Joensuu (Finnish: [ˈjoensuː] ; Karelian: Jovensuu; lit. 'river's mouth') is a city in Finland and the regional capital of North Karelia. It is located in the eastern interior of the country and in the Finnish Lakeland. The population of Joensuu is approximately 78,000, while the sub-region has a population of approximately 127,000. It is the 12th most populous municipality in Finland, and the ninth most populous urban area in the country.
Joensuu was founded in 1848 by the Russian Emperor Nicholas I. The city is located on the northern shore of Lake Pyhäselkä, the northern part of Lake Saimaa, at the mouth of the River Pielinen. The nearest major city, Kuopio in North Savonia, is located 136 kilometres (85 mi) to the west. From Joensuu, the distance to Lappeenranta, the capital of South Karelia, is 233 kilometres (145 mi) along Highway 6.
As is typical of cities in Eastern Finland, Joensuu is monolingually Finnish. Along with Kuopio, Joensuu is one of major urban, economic, and cultural hubs of Eastern Finland. Joensuu is a student city with a subsidiary of the University of Eastern Finland, which has over 20,000 enrolled students, and a further 4,000 students at the Karelia University of Applied Sciences.
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