Uilo

Uilo is a coastal city in the Valtala province of Arola. The population was estimated at 612,255 in 2020, becoming the second-largest city in the country.

Other than being a important commercial hub for the northern part of Arola, it is known for its unusually high temperatures during the summer, which can rise up to 24 degrees Celsius due to its proximity to hot springs in the region. Due to this, Uilo has become a tourist hotspot for its hot springs in the winter and for its warm temperatures in the summer.

History
The area where Uilo stands today was part of the Pallosalama volcano that formed approximately 25 million years ago, however it collapsed and destroyed after a volcanic eruption about 6 million years ago, which expanded the Arolan island by about 20%.

Uilo was never inhabited until about 1855, when the British wanted to find a suitable location on the island to expand its trading there. After noticing their hot springs and that all the snow had melted in the area, the British chose Uilo in order to attract and promote trading in the then-Crown Colony of Arola.

Uilo was officially incorporated in 1872, a year after capital city Kelvia.

Administrative divisions
Uilo is divided into 12 districts, with the south-western coast being densely populated and the lowest populated districts dispersing from the city center.


 * Downtown
 * Lohkteo Beach
 * Koutaniemi
 * Rosendal
 * Ruomi
 * Nukkasilta
 * Kiikala
 * Havukoski
 * Larikaari
 * Suuriaho
 * Lukaskaari
 * Kaukhava

Economy
Uilo has been historically the most important city in the Valtala province and northern Arola, becoming a financial and economic center. Recently, most electronic companies have either opened in or expanded to Uilo, earning it the nickname of the "Silicon Valley of the Nordics".

Telecommunications provider Kezia was founded in Uilo, but has since moved to Kelvia. Kezia continues to operate secondary offices in Uilo. Equity firm Snowland Group is based in Uilo, and operates office retail chain Office World and local shopping mall Isoviva.

Education
Uilo currently has 395 schools, around 70% are elementary schools.

Roads
Uilo is served by two freeways, namely the Arolan Freeway 8 which continues north towards the remote northeastern part of Arola and the Arolan Freeway 9 which goes towards Muhos in the Kronvik province.

Aviation
The only airport in northern Arola and the second-largest in the country, Uilo Airport serves the province. Uilo Airport is served by Air Arola and Air Arola Shuttle, which operate flights to Uilo from selected cities daily. Unlike Kelvia Kasala International Airport, Uilo Airport is only served by flights to Europe, as the runways are too short to accommodate.

Urban transport
Uilo is mainly served by private bus operators through three public tenders managed by the city government. The current three operators are Squirrel Transit, and.

A light rapid transit system, the Uilo Rapid Metro System, is currently being built in stages, with the first stage opening in August 2022.

Notable people

 * Magnus Axelsson - (born 22nd September 1978) current president of Arola