Rauma, Finland

Rauma Raumo
Town
Rauman kaupunki Raumo stad
Rauma in May 2012
Flag Coat of arms
Motto:  Kyl Raum o ain Raum
Location of Rauma in Finland
Coordinates: 61°08′N 021°30′E
Country	Finland
Region	Satakunta
Sub-region	Rauma sub-region
Charter	1442-04-17
Government
• Town manager	Kari Koski
Area  (2018-01-01)
• Total	1,110.12 km2 (428.62 sq mi)
• Land	496.43 km2 (191.67 sq mi)
• Water	614.48 km2 (237.25 sq mi)
• Rank	176th largest in Finland
Population  (2024-10-31)
• Total	38,957
• Rank	29th largest in Finland
• Density	78.47/km2 (203.2/sq mi)
• Demonym	Raumalainen (Finnish) Raumlaine (Dialect)
Population by native language
• Finnish	91.1% (official)
• Swedish	0.3%
• Others	8.6%
Population by age
• 0 to 14	14.5%
• 15 to 64	59.3%
• 65 or older	26.2%
Time zone	UTC+02:00 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+03:00 (EEST)
Climate	Dfb
Website	www.rauma.fi/en/
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name	Old Rauma
Type	Cultural
Criteria	iv, v
Designated	1991
Reference no.	582

Rauma (Finnish: [ˈrɑu̯mɑ]; Swedish: Raumo) is a town in Finland, on the western coast of the country. Rauma is in the Satakunta region, by the Gulf of Bothnia. The population of Rauma is approximately 39,000, while the sub-region has a population of approximately 65,000. It is the 29th most populous municipality in Finland.

Rauma lies 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.

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 ships in Finland, totalling 57 vessels. Goods were mainly exported to Germany, Stockholm and the Baltic states. As the Crimean War broke out in 1853, Rauma was attacked by French and British navy in 1855 during the Åland War. 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".

Geography

Neighbourhoods and suburbs

Part of the centre ( Vanha Rauma, Old Rauma) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, due to its well-preserve old wooden architecture.

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.

Demographics

Population

The city of Rauma has 38,957 inhabitants, making it the 29th most populous municipality in Finland. The Rauma region has 65,390 inhabitants. In Rauma, 8.6% of the population has a foreign background, which is below to the national average.

Population size of Rauma 1980–2020

Year	Population
1990	42,973
1985	43,564
1990	42,410
1995	42,089
2000	41,001
2005	40,381
2010	39,715
2015	39,809
2020	39,040

Languages

Population by mother tongue (2023)

  Finnish (91.1%)

  Russian (1.0%)

  Polish (0.7%)

  Estonian (0.6%)

  English (0.5%)

  Ukrainian (0.4%)

  Chinese (0.4%)

  Other (5.6%)

Rauma is a monolingual Finnish-speaking municipality (in the legal sense). The majority of the population – 35,377 people or 91.1% – speak Finnish as their first language. In Rauma, 117 people, or 0.30% of the population, speak Swedish. 8.6% of the population of Rauma have a mother tongue other than Finnish or Swedish. As English and Swedish are compulsory school subjects, functional bilingualism or trilingualism acquired through language studies is not uncommon.

At least 30 different languages are spoken in Rauma. The most common foreign languages are Russian (1.0%), Polish (0.7%), Estonian (0.6%) and English (0.5%).

Immigration

Population by country of birth (2023)
Nationality	Population	%
Finland	35,510	91.4
Soviet Union	345	0.9
Poland	274	0.7
Estonia	262	0.7
Sweden	174	0.4
China	147	0.4
Philippines	130	0.3
Romania	124	0.3
Latvia	113	0.3
France	110	0.3
Germany	106	0.3
Other	1,537	4.0

As of 2023, there were 3,372 persons with a migrant background living in Rauma, or 8.7% of the population. The number of residents who were born abroad was 3,322, or 8.6% of the population. The number of persons with foreign citizenship living in Rauma was 2,875.

The relative share of immigrants in Rauma's population is below the national average. However, the city's new residents are increasingly of foreign origin. This will increase the proportion of foreign residents in the coming years.

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. 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.

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 practised 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.

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 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.

• 
  Tower of the Church of The Holy Cross
• 
  The old town hall of Rauma
• 
  Street in city centre
• 
  Fåfänga

International relations

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Finland

Twin towns — Sister cities

Rauma is twinned with the following cities and towns:

Gjøvik, Norway Næstved, Denmark Gävle Municipality, Sweden

Kolpino, Russia Kaposvár, Hungary

Panoramic view of Rauma

Notable people

• Sebastian Aho, professional ice hockey player
• Markus Niemelä, racing driver
• Antti Raanta, professional ice hockey goaltender
• Timo Soini, former Finnish foreign minister
• Jorma Tommila, actor

See also

• Rauma dialect
• Raumism – IdeologyPages displaying short descriptions with no spaces

External links

• Town of Rauma – Official site
• Länsi-Suomi – The city's most widely read newspaper
• Raumalainen – Local biweekly free newspaper (formerly Uusi Rauma), makes also a publication in local dialect once a year.
• Radio Ramona – Local radio station
• Rauma collection in 3D Warehouse Archived 2011-12-19 at the Wayback Machine