Kuopio ( KUO-pi-ou, Finnish: [ˈkuo̯pio] ) is a city in Finland and the regional capital of North Savo. It is located in the Finnish Lakeland. The population of Kuopio is approximately 125,000, while the sub-region has a population of approximately 146,000. It is the 8th most populous municipality in Finland, and the seventh most populous urban area in the country.
Kuopio has a total area of 4,326.35 square kilometres (1,670.41 sq mi), of which 719.85 km2 (277.94 sq mi) is water and half is forest. Although the city's population is spread over 39/km2 (100/sq mi), the city's urban areas are comparatively densely populated (urban area: 1,618 /km²), making Kuopio the second most densely populated city in Finland. At the end of 2018, its urban area had a population of approximately 90,000. Together with Joensuu, Kuopio is one of the major urban, economic and cultural centres of Eastern Finland.
Kuopio is nationally known as one of the most important study cities and centres of attraction and growth. The city's history has been marked by several municipality mergers since 1969, as a result of which Kuopio now encompasses much of the countryside; Kuopio's population surpassed 100,000 when the town of Nilsiä joined the city in early 2013. When Maaninka joined Kuopio at the beginning of 2015, Kuopio became the largest milk-producing municipality in Finland and the second largest beef-producing municipality in Finland. In addition, at the end of the 2010s, Kuopio was characterised by numerous large projects, the largest in the country after the Helsinki metropolitan area. Kuopio has also become a major tourist city with the large tourist centre in Tahkovuori. Kuopio Airport, located in the municipality of Siilinjärvi, is Finland's fifth busiest airport with over 235,000 passengers in 2017.
According to the 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 property investors. In the Kuntien imago 2018 survey, Kuopio ranks second among Finland's large cities after Seinäjoki in South Ostrobothnia. In T-media's study on the attractiveness and influence of the ten largest cities in 2021, 2022 and 2023, Kuopio is the second most attractive city in Finland, with Tampere in first place.
Kuopio was the European Region of Gastronomy in 2020. It is also known as the home of Kalakukko, a traditional Savonian food, which is why Kuopio is also known as the "Promised Land of Kalakukko".
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