city, northern Finland, at the junction of the Kemi (Kemi River) and Ounas rivers, northeast of Tornio, on the Arctic Circle. Incorporated in 1929, it became the administrative centre of Lappi in 1939, when the government of Lapland was reorganized. Road building between 1920 and 1940 spurred its development, but near the end of World War II the retreating Germans virtually destroyed it. The new city, designed by the Finnish architect Alvar Aalto (Aalto, Alvar), is a striking contrast to the other settlements in northern Finland.

Industry has developed in the area, and the city, which is connected by rail to southern Finland and Russia, is the centre for trading in the Lapland region. Tours of Lapland begin at Rovaniemi, and the city is the centre of an important winter resort area. The Ounasvaara Winter Games, a major sports event of northern Scandinavia, are held there in March. It is also a centre of international Christmas tourism, and the post office of Joulupukki, the Finnish Santa Claus, is situated in Rovaniemi. Pop. (2005 est.) 57,835.