Pajala facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pajala
Pajala Church, July 2004
Pajala Location in Norrbotten
Province	Norrbotten
County	Norrbotten County
Municipality	Pajala Municipality
Area
• Total	3.78 km2 (1.46 sq mi)
Population  (31 December 2010)
• Total	1,958
• Density	518/km2 (1,340/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)

Pajala is a small town in Norrbotten County, Sweden. It is located far north in a part of Sweden called Swedish Lapland. In 2010, about 1,958 people lived there. Pajala is the main town of Pajala Municipality.

Pajala is also part of a special area known as Meänmaa (or the Torne Valley). Long ago, most people here spoke a language called Meänkieli. Even though many still speak it, Swedish became the main language over time. This happened because of policies in the 1800s and 1900s that encouraged people to speak Swedish.

History of Pajala

Important People in Pajala's Past

Lars Levi Laestadius was a very important person who lived and worked near Pajala in the mid-1800s. He was a botanist, which means he studied plants. He was also a Lutheran minister and started a religious movement called Laestadianism.

Laestadius lived in a place called Kengis. But in 1869, his house, his grave, and the church from Kengis were all moved to Pajala.

When Pajala Was Mistakenly Bombed

During the Winter War in 1940, Pajala was accidentally bombed by airplanes from the Soviet Union. This war was happening between Finland and the Soviet Union.

Seven Soviet planes dropped 134 bombs on the town. These bombs were a mix of explosives and firebombs. Six buildings were destroyed, and telephone wires were badly damaged. The streets also became difficult to use because of 43 large holes from the bombs. Luckily, no one died, but two people had minor injuries. Later that year, Soviet officers came to see the damage. The Soviet Union then paid money to Sweden to help fix everything.

Pajala in Books and Stories

Pajala has been featured in some popular books.

Popular Music from Vittula

Many of the events in Mikael Niemi's famous book, "Populärmusik från Vittula" (which means Popular Music from Vittula), happen mainly in Pajala. This book was also made into a movie in 2004.

The Man who Died like a Salmon

Mikael Niemi wrote another book about Pajala, a crime novel called "Mannen som dog som en lax" ("The Man who Died like a Salmon"). In this book, the author talks about the Meänkieli language and how it is used in Pajala today.

Pajala's Climate

Pajala has a tough subarctic climate. This means it has very cold, long winters and short, cool summers. However, the nearby North Atlantic Ocean helps to make the weather a bit less extreme.

Because Pajala is inland and not very high up, its summers can be warmer than other places at the same northern latitude. Its winters are also a little less cold than many other areas that are so far north.

See also

In Spanish: Pajala para niños