![Peräpohjola](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/Per%C3%A4pohjola.suomi.svg)
Southern Lapland ( fi, Peräpohjola or ''Peräpohja''; sv, Nordbotten or ''Överbotten''; lit. "Rear Bothnia") was the northernmost part of
the historical province of Ostrobothnia, and has sometimes been considered a separate
region
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...
, but it is now part of the
Lapland region. It belonged to the
province of Oulu
The Province of Oulu ( fi, Oulun lääni, sv, Uleåborgs län) was a province of Finland from 1775 to 2009. It bordered the provinces of Lapland, Western Finland and Eastern Finland and also the Gulf of Bothnia and Russia.
History
''For Histo ...
for a long time, but from 1938 it formed the southern part of the
province of Lapland, which was founded that year. Parts of the Salla-Kuusamo area, which included the easternmost part of southern Lapland, were ceded to the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
in 1940, after the end of the
Winter War
The Winter War,, sv, Vinterkriget, rus, Зи́мняя война́, r=Zimnyaya voyna. The names Soviet–Finnish War 1939–1940 (russian: link=no, Сове́тско-финская война́ 1939–1940) and Soviet–Finland War 1 ...
and again in 1944, after the end of the
Continuation War
The Continuation War, also known as the Second Soviet-Finnish War, was a conflict fought by Finland and Nazi Germany against the Soviet Union from 1941 to 1944, as part of World War II.; sv, fortsättningskriget; german: Fortsetzungskrieg. A ...
.
The
willow ptarmigan
The willow ptarmigan () (''Lagopus lagopus'') is a bird in the grouse subfamily Tetraoninae of the pheasant family Phasianidae. It is also known as the willow grouse and in Ireland and Britain, where the subspecies '' L. l. scotica'' was prev ...
(''Lagopus lagopus'') is the regional bird of Southern Lapland.
Riekko, Lagopus lagopus
– LuontoPortti (in Finnish)
Municipalities of Southern Lapland
*Kemi
Kemi (; sme, Giepma ; smn, Kiemâ; sms, Ǩeeʹmm; Swedish (historically): ''Kiemi'') is a town and municipality of Finland. It is located very near the city of Tornio and the Swedish border. The distance to Oulu is to the south and to Rovani ...
*Kemijärvi
Kemijärvi ( se, Giemajávri, smn, Kiemâjävri, sms, Ǩeeʹmmjäuʹrr) is a town and municipality of Finland. It is located in the province of Lapland.
History
The first permanent settler inhabitant of Kemijärvi was Paavali Ollinpoika H ...
*Keminmaa
Keminmaa (until 1979 Kemin maalaiskunta) ( smn, Kiemâeennâm; sms, Ǩeeʹmmjânnam) is a municipality of Finland.
The municipality has a population of
() and covers an area of of
which
is water. The population density is
.
Geography
Neighbou ...
*Kolari
Kolari is a municipality of Finland at the Swedish border, which follows the Torne River, the longest free-flowing river in Europe.
It is located in the region of Lapland. The municipality has a population of () and covers an area of of whic ...
*Pello
Pello (formerly Turtola) is a municipality of Finland. It is located approximately north of the Arctic Circle in the western part of the province of Lapland, and is part of the Lapland region. The municipality is on the national border with Sw ...
*Posio
Posio is a municipality of Finland.
It is located in the province of Lapland. The municipality has a population of
() and covers an area of of
which
is water. The population density is
. Neighbour municipalities are Rovaniemi, Kemijärvi, Ranua ...
*Ranua
Ranua is a municipalities of Finland, municipality of Finland. It is located in the provinces of Finland, province of Lapland, Finland, Lapland. The municipality has a population of () and covers an area of of which is water. The population dens ...
*Rovaniemi
Rovaniemi ( , ; sme, Roavvenjárga ; smn, Ruávinjargâ; sms, Ruäʹvnjargg) is a city and municipality of Finland. It is the administrative capital and commercial centre of Finland's northernmost province, Lapland, and its southern part Per ...
*Salla
Salla (''Kuolajärvi'' until 1936) ( smn, Kyelijävri) is a municipality of Finland, located in Lapland. The municipality has a population of
() and covers an area of of
which
is water. The population density is
.
The nearby settlement of ...
* Simo
*Tervola
Tervola is a municipality of Finland.
It is located in the province of Lapland, Finland. The municipality has a population of
() and covers an area of of
which
is water. The population density is
.
Neighbour municipalities are Keminmaa, Ranua, ...
*Tornio
Tornio (; sv, Torneå; sme, Duortnus ; smn, Tuárnus) is a city and municipality in Lapland, Finland. The city forms a cross-border twin city together with Haparanda on the Swedish side. The municipality covers an area of , of which is ...
*Ylitornio
Ylitornio ( sv, Övertorneå; sme, Badje-Duortnus; smn, Pajetuárnus) is a municipality of Finland.
It is located in the province of Lapland along the Tornio River, opposite the Swedish town of Övertorneå about by road to its northwest. T ...
See also
* Laponia
* Peräpohjola dialects
The Peräpohjola dialects ( fi, Peräpohjalaiset murteet) are forms of Finnish spoken in Lapland in Finland, Sweden, and Norway. The dialect group belongs to the Western Finnish dialects and it is divided into five more specific dialect groups ...
References
Lapland (Finland)
{{Lapland-geo-stub