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33-554: The historical province of Lapland originally extended further eastward. However, in 1809 the Russian Empire annexed the eastern part of Sweden and formed the Grand Duchy of Finland in that territory. This effectively split Lapland into a Swedish part and a Finnish part , both of which still exist today. Swedish Lapland primarily consists of the inland parts of Västerbotten County in the south and Norrbotten County in

66-523: A UNESCO World Heritage Site , the Laponian area , and the province contains some of the oldest and most spectacular national parks of northern Europe, e.g. Sarek National Park , established in 1909. Lapland has an area of 109,702 square km (c. 42,300 sq miles), larger than Austria and almost equal to Portugal . Its land area is also larger than the Benelux countries combined, being more than double

99-421: A club as heraldic symbol of Lapland first appeared at the coronation of Charles IX of Sweden in 1607, then at the same king's burial in 1611. The colour red of his skin was decided only in 1949; before then various colours had been used (natural skin colour in the first half of the 20th century). The wildman, though unusual in heraldry, is an old symbol of the uncivilised north and appeared in books and woodcuts of

132-597: A key role. Still, mining, forestry and hydroelectric power are the backbone of the local economy, together with municipal services. The unemployment has however been relatively high for several decades and many young people leave for the larger cities by the coast or in southern Sweden. Located in Sweden, Lapland is known for containing the Vindelfjällen Nature Reserve , one of the largest nature reserves in Sweden. Other parts of Lapland have been named

165-416: A week-long cultural event with lectures, art exhibitions, concerts and much more. There are iron ore deposits in the region, and the proposed Kallak mine , which has been met with resistance by activists, lies within the municipality. Mining exploration by British company Beowulf Mining has identified a potential mining site between the (non-Sami) villages of Björkholmen and Randijaur, which forms part of

198-529: Is from February all through April, when the snow lies deep and the days are long. This time of year the national parks are easily accessible by snowmobile and skis . Visitors should understand and respect that the wilderness is just that, and snowmobiles are not allowed in the parks at any time. The summer in Jokkmokk Municipality is short but intense. The ground is free of snow from May until late October, early November. As with most areas in

231-894: Is more of an identification with the counties rather than to provinces . Thus, most people in these counties refer to the entire county, including the areas in Lapland, when they say 'Norrbotten' or 'Västerbotten'. Citizens of Sami descent are eligible to stand and vote in elections for the Swedish Sami Parliament , which is the case with Sami people elsewhere in Sweden as well. The Sami language has an official minority status in Kiruna Municipality , Gällivare Municipality , Jokkmokk Municipality and Arjeplog Municipality . The following municipalities have their seats in Lapland: As of 31 December 2017,

264-659: Is present in the Jokkmokk Lapland Court District, a historical jurisdiction. When the municipality was given its current borders in 1971, its municipal coat of arms were made to depict the hydro plant , the symbol of Luleå (to which Jokkmokk belonged until 1673), and the traditional Sami hammers . The municipality is situated in the Scandinavian Mountains in Swedish Lapland and is sparsely populated. A large part of

297-483: The Nordic countries , the actual warm period is quite short, but as Jokkmokk Municipality has a continental climate , the temperature can top 30 degrees Celsius in the summer and reach as low as -40 degrees Celsius in the winter. During the summer months hikers and other friends of nature converge in the national parks and this is also the time when most of the parks are most easily accessed. Visitors should be warned that

330-605: The reindeer winter grazing lands of the Sami community of Jåhkågasska tjiellde . These are the results of the elections to the Riksdag since the 1972 municipal reform. Norrbotten Party also contested the 1994 election but due to the party's small size at a nationwide level SCB did not publish the party's results at a municipal level. The same applies to the Sweden Democrats between 1988 and 1998. "Turnout" denotes

363-405: The 10 largest hydroelectric plants are located in the area. This includes the 977 MW Harsprånget , the 480 MW Porjus , and the 460 MW Messaure . There's a total of 11 hydroelectric plants in the area, 9 over 100 MW, 8 over 200 MW, and 4 over 400 MW. There are three official localities (or urban areas) in Jokkmokk Municipality. The municipal seat is bolded: Additional small settlements within

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396-549: The 16th century. A statue depicting the wildman is placed in Storuman at 65°5′42″N 17°6′56″E  /  65.09500°N 17.11556°E  / 65.09500; 17.11556 . Lapland has a subarctic climate in its lower areas, whereas a polar variety can be found in Tarfala , where the average high for the warmest month of the year (July) is lower than 10 °C (50 °F) in mean temperatures. The southern parts of

429-460: The 17th and 18th centuries resulting in Laplanders generally leaving their original shamanism and converting to Lutheranism . Since the 19th century, Lapland has been particularly characterised by Laestadian Lutheranism . During the industrialization of Sweden in the late-19th century, natural resources ( hydroelectricity , timber and minerals) from Lapland and surrounding provinces played

462-604: The Finnish side, there was a Province of Lapland (much larger to the south, especially by population, and where there were no Sami for many centuries) from 1938 until 2010, when Finnish provinces were discontinued, and the province was replaced by the Region of Lapland . Lapland is considered in some nations — notably Croatia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Serbia, Sweden, Finland, Latvia, Romania and France — to be

495-483: The amount of mosquitoes can be difficult to those not used to them and driving has an added danger in the reindeer that seek shelter from the mosquitoes. Collisions with reindeer are frequent in most of the northern parts of the Nordic countries and drivers should keep an eye out. Fall is also short and the shifting colors of the wide forests make the surroundings burn with color. This is a good time for hiking but due to

528-403: The area has been the habitat of reindeer herding Sami people for thousands of years and has for that reason been protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site under the name Laponian area . The Laponian area is roughly divided into the eastern flatlands and the western mountainous region. There are several well-structured and well-maintained starting locations for those interested in experiencing

561-531: The coastal area of Gulf of Bothnia as well as the border area to Finland though neither areas are a part of the geographical province Swedish Lapland, rather the Lapland area as a whole in northern Scandinavia. Lapland has two prominent national minorities the Samí people and Tornedalians . 65°55′44″N 16°44′35″E  /  65.929°N 16.743°E  / 65.929; 16.743 Laponia (historical province) Laponia ( Swedish : Lappland )

594-476: The home of Father Christmas (more widely known as Santa Claus ). The current population of Swedish Lapland plus the municipalities Enontekiö (Eanodat), Inari (Ánar), Utsjoki (Ohcejohka), Muonio (Muoná), Kittilä (Gihttel) and Sodankylä (Soad'egilli) in Finnish Lapland constitutes 125,151 individuals. The largest city is Kiruna (Giron) with 18,154 inhabitants. Before being split, Laponia

627-505: The left coalition and 38.9% for the right coalition. Indicators are in percentage points except population totals and income. The four national parks in Jokkmokk Municipality all have their own distinct identity. The national parks are Sarek , Muddus , Padjelanta and Stora Sjöfallet . These national parks are popular with tourists all year around but the darkest and coldest months (November to January) are not recommended for beginners. The best period for sunshine and winter activities

660-578: The majestic wilderness . For instance, the Kvikkjokk basecamp provides excursions and has a high quality hostel . Due to the northern location, the aurora borealis can be experienced all through winter (November to March), and the midnight sun can be experienced during June and July. The Lule River and the Lesser Lule River flows through the district. The rivers are heavily regulated for hydroelectricity , most of all in Sweden. 6 of

693-412: The municipality include the Sami reindeer herding camp Udtja and the village of Puottaure . This is a demographic table based on Jokkmokk Municipality's electoral districts in the 2022 Swedish general election sourced from SVT 's election platform, in turn taken from SCB official statistics. In total there were 4,769 residents, including 3,773 Swedish citizens of voting age. 59.6% voted for

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726-461: The north. It has the coldest climates of Sweden, with vast seasonal differences caused by the high latitudes and the inland location. The history of Lapland is in many ways connected to the history of Norrbotten County and Västerbotten County , since Lapland is a historic region connected to these counties. During the Middle Ages , Norrbotten/Lapland was considered a no man's land . The area

759-506: The northern areas of the province experience midnight sun and a moderate polar night with some civil twilight during opposite sides of the year. Football in the province is administered by Norrbottens Fotbollförbund and Västerbottens Fotbollförbund . An EU-subsidised government tourism marketing organisation aiming to promote tourism in Northern Sweden has taken the brand name "Swedish Lapland". This name also covers towns in

792-639: The percentage of eligible voters casting any ballots, whereas "Votes" denotes the number of actual valid ballots cast. Blocs This lists the relative strength of the socialist and centre-right blocs since 1973, but parties not elected to the Riksdag are inserted as "other", including the Sweden Democrats results from 1988 to 2006, but also the Christian Democrats pre-1991 and the Greens in 1982, 1985 and 1991. The sources are identical to

825-403: The population of Swedish Lapland is 91,333. Together with the rest of historical Lapland, the sum of the population is approximately 250,000. The largest cities are Kiruna ( Northern Sami : Giron , Finnish : Kiiruna ) with 23,178 inhabitants, Gällivare with 18,123 inhabitants and Lycksele with 12,177 inhabitants. In Norrbotten County : In Västerbotten County : Lapland itself

858-467: The province are significantly milder than the northern, due to the vast geographical differences. However, since Lapland is all made up of inland areas, maritime moderation is less significant than in the counties' coastal areas and in neighbouring Norway , resulting in harsh winters. Southern areas at a lower elevation such as Lycksele also have relatively warm summers. Due to the Arctic Circle ,

891-399: The shifting temperatures the mountainous parts of the national parks can be treacherous for those unprepared. Jokkmokk is known for its Sami market held the first weekend every February. This market has been held for more than 400 consecutive years. Initially a gathering of traders from the entire region the market has long since grown to be more than a simple gathering of traders and is now

924-413: The size of Switzerland and quite a bit larger than the island of Ireland . The traditional provinces of Sweden serve no administrative or political purposes but are cultural and historical entities. Administratively, Lappland constitutes the western part of two counties of Sweden , Norrbotten County in the north and Västerbotten County in the south. In contrast to most other areas of Sweden, there

957-485: The town is situated close to a bend in the nearby river. The municipality is the second largest in area of all Swedish municipalities and is, with an area of 19,477 km (approximately 7,520 square miles) slightly smaller than Slovenia or the US state of New Jersey . It has never been amalgamated with another entity, having been that large ever since municipalities were established in Sweden in 1863. The name Jokkmokk

990-467: Was a historical Swedish province , or landscape , in the north of Sweden . It evolved from Lappmarken . In 1809, Sweden ceded the eastern part , along with Finland , to the Russian Empire , which in effect created a Swedish Lapland and Finnish Lapland . Today, the Swedish part is no longer an administrative subdivision in Sweden (rather, it is part of Västerbotten and Norrbotten counties). On

1023-539: Was divided into juridical districts which were: Jokkmokk Municipality Jokkmokk Municipality ( Swedish : Jokkmokks kommun , Finnish : Jokimukan kunta , Northern Sami : Johkamohkki gielda , Meänkieli : Jokinmukka ) is a municipality in Norrbotten County in northern Sweden . Its seat is located in Jokkmokk . The name Jokkmokk is Sami for the words " river " and "bend", since

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1056-635: Was in fact populated by nomadic Sami people , but the region became increasingly settled by Swedish, Finnish and Norwegian settlers - especially along the coasts and large rivers. From the Middle Ages on, the Swedish kings tried to colonise and Christianise the area using settlers from what is now Finland and southern Sweden. Today, despite large-scale assimilation into the dominant Swedish culture, Finnish and Sami minorities continue to maintain their cultures and identities. Despite independent cultural presence, religious beliefs were subject to conversion in

1089-514: Was never considered a duchy but on 18 January 1884 the Privy Council gave all Provinces the right of use to a ducal coronet for their arms. Blazon Swedish version: "Argent, a Wildman statant Gules wrapped with birch leaves Vert on the head and around the waist holding a Club Or in dexter over the shoulder." The wildman used to be depicted with more features, impressively drawn muscles and a dour expression on his face. The wildman wielding

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