Kemi

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This article is about the Finnish town. For other uses, see Kemi (disambiguation).
Kemi
Town
Kemin kaupunki
Kemi stad
Clockwise, from top: Kemi Railway Station, Kemi City Hall, Karihaara School, Café at the inner harbour, Kemi Church.
Clockwise, from top: Kemi Railway Station, Kemi City Hall, Karihaara School, Café at the inner harbour, Kemi Church.
Coat of arms of Kemi
Coat of arms
Location of Kemi in Finland
Location of Kemi in Finland
Country  Finland
Region Lapland
Sub-region Kemi–Tornio sub-region
Charter 1869
Government
 • Town manager Ossi Repo
Area (2011-01-01)[1]
 • Total 747.44 km2 (288.59 sq mi)
 • Land 95.34 km2 (36.81 sq mi)
 • Water 652.1 km2 (251.8 sq mi)
Area rank 165th largest in Finland
Elevation 4 m (13 ft)
Population (2016-03-31)[2]
 • Total 21,766
 • Rank 45th largest in Finland
 • Density 228.3/km2 (591/sq mi)
Population by native language[3]
 • Finnish 98% (official)
 • Swedish 0.1%
 • Others 1.9%
Population by age[4]
 • 0 to 14 14.2%
 • 15 to 64 66.5%
 • 65 or older 19.3%
Time zone EET (UTC+2)
 • Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3)
Postal code 94100
Municipal tax rate[5] 20.75%
Website www.kemi.fi

Kemi (Northern Sami: Giepma) is a town and municipality of Finland. It is located very near the city of Tornio. It was founded in 1869 by decree of Russian Emperor Alexander II because of its proximity to a deep water harbour.

The Crown designed for the King of Finland

Kemi is situated by the Bothnian Bay, at the mouth of river Kemijoki, and it is part of Lapland region. The town has a population of 21,766 (31 March 2016)[2] and covers an area of 747.44 square kilometres (288.59 sq mi) of which 652.1 km2 (251.8 sq mi) is water.[1] The population density is 228.3 inhabitants per square kilometre (591/sq mi).

The main economic activity in Kemi is centred on two large paper and woodpulp mills and on the only chromium mine in Europe (which supplies the Outokumpu ferrochrome plant in Tornio). A polytechnic university of applied sciences is also situated in Kemi.

Kemi also has a claim to fame as the home of the world's largest snow castle (reconstructed every year to a different design). The snowcastle is usually located at the inner harbour of Kemi.

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 Sceptre of the Czar of Russia, the Orbs of Denmark and the diamond necklace of Marie Antoinette, among other items.

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

World War II hostage crisis

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

Sights

Politics

Results of the Finnish parliamentary election, 2011 in Kemi:

Economics

In April 2007, the city of Kemi laid off all of its municipal workers for 2 weeks due to the failing economy of the city. Spiraling specialist health care costs and a fleeting industry tax base are stated as the cause for the vote.[6] These are the most drastic temporary dismissals to take place in Finland since 2000.

Transportation

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 kilometres (2.8 mi) north of Kemi city centre.

International relations

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See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Finland

Twin towns – Sister cities

Kemi is twinned with:

Notable residents

Gallery

  • Kemi Church, May 2007

  • Meripuistokatu street with the Kemi City Hall in the background

  • Kemi Snow Castle

  • Saint John the Baptist Orthodox Church in Kemi

See also

References

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External links

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