Lapland (region)
Encyclopedia
Lapland is a region in northern Fennoscandia
, largely within the Arctic Circle
. It streches across Norway
, Sweden
, Finland
and the Kola Peninsula
(Russia
). On the North it is bounded by the Barents Sea
, on the West by the Norwegian Sea
and on the East by the White Sea
.
The name Lapland refers to land inhabited by the Sami people
, formerly called Lapp people, which is now considered derogatory, who are the minority indigenous people of the region. Due to this, some define "Lappland" as coterminus with Sápmi, the entire traditional area of the Sámi - on the North bounded by the Barents Sea
, on the West by the Norwegian Sea
and on the East by the White Sea
.
However, the Norwegian and Russian parts of the area "Sápmi" are neither formally called "Lapland", nor considered part of "Lapland" by its inhabitants - although in recent times some parts of the area (such as Finnmark) has been marketed as "Lapland" for promoting tourism. Formally, though, the name only survives in Finland and Sweden, where provinces bear the name.
(2,111 m/6,926 ft, Swedish Lapland). The part of Lapland falling on the Swedish side of the border is characterized by great rivers running from the northwest to the southeast. In the northeast, the terrain is that of a low plateau that contains many marshes and lakes, the largest of which is Lake Inari
in Finnish Lapland.
and vegetation is sparse, except in the densely forested southern portion. North of the Arctic Circle polar night
characterizes the winter season and midnight sun
the summer season—both phenomena are longer the further north one goes. Traditionally, the Sami people divide the year in eight seasons instead of four.
, wolf, bear, and sea and land birds are the main forms of animal life, in addition to a myriad of insect
s in the short summer. Sea and river fisheries abound in the region.
("the Sámi lands"), referring to the territories of the north settled by the Sámi people
. From this evolved the province (landskap) Lappland which in 1809 was split into one part that remained Swedish and one part falling under Finland (which became part of the Russian Empire
). To this day, Lapland is split into two entities - one Finnish, one Swedish. The Finnish Lapland region contains both parts of the old Lapland province and the old Ostrobothnian
province.
(Inari Sámi: Ruávinjargâ, Northern Sámi: Roavenjárga and Roavvenjárga, Skolt Sámi: Ruäˊvnjargg) and Kiruna
(North Sámi: Giron, Finnish: Kiiruna - pop. 18.154).
, Finns and Tornedalians
. Five Sámi languages are spoken in the region: North, South, Skolt
, Inari, and Lule. Two other Sámi languages, Pite
and Ume
, are moribund while Kemi Sámi
is extinct.
Finland's Lapland (Lappi) is one of the country's 20 regions (incl. the autonomous area Åland). Its capital and largest city is Rovaniemi, which is in fact outside the historical Lapland and inside old Ostrobothnia. Areas coterminus with the historical Lapland falling on the Finnish side, are mainly included into the Sámi Domicile Area
- a landscape de jure autonomous in Sámi issues (though not de facto).
In Sweden, the Lapland province remains a de jure reality but has no political significance or administrative purposes - it exists only on paper and in the minds of the population. Its functions has been replaced with the counties (län) that took over its territories: Norrbotten
, Västerbotten
and Jämtland
. The capitals of all these counties are outside historical Lapland.
The entities within the Finnish and Swedish states tasked with representing the Sámi minority, both have their headquarters within Lapland: The Sámi Parliament of Finland
in Inari, and the Sámi Parliament of Sweden
in Kiruna.
Fennoscandia
Fennoscandia and Fenno-Scandinavia are geographic and geological terms used to describe the Scandinavian Peninsula, the Kola Peninsula, Karelia and Finland...
, largely within the Arctic Circle
Arctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. For Epoch 2011, it is the parallel of latitude that runs north of the Equator....
. It streches across Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Finland
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...
and the Kola Peninsula
Kola Peninsula
The Kola Peninsula is a peninsula in the far northwest of Russia. Constituting the bulk of the territory of Murmansk Oblast, it lies almost completely to the north of the Arctic Circle and is washed by the Barents Sea in the north and the White Sea in the east and southeast...
(Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
). On the North it is bounded by the Barents Sea
Barents Sea
The Barents Sea is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located north of Norway and Russia. Known in the Middle Ages as the Murman Sea, the sea takes its current name from the Dutch navigator Willem Barents...
, on the West by the Norwegian Sea
Norwegian Sea
The Norwegian Sea is a marginal sea in the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of Norway. It is located between the North Sea and the Greenland Sea and adjoins the North Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Barents Sea to the northeast. In the southwest, it is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by a...
and on the East by the White Sea
White Sea
The White Sea is a southern inlet of the Barents Sea located on the northwest coast of Russia. It is surrounded by Karelia to the west, the Kola Peninsula to the north, and the Kanin Peninsula to the northeast. The whole of the White Sea is under Russian sovereignty and considered to be part of...
.
The name Lapland refers to land inhabited by the Sami people
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...
, formerly called Lapp people, which is now considered derogatory, who are the minority indigenous people of the region. Due to this, some define "Lappland" as coterminus with Sápmi, the entire traditional area of the Sámi - on the North bounded by the Barents Sea
Barents Sea
The Barents Sea is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located north of Norway and Russia. Known in the Middle Ages as the Murman Sea, the sea takes its current name from the Dutch navigator Willem Barents...
, on the West by the Norwegian Sea
Norwegian Sea
The Norwegian Sea is a marginal sea in the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of Norway. It is located between the North Sea and the Greenland Sea and adjoins the North Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Barents Sea to the northeast. In the southwest, it is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by a...
and on the East by the White Sea
White Sea
The White Sea is a southern inlet of the Barents Sea located on the northwest coast of Russia. It is surrounded by Karelia to the west, the Kola Peninsula to the north, and the Kanin Peninsula to the northeast. The whole of the White Sea is under Russian sovereignty and considered to be part of...
.
However, the Norwegian and Russian parts of the area "Sápmi" are neither formally called "Lapland", nor considered part of "Lapland" by its inhabitants - although in recent times some parts of the area (such as Finnmark) has been marketed as "Lapland" for promoting tourism. Formally, though, the name only survives in Finland and Sweden, where provinces bear the name.
Landscape
Lapland lies largely north of the Arctic Circle. The western portion is mountainous, rising towards the Norwegian border, with the highest point being Mount KebnekaiseKebnekaise
Kebnekaise is the highest mountain in Sweden and Sápmi. The Kebnekaise massif, which is part of the Scandinavian Mountains, has two peaks, of which the southern, glaciated one is highest at above sea level at the latest time of measurement. The north top is free of ice...
(2,111 m/6,926 ft, Swedish Lapland). The part of Lapland falling on the Swedish side of the border is characterized by great rivers running from the northwest to the southeast. In the northeast, the terrain is that of a low plateau that contains many marshes and lakes, the largest of which is Lake Inari
Lake 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...
in Finnish Lapland.
Climate
The climate is subarcticSubarctic
The Subarctic is a region in the Northern Hemisphere immediately south of the true Arctic and covering much of Alaska, Canada, the north of Scandinavia, Siberia, and northern Mongolia...
and vegetation is sparse, except in the densely forested southern portion. North of the Arctic Circle polar night
Polar night
The polar night occurs when the night lasts for more than 24 hours. This occurs only inside the polar circles. The opposite phenomenon, the polar day, or midnight sun, occurs when the sun stays above the horizon for more than 24 hours.-Description:...
characterizes the winter season and midnight sun
Midnight sun
The midnight sun is a natural phenomenon occurring in summer months at latitudes north and nearby to the south of the Arctic Circle, and south and nearby to the north of the Antarctic Circle where the sun remains visible at the local midnight. Given fair weather, the sun is visible for a continuous...
the summer season—both phenomena are longer the further north one goes. Traditionally, the Sami people divide the year in eight seasons instead of four.
Natural resources
Lapland contains valuable mineral deposits, particularly iron ore in Sweden. ReindeerReindeer
The reindeer , also known as the caribou in North America, is a deer from the Arctic and Subarctic, including both resident and migratory populations. While overall widespread and numerous, some of its subspecies are rare and one has already gone extinct.Reindeer vary considerably in color and size...
, wolf, bear, and sea and land birds are the main forms of animal life, in addition to a myriad of insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s in the short summer. Sea and river fisheries abound in the region.
History
The origins of the name Lapland is to be found in the Swedish term LappmarkenLappmarken
Lappmarken was an earlier Swedish name for the northern part of the old Kingdom of Sweden specifically inhabited by the Sami people. In addition to the present-day Swedish Lapland, it also covered Västerbotten, Jämtland and Härjedalen, as well as the Finnish Lapland. As a name, it is related to...
("the Sámi lands"), referring to the territories of the north settled by the Sámi people
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...
. From this evolved the province (landskap) Lappland which in 1809 was split into one part that remained Swedish and one part falling under Finland (which became part of the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
). To this day, Lapland is split into two entities - one Finnish, one Swedish. The Finnish Lapland region contains both parts of the old Lapland province and the old Ostrobothnian
Ostrobothnia (historical province)
Ostrobothnia, and , is a historical province of Finland to the west and north in Finland. It borders on Karelia, Savonia, Tavastia and Satakunda in the south, and on Västerbotten in Sweden, and Laponia in the north...
province.
Population in general
Swedish and Finnish Lapland have a combined population of 278,350 inhabitants, on an area of 298,686 km2. The largest cities are RovaniemiRovaniemi
Rovaniemi is a city and municipality of Finland. It is the administrative capital and commercial centre of Finland's northernmost province, Lapland. It is situated close to the Arctic Circle and is between the hills of Ounasvaara and Korkalovaara, at the confluence of the Kemijoki River and its...
(Inari Sámi: Ruávinjargâ, Northern Sámi: Roavenjárga and Roavvenjárga, Skolt Sámi: Ruäˊvnjargg) and Kiruna
Kiruna
Kiruna is the northernmost city in Sweden, situated in Lapland province, with 18,154 inhabitants in 2005. It is the seat of Kiruna Municipality Kiruna (Northern Sami: Giron, Finnish: Kiiruna) is the northernmost city in Sweden, situated in Lapland province, with 18,154 inhabitants in 2005. It is...
(North Sámi: Giron, Finnish: Kiiruna - pop. 18.154).
Ethnic composition
While the Sámi are the indigenous population in Lapland, people self-identifying as Sámi are currently a small minority of the Laplanders. Other prominent indigenous groups include SwedesSwedes
Swedes are a Scandinavian nation and ethnic group native to Sweden, mostly inhabiting Sweden and the other Nordic countries, with descendants living in a number of countries.-Etymology:...
, Finns and Tornedalians
Tornedalians
The Tornedalians are descendants of Finns who in some point in history settled to the areas of today's Northern Sweden near the Torne Valley district and west from there.-History:...
. Five Sámi languages are spoken in the region: North, South, Skolt
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,...
, Inari, and Lule. Two other Sámi languages, Pite
Pite Sami
Pite Sami, also known as Arjeplog Sami, is a Sami language traditionally spoken in Sweden and Norway. It is a critically endangered language that has only about 25–50 native speakers left and is now only spoken on the Swedish side of the border along the Pite River in the north of Arjeplog...
and Ume
Ume Sami
Ume Sami is a Sami language spoken in Sweden and Norway. It is a dying language with only about 10 native speakers left and is spoken mainly along the Ume River in the north of Arjeplog and Arvidsjaur.- Consonant gradation :...
, are moribund while Kemi Sámi
Kemi Sami
Kemi Sami is a Sami language that was originally spoken in the southernmost district of Finnish Lapland as far south as the Sami siidas around Kuusamo...
is extinct.
Finland
Main articles: Lapland (Finland), Sámi Domicile AreaSami Domicile Area
The Sami native region of Finland is the northernmost part of the Lapland Province in Finland, home of approximately half of Finland's Sami population...
Finland's Lapland (Lappi) is one of the country's 20 regions (incl. the autonomous area Åland). Its capital and largest city is Rovaniemi, which is in fact outside the historical Lapland and inside old Ostrobothnia. Areas coterminus with the historical Lapland falling on the Finnish side, are mainly included into the Sámi Domicile Area
Sami Domicile Area
The Sami native region of Finland is the northernmost part of the Lapland Province in Finland, home of approximately half of Finland's Sami population...
- a landscape de jure autonomous in Sámi issues (though not de facto).
Sweden
Main article: Lapland (Sweden)In Sweden, the Lapland province remains a de jure reality but has no political significance or administrative purposes - it exists only on paper and in the minds of the population. Its functions has been replaced with the counties (län) that took over its territories: Norrbotten
Norrbotten
Norrbotten is a Swedish province in northernmost Sweden. It borders south to Västerbotten, west to Swedish Lapland, and east to Finland.- Administration :...
, Västerbotten
Västerbotten
', English exonym: West Bothnia, is a province or landskap in the north of Sweden. It borders Ångermanland, Lapland, Norrbotten and the Gulf of Bothnia. It is famous for the cheese with the same name as the province.- Administration :...
and Jämtland
Jämtland
Jämtland or Jamtland is a historical province or landskap in the center of Sweden in northern Europe. It borders to Härjedalen and Medelpad in the south, Ångermanland in the east, Lapland in the north and Trøndelag and Norway in the west...
. The capitals of all these counties are outside historical Lapland.
Sámi politics
Main article: Sámi politicsSámi politics
Sámi politics refers to politics that concern the indigenous Sámi people in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. In a more narrow sense, it has come to indicate the government of Sámi affairs by Sámi political institutions...
The entities within the Finnish and Swedish states tasked with representing the Sámi minority, both have their headquarters within Lapland: The Sámi Parliament of Finland
Sami Parliament of Finland
The Sami Parliament of Finland is the representative body for people of Sami heritage in Finland. The parliament consists of 21 elected mandates...
in Inari, and the Sámi Parliament of Sweden
Sami Parliament of Sweden
The Sami Parliament of Sweden is the representative body for people of Sami heritage in Sweden. It acts as an institution of cultural autonomy for the indigenous Sami people.-History:...
in Kiruna.
See also
- Lapland (Finland)
- Lapland (Sweden)
- LapplandLapplandLappland can refer to:*Lapland, geographic region in Northern Fennoscandia* Lappland, Sweden* Lapland, FinlandUnlike the English word "Lapland", the Swedish word is not used to indicate the area specifically inhabited by the Sami people. An old Swedish word for the Sami area under Swedish control...
- Laponia (historical province)
- Sápmi (area)
- Murmansk OblastMurmansk OblastMurmansk Oblast is a federal subject of Russia , located in the northwestern part of Russia. Its administrative center is the city of Murmansk.-Geography:...
- Northern Norway