is a city located in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 34,631, and a population density of 180 persons per km<sup>2</sup> in 14,358 households. The total area of the city is .
SÃ Âma is located in northeastern Fukushima Prefecture, bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Abukuma Plateau to the west. SÃ Âma is closer to Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture than it is to the prefectural capital of Fukushima.
Sà Âma has a humid climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) characterized by mild summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Sà Âma is 12.6 ðC. The average annual rainfall is 1260 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 24.8 ðC, and lowest in January, at around 1.8 ðC.
Per Japanese census data, the population of SÃ Âma has remained the same over the past 40 years.
The area of present-day SÃ Âma was part of ancient Mutsu Province, and has been settled since at least the JÃ Âmon period. During the Edo period, the area developed as the castle town of SÃ Âma Domain, home of the SÃ Âma clan from the Kamakura period until the Boshin War. After the Meiji Restoration, it was organized as part of Iwaki Province. With the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1896, the area was organized into a number of towns and villages within the districts of Namekata and Uda. In 1896, Namekata and Uda were merged to create SÃ Âma District. The town of Nakamura was established on April 1, 1889. Nakamura was merged with seven neighbouring villages and raised to city status on March 31, 1954, becoming the city of SÃ Âma.
The eastern, coastal portion of SÃ Âma was inundated by tsunami floodwaters following the magnitude 9.1 2011 TÃ Âhoku earthquake and tsunami off its coastline on March 11, 2011. The tsunami reached up to approximately 4 km inland in SÃ Âma; flooded areas included SÃ Âma Port and the Matsukawa-ura Bay area, up to the elevated Route 6 SÃ Âma Bypass. The tsunami was measured to have been 9.3 meters or higher in SÃ Âma.
SÃ Âma is about north of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, the site of the nuclear accident that followed the tsunami, and was thus not subject to mandatory evacuation.
SÃ Âma has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 20 members. SÃ Âma, together with the town of Shinchi contributes one member to the Fukushima Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Fukushima 1st district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.
SÃ Âma has a mixed economy, based on agriculture, commercial fishing and light manufacturing. The area is noted for its strawberry cultivation. The Shinchi Thermal Power Station, a coal-fired thermal power station is located in SÃ Âma.
SÃ Âma has nine public elementary schools and four public junior high schools operated by the city and two public high schools operated by the Fukushima Prefectural Board of Education. The prefecture also operates one special education school.
Soma General Hospital, a public hospital with 240 beds, is located in SÃ Âma.
East Japan Railway Company (JR East) - JÃ Âban Line