Kuusankoski

Kuusankoski is an industrial town in southeastern Finland in the region of Kymenlaakso in the province of Southern Finland. The population of Kuusankoski is 20,392 (2003) and the total area is 129.5 km² of which 114 km² is land and 14.56 km² water. It is located some 130 km northeast of the Finnish capital Helsinki. Kuusankoski is primarily known for paper manufacturing and three large factory complexes. It is sometimes nicknamed the "Paper capital of Finland".

Kuusankoski (as a municipality, not the settlement), was founded in 1921 from the parts of neighbouring Iitti and Valkeala. It gained the status of "kauppala" (literally "a place of commerce") in 1957 and became a town in 1973.

The history of Kuusankoski during the last one and a half centuries has been closely linked to the establishment of the paper factories and their development. The establishment of the factories dates back to the 1870s and 1890s, when the rapids of the river Kymijoki were made to deliver electricity to a waking industry. Since then, and until the modern age of automation, the factories have offered jobs to many generations of Kuusankoski citizens, making the area somewhat more prosperous than the neighbouring regions. Today, the influence of the factories on everyday life has somewhat lessened, but their historical importance remains well known.

Kuusankoski is said to be the most social democratic town in Finland. The Social Democratic Party of Finland has gained more than 50-60% support in various elections. In terms of income per citizen, Kuusankoski is among the 20 richest municipalities of Finland.

The cityscape of Kuusankoski consists mostly of element-based blocks of flats built during the 1960s. However, there are some exceptions, such as a school and a church built at the beginning of the last century. Another kind of architecture is represented by the culture building Kuusankoskitalo, a typical creation of modern Finnish architecture, and a library built in a functionalistic style. The cityscape is also characterised by the beautiful river Kymijoki which curves through the town.

As of 2009, the six municipalities - Kouvola, Kuusankoski, Elimäki, Anjalankoski, Valkeala and Jaala - will be merged, accounting for the new municipality of Kouvola with a population of over 80 000, being the 10th largest city in Finland.

External links

* [http://www.kuusankoski.fi/ Kuusankoski - Suomen paperikaupunki (in Finnish)]