Övertorneå Municipality facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Övertorneå Municipality
Övertorneå kommun
|
||
|---|---|---|
Övertorneå Railway Station
|
||
|
||
 |
||
| Country | Sweden | |
| County | Norrbotten County | |
| Seat | Övertorneå | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 2,509.21 km2 (968.81 sq mi) | |
| • Land | 2,381.35 km2 (919.44 sq mi) | |
| • Water | 127.86 km2 (49.37 sq mi) | |
| Area as of January 1, 2010. | ||
| Population
(June 30, 2012)
|
||
| • Total | 4,877 | |
| • Density | 1.94364/km2 (5.0340/sq mi) | |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) | |
| ISO 3166 code | SE | |
| Province | Norrbotten | |
| Municipal code | 2518 | |
| Website | www.overtornea.se | |
Övertorneå Municipality (called Övertorneå kommun in Swedish and Matarengin kunta in Meänkieli) is a special area in northern Sweden. It's like a county or district, and it shares a border with Finland. The main town, or "seat," where the local government is, is called Övertorneå.
A long time ago, before the Finnish War (from 1808 to 1809), Övertorneå and a place in Finland called Ylitornio were actually one big area. But after the war, the eastern part of this area became part of Russia (which then controlled Finland). Later, in 1870, a small piece of Övertorneå Municipality split off to form a new rural area. Then, in 1969, Övertorneå joined with another municipality called Hietaniemi to create the municipality we know today.
It's interesting to know that many places in Övertorneå Municipality have two names: one in Swedish and one in Meänkieli. Meänkieli is one of the special minority languages of Sweden spoken in this region.
Contents
Exploring Övertorneå Municipality
This part of Sweden is known for its beautiful nature and unique culture. It's a great place to learn about history and different languages.
Towns and Villages
Övertorneå Municipality is home to several towns and smaller communities. These are called "localities" or "urban areas" in Sweden. Here's a look at some of them:
Main Towns
These are the larger towns in Övertorneå Municipality:
| # | Locality | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Övertorneå | 1,965 |
| 2 | Juoksengi | 401 |
| 3 | Hedenäset | 285 |
| 4 | Svanstein | 207 |
The main town, Övertorneå, is shown in bold.
Smaller Communities
Besides the main towns, there are also nine smaller communities in Övertorneå Municipality:
| # | Smaller locality | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pello | 193 |
| 2 | Kuivakangas | 125 |
| 3 | Aapua | 122 |
| 4 | Poikijärvi | 107 |
| 5 | Rantajärvi | 102 |
| 6 | Neistenkangas | 93 |
| 7 | Pudas | 85 |
| 8 | Haapakylä | 59 |
| 9 | Jänkisjärvi | 52 |
What to See and Do
If you visit Övertorneå Municipality, there are a few interesting places to explore:
- You can see two old wooden churches in Övertorneå and Hedenäset. The church in Övertorneå is very special because it has an organ that is hundreds of years old, from the 17th century!
- The village of Juoksengi is famous for something cool: the Arctic Circle line goes right through it! That's why it's known as the "Arctic Circle Village" (or Polcirkelbyn in Swedish). It's a fun place to visit and stand right on the Arctic Circle.
