Lapland (Finland)

For the province in Sweden, see Lapland (Sweden).
Lapland
Lapin maakunta
Lapplands landskap
—  Region  —

Coat of arms
Coordinates: 67°N 26°E / 67°N 026°E / 67; 026Coordinates: 67°N 26°E / 67°N 026°E / 67; 026
Country Finland
Capital Rovaniemi
Area
 • Total 98,984 km2 (38,218 sq mi)
Population (2009)
 • Total 184,000
 • Density 1.859/km2 (4.814/sq mi)
Time zone EET (UTC+2)
 • Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3)
ISO 3166 code LL
NUTS
Website lapinliitto.fi

Lapland (Finnish: Lappi; Northern Sami: Lappi; Swedish: Lappland) is the largest and northernmost of the regions of Finland. The municipalities in the province cooperate in a Regional Council. It borders the Region of North Ostrobothnia in the south. It also borders the Gulf of Bothnia, Norrbotten County in Sweden, Finnmark County and Troms County in Norway as well as Murmansk Oblast in Russia.

Contents

Historical provinces

For history, geography and culture see: Laponia, Österbotten and Västerbotten

Lapland was separated from Oulu Province in 1936. After the Second World War, the Petsamo and Salla areas were ceded to the Soviet Union. Under the royalist constitution of Finland during the first half of 1918, Lapland was to become a Grand Principality and part of the inheritance of the proposed king of Finland.

Lapland was one of the provinces of Finland, until the provinces were abolished on January 1, 2010.[1]

Population

Lapland is the home of about 3.6% of Finland's population, and is by far the least densely populated area in the country. The biggest towns in Lapland are Rovaniemi (the regional capital), Kemi, and Tornio. In 2009, Lapland had a population of 183,748 of whom 179,070 spoke Finnish, 1,473 spoke Sami, 338 spoke Swedish and 2,867 spoke some other languages as their mother language.[2] Of the Sami languages Northern Sami, Inari Sami and Skolt Sami are spoken in the region.

Administration

The State Provincial Office was a joint regional authority of seven different ministries. It promoted national and regional objectives of the State central administration.

Regional Council

The 21 municipalities of Lapland are organised into a single Region, where they cooperate in the Lapland Regional Council, Lapin liitto or Lapplands förbund.

Politics

Results of the Finnish parliamentary election, 2011 in Lapland:

Sami Domicile Area

The northernmost municipalities of Lapland where the Sami people are the most numerous, form the Sami Domicile Area. Sami organization exists in parallel with the provincial one.

Municipalities

Main article: Municipalities of Lapland

(Cities and towns are marked with bold.)

First Finnish gold euro commemorative coin

Heraldry

The Regional Council of Lapland uses the Finnish variation of the coat of arms for Laponia. The coat of arms for the Province of Lapland was composed out of the coats of arms of Laponia and Ostrobothnia.

Lapland impact on Finnish numismatics

Most of the gold used to mint Finnish gold coins comes from Lapland. Lapland itself has been the main motif for a recent commemorative coin, the Finish First Finnish gold euro commemorative coin, minted in 2002. On the reverse side, the midnight sun above a lake in Lapland can be observed.


Gallery

  • Saana fell in Enontekiö with Lake Kilpisjärvi in northwesternmost Finland; one of the most recognized landscapes in Finland

  • Inari Siida ulkoilmamuseo.JPG

    A traditional Lapponian timber house in Siida museum

  • Center of Rovaniemi.jpg

    Rovaniemi, the capital of Lapland, during wintertime

  • Rovaniemi pajakyla 2.jpg

    Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi; tourism is crucial to Lapland's economy

  • Sami family-easter.jpg

    Sámi people celebrating Easter

  • River Torne near Tornio town

  • Sámi leavga.jpg

    Flag of Sámi

  • Levi, a ski resort in Kittilä

  • Lapland was burnt down almost totally in WWII (Sodankylä)

  • Enontekiö Church, a typical after-WWII-erected church

  • Reindeer in Enontekiö

  • Utsjoki Church and church cabins; the northernmost church in Finland

  • Tornio Hallituskatu puutalo.JPG

    Tornio Town Hall

  • Wilderness in Enontekiö

  • Lake Inari.jpg

    A view towards Lake Inari

  • Meripuistokatu Kemi 20090608.JPG

    A general view of Kemi town centre with Bothnian Bay in the background

  • Pyhäkero, Pallastunturi - evening.JPG

    Pallastunturi Fell in Muonio in wintertime twilight

  • Inari Pielpajärven erämaakirkko.JPG

    Pielpajärvi Wilderness Church from 1760 managed to avoid getting burnt in WWII

  • Centre of Kemijärvi.JPG

    Kemijärvi town centre

  • Giants kettle aholanvaara1.jpg

    A kettle in Salla, one of the largest in the world

  • A bilingual (Finnish and Sámi) street sign

  • A view from Saana fell

  • Kemi Sauvosaarenkatu 2007 08 08.JPG

    Architecture in Kemi

  • Keminmaa Church 20090608.JPG

    Keminmaa Church

  • Another View to lake Iso-Vietonen from Liinankivaara Mountainside.jpg

    Lake Iso-Vietonen, Ylitornio

  • Kevo river.jpg

    River Kevo in Utsjoki

  • Sami boots - Arctic Museum.jpg

    Sami boots in a museum in Rovaniemi

  • Laanila Prospektor.jpg

    An old gold mine in Inari

  • Livojärvi.JPG

    Lake Livojärvi, Posio

  • Kolari Railway Station, the northernmost in Finland

  • Pihtsusköngäs Waterfall, Enontekiö

  • Lappia-talo.JPG

    Lappia House in Rovaniemi, a culture venue designed by Alvar Aalto

  • Ranua Church

  • Isokuru Canyon, Pelkosenniemi

  • Kukkolankoski buildings May2008.jpg

    Traditional North-Osthrobotrian house in Tornio

  • Peltojarvi.jpg

    Lake Peltojärvi in Inari

  • Eisenbahnbrücke-Torne-älv6041090.jpg

    A view from Haparanda, Sweden to Tornio; the two towns are located so close that they're called a twin-town

  • LumiLinna 2008 4.jpg

    A view from the annual Snow Castle in Kemi

  • Sámi mythology shaman drum Samisk mytologi schamantrumma 104.png

    A Sámi shaman drum mask

  • Polar bear 8.JPG

    A polar bear in Ranua; though in a zoo

Notes

  1. ↑ "New regional administration model abolishes provinces in 2010". Helsingin Sanomat International Edition. Sanoma Corporation. 31 December 2009. http://www.hs.fi/english/article/New+regional+administration+model+abolishes+provinces+in+2010/1135251815296. Retrieved 1 January 2010. 
  2. ↑ Statistics Finland – Statistical databases

See also

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Lapland, Finland
Lapland
Regional flower
- Finnish
- Latin		 Globe-flower
- Kullero
- Trollius europaeus
Regional bird Bluethroat
Regional fish Salmon


Former provinces of Finland
1997–2009
Flag of Finland
1917–1997
Central Finland (1960–1997) • Häme • Kuopio • Kymi (1947–1997) • Lapland • Mikkeli • Northern Karelia (1960–1997) • Oulu • Petsamo (1921) • Turku and Pori • Uusimaa • Vaasa • Viipuri (1917–1947) • Åland
Regions
Flag of Finland
Former regions

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