Kemi

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title: "Kemi" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["kemi", "cities-and-towns-in-finland", "populated-coastal-places-in-finland", "grand-duchy-of-finland", "mining-towns-in-finland", "port-cities-and-towns-in-finland", "populated-places-established-in-1869", "1869-establishments-in-finland", "municipalities-of-lapland-(finland)"] topic_path: "geography" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kemi" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

Field	Value
name	Kemi
official_name	Kemin kaupunki
Kemi stad
other_name	Giepma
Kiemâ
Ǩeeʹmm
nickname	Monaco of Finland
settlement_type	Town
image_skyline	Montage of Kemi 03.jpg
image_caption	Clockwise, from top left: Kemi Railway Station, Kemi City Hall, Karihaara School, Café at the inner harbour, and Kemi Church
image_shield	Kemi.vaakuna.svg
shield_size	120x80px
image_map	Kemi sijainti Suomi.svg
map_caption	Location of Kemi in Finland
mapframe	yes
mapframe-zoom	12
mapframe-point	none
coordinates
subdivision_type	Country
subdivision_name	Finland
subdivision_type1	Region
subdivision_name1	Lapland
subdivision_type2	Sub-region
subdivision_name2	Kemi–Tornio
leader_title	Town manager
leader_name	Matti Ruotsalainen
established_title	Charter
established_date	1869
area_footnotes
area_total_km2
area_land_km2
area_water_km2
area_rank
population_as_of
population_footnotes
population_total
population_density_km2
population_rank
demographics_type1
demographics1_footnotes
demographics1_title1
demographics1_info1
demographics1_title2
demographics1_info2
demographics1_title3
demographics1_info3
demographics1_title4
demographics1_info4
demographics_type2
demographics2_footnotes
demographics2_title1
demographics2_info1
demographics2_title2
demographics2_info2
demographics2_title3
demographics2_info3
blank_name
blank_info
timezone	EET
utc_offset	+02:00
timezone_DST	EEST
utc_offset_DST	+03:00
elevation_m	4
postal_code_type	Postal code
postal_code	94100
website
::

::callout[type=note] the Finnish town ::

Kemi (; ; ; ) is a town and municipality of Finland. It is located approximately 30 km from the city of Tornio and the Swedish border. The distance to Oulu is 105 km to the south and to Rovaniemi is 117 km to the northeast. It was founded in 1869 by a decree of the Emperor Alexander II of Russia because of its proximity to a deepwater port.

The town has a population of () and covers an area of {{Data Finland municipality/total area|Kemi}} km2 of which {{Data Finland municipality/waters area|Kemi}} km2 are water. The population density is PD/km2.

According to current statistics, Kemi has the highest number of drug crimes than any other town in Finland. This is thought to be due to its proximity to the Swedish border and the drug smuggling that occurs across it.

History

World War II hostage crisis

During World War II, after Finland signed the Moscow Armistice and found itself involved in the Lapland War against its former German ally, German forces at the beginning of October 1944 captured 132 Finnish civilian hostages in Kemi (as well as 130 in Rovaniemi) and threatened to kill them unless the Finnish army released the German POWs captured in the Battle of Tornio. However, Finland refused to comply and threatened to retaliate by killing the German POWs. The hostages were released unharmed on October 11, 1944, near Rovaniemi.

Geography

Kemi is situated on the Bothnian Bay, at the mouth of the river Kemijoki, and it is part of the Lapland region.

Climate

The climate type of Kemi is a typical subarctic climate (Köppen Dfc). It is characterized by long, cold winters and warm, short summers; but because it is on the coast of the Gulf of Bothnia, the characteristics of its continental climate are not as pronounced as inland areas. |location = Kemi (Kemi-Tornio Airport, 1991–2020 normals, records 1959–present) |metric first = Yes |single line = Yes |Jan record high C= 8.8 |Feb record high C= 7.7 |Mar record high C= 9.6 |Apr record high C= 18.3 |May record high C= 28.1 |Jun record high C= 31.4 |Jul record high C= 32.9 |Aug record high C= 31.0 |Sep record high C= 23.7 |Oct record high C= 15.9 |Nov record high C= 10.0 |Dec record high C= 7.0 |year record high C= |Jan avg record high C = 2.8 |Feb avg record high C = 3.1 |Mar avg record high C = 5.9 |Apr avg record high C = 11.8 |May avg record high C = 21.1 |Jun avg record high C = 24.7 |Jul avg record high C = 26.5 |Aug avg record high C = 24.3 |Sep avg record high C = 18.1 |Oct avg record high C = 11.4 |Nov avg record high C = 6.2 |Dec avg record high C = 3.5 |year avg record high C = 27.3 |Jan high C = -5.7 |Feb high C = -5.7 |Mar high C = -0.9 |Apr high C = 4.4 |May high C = 11.4 |Jun high C = 17.2 |Jul high C = 20.6 |Aug high C = 18.0 |Sep high C = 12.6 |Oct high C = 5.2 |Nov high C = 0.3 |Dec high C = -3.0 |year high C = |Jan mean C = -9.6 |Feb mean C = -9.7 |Mar mean C = -5.4 |Apr mean C = 0.4 |May mean C = 6.8 |Jun mean C = 12.8 |Jul mean C = 16.0 |Aug mean C = 13.9 |Sep mean C = 8.8 |Oct mean C = 2.4 |Nov mean C = -2.6 |Dec mean C = -6.6 |year mean C = |Jan low C = -14.1 |Feb low C = -14.4 |Mar low C = -10.3 |Apr low C = -3.9 |May low C = 1.5 |Jun low C = 7.3 |Jul low C = 11.0 |Aug low C = 9.1 |Sep low C = 4.7 |Oct low C = -1.0 |Nov low C = -5.5 |Dec low C = -10.4 |year low C = | Jan avg record low C = -28.1 | Feb avg record low C = -28.1 | Mar avg record low C = -23.2 | Apr avg record low C = -13.7 | May avg record low C = -4.4 | Jun avg record low C = 0.8 | Jul avg record low C = 4.6 | Aug avg record low C = 1.0 | Sep avg record low C = -3.3 | Oct avg record low C = -11.8 | Nov avg record low C = -16.8 | Dec avg record low C = -23.6 | year avg record low C = -30.5 |Jan record low C= -37.1 |Feb record low C= -43.2 |Mar record low C= -34.0 |Apr record low C= -25.4 |May record low C= -9.3 |Jun record low C= -3.4 |Jul record low C= 1.4 |Aug record low C= -2.2 |Sep record low C= -9.8 |Oct record low C= -24.8 |Nov record low C= -31.3 |Dec record low C= -36.7 |year record low C= |unit precipitation days= 0.1 mm |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation mm = 32.3 |Feb precipitation mm = 25.8 |Mar precipitation mm = 28.7 |Apr precipitation mm = 26.4 |May precipitation mm = 30.3 |Jun precipitation mm = 39.2 |Jul precipitation mm = 52.2 |Aug precipitation mm = 63.4 |Sep precipitation mm = 58.1 |Oct precipitation mm = 59.9 |Nov precipitation mm = 44.8 |Dec precipitation mm = 33.0 |year precipitation mm= |Jan precipitation days= 25 |Feb precipitation days= 22 |Mar precipitation days= 21 |Apr precipitation days= 16 |May precipitation days= 14 |Jun precipitation days= 15 |Jul precipitation days= 15 |Aug precipitation days= 16 |Sep precipitation days= 17 |Oct precipitation days= 21 |Nov precipitation days= 24 |Dec precipitation days= 24 |year precipitation days= 230 |Jan humidity= 88 |Feb humidity= 87 |Mar humidity= 81 |Apr humidity= 72 |May humidity= 63 |Jun humidity= 63 |Jul humidity= 69 |Aug humidity= 76 |Sep humidity= 82 |Oct humidity= 88 |Nov humidity= 92 |Dec humidity= 90 |year humidity= | source 1 = FMI{{efn|Climatological normals for Finland 1991–2020, Record highs and lows, Precipitation 1961–1990, Precipitation days |url =http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=46820&cityname=Kemi--United-States-of-America|title =Weatherbase: Historical Weather for Kemi, Finland |publisher=Weatherbase |year=2013 Retrieved on April 18, 2013.

Note

Economy

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/Kemi_City_Hall_view_4.jpg" caption="Valtakatu street seen from Kemi City Hall."] ::

The main economic activity in Kemi is centered on two large paper and woodpulp mills and on the only chromium mine in Europe (which supplies the Outokumpu ferrochrome plant in Tornio).

In April 2007, the city of Kemi laid off all of its municipal workers for two weeks due to the failing economy of the city. Spiraling specialist healthcare costs and a fleeing industry tax base are stated as the cause for the firing. These are the most drastic temporary dismissals to take place in Finland since 2000.

Sights

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a6/LumiLinna.jpg" caption="Kemi SnowCastle"] ::

Kemi has a claim to fame as the home of the world's largest snow castle (reconstructed every year to a different design). The SnowCastle of Kemi is usually built in the inner harbor of the city.

A model of The Crown of Finland (the original was never made for the King of Finland) is kept in the town's gemstone gallery. It also houses replicas of the Imperial State Crown of Great Britain, the scepter of the Czar of Russia, the Orbs of Denmark, and the diamond necklace of Marie Antoinette, among other items.

Additional attractions include:

Kemi church
Kemi Gemstone Gallery
Icebreaker Sampo
The sailship Jähti

Culture

Kemi is the hometown of the power metal band Sonata Arctica.

Politics

Results of the 2019 Finnish parliamentary election in Kemi:

Left Alliance 26.2%
Social Democratic Party 23.6%
The Finns Party 19.8%
Center Party 13.6%
National Coalition Party 7.2%
Green League 5.1%
Movement Now 1.8%
Christian Democrats 0.7%
Communist Worker‘s Party - For Peace and Socialism 2,7%

Town manager

::data[format=table]

Town manager	Term
Olli Nylander	1930-1956
Risto Hölttä	1956-1966
Taisto Jokelainen	1967-1980
Juhani Leino	1980-2000
Kalervo Ukkola	2000-2005
Ossi Repo	2006-2012
Tero Nissinen	2012-2021
Matti Ruotsalainen	2021-
::

Transportation

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/Karihaaranväylä_Kemi_20150228.jpg" caption="National road 4]] in Kemi"] ::

Kemi railway station is an intermediate station on the railway between Lapland and Helsinki. It is operated by VR. The junction of the Kolari and Rovaniemi lines lies to the north of Kemi station.

Finnish national road 4 and European routes E8 and E75 run through the town.

Kemi-Tornio Airport is located 4.5 km north of Kemi city center.

The Port of Kemi is a cargo port handling containerised and bulk cargo as well as oil and petrochemical products.

Education

A polytechnic university of applied sciences is situated in Kemi.

Notable residents

Juhani Paasivirta (1919–1993), Finnish historian
Ensio Seppänen (1924–2008), Finnish sculptor and professor
Anna-Liisa Tiekso (1929–2010), Finnish politician
Tony Kakko (1975-), Finnish musician and singer of Sonata Arctica

International relations

Twin towns – sister cities

Kemi is twinned with:

References

Lapinkangas, Pasi. (29 April 2025). "Yksi paikkakunta nousi esille Suomen synkimmissä huumealueissa – "Kyllä tämä yllätti"". [[Ilta-Sanomat]].
"FMI normals 1991-2020". fmi.fi.
"FMI normals 1991-2020". FMI.
"FMI normals 1991-2020". FMI.
(2007-04-24). "Northern city of Kemi to lay off all municipal workers for two weeks". Helsingin Sanomat Oy.
(February 4, 2011). "Pictures of the day: 4 February 2011". [[Telegraph Media Group.
(23 April 2019). "Eduskuntavaalit 2019, Kemi". Oikeusministerö - Tieto- ja tulospalvelu.
"Port of Kemi".
Bozsoki, Agnes. "Partnervárosok Névsora Partner és Testvérvárosok Névsora". City of Székesfehérvár.

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::