County. The historical city is located in the Yangtse River delta at the south end of the Grand Canal which connects Beijing and Hangzhou. The Yangtse River delta is one of the world’s most densely populated areas. The region was first to industrialize in China and has been the centre of the country’s economy. Xi Hú, the lake located in Hangzhou surrounded by mountains, together with the temples, pavilions, and pagodas in the region have inspired Chinese garden designers, poets, philosophers and scientists for centuries. Xi Hú is a Unesco World Heritage Site. Fields of industry: financial services, information technology, e-commerce, biomedicine, energy conservation, and new forms of energy. Hangzhou’s population is approximately 10 million. 
Hangzhou became Oulu’s sister city in 2010. 

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