Kemi (Finnish: [ˈkemi]; Northern Sami: Giepma [ˈkie̯pma]; Inari Sami: Kiemâ; Skolt Sami: Ǩeeʹmm) is a town and municipality of Finland. It is located approximately 30 kilometres (19 mi) from the city of Tornio and the Swedish border. The distance to Oulu is 105 kilometres (65 mi) to the south and to Rovaniemi is 117 kilometres (73 mi) 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.
Key Information
The town has a population of 19,332 (30 June 2025)[2] and covers an area of 747.28 km2 (288.53 sq mi) of which 652.1 square kilometers (251.8 sq mi) are water.[1] The population density is 202.68 inhabitants per square kilometre (524.9/sq mi).
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.[5]
History
[edit]World War II hostage crisis
[edit]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.[citation needed]
Geography
[edit]Kemi is situated on the Bothnian Bay, at the mouth of the river Kemijoki, and it is part of the Lapland region.
Climate
[edit]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.
| Climate data for Kemi (Kemi-Tornio Airport, 1991–2020 normals, records 1959–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 8.8 (47.8) |
7.7 (45.9) |
9.6 (49.3) |
18.3 (64.9) |
28.1 (82.6) |
31.4 (88.5) |
32.9 (91.2) |
31.0 (87.8) |
23.7 (74.7) |
15.9 (60.6) |
10.0 (50.0) |
7.0 (44.6) |
32.9 (91.2) |
| Mean maximum °C (°F) | 2.8 (37.0) |
3.1 (37.6) |
5.9 (42.6) |
11.8 (53.2) |
21.1 (70.0) |
24.7 (76.5) |
26.5 (79.7) |
24.3 (75.7) |
18.1 (64.6) |
11.4 (52.5) |
6.2 (43.2) |
3.5 (38.3) |
27.3 (81.1) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −5.7 (21.7) |
−5.7 (21.7) |
−0.9 (30.4) |
4.4 (39.9) |
11.4 (52.5) |
17.2 (63.0) |
20.6 (69.1) |
18.0 (64.4) |
12.6 (54.7) |
5.2 (41.4) |
0.3 (32.5) |
−3.0 (26.6) |
6.2 (43.2) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −9.6 (14.7) |
−9.7 (14.5) |
−5.4 (22.3) |
0.4 (32.7) |
6.8 (44.2) |
12.8 (55.0) |
16.0 (60.8) |
13.9 (57.0) |
8.8 (47.8) |
2.4 (36.3) |
−2.6 (27.3) |
−6.6 (20.1) |
2.3 (36.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −14.1 (6.6) |
−14.4 (6.1) |
−10.3 (13.5) |
−3.9 (25.0) |
1.5 (34.7) |
7.3 (45.1) |
11.0 (51.8) |
9.1 (48.4) |
4.7 (40.5) |
−1.0 (30.2) |
−5.5 (22.1) |
−10.4 (13.3) |
−2.2 (28.1) |
| Mean minimum °C (°F) | −28.1 (−18.6) |
−28.1 (−18.6) |
−23.2 (−9.8) |
−13.7 (7.3) |
−4.4 (24.1) |
0.8 (33.4) |
4.6 (40.3) |
1.0 (33.8) |
−3.3 (26.1) |
−11.8 (10.8) |
−16.8 (1.8) |
−23.6 (−10.5) |
−30.5 (−22.9) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −37.1 (−34.8) |
−43.2 (−45.8) |
−34.0 (−29.2) |
−25.4 (−13.7) |
−9.3 (15.3) |
−3.4 (25.9) |
1.4 (34.5) |
−2.2 (28.0) |
−9.8 (14.4) |
−24.8 (−12.6) |
−31.3 (−24.3) |
−36.7 (−34.1) |
−43.2 (−45.8) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 32.3 (1.27) |
25.8 (1.02) |
28.7 (1.13) |
26.4 (1.04) |
30.3 (1.19) |
39.2 (1.54) |
52.2 (2.06) |
63.4 (2.50) |
58.1 (2.29) |
59.9 (2.36) |
44.8 (1.76) |
33.0 (1.30) |
494.1 (19.46) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 25 | 22 | 21 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 21 | 24 | 24 | 230 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 88 | 87 | 81 | 72 | 63 | 63 | 69 | 76 | 82 | 88 | 92 | 90 | 79 |
| Source: FMI[a] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Kemi Ajos (1991–2020 normals, records 1993–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 5.2 (41.4) |
5.4 (41.7) |
7.1 (44.8) |
16.5 (61.7) |
27.4 (81.3) |
28.7 (83.7) |
31.2 (88.2) |
30.1 (86.2) |
24.0 (75.2) |
16.0 (60.8) |
8.5 (47.3) |
5.3 (41.5) |
31.2 (88.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −5.5 (22.1) |
−5.9 (21.4) |
−1.9 (28.6) |
3.3 (37.9) |
9.5 (49.1) |
15.9 (60.6) |
19.7 (67.5) |
17.6 (63.7) |
12.5 (54.5) |
5.9 (42.6) |
1.0 (33.8) |
−2.7 (27.1) |
5.8 (42.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −8.6 (16.5) |
−9.2 (15.4) |
−5.6 (21.9) |
−0.3 (31.5) |
5.7 (42.3) |
12.7 (54.9) |
16.4 (61.5) |
14.9 (58.8) |
10.1 (50.2) |
3.8 (38.8) |
−1.3 (29.7) |
−5.1 (22.8) |
2.8 (37.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −12.5 (9.5) |
−13.2 (8.2) |
−9.8 (14.4) |
−3.5 (25.7) |
2.8 (37.0) |
9.9 (49.8) |
13.8 (56.8) |
12.5 (54.5) |
7.9 (46.2) |
2.1 (35.8) |
−3.3 (26.1) |
−8.3 (17.1) |
−0.1 (31.8) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −37.1 (−34.8) |
−33.8 (−28.8) |
−28.5 (−19.3) |
−20.5 (−4.9) |
−9.3 (15.3) |
1.9 (35.4) |
6.2 (43.2) |
3.3 (37.9) |
−1.8 (28.8) |
−12.9 (8.8) |
−23.3 (−9.9) |
−30.2 (−22.4) |
−37.1 (−34.8) |
| Source 1: https://www.ilmatieteenlaitos.fi/ilmastollinen-vertailukausi | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: https://kilotavu.com/asema-taulukko.php?asema=101846 | |||||||||||||
Note
[edit]Economy
[edit]
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.[10] These are the most drastic temporary dismissals to take place in Finland since 2000.
Sights
[edit]
Kemi has a claim to fame as the home of the world's largest snow castle[11] (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[citation needed]
- Icebreaker Sampo
- The sailship Jähti[citation needed]
Culture
[edit]Kemi is the hometown of the power metal band Sonata Arctica.[citation needed]
Politics
[edit]Results of the 2019 Finnish parliamentary election in Kemi:[12]
- 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
[edit]| 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
[edit]
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 kilometers (2.8 mi) 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.[13]
Education
[edit]A polytechnic university of applied sciences is situated in Kemi.
Notable residents
[edit]- Juhani Paasivirta (1919–1993), Finnish historian[citation needed]
- Ensio Seppänen (1924–2008), Finnish sculptor and professor[citation needed]
- Anna-Liisa Tiekso (1929–2010), Finnish politician[citation needed]
- Tony Kakko (1975-), Finnish musician and singer of Sonata Arctica[citation needed]
International relations
[edit]Twin towns – sister cities
[edit]Kemi is twinned with:
Tromsø (Norway), since 1940
Volgograd (Russia), since 1953
Liptovský Mikuláš (Slovakia)
Newtownards (Northern Ireland)
Székesfehérvár (Hungary)[14]
Luleå (Sweden)
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b "Area of Finnish Municipalities 1.1.2018" (PDF). National Land Survey of Finland. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
- ^ a b c "Population increased most in Uusimaa in January to June 2025". Population structure. Statistics Finland. 24 July 2025. ISSN 1797-5395. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
- ^ "Population according to age (1-year) and sex by area and the regional division of each statistical reference year, 2003–2020". StatFin. Statistics Finland. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
- ^ a b "Luettelo kuntien ja seurakuntien tuloveroprosenteista vuonna 2023". Tax Administration of Finland. 14 November 2022. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
- ^ Lapinkangas, Pasi (29 April 2025). "Yksi paikkakunta nousi esille Suomen synkimmissä huumealueissa – "Kyllä tämä yllätti"". Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 30 April 2025.
- ^ "FMI normals 1991-2020" (in Finnish). fmi.fi. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
- ^ "FMI normals 1991-2020" (in Finnish). FMI. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
- ^ "FMI normals 1991-2020" (in Finnish). FMI. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
- ^ "Weatherbase: Historical Weather for Kemi, Finland". Weatherbase. 2013. Retrieved on April 18, 2013.
- ^ "Northern city of Kemi to lay off all municipal workers for two weeks". Helsingin Sanomat – International Edition. Helsinki: Helsingin Sanomat Oy. 24 April 2007. Retrieved 7 January 2009.
- ^ "Pictures of the day: 4 February 2011". The Telegraph. 4 February 2011. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
- ^ "Eduskuntavaalit 2019, Kemi". Oikeusministerö - Tieto- ja tulospalvelu. 23 April 2019. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
- ^ "Port of Kemi". PortOfKemi.fi. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
- ^ Bozsoki, Agnes. "Partnervárosok Névsora Partner és Testvérvárosok Névsora" [Partner and Twin Cities List]. City of Székesfehérvár (in Hungarian). Archived from the original on 8 December 2012. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
External links
[edit]- Town of Kemi – Official website
Kemi travel guide from Wikivoyage
History
Founding and early settlement
The area of present-day Kemi formed part of the Kemi parish, with documented human activity along the Kemi River tracing back to at least the early 16th century, when Finnish settlers established small communities focused on subsistence fishing, hunting, and rudimentary agriculture in the boreal forest environment.[7] These early inhabitants, primarily ethnic Finns from southern regions, exploited the river's resources for seasonal tar production—a key export commodity derived from pine bark scorching—and rudimentary timber floating, though permanent settlements remained sparse due to the harsh subarctic climate and limited arable land.[8] Sami populations, indigenous to broader Lapland, had historical presence in inland areas of the Kemi Lappmark but exerted minimal influence on the coastal river mouth zone, where Finnish expansion through land clearance and taxation disputes with Swedish authorities is noted from the 1500s onward.[9] By the mid-19th century, the strategic value of the Kemi River estuary became evident for maritime trade, prompting Russian imperial authorities—under whom Finland then operated as an autonomous grand duchy—to approve the area's first formal town plan in 1859.[10] This plan envisioned grid-based urban development to support port infrastructure, reflecting growing interest in northern timber resources amid Europe's industrial demand for wood products. On October 8, 1869 (Julian calendar; November 20 Gregorian), Tsar Alexander II decreed the official founding of Kemi as a town, detaching a compact urban core of approximately 1,200 hectares from the larger Kemi rural municipality to foster economic growth via a deep-water harbor capable of accommodating oceangoing vessels even in winter.[11][12] The nascent town initially housed fewer than 500 residents, mostly relocated farmers and traders, with the oldest surviving wooden structures dating to the 1860s and emphasizing functional log architecture suited to the locale's severe winters.[10] This establishment marked a shift from agrarian isolation to proto-industrial orientation, setting the stage for rapid population influx tied to sawmilling.[13]Industrial development in the 20th century
The forestry industry formed the backbone of Kemi's industrial growth throughout the 20th century, building on 19th-century sawmills like Karihaara, established in 1874, to exploit the surrounding Lapland timber resources and the Kemijoki River for log transport. Pulp production emerged as the dominant sector with the 1919 startup of a sulphite mill by Kemi Oy, which produced the town's first cellulose bales and shifted focus from lumber to chemical processing for export via the deepwater port.[14][15] A sulphate (kraft) pulp mill commenced operations in 1927, enabling more efficient processing of softwood and expanding capacity to meet rising international demand for paper products.[14] This period saw company-led infrastructure development, including worker housing and facilities built by Ab Kemi in 1929, which supported a growing labor force and integrated mill communities reflective of northern Finland's forest industry model.[16] Industrial acceleration in the first half of the century, fueled by these mills, positioned Kemi as a major exporter, though output was intermittently affected by global economic fluctuations and wartime logistics constraints. Diversification occurred later with the 1959 discovery of chromite ore deposits, leading to Europe's only such mine opening in 1968 under Outokumpu, which supplied ferrochrome production and added mining to the economic base alongside pulp.[17] By 1971, the installation of paper machine PM1 at the Karihaara facility introduced kraft linerboard manufacturing, further verticalizing operations and boosting value-added output until the century's end.[14] These advancements, grounded in resource proximity and port access, drove sustained employment and regional trade, with pulp mills ruling local industry for decades.[18]World War II hostage crisis and Lapland War
In the context of the Lapland War (September 1944–April 1945), German forces utilized Kemi's port facilities for the evacuation of troops and materiel following Finland's armistice with the Soviet Union on September 19, 1944; the final German convoy departed Kemi on September 21, 1944, under submarine escort south of the Åland Islands.[19] Kemi, strategically located near the Swedish border and the Gulf of Bothnia, had hosted German military presence during the Continuation War (1941–1944), including logistics support for operations in northern Finland.[20] The hostage crisis in Kemi arose as a direct retaliation during the initial phases of Finnish offensives against German withdrawals. On October 1, 1944, Finnish forces under Colonel K. M. Laivo landed at Tornio, approximately 80 km west of Kemi, initiating the Battle of Tornio (October 1–8, 1944) and capturing German troops in the Kemi-Tornio sector under Generalmajor Mathias Kräutler.[21] In response, German commander Lothar Rendulic ordered the seizure of Finnish civilians to deter further advances and secure exchanges for imprisoned soldiers; specifically, 132 civilians were taken hostage from Kemi, alongside 130 from Rovaniemi.[21] German forces threatened execution of the hostages unless Finnish operations halted, marking a escalation in asymmetric tactics amid the broader German scorched-earth retreat, which devastated Lapland's infrastructure.[19] Finnish Army Group Lapland, led by Lieutenant General Hjalmar Siilasvuo, pressed the offensive despite the hostage threat. On October 7, 1944, the Finnish 15th Brigade launched a frontal assault on Kemi to encircle remaining German elements, supported by a rear attack from the 6th Division, forcing Kräutler's Divisiongruppe to withdraw eastward while inflicting minimal civilian casualties in the town itself.[19] The Kemi hostages were released unharmed by German forces on October 11, 1944, near Rovaniemi, after negotiations and as part of the phased German evacuation, though the incident underscored the war's coercive dynamics and contributed to Finnish resolve in expelling the Wehrmacht from Lapland by November 1944.[21] This episode, while limited in scale compared to broader Lapland destruction, highlighted German reprisal policies against civilian populations in occupied allied territories.[22]Post-war reconstruction and growth
Following the Lapland War's conclusion in April 1945, Kemi underwent extensive reconstruction as part of Finland's broader efforts to repair war damage in Lapland, where retreating German forces had implemented a scorched-earth policy, destroying key infrastructure including bridges over the Kemi River in October 1944.[23] Local rebuilding focused on restoring transportation networks, housing, and utilities, supported by national government programs that allocated resources for northern recovery amid Finland's obligations to pay $300 million in war reparations to the Soviet Union, primarily through manufactured goods.[24] These reparations, fulfilled between 1944 and 1952, stimulated industrial output and export capabilities, with Kemi's deepwater port playing a vital role in shipping timber, pulp, and other commodities.[24] Hydropower development emerged as a cornerstone of Kemi's post-war growth, driven by the need to replace approximately one-third of Finland's pre-war hydroelectric capacity lost to Soviet territorial gains after the Winter War and Continuation War.[25] Construction of dams and power stations along the Kemijoki River system, including facilities like the Isohaara plant whose infrastructure had been damaged during the conflict, accelerated from the late 1940s onward, generating electricity to fuel forestry processing and emerging metal industries.[23][26] By the 1950s, this energy infrastructure supported the expansion of Kemi's pulp and paper sector, which had originated with the establishment of a major mill in the 1920s but saw production surges tied to national export demands, contributing to Lapland's interrupted pre-war economic vigor resuming at an accelerated pace.[27] Economic expansion in Kemi during the 1950s and 1960s reflected Finland's overall industrialization, with real national income recovering to 20% above pre-war levels by 1947 despite initial setbacks from population shifts and material shortages.[24] The town's strategic location facilitated logistics growth, enhancing port throughput for wood exports essential to the reparations economy, while state-led initiatives promoted worker housing and social services to accommodate influxes from rural areas, aligning with Finland's rapid urbanization where agricultural employment dropped from over 50% of the workforce in the early 1950s.[28] This period solidified Kemi's role as a northern industrial hub, though environmental trade-offs, such as river damming's impacts on traditional timber floating and ecosystems, began emerging as long-term consequences.[29]Geography
Location and physical features
Kemi is situated in the Lapland region of northern Finland, along the coast of the Gulf of Bothnia at the mouth of the Kemijoki River, the longest river in the country at 550 kilometers.[30][31] The municipality lies near the Swedish border, approximately 700 kilometers north of Helsinki, in a sub-region shared with the adjacent town of Tornio.[32] Its geographical coordinates center around 65.736° N latitude and 24.564° E longitude.[33] The physical terrain of Kemi is predominantly flat and low-lying, with an average elevation of about 16 meters above sea level, characteristic of the coastal plain along the northern Baltic Sea margin.[34] The Kemijoki River discharges into the Gulf of Bothnia here, forming a delta that influences local hydrology and sediment deposition, supporting a landscape of riverine floodplains and adjacent boreal forests dominated by coniferous species such as Scots pine and Norway spruce.[35] The Gulf of Bothnia's brackish waters, fed by major rivers including the Kemijoki, exhibit low salinity and seasonal ice cover extending up to six months annually.[36] Urban development in Kemi clusters around the river mouth and harbor, with the surrounding municipality encompassing mixed woodland, wetlands, and agricultural clearings shaped by glacial history and post-glacial rebound, which continues to elevate the land at rates of several millimeters per year.[37] This isostatic adjustment has gradually expanded coastal areas over millennia, altering the shoreline configuration.[38]Climate and environmental conditions
Kemi lies within the boreal zone, featuring a subarctic climate with prolonged cold winters, brief mild summers, and significant seasonal snowfall due to its northern latitude and proximity to the Arctic Circle. The average annual temperature is 3.0 °C, with February as the coldest month at -10 °C and July the warmest at 15 °C.[39] [40] Annual precipitation averages 719 mm, predominantly as rain from late March to early December, though winter months see substantial snow accumulation, often exceeding 1 meter in depth, supporting local winter tourism such as the construction of the LumiLinna SnowCastle.[39] [41] The following table summarizes monthly climate averages for Kemi:| Month | Avg. High (°C) | Avg. Low (°C) | Precipitation (mm) | Snowy Days (avg.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | -5 | -12 | 40 | 15 |
| February | -5 | -13 | 35 | 14 |
| March | 0 | -9 | 40 | 12 |
| April | 5 | -4 | 40 | 6 |
| May | 12 | 2 | 45 | 0 |
| June | 17 | 7 | 55 | 0 |
| July | 19 | 10 | 65 | 0 |
| August | 17 | 8 | 70 | 0 |
| September | 11 | 4 | 65 | 1 |
| October | 5 | -1 | 70 | 5 |
| November | 0 | -5 | 65 | 10 |
| December | -3 | -10 | 50 | 14 |
