Rauma, Finland

Rauma (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈrɑumɑ]; Swedish: Raumo) is a town and municipality of ca. 39,400 (31 January 2019 )[2] inhabitants on the west coast of Finland, 92 kilometres (57 mi) north of Turku, and 50 kilometres (31 mi) south of Pori. Granted town privileges on 17 April 1442 (then under the rule of Sweden), Rauma is known for its paper and maritime industry, high quality lace (since the 18th century) and the old wooden architecture of its centre (Old Rauma, Vanha Rauma), which is a UNESCO world heritage site.

Rauma

Raumo
Town
Rauman kaupunki
Raumo stad
Rauma in May 2012
Flag
Coat of arms
Motto(s): 
Kyl Raum o ain Raum
Location of Rauma in Finland
Coordinates: 61°08′N 021°30′E
Country Finland
RegionSatakunta
Sub-regionRauma sub-region
Charter1442-04-17
Government
 • Town managerKari Koski
Area
 (2018-01-01)[1]
 • Total1,110.12 km2 (428.62 sq mi)
 • Land495.64 km2 (191.37 sq mi)
 • Water614.48 km2 (237.25 sq mi)
Area rank176th largest in Finland
Population
 (2019-01-31)[2]
 • Total39,382
 • Rank27th largest in Finland
 • Density79.46/km2 (205.8/sq mi)
 • Demonym
Raumalainen (Finnish), Raumlaine (Dialect)
Population by native language
 • Finnish98.2% (official)
 • Swedish0.4%
 • Others1.4%
Population by age
 • 0 to 1415.2%
 • 15 to 6465.8%
 • 65 or older18.9%
Time zoneUTC+02:00 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+03:00 (EEST)
Municipal tax rate[5]18%
ClimateDfb
Websitewww.rauma.fi

History

In the 14th century, before being declared as a town, Rauma had a Franciscan monastery and a Catholic church. In 1550, the townsmen of Rauma were ordered to relocate to Helsinki, but this was unsuccessful and Rauma continued to grow.

Practically the whole wooden part of the town of Rauma was devastated in the fires of 1640 and 1682. The city centre, which was as large as the town was until 1809, has approximately 600 wooden buildings. The neo-renaissance style of many of the houses is a result of prosperity brought on by seafaring. In 1897 Rauma had the largest fleet of sailing boats in Finland, totaling 57 vessels. Goods were mainly exported to Germany, Stockholm and the Baltic states. In the 1890s, Rauma got a teacher's college (a 'seminar'), which was later annexed to the University of Turku. A part of the department of education still exists in Rauma.

The name Rauma comes from the Germanic word strauma, meaning "stream".[6]

Geography

Neighborhoods and suburbs

Neighborhoods and suburbs of Rauma include: Tarvonsaari, Merirauma, Uusi-Lahti, Kappelinluhta, Paloahde, Haapasaari, Syvärauma, Kinno, Kaaro, Luostarinkylä, Impivaara, Äyhö, Uotila, Lajo, Nikulanmäki, Lensunkallio, Nummi, Pyynpää, Otanlahti, Pidesluoto, Komppi, Lonsi, Polari, Sampaanala, Paroalho, Kourujärvi, Kortela, Monna, Kourujärvi, Kodisjoki, Lappi.

Industry

After World War II, Rauma developed into an industrial city, the main industries being shipbuilding, paper and pulp mills, and metal industry. Rauma is also the fifth largest port in Finland with almost six million tonnes of shipping per year. Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant is located next to Rauma, in Eurajoki. Near Rauma, there is the static-inverter plant of Fenno-Skan.

Demographics
Population of Rauma 1980–2018
Year Population
1980
 
 42 973
1985
 
 43 564
1990
 
 42 410
1995
 
 42 089
2000
 
 41 001
2005
 
 40 381
2010
 
 39 715
2015
 
 39 809
2018
 
 39 360
Source: Statistics Finland
Number of immigrants in Rauma by country of origin in 2018[7]
Country Number
 Poland310
 Estonia296
 Soviet Union258
 Sweden207
 France133
 Turkey97
 Germany84
 Latvia79
 China76
 Bulgaria73

Transport
Sunset at the port of Rauma

Rauma is located between Turku and Pori by the national road 8 (E8). Finnish national road 12 starts from Rauma and it was extended to the port of Rauma in 2008.

A railway connection from Kokemäki is in active freight use, as there is a straight connection to the heavy industry areas and to the port of Rauma. The rail passenger traffic ended in 1988.

Satakunnan Liikenne Oy runs the local bus traffic and it has 3 lines in Rauma.[8] The hub for the local buses is located in Savila while the Long distance buses operate from Rauma bus station. The long distance buses take passengers directly to Pori and Turku and to Tampere and Helsinki with one transfer at Huittinen.[9]

The nearest airport is located in Pori. The port of Rauma serves only freight ships on frequent basis.

Culture

Rauma has its own dialect of Finnish, "Rauman giäl". The dialect inherits words from languages such as Swedish, English and German due to the seafaring past. The dialect has been diluted into mainstream Finnish in day-to-day use, but it is fairly well studied (mainly by Hj. Nortamo) and practiced as a hobby.

Rauma Maritime Museum in the Rauma Nautical School building was founded in 1999.[10]

Lace Week

Annual Lace Week has been arranged in Rauma since year 1971. During the Lace week local craftspeople arrange small exhibitions in the Old Rauma area. The Lace week culminates to the Black Lace Night, when the small boutiques are open late night, various shows and concerts are held and people dress in black lace.

Other events
  • Music festival RMJ, held in Pori in 2008 and 2009.
  • Classical music festival Festivo
  • Jazz-happening Rauma Summer Jazz
  • Creative and performing music arts festival Klustermus
  • Movie festival Blue Sea Film Festival
  • Blues festival Rauma Blues

Sports

Rauman Lukko is an ice hockey team that hails from Rauma, playing in Liiga. Their home arena is Äijänsuo Arena. Local football teams are Pallo-Iirot and FC Rauma. These two teams share the same home field at Äijänsuo sports centre. Sea City Storm is an American football team playing in the Finnish American Football Association's 2nd division. Fera is a women's Finnish baseball team, whose home field is the Länsi-Suomi Arena at Otanlahti sports centre. Rauma also has an own orienteering club, Rasti-Lukko, two Basketball teams known as Kaaron Roima and Rauma Basket, a rinkball team called UKP and a floorball team named SalBa.

Recreation
Marina in Rauma, Finland

One popular saying goes that every family in Rauma owns a boat – this is not true, though the city has room for ca. 2,800[11] boats at its docks. People can use their own boats or water buses to get to the Kylmäpihlaja lighthouse that doubles as a hotel and recreation site. Water buses take people to Reksaari island and former garrison island of Kuuskajaskari. Both islands are in recreational use.

Consolidation of municipalities

Rauma and the surrounding municipality of Rauman maalaiskunta ("rural municipality of Rauma") were consolidated in 1993, continued in 2007 with the consolidation of municipality of Kodisjoki. The municipality of Lappi was consolidated to Rauma in 2009.

  • Tower of the Church of The Holy Cross
  • The old town hall of Rauma
  • Street in city centre
  • Fåfänga

International relations
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Finland

Twin towns — Sister cities

Rauma is twinned with the following cities and towns:[12]

Panoramic view of Rauma
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References
  1. "Area of Finnish Municipalities 1.1.2018" (PDF). National Land Survey of Finland. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  2. "Suomen virallinen tilasto (SVT): Väestön ennakkotilasto [verkkojulkaisu]. Tammikuu 2019" (in Finnish). Statistics Finland. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  3. "Population according to language and the number of foreigners and land area km2 by area as of 31 December 2008". Statistics Finland's PX-Web databases. Statistics Finland. Retrieved 29 March 2009.
  4. "Population according to age and gender by area as of 31 December 2008". Statistics Finland's PX-Web databases. Statistics Finland. Retrieved 28 April 2009.
  5. "List of municipal and parish tax rates in 2011". Tax Administration of Finland. 29 November 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
  6. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-03-08. Retrieved 2011-09-16.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. http://pxnet2.stat.fi/PXWeb/pxweb/fi/StatFin/StatFin__vrm__vaerak/statfin_vaerak_pxt_11rv.px/
  8. "Local bus timetables" (in Finnish). Satakunnan Liikenne. Retrieved 2009-11-04.
  9. "Long distance bus timetables" (in Finnish). Satakunnan Liikenne. Retrieved 2009-11-04.
  10. Museum Archived August 10, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  11. Finnish Maritime Administration Archived April 6, 2008, at the Wayback Machine August 19, 2008 – Boating in Finland and its economic impacts
  12. "Ystävyys- ja kumppanuuskaupungit" (in Finnish). City of Rauma. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
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