Ylivieska


Ylivieska is a town and municipality of Northern Ostrobothnia region, Finland. It has a population of , and it serves as the administrative centre for Kalajokilaakso and Pyhäjokilaakso, an area with about 90,000 inhabitants.
Ylivieska is also the commercial center of the Oulu South region, the southern part of the late Oulu province.
The closest cities near Ylivieska are Oulu, Vaasa and Kokkola, the neighbouring municipalities are Oulainen, Haapavesi, Nivala, Sievi, Kalajoki, Alavieska and Merijärvi.
The municipality is unilingually Finnish.

Geography

Ylivieska is located in Northern Ostrobothnia about south of the city of Oulu.
The town is characterized by the Kalajoki River, which runs SE–NW through the town centre. The agricultural and economical area of the Kalajoki river basin is known as Kalajokilaakso.
Ylivieska is situated along the Ostrobothnia railway, which leads from Helsinki, the national capital, to Rovaniemi in the north of the country. The railway was opened in 1886 and it has had a significant role in the town's economical development.

Economy

Employment by industry
Agriculture and animal husbandry, mainly milking cows, used to be the main sources of livelihood in Ylivieska. In recent decades, the role of agriculture has reduced following the development of industry and services. Currently, Ylivieska is home to about 30 industrial enterprises, some of which are also internationally recognized in their respective niche markets.
Regionally, Ylivieska has become an important place for car buyers. There are several stores and agents selling new and used cars, and purchases average about 6,000 cars per year. Thus, the local car sales entrepreneurs have created the concept of Ylivieska being the "Autolaakso" or "car valley" of the Kalajokilaakso and neighbouring regions.

International relations

Twin towns — sister cities

Ylivieska is twinned with: