The Province of Lapland is one of the Provinces of Finland, and a part of the larger geographical area of Lapland, which spans over four countries. The municipalities in the province cooperate in a Regional Council , which also makes it the Region of Lapland. It borders to the Province of Oulu and the Region of North Ostrobothnia in the south. It also borders to the Gulf of Bothnia, Norrbotten County in Sweden, Finnmark County in Norway and to Murmansk Oblast in Russia. In some parts of the world, particularly Britain and Finland itself, it is considered the traditional home of Father Christmas.

Lapland is home only to about 3.6% of the Finnish population, and is by far the least densely populated area in the country. The biggest towns in the Finnish Lapland are Rovaniemi (the provincial capital), Kemi, and Tornio.

Historical Provinces

For History, Geography and Culture see: Laponia, Ostrobothnia and Westrobothnia

Lapland was separated from the province of Oulu in 1936. After the Second World War the Petsamo and Salla areas were ceded to the Soviet Union.

Administration

Main article: Lapland State Provincial Office

The State Provincial Office is a joint regional authority of seven different ministries. It promotes national and regional objectives of the State central administration.

Regional Council

Main article: Lapland Regional Council

The 22 municipalities of Lapland are organized into a single Region, where they cooperate in the Lapland Regional Council, Lapin liitto or Lapplands förbund.

Municipalities

Main article: Municipalities of Lapland

Heraldry

Main article: Heraldry of Laponia

The coat of arms for the Province of Lapland is composed out of the coats of arms of Laponia and Ostrobothnia. The Regional Council of Lapland uses the Finnish variation of the coat of arms for Laponia.

See also

• Lapland
• Län

External links

• Lapland State Provincial Office - Official site
• Lapland Regional Council - Official site
• Wikitravel: Finnish Lapland