The Torne, also known as the Tornio ( fi, Tornionjoki, sv, Torne älv, , se, Duortneseatnu, fit, Tornionväylä), is a river in northern Sweden and Finland. For approximately half of its length, it defines the border between these two countries. In the upper parts, the river is situated in Sweden before it meets the
Muonio River
The Muonio ( fi, Muonionjoki; sv, Muonio älv ; fit, Muonionväylä) is a river in northern Finland and Sweden. It is a tributary of the Tornio. Together the two rivers form the national border between Finland and Sweden
Sweden, formal ...
where it adjoins the international border. It rises at the lake
Torneträsk near the border with
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...
and flows generally southeast for a distance of into the
Gulf of Bothnia. It is the largest river in
Norrbotten County both by length and by watershed area.
At its source, Torne is located close to the
North Atlantic and
Narvik on the other side of the watershed, with several thousands of kilometres between the locations via waterways.
Geography
The Torne basin has a total area of or (see sidebar). Of this, or
[Huvudavrinningsområden på gränsen mellan Sverige, Norge och Finland](_blank)
/ref> is in Sweden, [International river basins of the world](_blank)
or is 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 or is in Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...
.
Nominal source and hydrological source
The source of the Torne is generally believed to be the lake Torneträsk near the border with Norway.
But the main feeder of this lake is Abiskojåkka, flowing out of Abiskojaure, which is mainly fed by Kamajåkka, coming from Lake Gamajávri. This lake's major tributary
A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drai ...
is Válfojohka. That river comes from Lake Válfojávri in Norway's Nordland, but near to that lake it is joined by a nameless, longer stream, according to official Swedish maps fed by a small glacier, above sea level ().
Lake Torne
Other affluents of Lake Torne are Njuoraätno and Kåppasjåkka in the west, Gurttejohka, Snurrijåkka, Bessešjohka, Bággesgorsajohka, Davip Duoptejohka, Lulip Duoptejohka, Sarvájohka and others in the north, and Rákkasjohka, Gohpasjohka, Miellejohka, Bessešjohka, Golkkokjohka, Nivsakkjohka and others in the south.[Lantmäteriets fjällkarta BD6 Abisko-Kebnekaise-Narvik]
Above Torne lake, the watershed of the Torne includes the villages Riksgränsen
Riksgränsen, ( no, Riksgrensen), ''The National Border'' in Swedish, is a ski-resort in Kiruna Municipality, Lappland, Sweden, 200 km north of the Arctic Circle. The skiing season is from February to June. From end of May the lifts operate ...
, Katterjåkk, Vassijaure, Låktatjåkka, Kopperåsen and Tornehamn.
On the south shore of Torne lake are Björkliden, Abisko, Stordalen, Kaisepakte. Stenbacken and Torneträsk.
On the north shore are the Sami
Acronyms
* SAMI, ''Synchronized Accessible Media Interchange'', a closed-captioning format developed by Microsoft
* Saudi Arabian Military Industries, a government-owned defence company
* South African Malaria Initiative, a virtual expertise ...
villages Laimoluokta and Kattuvuoma.
Upper river
Beyond the lake, the Torne River flows unhindered by any concentrations of human inhabitants until the village of Kurravaara, around northeast of Kiruna.
The river splits in two parts that only join at Kurravaara;[Lantmäteriets fjällkarta BD4 Kiruna] the part between the river is Alajávri nature reserve.
Between the lake and Kurravaara, the streams Čearrojogaš and Rávdojohka join on the right side, and shortly before Kurravaara, the long Rautas River
flows into the Torne.
On the left side, the streams Gukkajohka, Reaskkajohka and Dápmokjohka join.
In the area between the two streams, the Beallejohka joins the right arm from the left.
After Kurravaara, the river proceeds Laxforsen, where it is joined from the right by the Luossajoki.
Here is the first bridge over the river for the road leading from the E10 to Laxforsen, Luossajärvi and Esrange.[Lantmäteriets Översiktkarta 1 Kiruna] The river continues to Jukkasjärvi
Jukkasjärvi (; Sami: ''Čohkkiras'') is a locality situated in Kiruna Municipality, Norrbotten County, Sweden with 548 inhabitants in 2010. It is situated at 321 meters elevation.
The name is of Northern Sami origin, where ''Čohkkirasjávri'' ...
, where an ice hotel
An ice hotel is a temporary hotel made up of snow and sculpted blocks of ice. Ice hotels, dependent on sub-freezing temperatures, are constructed from ice and snow and typically have to be rebuilt every year. Ice hotels exist in several countri ...
is built in winter from the river ice.
To the Bifurcation
Beyond Paksuniemi, the river is joined by the Pounujoki from the right.
At Vittangi, the long Vittangi river,[Vattendragsregistret](_blank)
/ref> which passes by Esrange
Esrange Space Center (short form Esrange) is a rocket range and research centre located about 40 kilometers east of the town of Kiruna in northern Sweden. It is a base for scientific research with high-altitude balloons, investigation of the au ...
, joins from the left.
Here is the second river-crossing bridge, used by the E45 to Karesuando
Karesuando (; fi, Kaaresuvanto or ; Sami: , or ) is the northernmost locality in Sweden. It is situated in Kiruna Municipality, Norrbotten County, Sweden, with 303 inhabitants in 2010 and 350 in 2011.
It is a church village, located alongside ...
.
The river then proceeds to Kuoksu, where it is crossed by the road to Lainio and Oksajärvi, and to Juopakosku, where the Junojoki joins from the left.
At Junosuando, the Torne river loses 56% of its water to the Tärendö River in one of the four bifurcations in the watershed area.
Here is also a bridge for the road to Kangos and Parkolombolo; this is the fourth bridge over the river.
Shortly after Junosuando, the Piipionjoki joins from the left and at Palokorva, the long Lainio River joins from the left.
In the Lainio River watershed are two more, smaller bifurcations: the lakes Goldajávri, Råstojaure flow toward contributaries of the Laino river as well as to the Norwegian streams Signaldalselva and Råstaelva respectively.
Down to Pajala
Between Junosuando and Pajala
Pajala () is a locality and the seat of Pajala Municipality in Norrbotten County, Sweden, with 1,958 inhabitants in 2010. It is located in Swedish Lapland.
Pajala is in the Torne Valley and was dominated by people speaking a Finnish dialect u ...
, the Käymäjoki joins from the left and the Liviöjoki and the Mertajoki join from the right.
The village Anttis is located on the left bank of the river, with Swedish road Riksväg 395 on the right bank; the fifth bridge connects Anttis to the main road.
Shortly after Pajala, the Torne river joins with the long Muonio River
The Muonio ( fi, Muonionjoki; sv, Muonio älv ; fit, Muonionväylä) is a river in northern Finland and Sweden. It is a tributary of the Tornio. Together the two rivers form the national border between Finland and Sweden
Sweden, formal ...
, the biggest contributary of the Torne river.
Near Pajala are two more bridges going north.
North of this point, the Muonio river forms the border with Finland.
From this point, the border with Finland is formed by the Torne river.
Lower river
From here the river flows south along the Finno-Swedish border.
This part is known as Meänmaa and is a popular tourist destination.
Slightly south of Pajala is a border-crossing bridge for a road leading to 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 ...
, the eighth bridge over the main river from the source.
The river proceeds to the village Kassa.
At the village of 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 ...
, which lies on both sides of the river, is a bridge between the two parts.
The river continues south to Svanstein
Svanstein () ( fi, Turtola) is a village situated in Övertorneå Municipality
Övertorneå Municipality (, ) is a municipality in Norrbotten County in northern Sweden, bordering Finland. Its seat is located in Övertorneå.
Until the Finnish Wa ...
, crosses the arctic circle at Juoksengi
Juoksengi () is a locality situated in Övertorneå Municipality, Norrbotten County, Sweden with 350 inhabitants in 2010.
It is located on the Torne River, at the border with Finland, which runs through the middle of the river. On the Finnish si ...
and proceeds to Niskanpää and Kuivakangas.
In Övertorneå
Övertorneå ( fit, Matarengi; fi, Matarenki) is a locality and the seat of Övertorneå Municipality in Norrbotten County, Sweden with 1,917 inhabitants in 2010.
It is located at the shore of the Torne River, opposite to their Finnish twin ...
(Finnish: 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 ...
) there is another bridge, the final road bridge before the sea.
Here, the long Tengeliön River joins from the (Finnish) left side .
The river continues to Hedenäset
Hedenäset ( fi, Koivukylä) is a locality situated in Övertorneå Municipality
Övertorneå Municipality (, ) is a municipality in Norrbotten County in northern Sweden, bordering Finland. Its seat is located in Övertorneå.
Until the Finnish ...
and Risudden.
At Karungi
Karungi () is a locality situated in Haparanda Municipality, Norrbotten County, Sweden with 232 inhabitants in 2010. The language most spoken in the village is Meänkieli
(literally 'our language') is a group of distinct Finnish dialects or a ...
, the Liakanjoki departs from the Torne river and flows to the Gulf of Bothnia independently in Finland.
From Karungi south, there are railways on both sides of the valley.
At Kukkola is Kukkolaforsen, a rapids which is also a tourist attraction.
Before finally arriving at the twin city of Haparanda/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 ...
, it passes by the villages Vojakkala
Vojakkala (officially Lower Vojakkala, sv, Nedre Vojakkala) is a smaller locality with about 62 inhabitants in Haparanda Municipality, Norrbotten County, Sweden, known for a long-standing feud between neighbors.
Local feud
The community has ...
and Mattila.
In the twin city of Haparanda/Tornio are four more bridges: one for cyclists and pedestrians, one for local traffic, one for the E4 and the southernmost, last and 14th bridge over the Tornio river is a dual gauge railway bridge connecting the Swedish and Finnish railway systems.
History
In the Treaty of Fredrikshamn
The Treaty of Fredrikshamn ( sv, Freden i Fredrikshamn; russian: Фридрихсгамский мирный договор), or the Treaty of Hamina ( fi, Haminan rauha), was a peace treaty concluded between Sweden and Imperial Russia on 17 ...
in 1809, when Sweden lost the areas which constitute present-day Finland to Imperial Russia, the river was together with the Muonio River
The Muonio ( fi, Muonionjoki; sv, Muonio älv ; fit, Muonionväylä) is a river in northern Finland and Sweden. It is a tributary of the Tornio. Together the two rivers form the national border between Finland and Sweden
Sweden, formal ...
and Könkämä River chosen as border between Sweden and the new Russian Grand Duchy of Finland
The Grand Duchy of Finland ( fi, Suomen suuriruhtinaskunta; sv, Storfurstendömet Finland; russian: Великое княжество Финляндское, , all of which literally translate as Grand Principality of Finland) was the predecess ...
, thus splitting the provinces
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
of Lappland and Västerbotten
Västerbotten (), known in English as West Bothnia or Westrobothnia, is a province (''landskap'') in the north of Sweden, bordering Ångermanland, Lapland, North Bothnia, and the Gulf of Bothnia. It is known for the cheese named after the p ...
.
According to the treaty, the border shall follow the deepest part of the river. Near Haparanda/Tornio the border was fixed in the treaty, partly on land, so the city of Tornio would belong to Russia. Once every 25 years, a commission of Swedish and Finnish representatives shall review this border. This means that the border can move, such as in 2006 when such a border change was undertaken.
Natural history
Research on ice breakup on the river and on Lake Suwa
is a lake in the Kiso Mountains, in the central region of Nagano Prefecture, Japan.
Geography
The lake is the source of the Tenryū River. It ranks 24th in lake water surface area in Japan. The cities of Suwa and Okaya and the town of Shi ...
in Japan suggested "global processes including climate change and variability are driving the long-term changes in ice seasonality."
Culture
Historically, the language used on both sides of the river was Finnish. In the late 19th century, schools were opened in both countries. Then there was a decision to make the Swedish part of area Swedish
Swedish or ' may refer to:
Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically:
* Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland
** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
speaking by teaching the school children only written Swedish and allowing only Swedish to be spoken during lessons, sometimes also during breaks. As an effect, during the second half of the 20th century, Swedish was the dominant language on the Swedish side. The Finnish spoken in informal conversation is similar on both sides of the river, although some newer words differ. To support the traditional language on the Swedish side a new written language has been devised, Meänkieli
(literally 'our language') is a group of distinct Finnish dialects or a Finnic language spoken in the northernmost part of Sweden along the valley of the Torne River. Its status as an independent language is disputed, but in Sweden it is recogn ...
. On the Finnish side only Finnish is used in written communication. These two languages differ considerably in spelling.
See also
* Geography of Finland
The geography of Finland is characterized by its northern position, its ubiquitous landscapes of intermingled boreal forests and lakes, and its low population density. Finland can be divided into three areas: archipelagoes and coastal lowlands, ...
* Geography of Sweden
Sweden is a country in Northern Europe on the Scandinavian Peninsula. It borders Norway to the west; Finland to the northeast; and the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Bothnia to the south and east. At , Sweden is the largest country in Northern Europe, t ...
* Torne, Finland
* Torne Valley
References
External links
{{Authority control
Rivers of Finland
Tornio
International rivers of Europe
Border rivers
Finland–Sweden border
Rivers of Norrbotten County