Kemi (Finland)

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.

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 21,971 (30 November 2014) and covers an area of 747.44 square kilometres (288.59 sq mi) of which 652.1 km² (251.8 sq mi) is water. The population density is 230.45 inhabitants per square kilometre (596.9/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.

from Wikipedia