Kristinestad (, Sweden ; fi, Kristiinankaupunki ; la, Christinea) is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

and a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

in Finland. It is located in the western part of Finland on the shore of the

Bothnian Sea The Bothnian Sea ( sv, Bottenhavet; fi, Selkämeri) links the Bothnian Bay (also called the Bay of Bothnia) with the Baltic proper. Kvarken is situated between the two. Together, the Bothnian Sea and Bay make up a larger geographical entity, t ...

. The population of Kristinestad is () and the municipality covers an area of (excluding sea areas) of which is inland water (). The population density is . The population is bilingual with a majority speaking

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

() and the minority Finnish (). The town was chartered in 1649 by

Per Brahe the Younger Count Per Brahe the Younger (18 February 1602 – 12 September 1680) was a Swedish soldier, statesman, and author. He served as Privy Councillor from 1630, Lord High Steward from 1640, as well as Governor-General of Finland in 1637–1640 and 1 ...

at Koppö island and is named for Queen Christina of Sweden.Get to known the town: Urban traditions since 1649 – Visit Kristinestad
/ref> Kristinestad is known for its old town with low wooden houses and narrow alleys. In April, 2011, Kristinestad became Finland's first

Cittaslow Cittaslow is an organisation founded in Italy and inspired by the slow food movement. Cittaslow's goals include improving the quality of life in towns by slowing down its overall pace, especially in a city's use of spaces and the flow of life a ...

community.

Geography

Climate

Kristinestad has a continental subarctic climate ('' Dfc).''

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Kristinestad is twinned with: * Sala, Sweden * Novello, Italy

Gallery

File:Kristinestad church.jpg, Ulrica Eleonora church in central Kristinestad. File:A sunset at the town of Kristiinankaupunki Finland.jpg, During twilight over the town bay and the silhouette. File:Kristiinakaupunki.jpg, Summer market of Kristinestad in 1989. File:Kristinestad town hall.jpg, City Hall (1865)

References

External links

* *
Official website

Cities and towns in Finland Populated coastal places in Finland Municipalities of Ostrobothnia (region) Grand Duchy of Finland Populated places established in 1649 1649 establishments in Sweden {{WesternFinland-geo-stub