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Jukkasjärvi
July 2002 view over Jukkasjärvi
July 2002 view over Jukkasjärvi
Country Sweden
Province Lapland
County Norrbotten County
Municipality Kiruna Municipality
Area
 • Total 1.44 km2 (0.56 sq mi)
Population
 (31 December 2010)
 • Total 548
 • Density 379/km2 (980/sq mi)
Time zone UTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST) UTC+2 (CEST)

Jukkasjärvi is a locality situated in Kiruna Municipality, Norrbotten County, Sweden with 548 inhabitants in 2010. It is situated at 321 meters elevation.

Origin of name

Fjell in Schweden
Mountainside and the lake Vassijaure in Jukkasjärvi Parish

The name is of Northern Sami origin, where Čohkkirasjávri means lake of assembly, as the area by the lake by which the village was founded was a Sami marketplace.

The village got its first Finnish-speaking resident settlers in the 17th century, who changed the name into the more Finnish-sounding Jukkasjärvi, thereby removing its meaning, although järvi (jávri in Sami) still means lake in Finnish. This was also the name used by Swedish officials.

Attractions

Jukkasjärvi wooden church from outside
The wooden church in Jukkasjärvi in February 2009

The village is a popular tourist accommodation during the winter months, from December until April, and is best known for its annual ice hotel, a hotel literally made from ice.

The wooden church is the oldest building in the village (built around 1607/1608) and is well known for its wooden carved altar piece triptych by Bror Hjorth.

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