Kotka is a town in the southern part of Kymenlaakso County on the
shores of the Gulf of Finland. Kotka is a major port and industrial
city and also a diverse school and cultural city. The city has a
population of 51,889 (June 30, 2020). Kotka's neighboring
municipalities are Hamina, Kouvola and Pyhtää. In the regional
division, Kotka belongs to the Kotka – Hamina region.
The
history of Kotka is related to the history of its mother, Kymi. The
chapel of Kyminkartano, which belonged to Pyhtää, was built around
1440. The parish of Kymi became independent in 1642. With the
urbanization, the city of Kotka was first separated from Kym in 1879
and the township of Karhula in 1951. In 1977.
Geography
The center of Kotka is located on Kotkansaari. Another important
center is the former church village of Kymi parish and the center of
the Karhula town, which now belongs to the Karhula and Helilä
districts. The most significant apartment building suburbs are
Karhuvuori in the west and Sunila in the east. Kotka's city center
is divided into town districts. Outside the city center, there are
mostly rural, unplanned villages. Kotka has a land area of 277.77
square kilometers, of which 5.82 square kilometers are inland
waterways. The sea area is 671.99 square kilometers. The cityscape
of Kotka is characterized by the broken coast of the Gulf of Finland
with its archipelagos and the mouths of the Kymijoki River. The
largest of the islands are Mussalo, Kirkonmaa, Kuutsalo and
Kotkansaari. The outer archipelago of the Gulf of Finland is the
Haapasaari archipelago. Hovinsaari and Kolkansaari are peninsulas
protruding into the sea between the mouths of the Kymijoki River,
which can also be considered as islands, as the Kymijoki River
separates them from the mainland.
The Kymijoki river flows
into the sea as three branches in the city area, from west to east
listed Langinkoskenhaara, Huumanhaara and Korkeakoskenhaara.
Hovinsaari lies between Langinkoski and Huumanhaara and Kolkansaari
between Huuman- and Korkeakoskenhaara. There are several rapids in
the Kymijoki area in the Kotka area. The largest free-flowing rapids
are Pernoonkoski, Langinkoski, Siikakoski and Kultaankoski.
Hydropower plants have been built in Korkeakoski and Koivukoski.
There are only two small lakes in Kotka, about one kilometer in
diameter, and some ponds about 300 meters in diameter. Lake
Laajakoskenjärvi next to the Pernoonhaara of the Kymijoki River was
originally a river cove. As a result of the clearing and
straightening of Laajakoski and the consequent lowering of the water
level, it is now separated from the river by a narrow tributary.
Lake Rapakivenjärvi on the border of Kotka and Kouvola is an almost
overgrown lake, located along the branch of the ancient Kymijoki
River that led to the present Nummenjoki River. Laajakoskenjärvi and
Rapakivenjärvi belong to Natura 2000 areas.
The highest point
of Kotka is Suurivuori, located near the Hamina border, at an
altitude of 87 meters above sea level. Other high points are the
Kymi airport area (about 72 meters) and Pernoon Haukkavuori (69.1
meters). The bedrock is mostly rapa rock. On the east side of the
Kymijoki River there is a partly intermittent longitudinal ridge.
Along the Kymijoki and Nummenjoki rivers there is flat clay and
former marshes that have been cleared into fields. The most
significant of the natural marshlands is Mustanjärvensuo, located
near the border with Pyhtää, which belongs to Valkmusa National
Park.
The climate is particularly affected by the Gulf of
Finland near the coast, as a result of which the southern parts of
the city have features of a maritime climate. In the northern parts
of the city, the climate is already much more continental.