Inari (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈinɑri]; Inari Sami: Aanaar; Skolt Sami: Aanar; Northern Sami: Anár [ˈanaːr]; Norwegian and Swedish: Enare) is Finland's largest municipality by area (but one of the most sparsely populated), with four official languages, more than any other in the country. Its major sources of income are tourism, service industry, and cold climate testing. With the Siida museum in the village of Inari, it is a center of Sámi culture, widely known as the "capital of Sámi culture".[5][6]
Inari
Enare (Swedish) | |
|---|---|
Municipality | |
| Inarin kunta (Finnish) Aanaar kieldâ (Inari Sami) Aanar kåʹdd (Skolt Sami) Anára gielda (Northern Sami) Enare kommun (Swedish) | |
 | |
 Coat of arms | |
 Location of Inari in Finland | |
| Coordinates: 68°54′18″N 027°01′49″E / 68.90500°N 27.03028°E | |
| Country |  Finland |
| Region | Lapland |
| Sub-region | Northern Lapland |
| Charter | 1876 |
| Seat | Ivalo |
| Government | |
| • Municipal manager | Tommi Kasurinen |
| Area (2018-01-01)[1] | |
• Total | 17,333.65 km2 (6,692.56 sq mi) |
| • Land | 15,060.09 km2 (5,814.73 sq mi) |
| • Water | 2,281.41 km2 (880.86 sq mi) |
| • Rank | Largest in Finland |
| Population (2024-10-31)[2] | |
• Total | 7,160 |
| • Rank | 130th largest in Finland |
| • Density | 0.48/km2 (1.2/sq mi) |
| Population by native language | |
| • Finnish | 87.7% (official) |
| • Swedish | 0.4% |
| • Sami | 6.9% |
| • Others | 5% |
| Population by age | |
| • 0 to 14 | 12.1% |
| • 15 to 64 | 61% |
| • 65 or older | 26.9% |
| Time zone | UTC+02:00 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+03:00 (EEST) |
| Website | www |
The airport in Ivalo and the country's key north-south European Route E75 (Finland's National Road 4) bring summer and winter vacationers seeking resorts with access to a well-preserved, uncrowded natural environment.
History
editThe municipality was established in 1876. It was claimed from about 1942 to 1945 by the Quisling regime during the Nazi occupation of Norway.[7]
Geography
editInari is the largest municipality by area in Finland. Located in Lapland, it covers an area of 17,333.65 square kilometres (6,692.56 sq mi),[1] of which 2,281.41 km2 (880.86 sq mi) is water. With an area of 1,043 km2 (403 sq mi), Lake Inari is the third largest lake in Finland, 40 km2 (15 sq mi) smaller than the country's second largest Lake Päijänne.
Finland's largest National Park Lemmenjoki is partly located in Inari, as is the Urho Kekkonen National Park. Vast parts of the municipality are designated wilderness areas: Hammastunturi, Muotkatunturi, Paistunturi, Kaldoaivi, Vätsäri, and Tsarmitunturi.
The village of Inari is Finland's northernmost holiday resort. The airport is located in the nearby village of Ivalo.
Climate
editInari has a chilly and humid climate with fairly cold winters and cool summers (Köppen Dfc). Due to the polar night, winter time temperatures are often severely cold. However, the midnight sun contributes to surprisingly high summertime temperatures. The warmest temperature ever recorded at Ivalo Airport was 31.8 °C (89.2 °F) in July 1925, while the coldest temperature on record was −48.9 °C (−56.0 °F) in January 1999. However, in July 1914 Thule weather station in western Inari recorded an unofficial record high temperature of 34.7 °C (94.5 °F), which is the highest temperature ever recorded in Lapland.[8] Inari is also among the driest locations in Finland, especially in the winter when the average precipitation total is less than half of the amount that Southern Finland receives. The driest year on record was 1941 when only 120,1 mm (4,7 inches) fell.[9]
| Climate data for Inari Nellim, 1991-2020 normals, extremes 1925- present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 6.3 (43.3) |
6.9 (44.4) |
11.0 (51.8) |
16.4 (61.5) |
28.2 (82.8) |
31.7 (89.1) |
31.8 (89.2) |
31.4 (88.5) |
24.4 (75.9) |
12.8 (55.0) |
8.6 (47.5) |
7.4 (45.3) |
31.8 (89.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −7.6 (18.3) |
−7.3 (18.9) |
−2.4 (27.7) |
2.9 (37.2) |
8.8 (47.8) |
15 (59) |
18.7 (65.7) |
15.9 (60.6) |
10.5 (50.9) |
3 (37) |
−2.5 (27.5) |
−5.2 (22.6) |
4.2 (39.6) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −12.1 (10.2) |
−11.6 (11.1) |
−7.2 (19.0) |
−1.3 (29.7) |
4.5 (40.1) |
10.4 (50.7) |
14.2 (57.6) |
11.9 (53.4) |
7.2 (45.0) |
0.7 (33.3) |
−5.6 (21.9) |
−9.2 (15.4) |
0.2 (32.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −17.4 (0.7) |
−16.8 (1.8) |
−12.9 (8.8) |
−6.1 (21.0) |
0.4 (32.7) |
6.3 (43.3) |
10 (50) |
8 (46) |
3.8 (38.8) |
−2 (28) |
−9.3 (15.3) |
−13.8 (7.2) |
−4.2 (24.4) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −48.9 (−56.0) |
−48.6 (−55.5) |
−39.9 (−39.8) |
−29.8 (−21.6) |
−15.8 (3.6) |
−3.3 (26.1) |
−0.1 (31.8) |
−3.5 (25.7) |
−11.6 (11.1) |
−27.6 (−17.7) |
−34.3 (−29.7) |
−42.0 (−43.6) |
−48.9 (−56.0) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 25 (1.0) |
21 (0.8) |
22 (0.9) |
26 (1.0) |
37 (1.5) |
61 (2.4) |
73 (2.9) |
69 (2.7) |
45 (1.8) |
43 (1.7) |
28 (1.1) |
26 (1.0) |
476 (18.8) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 16 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 186 |
| Source 1: FMI climatological normals for Finland 1991-2020[10] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: record highs and lows 1961–present[11] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Ivalo Airport (1991-2020 normals, extremes 1959- present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 6.3 (43.3) |
6.9 (44.4) |
9.5 (49.1) |
16.7 (62.1) |
28.2 (82.8) |
31.7 (89.1) |
31.6 (88.9) |
31.4 (88.5) |
21.9 (71.4) |
13.3 (55.9) |
9.3 (48.7) |
7.4 (45.3) |
31.7 (89.1) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −7.9 (17.8) |
−7.4 (18.7) |
−2.2 (28.0) |
3.2 (37.8) |
9.3 (48.7) |
15.4 (59.7) |
19.1 (66.4) |
16.4 (61.5) |
10.7 (51.3) |
2.8 (37.0) |
−2.8 (27.0) |
−5.6 (21.9) |
4.3 (39.7) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −11.8 (10.8) |
−11.4 (11.5) |
−6.8 (19.8) |
−1.0 (30.2) |
4.9 (40.8) |
10.8 (51.4) |
14.3 (57.7) |
11.9 (53.4) |
7.0 (44.6) |
0.2 (32.4) |
−5.7 (21.7) |
−9.1 (15.6) |
0.3 (32.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −16.5 (2.3) |
−16.1 (3.0) |
−12.3 (9.9) |
−5.8 (21.6) |
0.5 (32.9) |
6.4 (43.5) |
9.9 (49.8) |
7.8 (46.0) |
3.5 (38.3) |
−2.4 (27.7) |
−9.3 (15.3) |
−13.3 (8.1) |
−4.0 (24.8) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −48.9 (−56.0) |
−48.6 (−55.5) |
−39.9 (−39.8) |
−29.8 (−21.6) |
−18.3 (−0.9) |
−3.3 (26.1) |
−0.1 (31.8) |
−3.6 (25.5) |
−11.6 (11.1) |
−27.6 (−17.7) |
−37.5 (−35.5) |
−40.6 (−41.1) |
−48.9 (−56.0) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 25 (1.0) |
23 (0.9) |
22 (0.9) |
27 (1.1) |
37 (1.5) |
59 (2.3) |
70 (2.8) |
71 (2.8) |
48 (1.9) |
43 (1.7) |
31 (1.2) |
29 (1.1) |
485 (19.1) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 14 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 164 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 84 | 83 | 78 | 73 | 68 | 67 | 72 | 78 | 82 | 87 | 89 | 86 | 79 |
| Source 1: FMI normals 1991-2020[12] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Record highs and lows[13] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Inari Väylä (1991-2020 normals, extremes 1993- present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 5.3 (41.5) |
6.8 (44.2) |
9.2 (48.6) |
15.6 (60.1) |
28.0 (82.4) |
30.2 (86.4) |
32.0 (89.6) |
32.3 (90.1) |
22.5 (72.5) |
13.6 (56.5) |
7.9 (46.2) |
6.4 (43.5) |
32.3 (90.1) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −8.6 (16.5) |
−8.1 (17.4) |
−2.8 (27.0) |
3.0 (37.4) |
8.7 (47.7) |
14.8 (58.6) |
18.8 (65.8) |
16.0 (60.8) |
10.5 (50.9) |
2.8 (37.0) |
−3.1 (26.4) |
−5.9 (21.4) |
3.8 (38.8) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −13.0 (8.6) |
−12.4 (9.7) |
−7.7 (18.1) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
4.2 (39.6) |
9.9 (49.8) |
13.5 (56.3) |
11.2 (52.2) |
6.5 (43.7) |
0.0 (32.0) |
−6.3 (20.7) |
−9.9 (14.2) |
−0.5 (31.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −19.1 (−2.4) |
−18.8 (−1.8) |
−14.0 (6.8) |
−6.9 (19.6) |
−0.5 (31.1) |
5.1 (41.2) |
8.7 (47.7) |
6.6 (43.9) |
2.4 (36.3) |
−2.9 (26.8) |
−10.4 (13.3) |
−15.5 (4.1) |
−5.4 (22.3) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −49.5 (−57.1) |
−42.7 (−44.9) |
−39.1 (−38.4) |
−28.8 (−19.8) |
−19.8 (−3.6) |
−3.5 (25.7) |
−1.1 (30.0) |
−3.5 (25.7) |
−8.4 (16.9) |
−22.8 (−9.0) |
−35.5 (−31.9) |
−40.2 (−40.4) |
−49.5 (−57.1) |
| Source 1: https://www.ilmatieteenlaitos.fi/1991-2020-lampotilatilastot | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: https://kilotavu.com/asema-taulukko.php?asema=102042 | |||||||||||||
Demographics
edit| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 6,841 | — |
| 1980 | 6,900 | +0.9% |
| 1990 | 7,559 | +9.6% |
| 2000 | 7,360 | −2.6% |
| 2010 | 6,778 | −7.9% |
| 2020 | 6,862 | +1.2% |
| 2021 | 7,008 | +2.1% |
| 2023 | 7,160 | +2.2% |
Population
editThe municipality of Inari has a population of 7,160 (31 October 2024).[2] The population density is 0.48 inhabitants per square kilometre (1.2/sq mi). The population peaked in 1993, at 7,874. It then decreased continuously until 2012, when the population was 6,732. Since then it has steadily increased to 7,160 in 2024. Inari is expected to be the only municipality in Lapland, along with Rovaniemi, that will experience population growth by 2040. This has been attributed to increased tourism.[14]
Its two largest villages are Ivalo and Inari. Other villages are Törmänen, Keväjärvi, Koppelo, Sevettijärvi–Näätämö, Saariselkä, Nellim, Angeli, Kaamanen, Kuttura, Lisma, Partakko, and Riutula.
The registered Sámi population in Inari from the 2019 election was 2,141, which was 31% of Inari's population.[15]
Languages
editThe municipality has four official languages: Finnish, Inari Sámi (c. 400 estimated speakers), Skolt Sámi (c. 400 speakers), and Northern Sámi (c. 700 speakers). The estimates of how many people have some command of each of the Sámi languages differ from the number of people who list them as their mother tongues. Of the total population of 7,008 in 2021, 6,248 people registered Finnish (89.16%) and 475 people registered one of the Sámi languages as their mother tongue (6.78%). Swedish is the mother tongue of 27 individuals (0.39%) and 258 people (3.68%) speak foreign languages. The most-spoken foreign languages are: Russian (0.86%), German (0.51%), French (0.31%), Dutch (0.22%) and English (0.20%).[16]
| Language | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2021 | |
| Finnish | 94.02% | 93.15% | 92.53% | 89.16% |
| Sámi | 5.46% | 5.84% | 5.98% | 6.78% |
| Swedish | 0.19% | 0.31% | 0.30% | 0.39% |
| Other | 0.33% | 0.69% | 1.20% | 3.68% |
Citizenship
editOnly about three percent, 214 persons, were citizens of countries other than Finland in 2022. The largest groups of foreign-citizens are from Russia (39 individuals), Germany (24), France (18), the Netherlands (14), Thailand (13) and Estonia (11).[17]
Politics
edit
This section needs to be updated. (May 2024) |
Results of the 2011 Finnish parliamentary election in Inari:
- Centre Party 36.2%
- Finns Party 19.2%
- Left Alliance 13.8%
- National Coalition Party 10.5%
- Social Democratic Party 9.8%
- Green League 6.6%
- Swedish People's Party 2.2%
- Christian Democrats 1.2%
- Other parties 0.5%
Sites of interest
edit
- Inari village
- Ivalo village
- Ivalo Airport
- Ivalo river
- Saariselkä holiday resort
- Urho Kekkonen National Park
- Lemmenjoki National Park
- Hammastunturi Wilderness Area
- Otsamo fell, a popular hiking destination
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Area of Finnish Municipalities 1.1.2018" (PDF). National Land Survey of Finland. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
- ^ a b c "Finland's preliminary population figure was 5,635,560 at the end of October 2024". Population structure. Statistics Finland. 19 November 2024. ISSN 1797-5395. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
- ^ "Population according to age (1-year) and sex by area and the regional division of each statistical reference year, 2003–2020". StatFin. Statistics Finland. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
- ^ a b "Luettelo kuntien ja seurakuntien tuloveroprosenteista vuonna 2023". Tax Administration of Finland. 14 November 2022. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
- ^ HS: Inarin kirkonkylästä tullut saamelaisten pääkaupunki (in Finnish)
- ^ Saamenmaasta, kulttuurista ja mytologiasta – Rantapallo Archived 23 March 2023 at the Wayback Machine (in Finnish)
- ^ Kurt D. Singer (1943). Duel for the northland: the war of enemy agents in Scandinavia. R. M. McBride & company. p. 200. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
- ^ Ilmatieteellinen Keskuslaitos:Suomen meteorologinen vuosikirja, 1914.
- ^ a b Kersalo, Juha; Pirinen, Pentti, eds. (2009). Suomen Maakuntien Ilmasto (PDF) (Report). Finnish Meteorological Institute.
- ^ "Ilmastollinen vertailukausi 1991-2020" [Climatic reference period 1991-2020]. Ilmatieteen laitos – Finnish Meteorological Institute (in Finnish). Retrieved 8 October 2021.
- ^ "Ilmatieteen laitoksen sääasemien arkisto" [Archive of weather stations of the Finnish Meteorological Institute] (in Finnish). FMI. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
- ^ Jokinen, Pauli; Pirinen, Pentti; Kaukoranta, Juho-Pekka; Kangas, Antti; Alenius, Pekka; Eriksson, Patrick; Johansson, Milla; Wilkman, Sofia (October 2021), Tilastoja Suomen ilmastosta ja merestä 1991-2020 (in Finnish), Ilmatieteen laitos – Finnish Meteorological Institute, doi:10.35614/isbn.9789523361485, hdl:10138/336063, ISBN 978-952-336-148-5, ISSN 0782-6079, retrieved 22 October 2023
- ^ "Taulukkotilasto: Inari Ivalo lentoasema" [Tabular statistics: Inari Ivalo Airport] (in Finnish). Finnish Meteorological Institute. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
- ^ "Kun muu Lappi tyhjenee, niin Suomen suurimman kunnan väkiluku kasvaa – näin erämaaluonto houkuttelee ihmisiä jäämään". yle.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 10 December 2022.
- ^ "Statistical information about the municipality of Inari". Municipality of Inari (in Finnish, English, Inari Sami, and Swedish). Retrieved 10 December 2022. Finnish: "Tilastotietoa Inarin kunnasta"
- ^ "Population structure: Language according to sex by municipality, 1990-2022 — Inari 2021". PxWeb – StatFin's Database (in English, Finnish, and Swedish). Statistics Finland. 2021. Retrieved 10 December 2022.
- ^ "Population structure: Citizenship according to sex by municipality, 1990–2022 — Inari 2022". PxWeb – StatFin's Database (in English, Finnish, and Swedish). Statistics Finland. 2022. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
External links
edit
Inari travel guide from Wikivoyage- Municipality of Inari – official website
