Maanselkä or Maanselka ( fi, Maanselkä; russian: Манселькя) is a
hill
A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. It often has a distinct Summit (topography), summit.
Terminology
The distinction between a hill and a mountain is unclear and largely subjective, but a hill is universally con ...
y region in
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
and
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
. It is located at the northern end of the
East European Plain, around the
Arctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the two polar circles, and the most northerly of the five major circles of latitude as shown on maps of Earth. Its southern equivalent is the Antarctic Circle.
The Arctic Circle marks the southernmost latitude at w ...
.
The
Urho Kekkonen National Park
Urho Kekkonen National Park ( fi, Urho Kekkosen kansallispuisto, se, Urho Kekkonen álbmotmeahcci) is a national park in Lapland, Finland, situated in area of municipalities of Savukoski, Sodankylä and Inari. Established in 1983 and coverin ...
,
Oulanka National Park
Oulanka National Park ( fi, Oulangan kansallispuisto) is a national park in the Northern Ostrobothnia and Lapland regions of Finland, covering . The park was established in 1956 and was expanded in 1982 and 1989. It borders the Paanajärvi Nati ...
and
Paanajärvi National Park
Paanajärvi National Park is a Russian national park in the Loukhsky District of northwestern Republic of Karelia, in northwestern Russia.
The park was established in 1992. It has received a PAN Parks certificate.
Geography
Paanajärvi Nationa ...
are
protected area
Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...
s partly located in the Maanselkä hills. The main economic activities of the area are skiing, forestry, reindeer herding, hunting, as well as fishing in the lakes and rivers.
Geography
Maanselkä is an extensive chain of smooth hills forming a watershed that separates the rivers flowing into the
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain.
The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from ...
from those flowing into the
White Sea
The White Sea (russian: Белое море, ''Béloye móre''; Karelian and fi, Vienanmeri, lit. Dvina Sea; yrk, Сэрако ямʼ, ''Serako yam'') is a southern inlet of the Barents Sea located on the northwest coast of Russia. It is su ...
of the
Arctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceans. It spans an area of approximately and is known as the coldest of all the oceans. The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) recognizes it as an ocean, a ...
. It is located in northeastern Finland, in the eastern parts of
North Ostrobothnia and
Lapland
Lapland may refer to:
Places
*Lapland or Sápmi, an ethno-cultural region stretching over northern Fennoscandia (parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia)
**Lapland (Finland) (''Lappi''/''Lappland''), a Finnish region
*** Lapland (former pr ...
, by the Russian border. In Russia the southern part of the range is in
Karelia
Karelia ( Karelian and fi, Karjala, ; rus, Каре́лия, links=y, r=Karélija, p=kɐˈrʲelʲɪjə, historically ''Korjela''; sv, Karelen), the land of the Karelian people, is an area in Northern Europe of historical significance for ...
and the northern in
Murmansk Oblast
Murmansk Oblast (russian: Му́рманская о́бласть, p=ˈmurmənskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ, r=Murmanskaya oblast, ''Murmanskaya oblast''; Kildin Sami: Мурман е̄ммьне, ''Murman jemm'ne'') is a federal subject (an oblast) of ...
. To the northwest the drainage divide extends further into northern Norway.
[
The hills are low and rounded. The highest point is Mt Sokusti, a high summit in Saariselkä, on the Finnish side.Full text of "Julkaisuja = Communicationes = Publications"]
/ref>
The highest point of Karelia, the high Nuorunen, is located in the Russian side of the hill region.[Gora Nuorunen - Peak Visor](_blank)
/ref> There are many lakes in the intermontane basins, as well as rivers with poorly drained valleys and swampy forests. The highest elevations are treeless and barren, with some mountain tundra vegetation.Baltic Shield
The Baltic Shield (or Fennoscandian Shield) is a segment of the Earth's crust belonging to the East European Craton, representing a large part of Fennoscandia, northwestern Russia and the northern Baltic Sea. It is composed mostly of Archean and ...
. There are numerous traces of the erosional activity of ancient glaciers across the hills, such as lateral moraine
A moraine is any accumulation of unconsolidated debris (regolith and rock), sometimes referred to as glacial till, that occurs in both currently and formerly glaciated regions, and that has been previously carried along by a glacier or ice shee ...
s and outwash plains.
See also
* Highest points of Russian Federal subjects
* List of mountains and hills of Russia
References
External links
*
Studies on the vegetational history of the Kuusamo district (North East Finland) during the Late-quaternary period.Vuokrataanko tunturi Neuvostoliitosta? Kylmän sodan Kuusamossa heräsi ennakkoluuloton hanke - Suomalaiset halusivat vuokrata tunturin ja tehdä alueelle viisumivapaan matkailukohteen.
{{MurmanskOblast-geo-stub
Mountains of Finland
Landforms of the Republic of Karelia
Landforms of Lapland (Finland)
Mountains of Murmansk Oblast