Kotka

Kotka (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈkotkɑ]; lit. '"eagle"') is a town in Finland, located on the southeastern coast of the country at the mouth of the Kymi River. The population of Kotka is approximately 50,000, while the sub-region has a population of approximately 79,000. It is the 21st most populous municipality in Finland, and the 16th most populous urban area in the country. Kotka is situated in the southern part of the Kymenlaakso province of Finland. Kotka is a major port and industrial city situated on the coast of the Gulf of Finland. Kotka is a culturally diverse city with a variety of schools. It was previously a part of the former Kymi parish. Kymi, Haapasaari island, and Karhula, which was once a separate market town, were later incorporated into Kotka. Kotka's neighboring municipalities are Hamina, Kouvola, and Pyhtää. Kotka is situated in the Kotka-Hamina subdivision and, along with Kouvola, is one of the main centres of the Kymenlaakso region. The city centre of Kotka is located on an island in the sea called Kotkansaari ("Island of Kotka"). The main road in Kotka is the Finnish national road 7 (E18), which runs west through Porvoo to Helsinki, the capital of Finland, and extends east to St. Petersburg, Russia. The Port of Kotka is a major Finnish seaport serving both Finnish and Russian foreign trade. The municipality is officially unilingually Finnish, with 88% being native Finnish speakers, 1% Swedish, and 10% speaking some other language.