Rauma
Raumo
Town
Rauman kaupunki
Raumo stad
Rauma in May 2012
Rauma in May 2012
Flag of Rauma
Flag
Coat of arms of Rauma
Coat of arms
Motto: 
Kyl Raum o ain Raum
Location of Rauma in Finland
Location of Rauma in Finland
Coordinates: 61°08′N 021°30′E / 61.133°N 21.500°E / 61.133; 21.500
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)
 • Land496.43 km2 (191.67 sq mi)
 • Water614.48 km2 (237.25 sq mi)
 • Rank176th largest in Finland
Population
 (2023-09-30)[2]
 • Total38,829
 • Rank29th largest in Finland
 • Density78.22/km2 (202.6/sq mi)
 • Demonym
Raumalainen (Finnish) Raumlaine (Dialect)
Population by native language
[3]
 • Finnish92.1% (official)
 • Swedish0.3%
 • Others7.6%
Population by age
[4]
 • 0 to 1414.5%
 • 15 to 6459.3%
 • 65 or older26.2%
Time zoneUTC+02:00 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+03:00 (EEST)
ClimateDfb
Websitewww.rauma.fi
Official nameOld Rauma
TypeCultural
Criteriaiv, v
Designated1991
Reference no.582

Rauma (Finnish: [ˈrɑu̯mɑ]; Swedish: Raumo) is a town and municipality of around 38,800 (30 September 2023)[2] inhabitants on the west coast of Finland, 92 kilometres (57 mi) north of Turku, and 50 kilometres (31 mi) south of Pori. Its neighbouring municipalities are Eura, Eurajoki, Laitila and Pyhäranta. 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 the city centre (Old Rauma, Vanha Rauma), which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[5]

History

In the 14th century, before it was declared 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.

Illustration in Finland framstäldt i teckningar edited by Zacharias Topelius and published 1845-1852.

Practically the whole wooden part of the town of Rauma was devastated in the fires of 1640 and 1682. The city centre, which mostly comprised the entire town 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, totalling 57 vessels. As the Crimean War broke out in 1853, Rauma was attacked by French Navy and British Navy in 1855 during the Åland War. 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

Climate

Rauma has a humid continental climate with cold winters and warm summers. The marine affect from the Gulf of Bothnia brings both warmth in the winter and cooler temperatures in the summer. And similar to other coastal cities of Finland in the south, the average annual temperature in Rauma is about 6 °C (42.8 °F). On February 3 1966, the lowest ever recorded temperature in central Rauma hit -33.6 °C (-28.5 °F), and the highest temperature record being around 33 °C (91.4 °F) with no clear data, due to the weather station's data having been taken into use only in late 2010's.

Economy

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.

In 2019 the biggest tax payers in Rauma were Raumaster, Forchem, Länsi-Suomen Osuuspankki, Oras, Alfa Laval Aalborg and LähiTapiola Lännen.[7]

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[8]
Country Number
 Poland510
 Estonia296
 Russia258
 Sweden207
 Turkey193
 France127
 Germany84
 Latvia79
 Somalia76
 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.[9] 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.[10]

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.

The town also is the birthplace of Raumism, the non-idealist view of the constructed language Esperanto as a vehicle for culture, rather than as an international auxiliary language.

Rauma Maritime Museum in the Rauma Nautical School building was founded in 1999.[11]

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 the local ice hockey team. Founded in 1936, Lukko plays in SM-liiga, the top professional league in Finland. Lukko has won the Finnish championship twice, in 1963 and 2021. 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[12] 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.

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Rauma is twinned with the following cities and towns:[13]

Panoramic view of Rauma

Notable people

See also

Rauma dialect

References

  1. ↑ "Area of Finnish Municipalities 1.1.2018" (PDF). National Land Survey of Finland. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  2. 1 2 "Preliminary population statistics 2023, September". StatFin. Statistics Finland. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  3. ↑ "Demographic Structure by area as of 31 December 2022". Statistics Finland's PX-Web databases. Statistics Finland. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  4. ↑ "Population according to age (1-year) and sex by area and the regional division of each statistical reference year, 2003–2020". StatFin. Statistics Finland. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  5. ↑ "Old Rauma". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  6. ↑ "Keskiaika - Suomen kaupungit keskiajalla". Archived from the original on 2016-03-08. Retrieved 2011-09-16.
  7. ↑ "Rauman seudulla paljon suuria yhteisöveron maksajia: Raumaster, Forchem, Osuuspankki, Oras ja niin edelleen". LS24 (in Finnish). 2019-11-04. Retrieved 2021-05-27.
  8. ↑ "Väestö 31.12. Muuttujina Alue, Taustamaa, Sukupuoli, Vuosi ja Tiedot".
  9. ↑ "Local bus timetables" (in Finnish). Satakunnan Liikenne. Retrieved 2009-11-04.
  10. ↑ "Long distance bus timetables" (in Finnish). Satakunnan Liikenne. Retrieved 2009-11-04.
  11. ↑ Museum Archived August 10, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  12. ↑ Finnish Maritime Administration Archived April 6, 2008, at the Wayback Machine August 19, 2008 – Boating in Finland and its economic impacts
  13. ↑ "Ystävyys- ja kumppanuuskaupungit" (in Finnish). City of Rauma. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
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