The northern part of Finland is located west of the Murmansk region. It is separated from Russia by about 200 km. This area covers a vast area, about 99 thousand square meters. km. The north of Finland is occupied by the country's largest province - Lapland. Its western side has a border with Sweden, northern - with Norway, and eastern - with Russia. The southern part of Finnish Lapland is adjacent to the province of Oulu. In the south of Lapland lies the Arctic Circle. Next to it is the capital of Northern Finland - the city of Rovaniemi.
Other cities in Finnish Lapland: Tornio, Kemi, Kemijärvi. There are numerous lakes, rivers and swamps in this area. The largest lake is Inari-jarvi. The longest river in the country, the Kemi-joki, flows through the territory of Lapland, stretching for 480 km. The region has artificial reservoirs: Porttipakhta and Lokka. The highest point in Finnish Lapland is Mount Halti, which rises 1,324 meters above sea level. The population of Northern Finland is approximately 190 thousand, and the density is very low. For 1 sq. km there are only 1, 2 people.
Weather
The north of Finland is dominated by a subarctic continental climate. There are significant differences in altitude between the hills and the coast, which ensures a variety of nature. The difference between the seasons is very noticeable here. Long winters with severe frosts, good spring weather, relatively warm summers and beautiful autumn are the hallmarks of the Finnish Lapland climate. To experience a real harsh winter, you should visit the places located north of the Arctic Circle. In winter, the polar night is observed there. At the northernmost point of the region, the sun is not shown because of the horizon 50 days a year. In the middle of autumn, winter comes, which can last about 200 days a year. At this time, the temperature reaches -50 degrees. In late spring, snow begins to melt in Lapland, but the lakes are still covered with a crust of ice. The air temperature does not rise above 0 degrees until May.
Best time to visit
The ski season in Northern Finland begins in early spring, when there is still a lot of snow and the polar night ends. In May, you can already walk here in the sun. The short Lapland summer is a period of white nights and the heyday of nature.
A feature of the landscape in this region of Finland is the large hills. The largest are Ylläs, Pallas, Levi, Olos. In addition to the hills, there are plains, hills, extended swamps, river reservoirs. Lapland has 8 national parks where you can see natural attractions. Holidays in northern Finland are associated with the expressive local nature. Tourists come here to enjoy skiing, ice skating and snowmobiling. Popular activities include walking and stargazing on the polar night, swimming in an ice hole after a sauna, fishing and rowing.
