Lapland

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Sápmi
Sameland, Lappland, Lappi, Лапландия
Sami flag Norway Sweden Finland Russia
(In Detail)
Location Lapland
National anthem Sámi soga lávlla
Languages Sami, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, Russian
Area ca. 388,350 sq. km; (150,000 sq. mi)
Population
 - Sami
 - Non-Sami
Not known exactly
Not known
Independence None¹
Time zone UTC +1 to +3
¹ Integrated parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia respectively, but with varying degrees of autonomy for the Sami population.

Lapland, (also Lappland, Lappi, Sápmi, Samiland, and Saamiland), is a region traditionally inhabited by the Sami people. It is located in Northern Europe and includes the northern parts of Scandinavia and the Kola peninsula in Russia. With the fall of the Soviet Union and increasing internationalization, co-operation across borders is becoming more important and existing county and national borders less important. This is true both for the Sami aboriginal population and the non-Sami and Sami-descent majority population.

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Name

Sápmi is the name in the Northern Sami language and usually used in official context to denote Sami rights, while the name Lapland is the common English spelling of the Swedish Lappland. The name in Finnish is Lappi and in Norwegian Sameland, however the most northern Norwegian county is named Finnmark, "the Finnish region". (Sápmi includes all cross-country lands.) The name traditionally used in Latin is Fenni, but since the 13th century, Laponia has replaced this word. The choice of words for the people and language is becoming a matter of political correctness, but provinces and counties still carry the old ("lap") names. The Russian language uses the only Лапландия ("Lappland") form.

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Flag

Main article: Sami flag

The Saami flag was inaugurated during the Saami Conference in Åre, Sweden on August 15, 1986. It was the result of a competition for which many suggestions were entered. The winning design was submitted by the artist Astrid Båhl from Skibotn, Norway.

The motif was derived from the shaman's drum and the poem "Paiven parneh" ("Sons of the Sun") by the south Saami Anders Fjellner (1795-1876). Fjellner described the Saami as sons and daughters of the sun. The flag's circle represents the sun (red) and the moon (blue). The flag has the Saami colours, red, green, yellow and blue. Pantone colour formula is: red 485C, green 356C, yellow 116C and blue 286C.

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Area

The area covered by Lapland lies mostly north of the Arctic Circle. The western portion is an area of fiords, deep valleys, glaciers, and mountains, the highest point being Mount Kebnekaise (2,111 m/6,926 ft), in Swedish Lapland. Farther east, the terrain is that of a low plateau, containing many marshes and lakes, the most important of which is Lake Inari, in Finnish Lapland. The extreme eastern section lies within the tundra region.

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Climate

The climate is subarctic and vegetation is sparse, except in the densely forested southern portion. Saamiland contains valuable mineral deposits, particularly iron ore in Sweden, copper in Norway, and nickel and apatite in Russia. Reindeer, wolf, bear, and sea and land birds are the main forms of animal life. Sea and river fisheries abound in the region. Steamers are operated on some of the lakes, and a few ports are ice-free throughout the year.

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People

Most inhabitants of Saamiland are Saami (Sámi or Lapps), who speak a Finno-Ugric language also known as Saami. About a third of Saami are nomadic, living during the winter in the interior and during the summer on the coast. Other Saami live permanently in scattered settlements on the coast and fiords, and many are established in villages at the heads of valleys or on well-stocked lakes. The Saami live mostly in Norway, where they are called Samer. Their principal occupation is herding reindeer, from which both food and clothing are derived; other occupations are hunting and fishing. The Saami were conquered by the Norsemen in the 9th century AD and by the Russians in the 11th century. Between the 13th and the 17th centuries they were ruled by Sweden. Saamiland was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.

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Conflicts

There is a border, and some state that the rights (for reindeer herding and in some parts even for fishing and hunting) would include a larger part than of Sápmi. However, today's "border" originates from the 14-16th century when land-owning conflicts occurred. The establishment of more stable dwelling places and larger towns originates from 16th century, and was performed due to strategical defence and economical reasons, both by peoples from Sami groups themselves and more southern immigrants.

Owning land within the borders or being member of a siidas (="corporation villages") gives rights. A different law settings in Sweden from mid-90s gave right for anyone to fish and hunt in the region, something that was met with large scepticism and anger amongst the siidas.

Court proceedings have been common throughout history, and the aims from Samic viewpoint is to reclaim territories used earlier in history. Due to a larger defeat in 1996, one siidas has introduced a sponsorship "Reindeer Godfather" concept to raise their economical funds for further battles in courts. These "internal conflicts" are usually conflicts between non-Sami land owners and Reindeer owners.

The question whether the Fjeld's territory is owned by the governments or the Sami population is not answered.

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Sami Parliament

Lapland demonstrates a distinct semi-national identity that transcends the borders between Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. However, there is no movement for complete autonomy. The Sami Parliaments, founded in Norway (1989), Sweden (1993, and Finland (1996) have very weak political influence, far from autonomy. They are formally public authorities, ruled by the Scandinavian governments, but have democratically elected parliamentarians. Their mission is to work for the Sami culture. The candidates' election promises often get in conflict with the institutions' submission under their governments. But as authorities, they have some influence over the government. Although formally similar to a government structure the parliaments strive for sovereignty.

Russia is not actively taking part of this recognition of the minority of Samis. Sweden has taken this active part for two reasons:

  • to recognize the Sami minority as an indigenous people to distinguish it from other minorities;
  • to raise the Sami minority influence which comes in conflict with the European majority democracy system, i.e. most votes wins.
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Administrative divisions

Sápmi spans four countries, where the main territories lie in the following counties or provinces.

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See also

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lapland"
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