About the Region of Euregio Karelia

The Euregio Karelia area totals 270 624 km2 in size, stretching from the Gulf of Bothnia to the White Sea and the great lakes in the Republic of Karelia, Onega and Ladoga. Euregio Karelia is a unique region with its rich and diverse natural surroundings and natural resources.

There are 51 municipalities or towns located in the Finnish side of Euregio Karelia cooperation area. In the Republic of Karelia, there are 16 metropolitan regions and two urban districts, as well as 127 municipal units. The population of the cooperation area in total was 1 260 411 in the end of year 2019.

The biggest towns on the Finnish side are Oulu in Northern Ostrobothnia (with 205 489 inhabitants in 2019), Joensuu in Northern Karelia (with 76 850 inhabitants) and Kajaani in Kainuu region (with 36 709 inhabitants). On the Russian side, the capital Petrozavodsk (with 281 023 inhabitants in 2019), Sortavala (with 18 831 inhabitants) and Kostomuksha (with 29 634 inhabitants) are the biggest population concentrations. Euregio Karelia is a sparsely populated region.

On the SWOT analysis table below, you'll be able to see the main characteristics of Euregio Karelia region with one glimpse. You may read more on the document "Main Directions of Euregio Karelia 2020" or take a look on the statistics on the statistics page. You may also read more about the four member regions on the respective pages.