Raahe (Swedish: Brahestad) is a town on the northwest coast of
Finland on the shores of the Gulf of Bothnia. Raahe is located in
the western part of the province of Northern Ostrobothnia, and is
the center of the Raahe region. Count Peter Brahe founded the town
bearing his name in 1649 to promote trade. Raahe developed into a
major port, school and industrial city. Old Raahe, or Puu-Raahe,
which is connected to the city center and is one of the
best-preserved 19th-century Finnish wooden cities, gives its special
stamp to the city.
The population of Raahe is, as a result of
the municipal associations, 24,577 people. The city covers an area
of 1,888.97 km², of which 12.82 km² are water bodies (1 January
2020). The population density is 24.2 inhabitants / km². The Raahe
region, together with Raahe, is formed by the municipalities of
Pyhäjoki and Siikajoki. The total population of the area is about
35,000. Originally, the city was founded in two languages, but today
it is officially in Finnish. The local newspaper Raahen Seutu and
the free distribution magazine Raahelainen are published in Raahe.
The city of Raahe is connected to three neighboring
municipalities: Saloinen (1973), Pattijoki (2003) and Vihanti
(2013). Raahe's current neighboring municipalities are Haapavesi,
Oulainen, Pyhäjoki, Siikajoki and Siikalatva.