Ylivieska

Ylivieska is a town located in Ostrobothnia, Finland. It serves as the administrative centre for Kalajokilaakso and Pyhäjokilaakso, an area with about 90,000 inhabitants.

Ylivieska is also the commercial center of the Oulu South region, the southern part of Oulu province.

Ylivieska is a town of young people. People below the age of 15 constitute 25% of the population, whereas they are only 20% of the general population of Finland. This is reflected in the dance music scene of the town, supported by the nonprofit organization Pohjanmaa Underground ry

The closest cities near Ylivieska are Oulu (130 km) and Kokkola (79 km), the neighbouring municipalities are Oulainen, Haapavesi, Nivala, Sievi, Kalajoki, Alavieska and Merijärvi.

The municipality is unilingually Finnish.

Geography

Ylivieska is located in Ostrobothnia about 130 km south of the city of Oulu.

The town is characterized by the Kalajoki river, which runs SE-NW through the town centre. The agricultural and economical area of the Kalajoki river basin is known as Kalajokilaakso.

Ylivieska is situated along the Ostrobothnia railway (in Finnish), which leads from Helsinki the national capital to Rovaniemi in the north of the country. The railway was opened 1886 and it has had a significant role in the town's economical development.

Economy

Employment by industry (2005)

Services 66.1 %
Industry 28.5 %
Agriculture and forestry 5.4 %
Unemployment 11 %

Agriculture and animal husbandry, mainly milking cows, used to be the main sources of livelihood in Ylivieska. In the recent decades, the role of agriculture has reduced following the development of industry and services. Currently, Ylivieska is home to about 30 industrial enterprises, some of which are also internationally recognized in their respective niche markets.

Regionally, Ylivieska has become an important place for car buyers. There are several stores and agents selling new and used cars, and purchases average about 6,000 cars per year. Thus, the local car sales entrepreneurs have created the concept of Ylivieska being the "Autolaakso" or "car valley" of the Kalajokilaakso and neighbouring regions.

Trivia

The second oldest concrete bridge in Finland, built 1912 and named humorously as Savisilta (clay bridge) is located in Ylivieska. (picture).

The Home Region Museum of Ylivieska features traditional countryside lifestyle, some old buildings, and as a curiosity, a 700-piece collection of milk jugs, with jugs from 15 countries.

Kyösti Kallio (1873–1940), the 4th President of Finland, was born in Ylivieska.

The specialty foods of Ylivieska are maitorieska, a simple but tasty flat bread made of barley flour, milk and salt, and pepu, which only has the same ingredients as the maitorieska, but instead of being formed into flat breads and baked, pepu is boiled and pan fried. At the neighbouring municipality Sievi, a specialty food is mutti, which is actually unfried pepu.