View source for Place:Kouvola

{{Infobox settlement
|name = Kouvola
| official_name = {{lang|fi|Kouvolan kaupunki}}<br/>{{lang|sv|Kouvola stad}}<br />{{lang|en|City of Kouvola}}
| settlement_type = City
| motto = ''Näköisesi paikka'' (The place you look like){{Citation needed|date=July 2020}}
| image_skyline = Kouvola_aerial_2.jpg
| image_caption = Aerial photo of Kouvola
| image_shield = Kouvola.vaakuna.2009.svg
| shield_size = 120x80px
| image_map = Kouvola sijainti Suomi.svg
| map_caption = Location of Kouvola in Finland
|coordinates = {{coord|60|52|05|N|026|42|15|E|display=inline,title}}
|subdivision_type = Country
|subdivision_name = {{flag|Finland}}
| subdivision_type1 = Region
| subdivision_name1 = [[File:Kymenlaakson maakunnan vaakuna.svg|20px]] Kymenlaakso
| subdivision_type2 = Sub-region
| subdivision_name2 = Kouvola sub-region
| leader_title = City manager
| leader_name = Marita Toikka
| established_title = [[Finance:Charter|Charter]]
| established_date = 1922
| established_title2 = City rights
| established_date2 = 1960
|population_as_of = {{Data Finland municipality|population_as_of|Kouvola}}
|population_footnotes = {{Data Finland municipality|population_footnotes|Kouvola}}
|population_total = {{Data Finland municipality|population_total|Kouvola}}
|population_density_km2 = {{Data Finland municipality|population_density_km2|Kouvola}}
| population_metro = 60,776
| population_density_metro_km2 = 267
| population_urban = 55,372
|demographics_type1 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics_type1|Kouvola}}
|demographics1_footnotes = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics1_footnotes|Kouvola}}
|demographics1_title1 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics1_title1|Kouvola}}
|demographics1_info1 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics1_info1|Kouvola}}
|demographics1_title2 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics1_title2|Kouvola}}
|demographics1_info2 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics1_info2|Kouvola}}
|demographics1_title3 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics1_title3|Kouvola}}
|demographics1_info3 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics1_info3|Kouvola}}
|demographics1_title4 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics1_title4|Kouvola}}
|demographics1_info4 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics1_info4|Kouvola}}
|demographics_type2 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics_type2|Kouvola}}
|demographics2_footnotes = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics2_footnotes|Kouvola}}
|demographics2_title1 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics2_title1|Kouvola}}
|demographics2_info1 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics2_info1|Kouvola}}
|demographics2_title2 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics2_title2|Kouvola}}
|demographics2_info2 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics2_info2|Kouvola}}
|demographics2_title3 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics2_title3|Kouvola}}
|demographics2_info3 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics2_info3|Kouvola}}
| blank3_name = [[Earth:Köppen climate classification|Climate]]
| blank3_info = [[Earth:Subarctic climate|Dfc]]
|timezone = [[Eastern European Time|EET]]
|utc_offset = +02:00
|timezone_DST = [[Eastern European Summer Time|EEST]]
|utc_offset_DST = +03:00
| postal_code_type = Postal code
| postal_code = 45100
| website = {{Url|https://www.kouvola.fi/en/}}
}}
'''Kouvola''' ({{IPA-fi|ˈkou̯ʋolɑ}}) is a city and municipality in southeastern {{wipe|Finland}}. It is located along the Kymijoki River in the region of Kymenlaakso, {{convert|62|km}} kilometers east of Lahti, {{convert|87|km}} west of Lappeenranta and {{convert|134|km}} northeast of the capital, [[Place:Helsinki|Helsinki]]. With Kotka, Kouvola is one of the capital centers and is the largest city in the Kymenlaakso region.

The whole municipal area has a population of {{formatnum: {{Data Finland municipality/population count|Kouvola}}}} ({{#time: j F Y|{{Data Finland municipality/population count|sourcedate}}
}}),<ref name="population_count" /> but the actual downtown itself is home to 47,391 people.<ref>[http://pxnet2.stat.fi/PXWeb/pxweb/fi/StatFin/StatFin__vrm__vaerak/statfin_vaerak_pxt_11s8.px/table/tableViewLayout1/ Taajamat väkiluvun ja väestöntiheyden mukaan 31.12.2019]{{Dead link|date=May 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}. – Statistics Finland. (in Finnish)</ref> It covers an area of {{convert|{{Data Finland municipality/total area|Kouvola}}|km2}} of which {{convert|{{Data Finland municipality/waters area|Kouvola}}|km2|abbr=on}} is water.<ref name="total_area" /> The [[Earth:Population density|population density]] is {{convert|{{Data Finland municipality/population density|Kouvola|round=2}}|PD/km2}}. Kouvola is bordered by the municipalities of Hamina, Heinola, Iitti, Kotka, Lapinjärvi, Loviisa, Luumäki, Miehikkälä, Mäntyharju, Pyhtää and Savitaipale. Kouvola has over 450 lakes and, together with Mäntyharju, the Kouvola area includes the Repovesi National Park.<ref name="helsinki-times">{{cite web|url=https://www.helsinkitimes.fi/themes/themes/travel/1928-kouvola-strategic-and-beautiful.html|title=Kouvola – strategic and beautiful|first=Katherine|last=Kruk|work=Helsinki Times|date=5 April 2012|access-date=2 November 2022}}</ref>

Kouvola, which had population growth as late as the 1980s, has suffered a loss of migration since the 1990s. Over time, the loss has only deepened, so that at the end of the 2010s Kouvola was Finland's worst migration loss area. Natural demographics have also trended downward; in 2017, more than 450 more people died in the city than new ones were born.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-10158131 | title = Kouvola suuren tuskan edessä |work = YLE | access-date = October 13, 2021 | language = fi}}</ref><ref name="yle-kouvola-vakiluku"/><ref name="ylioppilaslehti"/> The reasons for the emigration are thought to be largely due to job losses in the region.<ref name="yle-kouvola-vakiluku">{{cite web | url = https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-12122177 | title = Kaakkois-Suomen suurin kaupunki vaihtuu, jos väestöennuste toteutuu – Kouvolan väkiluku vähenee tuhansilla |work = YLE | access-date = October 13, 2021 | language = fi}}</ref><ref name="ylioppilaslehti">{{cite web|url=https://ylioppilaslehti.fi/2020/11/kouvolaan-piti-tulla-kaikkea-mahtavaa-mutta-rakennemuutos-kaupungistuminen-ja-globalisaatio-vesittavat-visioita-ylioppilaslehti-kavi-katsomassa-suomen-suurinta-muuttotappiota/|title=Älkää lähtekö!|first1=Sonia|last1=el Kamel|first2=Touko|last2=Hujanen|work=Ylioppilaslehti|date=November 27, 2020|access-date=October 13, 2021|language=fi}}</ref>

== History ==
[[File:Kouvolan vanha vaakuna 01.jpg|thumb|left|110px|Coat of arms of Kouvola in 1952–2008.]]
The village of Kouvola has been inhabited since the Middle Ages, and it has belonged alternately to the churches of Hollola, Iitti and Valkeala. However, the actual development did not start until the 1870s when the Riihimäki–Saint Petersburg line was built and Kouvola became a railway junction.<ref name="helsinki-times"/> Kouvola railroad built Kymin mill founder Axel Wilhelm Wahren railway administration by on application, on the basis of the track engineers decided to recommend the creation of a fifth-end position in a half mile east of the variable alert Otava with acceptance on sandy soil on fabric. In the next decade, the Savonia railway was built from Kouvola to the north and the Kotka line to the south, resulting in Kouvola becoming one of the busiest railway junctions in Finland. Over time, Kouvola developed into an important [[Chemistry:Pulp (paper)|pulp-producing]], [[Engineering:Paper mill|paper-milling]] and printing centre and even had a leading [[Industrial engineering|industrial engineering]] sector.<ref name="helsinki-times"/>

In 1918, conflict between the Red and White factions raged heavily during the Finnish Civil War. More than 200 people were killed in the area during the fighting.

As a result of the railway, Kouvola was heavily built. In 1922 it was separated from the municipality of Valkeala and gained commercial rights immediately the following year. The city of Kouvola was established in 1960. Kouvola was annexed to Viipuri Province in 1922–1945 but in 1940 and 1944, most of Viipuri County was ceded to the [[Place:Soviet Union|Soviet Union]], and the remaining areas were formed into Kymi Province in 1945. Kouvola had also become an administrative center; As the capital of Kymen County, it operated from 1955 until the 1997 county reform.

In January 2009, the six municipalities of Kouvola, Kuusankoski, Elimäki, Anjalankoski, Valkeala and Jaala were consolidated, forming the new municipality of Kouvola. Kouvola has also assumed the slogan ''Kymijoen kaupunki'' (the town of Kymijoki) previously used by Anjalankoski.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.kouvola.fi/ |title= Kouvolan kaupunki |access-date= 20 June 2010 |work= Website of Kouvola}}</ref>

== Culture ==
*The name itself derives from Old Finnish ''kouvo'', meaning [[Biology:Brown bear|bear]] and [[Biology:Wolf|wolf]].<ref name=":0">{{cite web|last=Jäntti|first=Pasi|title=Mikä on kouvo?|url=http://www.kaleva.fi/karhu/kysy-karhuista/mika-on-kouvo/23892/|access-date=September 17, 2021|work=Kaleva|language=fi|archive-date=May 17, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140517123839/http://www.kaleva.fi/karhu/kysy-karhuista/mika-on-kouvo/23892/|url-status=dead}}</ref> The arms are ''Sable, an escarbuncle Or, base wavy Argent''.
* Verla factory, which is a [[Organization:UNESCO|UNESCO]] World Heritage Site, is located near Kouvola.<ref name="helsinki-times"/>
* The newspapers ''Kouvolan Sanomat'' and ''Keskilaakso'' are published in Kouvola.
* The third biggest Amusement park in Finland, called Tykkimäki is located in Kouvola.<ref name="helsinki-times"/>

=== Province History of Kouvola ===
* [[File:Viipurin lääni.vaakuna.svg|23px]] Viipuri Province (1922–1945)
* [[File:Kymen lääni.vaakuna.svg|23px]] Kymi Province (1945–1997)
* [[File:Etelä-Suomen läänin vaakuna.svg|23px]] Southern Finland Province (1997–2009)
* [[File:Kymenlaakson maakunnan vaakuna.svg|20px]] Kymenlaakso (2009–)

== Sports ==
Kouvola is the hometown of the Sudet sports club, which became Finnish champions in bandy six consecutive times, and they have a football team which is playing at the fourth highest level, Kolmonen, despite Sudet being one of the oldest football clubs in Finland. KooKoo is the most successful ice hockey team in Kymenlaakso. It plays in the Finnish top league, SM-liiga. Kouvolan Pallonlyöjät (KPL) is a baseball team based in Kouvola and known for Pesäpallo. KPL was won five Finnish championships and it plays in the Finnish top league, Superpesis. Kouvot is a basketball team based in Kouvola. the team plays in the highest level Korisliiga and has won four Finnish championships.

MyPa is one of the most successful football clubs in Finland and the 1990s was the golden era. MyPa is played 23 seasons in the Finnish top football league Veikkausliiga. MyPa are based in the industrial village of Myllykoski, part of the city of Kouvola. The club became inactive in professional football after having ceased operations in 2015 due to financial difficulties. In 2017, MyPa returned and started again from the fourth highest tier but has quickly risen to the second highest level, Ykkönen, where it is now playing.
Kouvola also has a Palomäki Ski Jump Center, very close to the city, where young people and other sports enthusiasts can go to jump on a ski jump.

== Local government ==
{| class="wikitable"
|+City Council of Kouvola
! Party
!Seats
|-
|Social Democratic Party
|style="text-align:right;" |16
|-
|National Coalition Party
|style="text-align:right;" |13
|-
|Centre Party
|style="text-align:right;" |9
|-
|Green League
|style="text-align:right;" |6
|-
|Finns Party
|style="text-align:right;" |5
|-
|Christian Democrats
|style="text-align:right;" |4
|-
|Sitoutumattomat (Independent)
|style="text-align:right;" |2
|-
|Left Alliance
|style="text-align:right;" |2
|-
|Suur-Kouvolan sitoutumattomat
|style="text-align:right;" |2
|}

== Climate ==
Kouvola has  [[Earth:Humid continental climate|humid continental climate]] (''Dfb'').The city has four distinct seasons, the amount of precipitation is relatively uniform throughout the year. The driest season is spring. Summers are generally relatively warm as the city is considered to be one of the hottest cities in Finland as it has had the most days with "helle" (temperatures above {{Convert|25|°C|°F|disp=or}}) since 2000. Winters are cold and long, colder than cities located in the coastal areas of Finland because of its location further inland, meaning the marine effect doesn't affect the city as much than those nearer the sea and specially those nearer the southwestern coasts of the Finnish side of Gulf of Finland. This also means that the summers are warmer due to it being further inland as the sea effect is making the summer temperatures slightly cooler in coastal areas. The average annual temperature is {{Convert|5.4|C|F}}. The highest ever recorded temperature in the station was {{Convert|34.5|C|F}}, on July 28, 2010. The lowest ever recorded was {{Convert|-37.3|C|F}}. The city has a significant rainfall throughout the year and even in the driest month the precipitation stays over {{Convert|30|mm}} a month. The average duration of sunshine per year is 1,658 hours. 
Kouvola Utti airport weather station has on average somewhat lower average temperatures than in the city.

{{Weather box
| location = Kouvola Utti airport, normals 1991–2020, extremes 1960–present
| source = FMI climatologial normals for Finland 1991-2020
| Jan mean C = -6.1
| metric first = y <!-- always, except UK or US cities -->
| single line = y
| Mar record high C = 15.6
| Sep high C = 14.9
| Oct high C = 7.5
| Nov high C = 2.1
| Dec high C = -1.1
| Jan record high C = 7.6
| Feb record high C = 8.7
| May record high C = 30.2
| Apr record high C = 24.9
| Aug high C = 20.8
| Jul record high C = 34.5
| Aug record high C = 33.0
| Sep record high C = 28.7
| Oct record high C = 17.7
| Nov record high C = 11.9
| Jun record high C = 32.2
| May high C = 15.9
| Jul high C = 22.9
| Aug mean C = 16.1
| Feb mean C = -6.4
| Mar mean C = -2.3
| Apr mean C = 3.7
| May mean C = 10.6
| Jun mean C = 15.2
| Jul mean C = 18.0
| Sep mean C = 10.8
| Jun high C = 20.2
| Oct mean C = 4.7
| Nov mean C = 0.1
| Dec mean C = -3.5
| Jan high C = -3.4
| Feb high C = -3.4
| Mar high C = 1.3
| Apr high C = 8.3
| Dec record high C = 9.7
| Jun record low C = -0.5
| Mar record low C = -29.3
| Apr record low C = -17.5
| May record low C = -6.4
| Sep record low C = -5.4
| Jul record low C = 3.0
| Aug record low C = -0.1
| Jan record low C = -37.3
| Oct record low C = -14.9
| Nov record low C = -22.3
| Feb record low C = -34.9
| Sep low C = 7.1
| Dec low C = -6.0
| Nov low C = -2.2
| Oct low C = 2.0
| Aug low C = 11.6
| Jul low C = 13.0
| Jun low C = 10.0
| May low C = 4.7
| Apr low C = -0.8
| Mar low C = -6.3
| Feb low C = -9.7
| Jan low C = -9.1
| Dec record low C = -35.0
| precipitation colour = green
| Nov precipitation days = 12
| Jan precipitation days = 12
| Oct precipitation days = 12
| Sep precipitation days = 10
| Jul precipitation days = 9
| Jun precipitation days = 9
| May precipitation days = 8
| Apr precipitation days = 7
| Mar precipitation days = 9
| Feb precipitation days = 10
| Mar precipitation mm = 42
| Dec precipitation mm = 64
| Nov precipitation mm = 66
| Oct precipitation mm = 72
| Sep precipitation mm = 63
| Aug precipitation mm = 71
| Jul precipitation mm = 69
| Jun precipitation mm = 63
| May precipitation mm = 41
| Apr precipitation mm = 31
| Feb precipitation mm = 45
| Jan precipitation mm = 54
| Aug precipitation days = 10
| Dec precipitation days = 13
}}

{{Weather box
| location = Kouvola Anjala (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1959–present)
| collapsed = Yes
| metric first = Yes
| single line = Yes
| Jan record high C = 7.6
| Feb record high C = 8.8
| Mar record high C = 16.1
| Apr record high C = 23.8
| May record high C = 29.8
| Jun record high C = 32.4
| Jul record high C = 33.5
| Aug record high C = 31.9
| Sep record high C = 27.5
| Oct record high C = 19.2
| Nov record high C = 13.4
| Dec record high C = 9.7
| year record high C = 33.5
| Jan high C = -2.7
| Feb high C = -2.6
| Mar high C = 2.1
| Apr high C = 8.9
| May high C = 16.2
| Jun high C = 20.5
| Jul high C = 23.2
| Aug high C = 21.3
| Sep high C = 15.4
| Oct high C = 8.2
| Nov high C = 2.8
| Dec high C = -0.5
| year high C = 9.4
| Jan mean C = -5.3
| Feb mean C = -5.7
| Mar mean C = -2.0
| Apr mean C = 4.0
| May mean C = 10.4
| Jun mean C = 15.0
| Jul mean C = 17.9
| Aug mean C = 16.0
| Sep mean C = 10.9
| Oct mean C = 5.1
| Nov mean C = 0.7
| Dec mean C = -2.7
| year mean C = 5.4
| Jan low C = -8.4
| Feb low C = -9.1
| Mar low C = -6.0
| Apr low C = -0.6
| May low C = 4.2
| Jun low C = 9.4
| Jul low C = 12.3
| Aug low C = 11.1
| Sep low C = 6.8
| Oct low C = 2.2
| Nov low C = -1.6
| Dec low C = -5.3
| year low C = 1.3
| Jan record low C = -37.3
| Feb record low C = -36.0
| Mar record low C = -33.5
| Apr record low C = -22.5
| May record low C = -8.2
| Jun record low C = -3.0
| Jul record low C = 1.4
| Aug record low C = -3.1
| Sep record low C = -7.9
| Oct record low C = -16.3
| Nov record low C = -23.3
| Dec record low C = -36.6
| year record low C = -37.3
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation mm = 52
| Feb precipitation mm = 45
| Mar precipitation mm = 40
| Apr precipitation mm = 32
| May precipitation mm = 38
| Jun precipitation mm = 64
| Jul precipitation mm = 66
| Aug precipitation mm = 76
| Sep precipitation mm = 61
| Oct precipitation mm = 72
| Nov precipitation mm = 67
| Dec precipitation mm = 64
| year precipitation mm = 677
| Jan precipitation days = 12.0
| Feb precipitation days = 10
| Mar precipitation days = 8
| Apr precipitation days = 7
| May precipitation days = 7
| Jun precipitation days = 10
| Jul precipitation days = 9
| Aug precipitation days = 10
| Sep precipitation days = 9
| Oct precipitation days = 11
| Nov precipitation days = 12
| Dec precipitation days = 13
| year precipitation days = 118
| source 1 = https://helda.helsinki.fi/handle/10138/336063
| source 2 = https://kilotavu.com/asema-taulukko.php?asema=101194
}}


==Demographics==

===Population===

The city of Kouvola has {{formatnum: {{Data Finland municipality/population count|Kouvola }}}} inhabitants, making it the {{ordinal|{{Data Finland municipality/population count sequence|Kouvola}}}} most populous municipality in Finland. In Kouvola, 4.8% of the population has a foreign background, which is below to the national average.<ref name="Stat-finland-population-38,000-persons">{{Cite web | url=https://stat.fi/en/publication/cl8lprraorrr20dut5a0tywm5 | title=Number of foreign-language speakers grew by nearly 38,000 persons | date=31 May 2023 | publisher=Statistics Finland | access-date=12 September 2023 | language=en }}</ref>

{{Bar chart
| title   = Population size of Kouvola (and merged municipalities) 1990–2020<ref name="Stat-finland-population-38,000-persons"/>
| label_type  = Year
| data_type   = Population
| bar_width = 47
| width_units = em
| label3  = 1990
| label4  = 1995
| label5  = 2000
| label6  = 2005
| label7  = 2010
| label8  = 2015
| label9  = 2020 
| data_max = 96000
| data3  = 94352
| data4  = 94138
| data5  = 91550
| data6  = 89924
| data7  = 88072
| data8  = 85855
| data9  = 81187
}}

=== Languages ===

{{Pie chart
|thumb = left
|caption = Population by mother tongue (2022)<ref name="Stat-finland-population-38,000-persons"/>
|label1 = Finnish
|value1 = 95.3
|color1 = #002F6C
|label2 = Russian
|value2 = 1.8
|color2 = #D52B1E
|label3 = Estonian
|value3 = 0.5
|color3 = #0072CE
|label4 = Swedish
|value4 = 0.4
|color4 = #FFCD00
|label5 = Arabic
|value5 = 0.3
|color5 = #165D31
|label6 = Thai
|value6 = 0.2
|color6 = #A51931
|label7 = Somali
|value7 = 0.2
|color7 = #4189DD
|label8 = Other
|value8 = 1.3
|color8 = #C5C5C5
}}
Kouvola is a monolingual [[Social:Finnish language|Finnish-speaking]] municipality. There are {{formatnum: {{Data Finland municipality/native language Swedish|Kouvola }} }} Swedish speakers in Kouvola, or {{Percentage|sigfig = 1|{{Data Finland municipality/native language Swedish|Kouvola}}|{{Data Finland municipality/native language total|Kouvola}}}} of the population.<ref name="Stat-finland-population-38,000-persons"/> As [[Social:English language|English]] and [[Social:Swedish language|Swedish]] are compulsory school subjects, functional bilingualism or trilingualism acquired through language studies is not uncommon.

At least 40 different languages are spoken in Kouvola. The most commonly spoken foreign languages are [[Social:Russian language|Russian]] (1.8%), [[Social:Estonian language|Estonian]] (0.5%), [[Social:Arabic|Arabic]] (0.3%) and [[Social:Thai language|Thai]] (0.2%).<ref name="Stat-finland-population-38,000-persons"/>

=== Immigration ===

{|class="wikitable" style="float:right; text-align:right;" 
|colspan="3"|'''Population by country of birth (2022)'''<ref name="Stat-finland-population-38,000-persons"/>
|-\
! Nationality || Population || %
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |{{flag|Finland}} || 73,735 || 95.3
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |{{flag|Soviet Union}} || 1,116 || 1.4
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |{{flag|Estonia}} || 321 || 0.4
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |{{flag|Russia}} || 235 || 0.3
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |{{flag|Sweden}} || 210 || 0.3
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |{{flag|Thailand}} || 190 || 0.2
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |{{flag|Turkey}} || 123 || 0.2
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |{{flag|Somalia}} || 112 || 0.1
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |{{flag|Iraq}} || 93 || 0.1
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |{{flag|China}} || 71 || 0.1
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |{{flag|Philippines}} || 54 || 0.1
|- 
|style="text-align:left;" |Other || 1,075 || 1.4
|- 
|}
In 2022, there were 3,785 persons with a migrant background living in Kouvola, or 4.8% of the population.{{refn|Statistics Finland classifies a person as having a "foreign background" if both parents or the only known parent were born abroad.<ref name="statistics-finland-persons-with-foreign-background">{{cite web |access-date=18 September 2023 |title=Persons with foreign background |publisher=Statistics Finland | url=https://www.stat.fi/tup/maahanmuutto/maahanmuuttajat-vaestossa/ulkomaalaistaustaiset_en.html}}</ref>|group=note}} The number of residents who were born abroad was 3,694, or 4.7% of the population. The number of persons with foreign citizenship living in Kouvola was 2,267.<ref name="Stat-finland-population-2022">{{Cite web | url=https://stat.fi/en/publication/cl8lphfzbrm4j0cw1b5wyor1h | title=Population structure 2000–2022, urban-rural classification | date=26 May 2023 | publisher=Statistics Finland | access-date=12 September 2023 | language=en }}</ref> Most foreign-born citizens came from the former [[Place:Soviet Union|Soviet Union]], Estonia, {{wipe|Russia}} and Sweden.<ref name="Stat-finland-population-38,000-persons"/> 

The relative share of immigrants in Kouvola's population is below to 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.

=== Religion ===

In 2022, the Evangelical Lutheran Church was the largest religious group with 70.5% of the population of Kouvola. Other religious groups accounted for 2.0% of the population. 27.5% of the population had no religious affiliation.<ref name="Stat-finland-population-38,000-persons"/>

==International relations==

===Twin towns and sister cities===
Kouvola is twinned with:<ref>{{cite web |title=Kansainvälinen Kouvola |publisher=City of Kouvola |date=20 May 2019 |access-date=21 August 2019 |url= https://www.kouvola.fi/kouvolankaupunki/kouvola-tietoa/kansainvalinenkouvola/ |language=fi }}</ref>
*Balatonfüred, [[File:Coa Hungary County Veszprém.svg|20px]] Veszprém County, {{flag|Hungary}}
*Vologda, [[File:Coat of arms of Vologda oblast.svg|20px]] Vologda Oblast, {{flag|Russia}}
*Mülheim an der Ruhr, [[File:Coat of arms of North Rhine-Westfalia.svg|20px]] North Rhine-Westphalia, {{flag|Germany}}

==Regionalization==
[[File:Kouvola.aluetoimikunnat.svg|thumb|right|150px|Kouvola regional councils.]]
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right;"
|-
!Region Committee
!Population
!Area km<sup>2</sup>
!Population Density
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |Kouvola central (1)
|30,185
|44.88
|672.57
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |Kuusankoski (2)
|20,647
|692.07
|29.83
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |Anjalankoski (3)
|15,000
|752.92
|19.92
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |Valkeala (4)
|11,433
|1003.72
|11.39
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |Elimäki (5)
|7,900
|391.74
|20.17
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |'''5 region Committee'''
|'''85,165'''
|'''2,885.33'''
|'''29.52'''
|}
''Jaala is only one does not form its own regional committee, but is part of the Kuusankoski regional committee.''

==Notable people==
[[File:Kouvola ja Kuusankoski alueliitokset.svg|thumb|right|150px|Map of territorial changes of Kouvola and Kuusankoski. Most of the area of old Kouvola was separated from Valkeala, except for the western parts of the city, which were separated from Kuusankoski.]]
*Atso Askonen (Former ice hockey player)
*Arto Bryggare (Former hurdling athlete)
*Timo Susi (Former ice hockey player)
*Jarkko A. Immonen (Current ice hockey player)
*Jari Lindström (Finnish politician)
*Kaarle Viikate (Finnish musician and metal band Founder of the Viikate)
*Juhani Aaltonen (Jazz saxophonist and flautist)
*Roope Tonteri (Finnish snowboarder)
*Hannu Salama (Finnish author)
*Ari Koivunen (Heavy metal singer)
*Ville Nousiainen (cross-country skier)
*Toni Gardemeister (Professional rally driver)
*Niilo Halonen (Former ski jumper)
*Timo Lahti (Speedway rider)
*Aleksanteri Hakaniemi (singer and YouTuber)

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Kouvolan matkakeskus 2023.jpg|Kouvola railway station
File:Kouvolan kaupungintalo.JPG|Kouvola's City Hall
File:Pohjolatalo Kouvola 001.jpg|Pohjolatalo, an office building in the center of Kouvola
File:Kymijoki 1.jpg|Kymi River
File:China Center Kouvola.jpg|A ''paifang'' in Kouvola
</gallery>

== Notes ==
{{reflist|group=note}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
*[https://www.kouvola.fi/en/ The official website of Kouvola]
*[https://visitkouvola.fi/en Kouvola Tourist Office]
*{{Wikivoyage-inline|Kouvola}}
*[https://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A1048727 h2g2.com on Kouvola]

{{Geographic location
 | Centre = Kouvola
 | N  = Mäntyharju (South Savo)
 | NE = Savitaipale (South Karelia)
 | E  = Luumäki (South Karelia)
 | S  = Pyhtää, Kotka, Hamina
 | SW = Lapinjärvi (Uusimaa)<br/>Loviisa (Uusimaa)
 | W  = Iitti (Päijät-Häme)
 | NW = Heinola (Päijät-Häme)
}}


[[Category:Climate|Climate]]

{{Sourceattribution|Kouvola|1}}