Kymijoki

Kymijoki (Swedish: Kymmene älv) is a river in Finland. It begins at Lake Päijänne, flows through the provinces of Päijänne Tavastia, Uusimaa and Kymenlaakso, and discharges into the Gulf of Finland. The river passes the towns of Heinola and Kouvola. The town of Kotka is located on the river delta. The length of the river is 204 kilometres (127 mi), but its drainage basin of 37,107 square kilometres (14,327 mi2) extends to almost 600 kilometres (370 mi) inside the Tavastia, Central Finland, Savonia and Ostrobothnia. The furthest source of the river is Lake Pielavesi, its furthest point being some 570 kilometres (350 mi) from the sea measured by flow route. The name of the river, itself, kymi, means "large river", in Old Finnish. Being one of the largest rivers in Southern Finland, Kymijoki is a major source of hydroelectricity. The towns of Kotka, Kuusankoski, Myllykoski and Inkeroinen along the river are major centres of the pulp and paper industry. Formerly the river was extensively used for timber rafting. Kymijoki has five mouths. It divides into two main branches near the Kultaankoski rapids in Kotka, about 15 kilometres (9 mi) inland of the Gulf of Finland. The eastern branch splits into the Korkeakoski and Koivukoski branches, the latter branch dividing again to form two mouths (Langinkoski and Huumanhaara). The Korkeakoski branch has only one river mouth. The western branch divides into Ahvenkoski and Klåsarö branches, each with one mouth. The westernmost Ahvenkoski branch of the river served as part of the border between Sweden and Russian Empire from 1743 to 1809, and between the Grand Duchy of Finland and the rest of Russia from 1809 to 1812. The parts of Finland east of the river were later called Old Finland. Old Finland was incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Finland in...