Kuopio

Kuopio (kuˈoʊpioʊ , ˈkuo̯pio) is a Finnish city and municipality located in the region of Northern Savonia. It has a population of , which makes it the most populous municipality in Finland. Along with Joensuu, Kuopio is one of the major urban, economic, and cultural hubs of Eastern Finland. At the end of 2018, its urban area had a population of 89,307. Kuopio has a total area of , of which is water and half is forest. Though the city's population is spread out , the city's urban areas are populated comparably densely (urban area: 1,618 /km2), making Kuopio Finland's second-most densely populated city. Kuopio is known nationwide as one of the most important study cities and centers of attraction and growth. The city's history has been characterized by several municipality mergers since 1969, as a result of which Kuopio now includes much countryside; Kuopio's population surpassed 100,000 when the town of Nilsiä joined the city at the beginning of 2013. When Maaninka joined Kuopio at the beginning of 2015, Kuopio became Finland's largest milk producing community and Finland's second largest beef producing community. In addition, at the end of the 2010s, Kuopio was noted for numerous large projects, which are the largest nationwide after the Helsinki's metropolitan area. With the large tourist center in Tahkovuori, Kuopio has also grown into a major tourist city. Kuopio Airport, located in the Siilinjärvi municipality, is Finland's fifth-busiest airport, with over 235,000 passengers in 2017. According to Kuntarating 2017 survey, Kuopio has the most satisfied residents among the 20 largest cities, and according to the 2018 survey, Kuopio is the best city for real estate investors. In the Kuntien imago 2018 survey, Kuopio ranks second among large cities of Finland after Seinäjoki of South Ostrobothnia. In T-media'''s attraction and influence of the ten biggest cities study in 2021, 2022 and 2023, Kuopio is the second most attractive city in Finland, with Tampere holding the first place. Kuopio was the European Region of Gastronomy in 2020.