| Kajaani (Kajana in Swedish) is a town in Finland.
It is located in the province of Oulu and is the capital of the Kainuu region. It is located southeast of Oulujärvi (Lake Oulu), which drains to the Gulf of Bothnia along the Oulujoki (Oulu river). The city has a population of 38,217 and covers an area of 1369 km² of which 212 km² is water. The population density is 33.0 inhabitants per km². The city is unilingually Finnish.
Kajaani is in the center of the region of Kainuu. The folklorist Elias Lönnrot began his travels from here when collecting folklore in Karelia.
Kajaani was founded in 1651 as one of the Finnish cities founded by the Governor General of Finland Per Brahe. At that time, the Kainuu region — as wood country — was an important wood tar producer, and the tar trade was the major industry. The barrels of tar were shipped to Oulujärvi and then along the Oulujoki to Oulu on the Bothnian coast of the Baltic sea. From there, the tar was shipped to continental Europe, where it was used as a sealant and an anti-rot agent for ship hulls.
One famous historical monument in Kajaani are the ruins of the Kajaani Castle, located on the River Kajaani in the centre of the city. The castle was originally built in 1604 and completed in 1619. The castle served as an administrative centre, prison, military base and a refuge for the citizens.
During the Greater Wrath in the 18th century the castle was forced to surrender to Russian forces. The Russians blew the castle up in March 1716 and it has been in ruins ever since. Today, the ruins are especially popular among children who like to explore the dark, twisty little passages and have fantasy adventures.
In the 20th century Kajaani became industrialized and the city started to grow especially after a railroad connection was established. The populational growth was strongest just after the Second World War. Currently, however, the population is decreasing.
In 1977 the separate rural municipality of Kajaani, Kajaanin maalaiskunta, and Kajaani were merged to form the City of Kajaani which, in addition to railroad and road connections, is served by a Finnair-operated air connection to Helsinki, during the summer twice daily and three times a day during the winter schedule period. Kajaani airport, located in the Paltaniemi area, close to central Kajaani, is maintained and operated by Finavia, the Finnish aviation authority, also serving the needs of non-commercial general aviation.
Vuolijoki was consolidated with Kajaani in the beginning of 2007.
Since 1993 The Art Museum of Kajaani (Kajaanin taidemuseo) has operated in the city. The collection of the museum centers on Finnish modern art.
The Kajaani Town Theatre Kajaanin kaupunginteatteri was established in 1969 and is one of the most respected theaters in Finland. It was chosen as the Theatre of the Year in 2003 and continues to attract ambitious actors and theatre directors, as well as a wealth of audience from across Finland. As the leading theatre in the Kainuu district, every year the Kajaani Town Theatre goes on the road to tour neighbouring towns and villages, and has been known occasionally to find its way to Southern Finland as well.
The most notable annual cultural events in Kajaani are Kajaanin Runoviikko (The Kajaani Poetry Week), originally known as Sana ja Sävel, and Kainuun JazzKevät (The Kainuu Jazz Spring).
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