The Sámi homeland of Finland (''Saamelaisten kotiseutualue'' in Finnish, ''Sámiid ruovttuguovllu'' in
Northern Sámi
Northern or North Sámi ( ; se, davvisámegiella ; fi, pohjoissaame ; no, nordsamisk; sv, nordsamiska; disapproved exonym Lappish or Lapp) is the most widely spoken of all Sámi languages. The area where Northern Sámi is spoken covers the ...
, ''Samernas hembygdsområde'' in Swedish, sometimes officially translated as Sámi Domicile Area) is the northernmost part of the
Lappi (Lapland) administrative region in
Finland, home of approximately half of Finland's
Sámi population. The area is defined in and protected by the Finnish constitution (17 § and 121 §) to be autonomous on issues relating to the Sámi culture and
language.
The Sámi homeland consists of the municipalities of
Enontekiö
Enontekiö (; sme, Eanodat ; sv, Enontekis; smn, Iänudâh; sms, Jeänõk) is a municipality in the Finnish part of Lapland with approx. inhabitants. It is situated in the outermost northwest of the country and occupies a large and very spars ...
,
Utsjoki and
Inari as well as a part of the municipality of
Sodankylä.
Finns are the majority population on the area. An important activity organized in Finland's Sámi homeland is the election of the
Sámi Parliament of Finland
The Sámi Parliament of Finland ( fi, Saamelaiskäräjät, se, Sámediggi, smn, Sämitigge, sms, Sääʹmteʹǧǧ) is the representative body for people of Sámi heritage in Finland. The parliament consists of 21 elected members and 4 elected de ...
(''Saamelaiskäräjät'') every four years. Only Sámi residents are eligible in the elections. The Sámi Parliament of Finland was established in 1973.
Depending on the definition of "Sámi", various percentages may be given for Sámi population's share in different municipalities. The Finnish Population Registry Center does not register ethnicity. They do register language, based on what the parents tell at birth and later changes. Based on this, the percentages of people with a Sámi mother tongue in the municipalities are:
* Inari 5.7%
* Enontekiö 7.4%
* Utsjoki 46.7%
* Sodankylä 1.4%
However, the Sámi Parliament of Finland applies a wider definition by defining a Sámi as a person who considers himself a Sámi and has at least one parent or grandparent who spoke a Sámi language. Thus the official percentages are:
* Inari 30%
* Enontekiö 19%
* Utsjoki 70%
* Sodankylä 4%
References
Constitution of Finland(in English)
On the other side of the Arctic by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland(in English)
(in Finnish)
{{coord, 69, N, 27, E, region:FI-LL, display=title
Sámi in Finland
Geography of Lapland (Finland)