Kainuu

Kainuu is a province of Finland, located in Northern Finland. The provincial capital is Kajaani. The largest lake in the province is Oulujärvi (area 893 km²) and the highest point is Iso Tuomivaara in Hyrynsalmi, which reaches an altitude of 387 meters above sea level. Kainuu is surrounded by the following provinces: Northern Ostrobothnia to the west and north, and Northern Savo and Northern Karelia to the south. In the east, the province borders the Russian province of Viennese Karelia. The area of ​​Kainuu province on 1 January 2021 was 22,687.86 km², of which 20,197.26 km² is land and 2,490.60 km² is inland water. The population of the province on 31 December 2024 was 69,637, making it the second smallest province in mainland Finland in terms of population. The nature of Kainuu is most typically characterized by hills, lakes and large uninhabited forest areas. 80 percent of Kainuu's land area is forest. The climate is continental.