"The Big, Flat, Empty North" Oulu by baronedivandastad

The Oulu region is big, flat and empty. It constitutes the large part of Pohjois-Pohjanmaa, and stretches from the Northeastern tip of the Gulf of Bothnia all the way inland until the Russian border.

Most of it is covered by forest and its flatness (especially on the western side) can be unnerving, but I believe that is its most fascinating aspect. The region actually emerged from the sea not so long ago (in geological terms).

In the Oulu region, people are different than the rest of Finland. They speak with an accent that everyone else thinks is funny, and tend to be more social and even more down to earth than other Finns. Not that there's many of them though: the population recently rose to just above 370 thousand, thus edging over the amazing density of 10 inhabitants per square km! Half of these live in Oulu (the capital city) making the rest even more empty-feeling.

Welcome to the Big, Flat, Empty North.

• Pros:Large, wild, empty
• Cons:A bit chilly sometimes