Sápmi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sápmi Sápmi  (Northern Sami)
Flag
Anthem: Sámi soga lávlla
Location of Sápmi in Europe
Recognised national languages	Sámi languages
Regional	Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, Meänkieli, Kven and Russian
Integrated parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia respectively, but with varying degrees of autonomy for the Sami population
Area
• Total	400,000 km2 (150,000 sq mi)
Population
• Estimate	2,000,000 total ~900,000 Russians*~850,000 Norwegians*~630,000 Swedes*80,000–100,000 or more Sami ~30,000–125,000 Tornedalians ~10,000–70,000 Kvens ~13,000 Finns* = Includes minorities
• Density	5/km2 (12.9/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 to +3 (CET, EET, FET)

Sápmi is a special cultural region in Northern Europe. It is the traditional home of the Sámi people. Sápmi covers the northern parts of Fennoscandia, also known as the "Cap of the North".

This large area stretches across four countries: Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia. To the north, it meets the Barents Sea, to the west, the Norwegian Sea, and to the east, the White Sea. In English, this region was historically called Lapland. However, the term "Lapp" for the people is now considered offensive.

Sápmi refers to the lands where the Sámi have lived for a long time. Most Sámi people live in a few traditional areas in the northernmost part of Sápmi, like Kautokeino and Karasjok. Some have moved to bigger cities. Inari in Finland is seen as a key place for Sámi culture. It is often called the "capital of Sámi culture".

The Sámi people make up only a small part of the total population in Sápmi, about 2.5% to 5%. While no groups want to separate from their countries, many want more self-rule for the native people in the region.

What "Sápmi" Means

The word "Sápmi" (and similar words in other Sámi languages) means both the Sámi land and the Sámi people. The word "Sámi" itself means "people of Sápmi." Experts think the word might come from an old Baltic word *žēmē, which means "land."

In modern Swedish and Norwegian, Sápmi is called "Sameland." But in older times, it was known as "Lappmarken" or "Lappland." These old names used to refer to all of Sápmi. Later, they were only used for areas where Sámi people lived.

The terms "Lapp" and "Lapland" are now seen as offensive by some Sámi people. They prefer to use the name from their own language, "Sápmi."

Geography of Sápmi

Landscape

Most of Sápmi is located north of the Arctic Circle. The western part has many fjords, deep valleys, glaciers, and mountains. The highest point is Mount Kebnekaise in Swedish Lapland, which is 2,111 meters (6,926 feet) tall.

The Swedish part of Sápmi has large rivers flowing from northwest to southeast. East of the Norwegian mountains, the land is a low plateau with many marshes and lakes. Lake Inari in Finnish Lapland is the largest lake. The far northeastern part is tundra, but it does not have permafrost (permanently frozen ground).

Climate

Sápmi has a subarctic climate. This means it has long, cold winters and short, cool summers. Plants are sparse, except in the southern areas where there are dense forests. The mountainous west coast has milder winters and more rain than the eastern areas.

North of the Arctic Circle, winters have polar night, where the sun does not rise for weeks or months. Summers have midnight sun, where the sun stays visible for 24 hours. These phenomena last longer the further north you go. Traditionally, the Sámi people divide the year into eight seasons instead of four.

Natural Resources

You can find reindeer, wolfs, bears, and many birds in Sápmi. In the short summer, there are also lots of insects. There are many opportunities for fishing in the sea and rivers. Some lakes have steamers, and many ports stay ice-free all year. All ports along the Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea (up to Murmansk) are ice-free. The Gulf of Bothnia usually freezes in winter.

Under the ocean floor north and west of Sápmi, there are deposits of oil and natural gas. Sápmi also has valuable minerals. These include iron ore in Sweden, copper in Norway, and nickel and apatite in Russia.

Cultural Areas of Sápmi

East Sápmi

East Sápmi includes the Kola peninsula in Russia and the Lake Inari region in Finland. This is where the eastern Sámi languages are spoken. Even though it's the most populated part of Sápmi, the native Sámi people and their culture are not as strong here.

Central Sápmi

Central Sápmi covers the western part of Finland's Sámi Domicile Area and parts of Norway and Sweden. This is where Sámi culture is strongest. North Sami is the most widely used Sámi language here. The areas around the Tysfjord fjord in Norway and the Lule River in Sweden are home to the Julev Sámi language.

South Sápmi

South Sápmi includes areas south of the Saltfjellet mountains in Norway and matching areas in Sweden. This is where the southern Sámi languages are found. In this area, Sámi culture is mostly seen inland and on the coast of the Baltic Sea. Few people still speak the languages here.

"Sides"

Sápmi can also be divided by the borders of the countries it covers. Sámi people often call these areas "sides," like "the Norwegian side" (norgga bealli) or "the Finnish side" (suoma bealli).

Languages of Sápmi

Map of Saamic language areas
(see text for explanation of numbers)

Sámi Languages

The Saamic languages are the main native languages of the region. They belong to the Uralic language family, which also includes Finnish. Many Sámi languages are quite different from each other, but they used to form a chain where speakers could understand each other from one end of the region to the other. Today, many of these languages are dying out, creating "gaps" in this chain.

On the map, the numbers show different Sámi languages:

• 1. South (Åarjil) Sámi
• 2. Ume (Upme) Sámi
• 3. Pite (Bitthun) Sámi
• 4. Lule (Julev) Sámi
• 5. North (Davvi) Sámi
• 6. Skolt Sámi
• 7. Inari (Ánár) Sámi
• 8. Kildin Sámi
• 9. Ter Sámi

Of these, North Sámi is the most alive and widely spoken. Ume, Pite, and Ter Sámi are close to disappearing. Kemi Sámi is already extinct.

Other Languages

The language spoken by most people in the Russian part of Sápmi is Russian. This is an East Slavic language. It is also spoken by new groups in other parts of Sápmi. In the past, a mixed language called Russenorsk was spoken on the northern coast. It combined words from Russian, Norwegian, North Sámi, and Kven.

Norwegian and Swedish are the main languages in most of the Norwegian and Swedish parts of Sápmi. These languages are quite similar to each other.

Finnish is spoken on the Finnish side. The Meänkieli language is spoken by the Tornedalians in Sweden, and Kven is spoken in Norway. These languages are also similar to each other.

People of Sápmi

About 2 million people live in Sápmi. It's hard to know the exact number because some areas are only partly in Sápmi. Also, many people see themselves as part of more than one ethnic group.

Sámi People

The number of Sámi people is usually estimated to be between 80,000 and 100,000. Many Sámi also live outside Sápmi in cities like Oulu, Oslo, Stockholm, and Helsinki. Some have even moved to places like Canada and the United States.

Other Groups

• Russians: About 900,000 people live in Murmansk province in Russia, though parts of it are outside Sápmi. Most of these are Russian. There are also many Ukrainians and Belarusians. The Sámi are a smaller group here.
• Norwegians: About 850,000 people live in the Norwegian regions of North Norway (fully in Sápmi) and Trøndelag (mostly in Sápmi). Many of these are Norwegian, but there are also Sámi, Finns, and Kvens.
• Swedes: About 700,000 people live in the Swedish counties of Norrbotten, Västerbotten, Västernorrland, and Jämtland. Besides Swedes, there are also Sámi, Tornedalians, and Finns.
• Finns: About 13,000 people live in the Sámi native region of Lapland, Finland. Many of them are Sámi.
• Tornedalians and Kvens: These two groups are related to Finns. They mainly live on the Finnish, Swedish, and Norwegian sides of the Nordkalotten area.

Politics in Sápmi

Sámi Political Structures

Norway, Finland, and Sweden each have their own Sami Parliaments. These parliaments help govern the region, mainly dealing with matters for Sámi citizens in their country.

Sámi Parliaments

The Sami Parliament of Norway

In Norway, any citizen registered as Sámi can vote for the Sami Parliament of Norway. Elections happen every four years. This parliament has a lot of power, especially with the Finnmark Act, which gives special rights over land. The parliament is in Kárášjohka.

The Sami Parliament of Sweden is in Kiruna (Giron). All registered Sámi citizens of Sweden can vote for it.

For the Sámi Parliament of Finland, only people living in the Sami Domicile Area can vote. This parliament is in Inari (Aanaar).

Russia does not have a Sámi Parliament. However, Sámi groups there are part of a larger organization for native peoples. In 2008, the first Congress of the Russian Sámi asked for their own Sámi Parliament to be elected by local Sámi people.

Sámi Parliamentary Council

In 2000, the Sámi parliaments of Norway and Finland created the Sámi Parliamentary Council. The Swedish Sámi Parliament joined two years later. This council helps with cooperation across borders and represents the Sámi people internationally.

Sámi Council

There is also a Saami Council, which is made up of different Sámi organizations. This council also helps with cooperation between Sámi groups in different countries. It often represents the Sámi in international meetings.

How the Countries Govern Sápmi

• Russian Side: The Russian part of Sápmi is in Murmansk Oblast. This area is governed by elected parliaments and a governor.
• Norwegian Side: Norway's counties are governed by elected assemblies. The largest county, Finnmárku or Finnmark, has special self-rule. About 95% of its land is owned by the Finnmark Estate, which is managed by representatives from both the Sámi Parliament and the county council.
• Swedish Side: Sweden's traditional provinces are cultural areas. For government, they use counties (län). Five counties are fully or partly in Sápmi. These are governed by a landshövding (governor) appointed by the national government.
• Finnish Side: Finland is divided into regions. Lapland (Lappi) is the northernmost region. Four towns in northern Finnish Lapland make up the Sami Domicile Area, which has self-rule for Sámi culture and language.

Coats of Arms of Sami Communities

• Coats of Arms
• 

  Romsa ja Finnmárku
  (Norway)

• 

  Nordland
  (Norway)

• 

  Trööndelage
  (Norway)

• 

  Lapplánda
  (Sweden)

• 

  Norrbottena
  (Sweden)

• 

  Västerbottena
  (Sweden)

• 

  Jämtlándda
  (Sweden)

• 

  Härjedaelie
  (Sweden)

• 

  Lappi
  (Finland)

• 

  Murmánska
  (Russia)

Sports

Sápmi has its own football team, the Sápmi football team, run by FA Sápmi. It is a member of ConIFA, an organization for teams not part of FIFA. The Sápmi team won the 2006 VIVA World Cup and hosted the 2008 event.

The Tour de Barents is a cross-country skiing race held in the region.

Notable Places

Here are some towns and villages in Sápmi that have many Sámi people or Sámi institutions:

North Sámi Area

• Deatnu (Tana): Has a large Sámi population.
• Divtasvuodna (Tysfjord): A center for the Lule (Julev) Sámi people.
• Eanodat (Enontekiö).
• Gáivuotna (Kåfjord): Important for Coastal Sámi culture. It hosts the Riddu Riđđu international native festival every summer.
• Giron (Kiruna): The home of the Swedish Sámi Parliament and the largest city in Swedish Lapland.
• Guovdageaidnu (Kautokeino): About 90% of people here speak North Sámi. It has many Sámi institutions, including a Sámi theatre, a Sámi university, and a research institute. It also hosts the Sámi Easter Festival.
• Jiellevárri or Váhčir (Gällivare).
• Johkamohkki (Jokkmokk): Holds a big Sámi market and festival every February.
• Kárášjohka (Karasjok): The home of the Norwegian Sámi Parliament. It also has Sámi radio, a museum, an art center, and a health research institute.
• Leavdnja (Lakselv): The location of the Finnmark Estate, which owns and manages most of the land in Finnmark.
• Ohcejohka (Utsjoki).
• Romsa or Tromsa (Tromsø): The biggest city in the Central Sámi area. Its university specializes in Sámi subjects.
• Unjárga (Nesseby): Important for Coastal Sámi culture. The first Sámi elected to the Norwegian Parliament was born here.

South Sápmi

• Aarborte (Hattfjelldal): A southern Sámi center with a language school and culture center.
• Arjeplog.
• Snåase (Snåsa): A center for the Southern Sámi language. It's the only place in Norway where Southern Sámi is an official language.

East Sápmi

• Aanaar, Anár, or Aanar (Inari): The home of the Finnish Sámi Parliament.
• Lujávri (Lovozero): The largest Sámi settlement on the Russian side.

See also

In Spanish: Laponia para niños