Kemi

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. The town has a population of 19,418 (31 March 2025) and covers an area of 747.28 km2 (288.53 sq mi) of which 652.1 square kilometers (251.8 sq mi) are water. The population density is 203.59 inhabitants per square kilometre (527.3/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.