Lapland History

Lapland is not a country; it is a whole region of northern Europe. It spreads across the Arctic Circle of northern Norway, Finland, Sweden, and some parts of Russia. Lapland is known as the last big wilderness in Europe. There you will find high Mountains, open wild forests, rivers and beautiful waterfalls as well as the chance to meet the cultural landscape of the Sami people, which makes this an extraordinary place to visit by families with kids or even groups of friends.

The Sami & their Culture

The Sami people which are also known as Sámi, Saami, Lapps, and even Laplanders, are the indigenous people of northern Europe living in Lapland. They are believed to have settled in the north of the Scandinavian Peninsula almost 4000 years ago. During the middle ages the Vikings are known to have pushed the Sami population to the northern part of the Artic circle. They now speak 1 of 10 languages which belong to the Sami languages, classified as Finno-Ugric. The language a community speaks depends on the area they live in; some examples are; Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish or Russian.

If you are interested in meeting the Sami people some of the most popular areas to visit would be; the Rovaniemi and Inari towns in Finland, Karasjok & Kautokeino in Norway or Kiruna in Sweden.

The Sami population consists of 48,000 people; there are 25,000 in Norway, 17,000 in Sweden, 4,000 in Finland, & 2,000 in Russia. The Sami people live differently to anyone other population; they have strong beliefs that anything living in nature such as trees, animals, minerals - have a soul. These are part of their religious beliefs. Their Economy is based on fishing, reindeer farming, hunting, and handicraft.

Lapland and Things to do

Lapland is known for the wilderness and the diverse habitats and wildlife. Lapland has many hills, which shelter a rich fauna and flora. The temperature varies throughout the year; there is snow from November to May, mild in summer, with temperatures reaching 20°C, and snowy in winter with temperatures dropping to -30°C in the coldest months.

There are many things that you can explore and do while visiting Lapland. Such as:

• Visit Santa Claus and the 6 elves in Finland
• See the Northern Lights in Norway
• Discover the Sami - the oldest culture in the world
• Finnish Lapland - is the best for cross country skiing and reindeer rides
• In Swedish Lapland - see the amazing magnetite mines of Kiruna or even marry in the huge ice church.
• Karasjok in Norwegian Lapland - visit the ‘Sami Theme Park'
• Visit Kautokeino if you would like to witness the Sami celebrating Easter with reindeer races and lively music.