lapland-the-arctic-circle Photos

Lapland is a cultural region situated in Finland and Sweden, in the Arctic Circle area. Known for the aurora borealis (or the Northern Lights) and for the long polar nights, Lapland is a special place.

The indigenous population are the Sami (or Saami, Saamelainen etc.). There are also different ethnic groups, especially Finnish and Swedish people. There are eleven distinct Sami languages, all of them endangered languages, according to UNESCO, some of them being almost dead, or even extinct.

Traditionally, Sami life is closely connected to semi-nomadic herds of reindeer. Traditional religion and shamanic rituals are part of everyday Sami life, in close connection with the earth and the supernatural. The Sami are the only population in Sweden who have the legal right to own reindeer, which to them is both a means of transport, as well as an essential foodstock, fur and leather that they use for making clothing and footwear that are much needed to cope with the extremely low temperatures.

A white, frozen area, with extremely low temperatures, with numerous forests and lakes, Lapland is not only the land of reindeers, but also of wolves, bears and especially of very strong people. With a total surface of 300,000 square kilometres, Lapland has a population of under 280,000 inhabitants. Its capital and largest town is Rovaniemi, situated in the North of Finland.

(see Rovaniemi)