Inari, Finland
Encyclopedia
Inari is Finland
's largest, sparsely populated municipality with four official languages, more than any other in the country. Its major sources of income are lumber industry and nature maintenance. With the museum Siida in the village of Inari
, it is a center of Sami
culture. The airport in Ivalo
and the country's key north-south European Route E75
(Finland's National Road 4
) bring summer and winter vacationers who look for resorts with access to well-preserved, uncrowded outdoors.
is PD/km2.
Its two largest villages are Ivalo
and Inari
. Other villages are Törmänen
, Keväjärvi
, Koppelo, Sevettijärvi
–Näätämö, Saariselkä
, Nellim
, Angeli
, Kaamanen
, Kuttura
, Lisma
, Partakko, and Riutula.
, Inari Sami
(ca. 400 estimated speakers), Skolt Sami
(ca. 400 speakers), and Northern Sami
(ca. 700 speakers). The estimates of how many people have some command of each of the Sami languages differ from the number of people who list them as their mother tongues. Of the total population of 6,863 in 2010, 6,366 people registered Finnish
as their mother tongue and 400 one of the Sami languages
. 97 inhabitants were native speakers of other languages.
is the third largest lake in Finland, 40 km² (15.4 sq mi) smaller than the country's second largest Lake Päijänne.
Finland's largest National Park Lemmenjoki
is partly located in Inari, as is the Urho Kekkonen National Park
. Vast parts of the municipality are designated wilderness areas
: Hammastunturi
, Muotkatunturi
, Paistunturi
, Kaldoaivi
, Vätsäri
, and Tsarmitunturi
.
The village of Inari is Finland's northernmost holiday resort. The airport is located in the nearby village of Ivalo.
in Inari:
by the English writer Philip Pullman
, which takes place in an alternative world somewhat similar to our own, features a prominent character, Serafina Pekkala, who is a witch queen from a tribe near Lake Inari. A character in The Snow Queen, a fantasy novel by the American author Mercedes Lackey
, enters the Underworld and comes across a group of villagers from Inari. A thriller written by Gavin T. Lyall (1965, "The Most Dangerous Game" ) acts in and around Inari.
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
's largest, sparsely populated municipality with four official languages, more than any other in the country. Its major sources of income are lumber industry and nature maintenance. With the museum Siida in the village of Inari
Inari (village)
Inari is a population centre in the municipality of Inari in Finland.-History:The village grew up along in a spot where the fast-flowing Juutua River empties into Lake Inari. As the centuries went by, the village developed into a robust and active market and trade centre...
, it is a center of Sami
Sami people
The Sami people, also spelled Sámi, or Saami, are the arctic indigenous people inhabiting Sápmi, which today encompasses parts of far northern Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Kola Peninsula of Russia, and the border area between south and middle Sweden and Norway. The Sámi are Europe’s northernmost...
culture. The airport in Ivalo
Ivalo
Ivalo is a village in Inari Municipality, in Finland's Lapland Province, located on the Ivalo river 20 kilometres to the south of Lake Inari. It has a population of 3,998 and a small airport...
and the country's key north-south European Route E75
European route E75
European route E 75 is part of the International E-road network, which is a series of main roads in Europe.The E 75 starts from Vardø, Norway in the Barents Sea and runs south through Finland, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia and Republic of Macedonia to Sitia, Greece on...
(Finland's National Road 4
Finnish national road 4
Finnish national road 4 is a highway in Finland. It is the main route from Helsinki to Northern Finland and a major road link in the country. It runs from Erottaja in Helsinki to Sami Bridge in Utsjoki. The road is long...
) bring summer and winter vacationers who look for resorts with access to well-preserved, uncrowded outdoors.
Population
The municipality of Inari has a population of . The population densityPopulation density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
is PD/km2.
Its two largest villages are Ivalo
Ivalo
Ivalo is a village in Inari Municipality, in Finland's Lapland Province, located on the Ivalo river 20 kilometres to the south of Lake Inari. It has a population of 3,998 and a small airport...
and Inari
Inari (village)
Inari is a population centre in the municipality of Inari in Finland.-History:The village grew up along in a spot where the fast-flowing Juutua River empties into Lake Inari. As the centuries went by, the village developed into a robust and active market and trade centre...
. Other villages are Törmänen
Törmänen
Törmänen is a village in the municipality of Inari along Finnish national road 4, approximately 7 km south of Ivalo. At the end of 2005, 351 people lived in the village.Road 9691, which leads to Ivalo Airport, branches off national road 4 at Törmänen....
, Keväjärvi
Keväjärvi
Keväjärvi is a village in the municipality of Inari 13 km northeast of Ivalo and south of Lake Inari along Road 969 leading to Nellim, which used to lead all the way to Pechenga, when it was part of Finland. The village is located on a pine-covered ridge surrounded by lakes that flow into...
, Koppelo, Sevettijärvi
Sevettijärvi
Sevettijärvi is a village in the municipality of Inari, Finland approximately north of downtown Inari. Näätämö, as it is known on the Finnish side of the Norwegian border, is approximately away. The village’s green, yet stark terrain opens up as Näätämö approaches.The village is built on what...
–Näätämö, Saariselkä
Saariselkä
Saariselkä is a mountain area and a village in Finland. It is a popular tourist destination, providing activities such as skiing, hiking and a spa. It is located in Northern Lapland and belongs to the Inari municipality....
, Nellim
Nellim
Nellim is a village on the shore of Lake Inari in Inari, Finland that has three distinctly different cultures: Finns, the Inari Sámi and the Skolt Sámi. Nellim is approximately northeast of Ivalo and approximately away from the Russian border...
, Angeli
Angeli, Finland
Angeli is a village in Lapland. It is located west of village of Inari in the municipality of Inari near the Muotkatunturi wilderness region in Finland. The Inari River flows by the village, which is located close to the Norwegian border...
, Kaamanen
Kaamanen
Kaamanen is a village in the municipality of Inari, Lapland.The village counts about 200 inhabitants, whose main sources of livelihood are reindeer husbandry and tourism. The area is extremely valuable for bird-watchers and there are relatively important hiking paths.- External links :...
, Kuttura
Kuttura
Kuttura is a small village in the southwest corner of the municipality of Inari on the west bank of the Ivalo River next to the Hammastunturi Wilderness Area...
, Lisma
Lisma
Lisma is a small village in the municipality of Inari that is surrounded by the Lemmenjoki National Park.- Notes :...
, Partakko, and Riutula.
Languages
The municipality has four official languages: FinnishFinnish language
Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a...
, Inari Sami
Inari Sami
Inari Sámi is a Uralic, Sami language spoken by the Inari Sami of Finland. It has approximately 300 speakers, the majority of whom are middle-aged or older and live in the municipality of Inari. According to the Sami Parliament of Finland 269 persons used Inari Sami as their first language. It is...
(ca. 400 estimated speakers), Skolt Sami
Skolt Sami
Skolt Sami is a Uralic, Sami language spoken by approximately 400 speakers in Finland, mainly in Sevettijärvi, and approximately 20–30 speakers of the Njuõˊttjäuˊrr dialect in an area surrounding Lake Lovozero in Russia. Skolt Sami used to also be spoken on the Neiden area of Norway,...
(ca. 400 speakers), and Northern Sami
Northern Sami
Northern or North Sami is the most widely spoken of all Sami languages. The speaking area of Northern Sami covers the northern parts of Norway, Sweden and Finland...
(ca. 700 speakers). The estimates of how many people have some command of each of the Sami languages differ from the number of people who list them as their mother tongues. Of the total population of 6,863 in 2010, 6,366 people registered Finnish
Finnish language
Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a...
as their mother tongue and 400 one of the Sami languages
Sami languages
Sami or Saami is a general name for a group of Uralic languages spoken by the Sami people in parts of northern Finland, Norway, Sweden and extreme northwestern Russia, in Northern Europe. Sami is frequently and erroneously believed to be a single language. Several names are used for the Sami...
. 97 inhabitants were native speakers of other languages.
Geography
Inari is the largest municipality in Finland. Located in Lapland, it covers an area of km2, of which km2 is water. With an area of 1043 km² (402.7 sq mi), Lake InariLake Inari
Lake Inari is the third largest lake in Finland and the largest lake in Sápmi. It is located in the northern part of Lapland, north of the Arctic Circle. The lake is 117–119 meters above sea level and it is regulated at the Kaitakoski power plant in Russia...
is the third largest lake in Finland, 40 km² (15.4 sq mi) smaller than the country's second largest Lake Päijänne.
Finland's largest National Park Lemmenjoki
Lemmenjoki National Park
Lemmenjoki National Park is situated in area of municipalities of Inari and Kittilä, Lapland, in Northern Finland. It was founded in 1956 and has since been expanded twice...
is partly located in Inari, as is the Urho Kekkonen National Park
Urho Kekkonen National Park
Urho Kekkonen National Park is a national park in Lapland, Finland. Established in 1983 and covering , it is one of Finland's largest protected areas. It is named after Urho Kekkonen, former President and Prime Minister of Finland....
. Vast parts of the municipality are designated wilderness areas
Wilderness reserves of Finland
The wilderness areas of Finland are remote areas which are not strictly nature reserves. The areas were set up in 1991 to preserve their wilderness character, the Sami culture and their natural form of livelihood. There are 12 such areas, all of which are located in northern Lapland. The reserves...
: Hammastunturi
Hammastunturi Wilderness Area
The Hammastunturi Wilderness Area is located in Lapland, Finland. It was established in 1991 like all the other 11 wilderness areas of Finland. It covers situated in a fell and forest area between the Urho Kekkonen National Park and Lemmenjoki National Park...
, Muotkatunturi
Muotkatunturi Wilderness Area
The Muotkatunturi Wilderness Area is a wilderness reserve in Lapland, Finland, established in 1991. Its area is . Muotkatunturi is a reindeer management area, and forestry is also practiced there. The area is maintained by the Metsähallitus.There are no marked paths for travelers, and the area...
, Paistunturi
Paistunturi Wilderness Area
Paistunturi Wilderness Area is a wilderness reserve in Lapland, Finland.-References:...
, Kaldoaivi
Kaldoaivi Wilderness Area
The Kaldoaivi Wilderness Area is the largest wilderness reserve in Finland, located in the municipalities of Utsjoki and Inari in Lapland. It was established in 1991 like all the other 11 wilderness areas in Lapland. Its area is . The large area of roadless wilderness continues outside the borders...
, Vätsäri
Vätsäri Wilderness Area
The Vätsäri Wilderness Area is a wilderness reserve in Inari, Northern Finland. It was established in 1991 like all the other 11 wilderness areas in Lapland. Its area is . It is governed by the Metsähallitus...
, and Tsarmitunturi
Tsarmitunturi Wilderness Area
Tsarmitunturi Wilderness Area is a wilderness reserve in Inari municipality, Lapland, Finland. It is governed by Metsähallitus and covers . It was established in 1991 like all the other wilderness areas in Lapland....
.
The village of Inari is Finland's northernmost holiday resort. The airport is located in the nearby village of Ivalo.
Politics
Results of the Finnish parliamentary election, 2011Finnish parliamentary election, 2011
An election to the Eduskunta was held on 17 April 2011 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Advance voting, which included voting by Finnish expatriates, was held between 6 and 12 April with a turnout of 31.2%....
in Inari:
- Centre PartyCentre Party (Finland)The Centre Party is a centrist and Nordic agrarian political party in Finland. It is one of the four largest political parties in the country, along with the Social Democratic Party , the National Coalition Party and the True Finns , and currently has 35 seats in the Finnish Parliament...
36.2% - True FinnsTrue FinnsTrue Finns or The Finns is a populist and nationalist political party in Finland, founded in 1995 following the dissolution of the Finnish Rural Party. The head of the movement is Timo Soini. In the 2011 Finnish parliamentary election, The party won 19.1% of votes, becoming the third largest party...
19.2% - Left AllianceLeft Alliance (Finland)The Left Alliance is a left-wing political party in Finland. It was founded on the basis of the Finnish People's Democratic League and the Communist Party of Finland in 1990....
13.8% - National Coalition Party 10.5%
- Social Democratic PartySocial Democratic Party of FinlandThe Social Democratic Party of Finland is one of the three major political parties in Finland, along with the Centre Party and the National Coalition Party. Jutta Urpilainen is the current SDP leader. The party has been in the Finnish government cabinet for long periods and has set many...
9.8% - Green LeagueGreen LeagueThe Green League is a centrist green liberal political party in Finland. It has ten seats in the Finnish Parliament and two in the European Parliament. The current chairperson is Ville Niinistö....
6.6% - Swedish People's Party 2.2%
- Christian DemocratsChristian Democrats (Finland)The Christian Democrats is a Christian democratic political party in Finland. Formerly known as the Finnish Christian League , the Christian Democrats have six seats in the Finnish Parliament and one in the European Parliament.The party was founded in 1958, chiefly from the Christian faction of...
1.2% - Other parties 0.5%
In popular culture
The trilogy His Dark MaterialsHis Dark Materials
His Dark Materials is a trilogy of fantasy novels by Philip Pullman comprising Northern Lights , The Subtle Knife , and The Amber Spyglass...
by the English writer Philip Pullman
Philip Pullman
Philip Pullman CBE, FRSL is an English writer from Norwich. He is the best-selling author of several books, most notably his trilogy of fantasy novels, His Dark Materials, and his fictionalised biography of Jesus, The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ...
, which takes place in an alternative world somewhat similar to our own, features a prominent character, Serafina Pekkala, who is a witch queen from a tribe near Lake Inari. A character in The Snow Queen, a fantasy novel by the American author Mercedes Lackey
Mercedes Lackey
Mercedes "Misty" Lackey is a best-selling American author of fantasy novels. Many of her novels and trilogies are interlinked and set in the world of Velgarth, mostly in and around the country of Valdemar...
, enters the Underworld and comes across a group of villagers from Inari. A thriller written by Gavin T. Lyall (1965, "The Most Dangerous Game" ) acts in and around Inari.
External links
- Municipality of Inari – Official website