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120-564: The river passes through Vindelfjällen Nature Reserve and Lake Storuman and drains into the Gulf of Bothnia on Sweden's east coast at the small town of Holmsund , and adjacent to the city of Umeå . Its chief tributary is the Vindel River , which is the biggest tributary river in Sweden. The Ume and Vindel rivers meet at the village of Vännas . At the mouth of the river, where it meets

240-559: A vulnerable species in Sweden), which is significant in view of the extent of the territories of these animals. The brown bear ( Ursus arctos , vulnerable species in Sweden) was once abundant in the Vindel River Valley, and although they are still present in the reserve, their numbers have decreased significantly. The Eurasian wolf ( Canis lupus lupus , critically endangered in Sweden) seems to have completely disappeared from

360-456: A church, Viktoriakyrkan, built in 1938 when there was no road leading to it: wood construction was cut on site. A road was built in the mid-1970s to join the church. Several small properties are located in the vicinity of the church, with small areas of cultivated land. These areas are now abandoned or used seasonally for hunting or fishing. Many paths now used as hiking trails were originally communication paths for mountain dwellers. For example,

480-544: A decade. These sawmills were usually located near ports, and the earlier saw mills situated near water power were closed. The water-powered saw mill on the Ume River was one of the last to close in 1884, when a steam-powered mill was erected in Holmsund at the mouth of the river. A hydroelectric power plant was built to replace a steam power plant providing electricity to the city of Umeå in 1899, Klabböle Kraftverk , on

600-462: A depth of one or two meters, often spaced apart twenty or thirty meters from each other. They were covered with grass or leaves, and there were probably spikes at the bottom to kill the animal during its fall. Several complexes of this type traps are present in the reserve. Traps were most often made at the limit of birch forests, however a rare higher altitude trap has been found at Vindelkroken. Some traps were still used up 700–800 years ago, after which

720-519: A large number of places the Sami consider sacred, also called Sieidi . These sacred places can be spotted in Sami place names. The words Ailes , Pass , page , Saivo, or Akka , which appear in several place names are sacred words. For example, a wooden idol, now on display at the Nordic Museum, was found in a rock hole near Lake Överst-Juktan, near a river named Ailesjokk . The hole in question

840-490: A more continental climate. Average January temperature is about −7 °C (19 °F), July is 16 °C (61 °F). Considering its proximity to a major water body and its latitude, summers are warmer than would be expected. The record high of 32.2 °C (90.0 °F) was recorded on 23 July 2014, during a very warm summer in Sweden . The record low of −38.2 °C (−36.8 °F) was recorded on 15 February 1978. The population of Umeå has grown consistently since

960-570: A partnership between Johan Unander, Eric Nyberg and Johan Vikner, who obtained permission to build there. Development of the industry around Baggböle continued with the arrival of Scottish-Swedish brothers James and Robert Dickson in the 1830s, as a timber market emerged in Great Britain. The Dicksons had built a timber business in the Värmland province but in the 1820s they constructed two large water-powered sawmills. The sawmill at Baggböle

1080-468: A row (as of 2013 ). Other sports clubs include IFK Umeå , BK Ume-Trixa , Mariehem SK , Umeå FC , and Umedalens IF . In 2018 and 2020, Umeå was named Sweden's best sports city by SVT Sport. In 2011, a baseball and softball team, Umeå Baseboll & Softbol|klubb, was founded. The team has 2 former national team players as coaches and currently plays in Norra Regionserien. Umea is also

1200-656: A significant amount of rainfall. But the Norra Storfjället and mountains in its continuity to the north together with the Ammarfjället mountain range protect the eastern part of the reserve from the prevailing winds from west/southwest. This blocks the oceanic influence and creates a more continental climate. Thus, the Ammarnäs region, located in the rain shadow , receives less than 600 mm of precipitation per year, whereas Hemavan, not far away but located on

1320-500: A stone knife were discovered near Forsavan, south the Tärnasjön. Traces of stone age dwellings can be seen near lakes Biellojaure, Överuman and Stor-Laisan. All these traces and artifacts date back to at least 4,000 to 5,000 years ago. Reindeer pitfall systems have also been discovered in the mountains, in areas where reindeer used to roam during their annual migrations. This was most often set up as holes of about two by three meters, to

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1440-430: A vast network of wetlands. Finally, going east, in the sections added during the extension of the reserve in 1988, the altitude gradually decreases to reach the plain. The climate of the reserve has important contrasts. The western part is strongly influenced by humid air from the nearby Atlantic Ocean . It brings more mild temperatures in winter, while maintaining freshness in summer. The nearby Atlantic also provides

1560-567: Is Umeå IK . The men's hockey team IF Björklöven was very successful in the 1980s but has been less successful in recent years. Björklöven are currently playing in the Swedish second-tier league HockeyAllsvenskan while Umeå IK plays in the top Swedish women's football league Damallsvenskan . IBK Dalen and IKSU are among the major floorball teams in Sweden; both teams has been in the Swedish Championships finals two years in

1680-577: Is a city in northeast Sweden . It is the seat of Umeå Municipality and the capital of Västerbotten County . Situated on the Ume River , Umeå is the largest locality in Norrland and the thirteenth largest in Sweden, with a wider municipal population of 132,235 inhabitants in the beginning of 2023. When Umeå University was established in 1965, growth accelerated, and the amount of housing has doubled in 30 years from 1980 to 2010. As of 2018 , Umeå

1800-579: Is a nesting site for many species of birds, due to its wide variety of habitats, but especially its many wetlands, including in particular those around Lake Tärnasjön and in the Marsivagge Valley. The Marsivagge Valley alone is considered a nesting site for about 120 different species. In these wetlands include several species of Anseriformes , such as the common scoter ( Melanitta nigra ), the Long-tailed Ducks ( Clangula hyemalis ),

1920-542: Is also the origin of the mountains of Scotland, Ireland, Greenland and Svalbard. The Caledonian orogeny is the era associated with the collision of Laurentia and Baltica plates peak between 420 and 400 MYA, with the disappearance of the Iapetus Ocean by subduction . During this event, crust fragments overlap, forming thrust sheets. Among these layers, one in particular, the Seve-Köli layer, consists largely of

2040-669: Is believed to be derived from the Old Norse word Úma which means roaring . The name of the town would therefore mean " The Roaring River ". The coast came to be permanently settled by Germanic peoples moving upwards on the Bothnian Bay by boat, hence the Germanic names of towns and villages on the Westrobothnian coast. Southern Westrobothnia (Umeå and Skellefteå) has been a permanent Germanic settlement since at least

2160-402: Is categorized into lower, middle and upper alpine levels. The lower alpine level is also called the willow level because of the presence of several species of willows, such as the downy willow ( Salix lapponum ) and gray willow ( Salix glauca ). These will often intermingle with dwarf birches ( Betula nana ), sometimes forming dense bushes These shrubs are usually located in the lower parts of

2280-493: Is expanding rapidly and competing with the arctic fox ( Vulpes lagopus ) even in the tundra. Several species of mammals are more characteristics of alpine tundra, such as reindeer ( Rangifer tarandus ). As in the rest of the country, reindeer are all domesticated and belong to Sami villages, but live in a state of semi-freedom. In total there were over 20,000 reindeer in the Vindelfjällen mountain range. Another feature of

2400-635: Is found outside of the glacial formations, and represents a karst topography. Besides the underground sinkholes and streams, the most remarkable feature of these karst formations are the caves, which are among the largest in Sweden. The Vindelfjällen nature reserve includes almost all natural environments of the Scandinavian Mountains. It is, according to the WWF classification, straddling terrestrial ecoregions of Scandinavian Birch Forest , Scandinavian plains , and Russian Taiga . In total,

2520-453: Is given a copy of every new book printed in Sweden. The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences or Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet is a university in Sweden. Although its head office is located in Uppsala ( Ultuna ), the university has several campuses in different parts of Sweden, including Umeå. Unlike other government-run universities in Sweden, it is funded through the budget for

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2640-514: Is less well understood, perhaps related to the decrease in vegetation caused by their excessive consumption or the spread of epidemics among the population. Regardless, this phenomenon is extremely important for the entire ecosystem of the mountain. This is particularly the case for the most symbolic animal of the Reserve; the arctic fox. These foxes breed almost exclusively in years of lemming population explosion. There are only about 200 arctic fox in

2760-816: Is located along the Blue Highway , which is an international tourist route from Mo i Rana , Norway to Pudozh , Russia via Finland . The Opera of northern Sweden, the Norrland Opera , is based in the city, as is the English-language non-profit Umeå Theatre Company and the Museum of Contemporary Art and Visual Culture . The annual Umeå Jazz Festival is one of the larger Scandinavian festivals for modern jazz. Well-known metal bands from Umeå include Cult of Luna , Gotham City, Hollow , Meshuggah , Mexicoma , Nocturnal Rites and Persuader . During

2880-456: Is located in the municipalities of Sorsele and Storuman in the northwest of Västerbotten County and in the south of the historic province of Lapland , Sweden. It forms approximately a rectangle extended in a predominantly east-west axis. The western boundary is the Norwegian border , while its northern border is the border with Norrbotten County, located approximately along the crest of

3000-425: Is located north of the lake. It covers no less than 20 km and includes the remains of the southernmost palsas of Sweden. Another wetland of importance, though less extensive, is Marsivagge in Ammarfjället mountain range. Finally, many wetlands are scattered in areas of lower elevations in the east. Finally, water is found in the form of glaciers in areas where the altitude exceeds 1,600 m, or in other words, in

3120-480: Is overwhelmingly aapa bogs , also called corded bogs, because of the form taken by these marshes. The main plants growing there are Sphagnum , sedges and willows , however there are also some peat dwarf birches, hare's-tail cottongrass ( Eriophorum vaginatum ), heather shrubs ( Calluna vulgaris ), bog blueberries ( Vaccinium uliginosum ) and cloudberries ( Rubus chamaemorus ) The alpine mainly consists mainly of moorlands and alpine meadows . For convenience, it

3240-668: Is reasonable given that the Vindel River has its source in these mountains. As in other areas of the Lapland mountains, the reserve has a number of Sami names. However, unlike the mountains further North, here they live among places with numerous Swedish names. For example, the words fjäll ('mountain'), sjö/vatten ('lake'), å/älv ('river'), etc. are frequently seen. This is a result of early Swedish settlers translating Sami names into Swedish as well as these settlers naming previously unnamed geographic features. The reserve

3360-401: Is the highest point of the reserve as well as Västerbotten County. Other notable peaks of the mountain range are Måskostjakke (1,690 m) and Södra Sytertoppen (1685 m). The mountain range is cut down the middle by the narrow, deep valley of Syterskalet/Viterskalet, which is one of the icons of the reserve and is sometimes compared to the famous Lapporten by its symmetrical profile. The rest of

3480-487: Is the influence of the Icelandic plume could have raised the crust. Another hypothesis suggests that isostasy related to glaciations may have occurred. Whatever the cause, the uprising allowed the ancient channel to rise to more than 2000m at times. While the Scandinavian Mountains gradually increase altitude, erosion can negate this slow growth. While this includes river erosion , the glacial erosion, especially during

3600-504: Is the moose ( Alces alces ), present in significant number in the coniferous and birch forests in the major valleys. Tärnaån River was one of the first sites where the Eurasian beaver ( Castor fiber ) was reintroduced in Sweden in 1924, after the total disappearance of the species in 1871. The major Swedish predators threatened in Sweden, are also well established in Vindelfjällen. In 2004 at least three families of Eurasian lynx ( Lynx lynx ,

3720-498: The First World War . The first proposal of a protection of the area occurred in 1930 when Kirjesålandet was proposed to become a national park, but did not occur. In the 1950s, hydroelectricity developments were building their reservoirs in the country (see also: energy in Sweden ), but already concerns were being raised against the environmental impact of these power plants. In particular, there were heated discussions about

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3840-615: The Gulf of Bothnia , lies Obbolaön (Obbola Island). The island divides the river into two streams just as it runs out into the sea. People have lived in the Ume river valley for at least five thousand years. At Norrforsen , the site of large rapids along the river, there are petroglyphs from about 3,000 BCE. The rock carvings are from hunter-gatherer culture, and depict mainly elk (forty figures), some boats (ten figures) and one human being, along with some unidentified fragment carvings. Along with hunting, fishing has been an important activity for

3960-737: The Ministry of Enterprise and Innovation . The university hospital serves the entire region of northern Sweden. Key research fields of the University are life sciences (especially medical and cell and the molecular biology of plants), human-technology interaction, social welfare, ecology and gender perspectives. The Umeå University works collaboratively with companies such as ABB , Volvo , Skanska , Ericsson , and Öhrlings PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) in Umeå, with Umeå Plant Science Centre ,

4080-559: The Nordic Resistance Movement . The road infrastructure includes two European highways ( E4 and E12 ) which pass the city. The local bus system is centred at Vasaplan in the city centre, and has multiple routes travelling throughout the city. About 4 kilometres (2 miles) from the city centre is Umeå Airport . It is the 7th largest airport in Sweden by number of passengers, with 844,932 passengers in 2010. The Bothnia Line ( Botniabanan ) connects to Umeå from

4200-522: The Pite River : four great rivers of northern Sweden whose watershed is fully protected against the construction of dams and whose flow is currently unregulated. The Vindel River forms a large number of rapids upstream from Ammarnäs. There are several other major rivers in the reserve. The Tjulån River originates at the Tjulträsk lakes and joins the Vindel River in Ammarnäs. The Juktån River passes

4320-519: The Saltfjellet–Svartisen National Park (Norway) are also nearby. The Vindelfjällen reserve includes most types of Swedish landscapes; mountains, high plains to alpine peaks, passing through plateaus or rounded profile mountain ranges. At the heart of the alpine region of the reserve is the Norra Storfjället mountain range. This mountain range includes the highest peaks, including Norra Sytertoppen, which from its height of 1,768 m

4440-462: The Vindel River , the salmon could go considerably further, at least to Vindelgransele, but sometimes all the way up to Stensundsforsen at Sorsele. With the construction of the power station in Stornorrfors, the salmon migration into the Vindel River would have been closed if it weren't for the salmon ladder constructed there. With it, the salmon can still make it to spawning grounds , mainly in

4560-654: The arctic fox , a critically endangered species in Scandinavia and one of the symbols of the reserve. The region has been populated since the end of the last ice age or about 9000 years. Originally, it was likely the ancestors of today's Sami , a nomadic people of Northern Europe. They initially lived by gathering and hunting, especially deer, but gradually developed a culture based on breeding and ranching, showing evidence of transhumance movements. This lifestyle left few traces, but some traps, old foundations, tombs and various artifacts have been found scattered throughout

4680-496: The 14th century, but probably since the Viking ages or earlier. Umeå in its first form was a parish with a wooden church and trade post located in the section of town now known as Backen (or Kyrkbacken). Its location near the coast and on a river was probably one of the reasons that people chose to settle there. For the next couple of centuries, Umeå was a place consisting of scattered parishes, where merchandise originating with

4800-555: The 1960s, when the university was built. In part because of the university, the town has attracted many residents from outside of Sweden, as well as students from other regions of Sweden. As of 2015, 10.4% of the population in the municipality of Umeå were foreign-born. The largest national origin group is from Finland , followed by Iraq , Iran and Somalia . In April 2017 the Jewish association in Umeå closed after receiving multiple threats from neo-Nazis , allegedly associated with

4920-414: The 1990s, the influence of Umeå hardcore punk bands such as Final Exit , Step Forward , Refused , Abhinanda , Shield and Doughnuts and the local labels Desperate Fight Records and Busted Heads Records led to the growth of Umeå's hardcore scene. Independent record label Ny Våg is headquartered in Umeå, and have released records of Umeå artists such as AC4 , Masshysteri and Invasionen . In 2009

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5040-962: The 3 main branches of SLU , host around 40,000 enrolled students, which corresponds to around 30% of the total population. CRISPR gene editing was developed by researchers, headed by Emmanuelle Charpentier at Umeå University, being awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry . Umeå was the European Capital of Culture during 2014, along with Riga in Latvia . Umeå is certified by the EarthCheck Sustainable Destinations program. Consulates from ten countries can be found in Umeå (2021): Denmark (from 1848), Finland (from 1921), France (from 1989), Iceland (from 2002), Italy (from 2012), Latvia (1939–1940; again from 2014), Lithuania (from 2012), Norway (from 1963), and

5160-408: The 3,000 inhabitants became homeless. In the restoration following the fire, almost 3,000 silver birch trees were planted along wide avenues to prevent future fires from spreading. For this reason Umeå is sometimes known as "Björkarnas Stad", the "City of Birches". The name of the Umeå ice-hockey team, Björklöven , means "The Birch Leaves". Umeå is situated on the inlet of the Gulf of Bothnia at

5280-458: The Ammarnäs delta at its migration. There are also many species of shorebirds, such as the wood sandpiper ( Tringa glareola ), the common redshank ( Tringa totanus ), the dunlin ( Calidris alpina ), purple sandpiper ( Calidris maritima ), the common sandpiper ( Actitis hypoleucos ), the common snipe ( Gallinago gallinago ), the ruff ( Philomachus pugnax ) and the Whimbrel ( Numenius phaeopus ). On

5400-576: The Björkfjället mountain range. This rectangle is fragmented by two roads that are excluded from the reserve. To the west, the European route E12 , of which this section is called Blå vägen ('the blue route'), cuts the reserve into two parts, isolating the Artfjället mountain range from the rest of the reserve. To the east, Länsväg (equivalent of "county road") 363 penetrates deep into

5520-556: The Lapland Plains. This landscape diversity also includes biodiversity. The reserve covers the primary forests of the Nordic taiga in the eastern plains to alpine tundra and birch forests in the west. In addition, it houses a large number of wetlands , which are home to an abundance of bird species, especially at Marsivagge and around the lake Tärnasjön, the latter recognized as a Ramsar site . The mountains are also home to

5640-463: The Norra Storfjället mountain range and more locally in Ammarfjället. Glacier names include Murtserglaciären, Måskonåiveglaciären, Norra Syterglaciären, Tärnaglaciären, Östra and Västra Skrapetjakkeglaciären, and Östra Syterglaciären, all of which have been studied since the late nineteenth century. Vindelfjällen is part of the Scandinavian Mountains, reminiscent of the Caledonian belt. The latter

5760-593: The Republic of Seychelles (from 2001). Umeå has been the home of Rally Sweden since 2022. People have lived in the Umeå ;river valley for at least three thousand years. The oldest rock carvings near Umeå, ten kilometers west of the city at Norrforsen , are from about 3,000 BCE. In some places, there are remains of settlements and cultivation from the Bronze Age to the 11th century. During that period

5880-475: The Reserve of Vindel-Laisfjällen (after the Vindel River and the Laisälven , its main tributary) would extend over 7,400 km of which 4,800 km in the county of Västerbotten and the remainder in the county of Norrbotten. In 1973, a working group composed of representatives of the counties and Naturvårdsverket was formed, but Norrbotten County did not join. Eventually, only the portion included in

6000-422: The Sami people changed their lifestyle and began to follow domesticated reindeer transhumance rather than trapping wild reindeer. Ten ancient Sami graves have been discovered in the reserve. They were often placed higher up, in order to have a view of the surrounding landscape. Two tombs are located well north of Lake Tärnasjön on a small hill overlooking the bogs. South of Lake Tärnasjön, there are also graves on

6120-400: The Sami people was traded, and was the last inhabited place before the northern wilderness took over. However, no real city was built at the location selected by the king, and it lost its town privileges in the 1590s. In 1622, a city was again founded by Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden . In 1638, it had about 40 houses. It suffered from Russian attacks in 1714 and in 1720 when it was burnt to

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6240-513: The Sami, and hunting and fishing are still practiced. Finally, the mountains are widely used for scientific research, which is facilitated by the presence of an on-site research station . The word Vindel derives from the word vindill , which is similar to vända , the Swedish verb meaning to turn or change direction, probably in reference to the meandering nature of the Vindel river. In Swedish Vindelfjällen means 'the Vindel mountains', which

6360-408: The Scandinavian Mountains, and is therefore classified as critically endangered in Sweden. Vindelfjällen is one of the most important areas of all the mountains for this species, and it is actively protected. The Björkfjället mountain range is one of the best areas of Vindelfjällen for these small canines, but they are present in the Artfjället mountain range as well. The Vindelfjällen nature reserve

6480-534: The Scandinavian tundra lemming species is the Norway lemming ( Lemmus lemmus ). Its fame rests notably on its periodic population explosions . Indeed, every four years on average, the number of these rodents increases dramatically and will invade large areas before quickly dying off. Favorable weather conditions and good access to food are the most likely reasons for the sharp population increases. Their mass death

6600-679: The Vindelälven valley to Ammarnäs and thus creates a notch in the reserve. In total, the reserve has an area of 562,772 hectares (over 5,600 km ), making it the largest nature reserve in Sweden and one of the largest protected areas in Europe. The reserve Vindelfjällen is bordered to the northeast by the Laisdalen Nature Reserve (Laisdalen fjällurskog) in the County of Norrbotten . The Pieljekaise National Park (Sweden) and

6720-652: The area ranging from the Artfjället mountain ranges to Lake Övre Ältsvattnet, which consists of the Rödingsfjäll layer, rich in limestone . In Ammarnäs and other places, a middle layer dominated by phyllite , can be seen, like a window through the Seve-Koli layer. The mountainous chain has been continuously eroded to form a peneplain . However, from about 60 Ma ( Cenozoic ), Scandinavian peneplane has undergone extensive tectonic uplift . Causes for this are not clear and several hypotheses have been proposed. One theory

6840-500: The border of the reserve and the county. All in all, it has an average altitude of 800–900 m with the highest peak within the reserve being Vuorektjåkkå (1,245 m). Intersecting the various mountain ranges are several valleys and lowlands. One of the main valleys of the reserve is the Vindelälven River Valley, although the entire section south of Ammarnäs is largely excluded from the reserve. The northern section of

6960-413: The changes is the abandonment of several kata used in the past during the transhumance between sites of overwintered and summer pastures sites. These rudimentary abandoned buildings were gradually taken over by nature and have become difficult to notice, however some have been restored to witness the traditional Sami life. Since the early eighteenth century, Swedes began to arrive in the area and settle in

7080-423: The climate was mild, and barley and wheat were grown in the area, while moose and beaver were hunted further inland. The first written mention of Umeå is from the 14th century. The northern parts of Sweden, including the counties of Västerbotten and Norrbotten , were mostly settled by nomadic Sami people before this time but not necessarily forming any permanent settlement in the city's exact location. The name

7200-592: The common goldeneye ( Bucephala clangula ), the tufted duck ( Aythya fuligula ), the Greater Scaup ( Aythya marila ), mallards ( Anas platyrhynchos ), the Eurasian wigeon ( Anas penelope ), the red-breasted merganser ( Mergus serrator ), red-necked phalaropes ( Phalaropus lobatus ), and the common goosander ( Mergus merganser ). The lesser white-fronted goose ( Anser erythropus ), an endangered species, formerly nested around Lake Tärnasjön but have not been seen there for several years; although it still regularly uses

7320-709: The county of Västerbotten was protected under the name Vindelfjällen on February 25, 1974 and was confirmed by the government in July 1975. The reserve protection plan was finally published in 1978. The famous hiking trail Kungsleden then stretched between Hemavan and Ammarnäs in connection with the creation of the reserve. Ume%C3%A5 Umeå ( UK : / ˈ uː m ə ɔː / OO -mə-aw , US : / ˈ uː m eɪ oʊ / OO -may-oh , Swedish: [ˈʉ̌ːmɛɔ] , locally [ˈʉ̌ːmɛ] ; Finnish : Uumaja ; Ume Sami : Ubmeje ; Southern Sami : Upmeje ; Northern Sami : Ubmi )

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7440-473: The developments on the Ume River and Vindel River. This eventually led in 1961 to an agreement called the Peace of Sarek ( Swedish : Freden i Sarek ), which prevented development on some rivers of the Vindel River and in exchange gave freedom to develop the other rivers, including the Ume River. The Ume River has since been extensively cultivated for hydroelectric power. There are now thirteen power stations on

7560-462: The developments on the Ume River and Vindel River. This led in 1961 an agreement called the "peace of Sarek" ( Sarek freden i ) that prevented development on some rivers of the Vindelälven and in exchange gave freedom to develop the other rivers, including the Ume River. The idea also grew to protect any section of the mountainous Vindelälven watershed Under this project, the reserve, called

7680-526: The end of the last ice age , about 9000 years ago. This may have been the ancestors of the Sami , a nomadic people living in the Northern Scandinavia. They initially lived by hunting and gathering , the reindeer possibly being their main resource. Sharpening stones, ceramics and clubs have been found at the village of Ammarnäs, quartz shards, arrowheads were found near Tjulträsk and fragments of

7800-501: The end of the last ice age, the large ice sheet to the east often survived longer than that of the mountain valleys. As a result, several lakes were formed as the water was trapped between the mountains to the west and glaciers to the east. Lakes such as Marsivagge Lake at Tjulträsk and Tärnasjön Lake have left alluvial terraces. For example, an alluvial terrace can be seen northwest of Tärnasjön at an altitude of about 700 m. The retreat of glaciers also spread moraines of different types in

7920-422: The forests are home to a number of relatively rare or endangered species of lichens and lignicolous fungi . Birch forests are a characteristic feature of the subalpine Scandinavian Mountains. These are a subspecies of downy birch ( Betula pubescens ) often called crooked birch ( Betula pubescens subsp. Tortuosa) because of its shape. These forests start at the limit of conifers (between 500 and 600 m) and form

8040-500: The globeflower ( Trollius europaeus ) In the medium alpine level, often defined as the region above the limit of blueberries, the number of species is greatly reduced and the ground is increasingly frayed. Only the most resilient plants thrive; such as dwarf azaleas, crowberry, the blue heath ( Phyllodoce caerulea ), the moss bell heather ( Harrimanella hypnoides ), the pincushion plant ( Diapensia lapponica ) and glacier buttercup ( Ranunculus glacialis ). The plants that can survive in

8160-471: The great glaciations of the Quaternary (from 1.5 Ma) has had the most influence on the current geomorphology of the chain and the reserve. Glaciers grew and invaded the valleys, and then gradually unified to form a continuous ice sheet that completely covered the area. The nature of the rocks had a considerable influence on amount of glacial erosion. Most of soft rocks of Koli layer were quickly eroded while

8280-549: The great lake Överst Juktan and continues outside the reserve to Ume River for a total length of 170 km. Finally the Tärnaån River originates at Lake Tärnasjön before joining into the Ume River just outside the reserve. The Ume River itself is located outside the reserve, between the Artfjället mountain ranges and the rest of the reserve and unlike the rivers within the reserve, its waters have been regulated and used for hydroelectric power. The reserve has several lakes,

8400-592: The ground during the Russian Pillage of 1719–21 . At the close of the Finnish War in 1809 the Russian army under Barclay de Tolly took Umeå and held it from June to August. In 1874 the town improved the plans for its structure after it became a government requirement. Umeå had already started making these changes when on 25 June 1888, a fire devastated the eastern parts of Umeå and at least 2,300 of

8520-484: The host city of the FIA World Rally Championship's Rally Sweden. In 2021 it was announced that Rally Sweden would relocate to the northern Swedish city of Umeå after being held in the province of Värmland since its foundation. The primary reason for its relocation was that Umeå is considered a more snow safe region Umeå University has about 37,000 students and 4,200 staff. The establishment of

8640-496: The inhabitants of the Ume river valley since pre-historic times. A number of fish species, notably salmon, live in the Ume river and its tributaries. Ume River and its main tributary, the Vindel River , are crucial habitat for the salmon population of the Baltic Sea . Early settlements were built along the river in the 1200–1300s, to be near the source of salmon. During the early 1700s, local people began to build salmon traps in

8760-482: The installation of the Swedes, to serve as a place of worship for the recently evangelized Sami. For example, the chapel of Jillesnåle, near the reserve, on the banks of Storvindeln, was originally built in 1750, and the chapel of Vila was built in 1723 near Lake Överuman but was abandoned after the change of Norwegian border in 1751 and caught fire four years later. Within the reserve, south of Lake Överst-Juktan, also lies

8880-463: The islands, dating from the eighteenth and nineteenth century, probably placed there to protect them from predators. Among the remains, there are also broader foundations than traditional Sami dwellings, the Sámi legends associate these with a Stallo , an evil giant. Recent studies show that this is actually the oldest known Sami settlement. In the reserve, these large foundations are often located near

9000-412: The landscape. Although partly translated into Swedish, geographic names in the region offer some information on the life and culture of the Sami. The Swedes started to colonize the area in the eighteenth century, encouraged by incentives from the state. The population in the current reserve boundaries, however, remained minimal. In the middle of the twentieth century, the hydroelectric industry expanded to

9120-406: The landscape. Besides the terminal moraines , there is also an excellent example of Rogen moraine responsible for the archipelago south of Lake Tärnasjön. A well formed moraine over 3 km long can be seen on the west side of the valley Marsivagge; its origin is still not well understood. A few eskers can also be found in some areas of the reserve. The area of Artfjället – Övre Ältsvattnet

9240-441: The largest of which often have an elongated shape, following the topography of the valleys. The two largest lakes are Överst-Juktan and Tärnasjön, both measuring about 20 km long. The Tärnasjön is particularly notable for the large number of small islands in the southern third of the lake, forming a mosaic of water and forest, which extends south of the lake to one of the largest wetlands reserves. Another vast wetland, Laivamyren,

9360-406: The largest protected areas in Europe, totaling 562,772 ha (approx. 5,628 km ). Most of the reserve is made up of several Scandinavian Mountains , the main ones being Artfjället, Norra Storfjället, Ammarfjället and Björkfjället. Most of the landscapes of the Swedish mountains are represented. This ranges from the pronounced alpine character of Norra Storfjället , which includes the highlight of

9480-506: The layers tend to rise from west to east, which implies that the west-facing slopes are gentle in general, while the eastern slopes are often steep. The most visible signs of the glacial morphology are glacial valleys and U-valleys, such as Syterskalet, the top of the Vindelälven Valley, Skebleskalet, etc. There are also some forty small glacial craters or niches, most facing east, on the leeward side. When glaciers retreated at

9600-565: The lower alpine, and act as a transition between the birch forests and higher altitude grassy moorlands. The European goldenrod ( Solidago virgaurea ) and blueberries are also found at this level. The birch forests are more sensitive and are strongly influenced by the local climate at this level. On dry land, crowberry ( Empetrum nigrum ) is a dominant species. In areas exposed to wind, only the dwarf azaleas ( Kalmia procumbens ) and alpine bearberry ( Arctostaphylos alpina ) develop. Conversely, in calcareous soils, moorlands and meadows shrubs such as

9720-458: The middle of the valleys and snow cover usually persists until early June. The Vindelfjällen mountains have a rich river system flowing through it. The reserve covers a large part of the mountainous section of the Ume River watershed and protects the Vindel River, the main tributary of the watershed. The Vindel River is one of four "national rivers" with the Torne River , Kalix River and

9840-613: The moors near wetlands, there is also the Eurasian dotterel ( Charadrius morinellus ) and the European golden plover ( Pluvialis apricaria ). The black-throated loon ( Gavia arctica ) and the osprey ( Pandion haliaetus ) usually nest near the lakes. The wetlands are not the only places where there are birds in the reserve. Regular inventories conducted in Tjulträsk Valley show that between 400 and 500 pairs of birds nest in one square kilometer of birch forests, half of which are

9960-583: The most common. Their undergrowth woods are dominated by mosses and blueberries ( Vaccinium myrtillus ) and low grasses. On the other hand, the prairie forests occur in areas where limestone is more common, such as the Artfjället mountain range or in sunny areas and with good access to water, such as on the north shore of Lake Stor-Tjulträsket, on the areas of the Vindel River valley facing south or near Aivak north of Lake Överst-Jukan. The undergrowth there are far richer, with diversity of grass species. The reserve has many wetlands usually in subalpine regions. This

10080-400: The mountain avens ( Dryas octopetala ) are more abundant. This is particularly the case on the Artfjället mountain range, which is renowned for its rich flora. In fact the name Artfjället may be translated as 'mountain of many species'. The meadows also display a multitude of colorful flora, including the wolf's-bane ( Aconitum lycoctonum ), the alpine sow-thistle ( Cicerbita alpina ), and

10200-402: The mountains are an important hunting ground for the golden eagle ( Aquila chrysaetos ), rough-legged buzzard ( Buteo lagopus ), the common Raven ( Corvus corax ), the snowy owl ( Bubo scandiacus ) long-tailed jaeger ( Stercorarius longicaudus ), the gyrfalcon ( Falco rusticolus ) and the peregrine falcon ( Falco peregrinus ). The first humans arrived in the mountains after the ice retreated at

10320-540: The mouth of the Ume River , in the south of Västerbotten. Umeå is about 600 km (373 mi) north of Stockholm and about 400 km (249 mi) south of the Arctic Circle. It is the largest city north of the Stockholm - Uppsala region, and is sometimes referred to as the regional centre of northern Sweden . The nearby community of Holmsund serves as its port. From here a ferry line connects it with

10440-577: The nature reserve into a national park to improve the protection of the area. In addition to the inhabitants, the reserve sees considerable activity from tourists both in winter and summer. Hiking is one of the main activities, especially along the well known Kungsleden trail, which crosses the reserve along its length. The summer roads are also often used for cross-country ski trails or snowmobile trails in winter. Finally many ecotourism activities are offered by various tourism businesses. Besides tourism, traditional activities such as reindeer herding, by

10560-473: The neighbouring city of Vaasa (Swedish: Vasa ) in Finland . The near connections to Finland affects the population of the city – several Sweden Finns live in Umeå. Umeå has a subarctic climate ( Dfc ), bordering on a humid continental climate ( Dfb ) with short and fairly warm summers. Winters are lengthy and freezing but usually milder than in areas at the same latitude with

10680-417: The north of the country and tried to exploit the Vindel River for electric power , but environmental protests managed to protect the river and its watershed. In 1974, the reserve was established, protecting the unspoiled nature of the mountains of Vindel River watershed. In 1988, the reserve was extended to protect the primary forests of the foothills. Recently there has been discussions regarding transforming

10800-507: The oceanic crust. These layers can be found embedded within the mountain range ( ophiolite ). They consist of different rocks: the Seve layer is primarily composed of hard rock such as amphibolite and gabbros or very hard varieties of mica , while the Köli layer principally comprises soft rocks such as shale . This sheet of Seve-Köli dominates the geology of the reserve, the main exception being

10920-549: The priest who officiated at the Jillesnåle chapel also had to travel to Tärnaby chapel, 70 km away, and officiate there. Due to the lack of road, a path was created between the two churches. This path through the south of the reserve still exists today. Another example is a path that starts at Ammarnäs and follows the Vindel River valley then joins Vindelkroken and then crosses the Norwegian border to Mo i Rana . This path

11040-430: The region. Finally, the wolverine ( Gulo gulo , classified as endangered in Sweden) is well established in the reserve. Although it is typically a forest animal, it is no longer present in the forests of Sweden except for near the mountains and Vindelfjällen is no exception. This is likely due to large population around Ammarfjället. Other predators include the red fox ( Vulpes vulpes ), which, as in most Swedish mountains,

11160-407: The reserve and are especially valuable due to the nature of being primary forests, in other words, they have never been harvested. These primary forests are also important for numerous species, many of which are threatened by the intensive deforestation of the taiga. From the foot of the Swedish mountains and along the entire length of the chain, these forests create a valuable continuity, essential for

11280-418: The reserve consists of rolling hills and numerous emerging mountain ranges. At the western end of the reserve is that of Artfjället, culminating at 1,471 m. Artfjället consists of several sharp mountain ridges, as well as some rounded peaks. Centrally in the reserve is the Ammarfjället mountain range, with a peak plateau reaching its maximum at Rerrogaise (1,611 m). northeast, the Björkfjället mountain range forms

11400-411: The reserve has about 500 km of primary coniferous forests, over 1600 km of birch forests (the largest protected birch forest in Sweden), nearly 1600 km of alpine moorland and nearly 300 km peatland Among the several habitats are permanent glaciers , alpine rivers, palsa mires , alpine and boreal heaths and grasslands , mountain hay meadows , and natural rivers Many of

11520-529: The reserve, however, spruce typically dominates, and pine is found in only localized areas. Taiga grows primarily at altitudes below 600 m, but some isolated spruce are found among the birches further upstream forests in the valleys. The reserve did not initially include the taiga zone of the Juktån Valley, but the extension in 1988 brought in three new taiga areas: Giertsbäcksdalen, Matsorkliden and Kirjesålandet. These rich forests needed protection within

11640-489: The reserve, the Norra Sytertoppen (1,768 m), to the plateau and plains near the base of the mountains. The differences in elevation highlight the diversity of rocks in the mountains. Among the mountains are the valleys and waterways of the Ume River drainage basin . This includes a portion of the Vindel River , after which the reserve is named. Towards the east, the elevation decreases and the mountains give way to

11760-419: The river rapids, but spring floods were a danger to the fishing huts and boats. Fishing continued to be an important industry through the 19th century. Salmon populations continue to be important both ecologically and as a source of economic activity. In the main channel of the Ume River before the hydropower era, salmon could migrate up to Fällforsen, a little over a mile upstream of the town of Vännäs . In

11880-607: The river, all but two having been established in the late 1950s to late 1960s. The power station at Stornorrfors generates more electricity annually than any other hydroelectric power plant in Sweden, incorporating five turbines. It is second largest in terms of power output after the Hårsprånget power station on the Lule River , further north. In Schiedam in the Netherlands , Swedish-like houses are built and one of

12000-405: The rocks of the Seve layer were more resistant to erosion. Thus, the peaks of Stor-Aigert, as well as the Ammarfjället, Rerrogaise, Sulåive and Stubebakte mountain ranges currently consist of amphibolites and have steep reliefs. Similarly, the highest points of the Artfjället and Norra Storfjället mountain ranges consist largely of gabbros. The general direction of water flow also affects the relief:

12120-425: The south bank of the river. The plant delivered electricity to Umeå for the first time on December 6, 1899, but problems arose due to its location along the river, where supercooling produces ice slush. The plant nevertheless supplied electricity until 1958, when it was replaced by the newly constructed state-owned power plant at Norrforsen . An expansion site, constructed on the former Baggböle sawmill site in 1914,

12240-634: The south, it runs along the High Coast via Örnsköldsvik to Umeå. This railway was opened on 28 August 2010. The new railway line is 190 km (118 mi) long, containing 140 bridges and 25 kilometres (16 miles) of tunnels. It provides Umeå with a fast train connection to Stockholm ( 6 + 1 ⁄ 2 hours). A new railway station, Umeå East Station , was built in connection to Norrland's University Hospital and Umeå University . The Wasaline ferry takes four hours to arrive in Vaasa , Finland. Umeå

12360-770: The species living in the reserve are included in the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive of the European Union and / or are considered threatened at the national or international level, which justifies the classification of the reserve in the Natura 2000 network as important bird area. In addition, Lake Tärnasjön is classified as a Ramsar site (an area of 11 800 ha). The Scandinavian taiga coniferous forest consists mainly of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and Norway spruce (Picea abies). Within

12480-597: The streets, the Umefors , is named after this river. Some of the other large rivers in northern Sweden: Vindelfj%C3%A4llen Nature Reserve The Vindelfjällen Nature Reserve ( Swedish : Vindelfjällens naturreservat ) is a nature reserve located in the municipalities of Sorsele and Storuman in Västerbotten County of Swedish Lapland . It is the largest natural reserve in Sweden and one of

12600-399: The survival of several species here. Finally, while the remaining primary forests are often on nutrient-poor substrate, certain areas of the reserve are considered productive , especially Kirjesålandet, ideally exposed to the southwest and thus offering an ecological niche for unique flora. Near the mountain, fires are less frequent than in the plains to the east. In terms of vegetation,

12720-522: The town was designated European Capital of Culture for 2014, along with Riga . Umeå is the centre of television in northern Sweden; SVT Nord and TV4's northern region office are both based in the city. The main newspapers of the county of Västerbotten, Västerbottens-Kuriren and Västerbottens Folkblad are also based in Umeå. The background and setting for the video game Unravel are based on landscapes around Umeå. The city of Umeå currently hosts four major sports clubs. The women's football club

12840-415: The traps. For example, there are some of these at Vindelkroken and several near Lake Överuman. The stallos are often described as stupid but have superhuman strength. There is a huge stone placed on some small pebbles on top near Lake Giengeljaure named stalostenen , which literally means 'stone Stallo'. Legend dictates that a Stallo would have placed a stone here to prove his strength. The reserve has

12960-475: The tree line at an altitude of about 800 m, though this is quite variable depending on the locality. They thus constitute the dominant middle of the reserve. Different types of birch forests can be classified based on the nature of the undergrowth ; at Vindelfjällen, there are mainly so-called mossy birch forests and meadow birch forests . Lichen-rich forests rich, on the other hand, are rare in this area, but very common further north. The moss-rich forests are

13080-442: The university in the mid-1960s led to a population expansion from about 50,000 inhabitants to today's 121,032. The expansion continues, with about 1100 new inhabitants every year, and has made Umeå a modern, somewhat intellectual city to add to the traditional basis of heavy industry for cities along the coast of northern Sweden ( Norrland ). In 1951 the university's library was recognised as important for northern Sweden. The library

13200-462: The upper Vindel River, where nearly half of all smolts that reach the Baltic Sea are born. In addition, since 1959 there has been a compensatory fish farm in Norrfors, from which more than 100,000 fish fry are released annually. At the beginning of the 19th century, the timber industry began to grow along the Ume River. The original sawmill at Baggböle Rapids, built in 1813-14, stemmed from

13320-477: The upper alpine level (beyond 1300 m) are predominantly limited to mosses and lichens , though the buttercup glaciers are sometimes found at these altitudes as well. The levels of vegetation are also important for animals: species diversity is much greater at lower altitudes, especially in forests. However unlike plants, the animals are rarely restricted to a particular level. Vindelfjällen home to many mammals characteristic of Swedish forests. A typical example

13440-411: The valley is quite sunken, surrounded by the Ammarfjället and Björkfjället mountain ranges and the valley widens when approaching Ammarnäs. The lowest point of the reserve, at 345 m above sea level, is located south of the valley, at the shores of Lake Storvindeln. At the center of the reserve is another large area of low altitude around Lake Tärnasjön. The terrain is flat, which has led to the formation of

13560-440: The valleys. There were however no villages until the nineteenth century, e.g. villages were created in the area around the lake Stor-Laisan Ammarnäs in 1830. The first house was built in 1826, and in 1850 the village was already well-formed. This colonization was encouraged by the kingdom via an exemption from taxes or other privileges. Most current villages date back to this period. Several churches were built, sometimes even before

13680-420: The western side of Norra Storfjället, receives about 750 mm. In the mountains themselves, the amount of precipitation reaches 1200 mm in places. The growing season in Sweden, defined as the number of days when the average temperature exceed 5 °C, is about 120 days. Because of cooler temperatures, much of this precipitation is in the form of snow. The first snow fall, on average, is in early October in

13800-559: The willow warbler ( Phylloscopus trochilus ). These forests and the alpine willow bushes are also the territory of the bluethroat ( Luscinia svecica ), the Lapland longspur ( Calcarius lapponicus ) and the willow ptarmigan ( Lagopus lagopus ). The moorlands, on the other hand, are the territory of the northern wheatear ( Oenanthe oenanthe ), the meadow pipit ( Anthus pratensis ) and the occasional horned lark ( Eremophila alpestris ). At higher altitudes, birds are sparse, but snow bunting ( Plectrophenax nivalis ) can be found in this region. Finally,

13920-406: Was actually a place where the Sami were accustomed to making sacrifices of wood or other animal bones. A similar site is Rosapakte, east of Lillfjället near Lake Överuman . There are likely many graves and sacred sites that are not known, as the Sami likely wanted to protect those sites from plundering . Since the twentieth century, the way of life of Samis has evolved rather quickly. One of

14040-401: Was eventually sold to the city of Umeå in 1947 and the land is a park and arboretum called Arboretum Norr . The former plant Klabböle Kraftverk is now a museum. In the 1950s, hydroelectricity development required building reservoirs and dams throughout Sweden, but concerns were being raised about the environmental impact of these power plants. In particular, there were heated discussions about

14160-410: Was gaining around 1000 inhabitants per year and the municipality plans for having 200 000 inhabitants by 2050. The projection of municipality size in 2050 has, however, been questioned as an overestimation in an independent study. Umeå is a university town and centre of education, technical and medical research in northern Sweden. The two universities located in the city, Umeå University and one of

14280-516: Was the largest in Sweden powered by water. So infamous were their methods that a new word in Swedish was derived from the name of "Baggböle". The Swedish word baggböleri is a pejorative term for reckless deforestation . The sawmills worked from May to October each year employing 170 workers, excluding women and children. The water-powered sawmill was under threat when steam power was introduced further south at Tunadal in Sweden in 1849. Twenty more steam-powered Swedish saw mills began operating within

14400-539: Was used during the mid-nineteenth century, to buy relatively cheap groceries in Norway, during an economically difficult time for the Swedish. This journey of a hundred kilometers, with loads approaching 50 kg, was very challenging, and some of these Norgefarare , such as Josef Berglund of Ammarnäs, became local legends. From 1892 a particularly difficult year, people began to use horses to transport resources, and had to build barns and cottages along these roads, such as Vitnjul and Dalavardo. This trade continued until

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