View source for Sápmi

{{Short description|Sámi cultural region of Fennoscandia}}
{{redirect|Sámi homeland|the part of the Lappi administrative region in Finland|Sámi homeland (Finland)}}
{{Distinguish|Sampi}}
{{more citations needed|date=December 2009}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2015}}
{{Infobox country
| conventional_long_name = Sápmi
| image_flag             = Sami flag.svg
| image_map              = Sami Language Recognition.jpg
| map_caption            = Location of Sápmi: dark red line showing the Southern limit of the areas traditionally inhabited by the Sámi
| national_anthem        = ''[[Sámi anthem|Sámi soga lávlla]]'' [[File:Sámi_Soga_Lávlla.ogg]]
| sovereignty_type       = Integrated parts of [[Norway]], [[Sweden]], [[Finland]] and [[Russia]] respectively, but with varying degrees of autonomy for the [[Sámi people|Sami]]
| languages              = [[Sámi languages]], [[Norwegian language|Norwegian]], [[Swedish language|Swedish]], [[Finnish language|Finnish]], [[Meänkieli dialects|Meänkieli]], [[Kven language|Kven]] and [[Russian language|Russian]]
| demonym                = [[Sámi people|Sámi]]
| languages_type         = Regional
| time_zone              = [[Central European Time|CET]], [[Eastern European Time|EET]], [[Further-eastern European Time|FET]]
| utc_offset             = +1 to +3
}}
{{infobox ethnonym|root=|person=|people=[[Sámi people|Sámi]]|language=[[Sámi languages|Sámi]]|country=Sápmi}}

{{lang|se|italics=no|'''Sápmi'''}}  is the [[Cultural area|cultural region]] traditionally inhabited by the [[Sámi people]]. Sápmi includes the northern parts of [[Fennoscandia]], stretching over four countries: [[Norway]], [[Sweden]], [[Finland]], and [[Russia]]. Most of Sápmi lies north of the [[Arctic Circle]], bounded by the [[Barents Sea]], [[Norwegian Sea]], and [[White Sea]].<ref name="britannica">'''"Lapland."''' Encyclopædia Britannica. ''Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica'', 2009. Web. 24 November 2009 http://search.eb.com/eb/article-9047170.</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110720013001/http://www.galdu.org/govat/doc/eng_sami.pdf We are the Sámi – Fact sheets]. Gáldu Resource Centre for the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.</ref> In the south, Sápmi extends to the counties of [[Trøndelag]] in Norway and [[Jämtland]] in Sweden.

Most of the Sámi population is concentrated in a few traditional areas in the northernmost part of Sápmi, such as [[Kautokeino Municipality|Kautokeino]] and [[Karasjok Municipality|Karasjok]]. [[Inari, Finland|Inari]] is considered one of the centres of [[Sámi culture]].<ref>[https://www.hs.fi/kotimaa/art-2000003936324.html HS: Inarin kirkonkylästä tullut saamelaisten pääkaupunki] (in Finnish)</ref><ref>[https://www.rantapallo.fi/cillamaria/2019/12/07/saamenmaasta-kulttuurista-ja-mytologiasta/ Saamenmaasta, kulttuurista ja mytologiasta – Rantapallo] (in Finnish)</ref> In the past, the Sámi settlement reached much farther south, possibly to present-day [[Oslo]] in the west and the lakes [[Lake Ladoga|Ladoga]] and [[Lake Onega|Onega]] in the east.<ref name="h806" />

Sápmi has never been a sovereign political entity.<ref name="h806" /> Since 1970s–1990s, the Sámi have had a limited self-governance in the Nordic states, represented by the Sámi Parliaments. The interstate cooperation is organized by the umbrella organization [[Saami Council|Sámi Council]].

Historically, the [[Scandinavia]]n peoples referred to the Sámi using the exonyms ''[[Finn (ethnonym)|Finns]]'' and ''Lapps'', terms now considered outdated or pejorative.<ref name="SNL">{{Citation |last=Berg-Nordlie |first=Mikkel |title=Finnmǫrk |date=2021-11-07 |work=Store norske leksikon |url=http://snl.no/Finnm%C7%ABrk |access-date=2021-12-05 |language=nb}}</ref><ref name="myan">{{cite journal |last1=Anderson |first1=Myrdene |date=November 1983 |title=The Saami People of Lapland: Four Recent Works on the Interplay of History, Ethnicity and Reindeer Pastoralism |journal=Nomadic Peoples |volume=14 |issue=14 |pages=57–58 |jstor=43123201}}; {{cite web |title=The Lapp or Sami people |url=http://www.yokmok.com/blog/2010/11/02/the-lapp-or-sami-people/ |access-date=26 December 2019 |website=Yokmok |quote=At present, the Scandinavian media use no other term than Sámis. Institutions and the media use the word Sámi. The term "lapp" is considered pejorative.}}; {{cite web |title=Saamis or Lapps |url=http://www.suri.ee/eup/samis.html |access-date=26 December 2019 |website=SURI |quote=They call themselves saam´ or saam´lja (on the Kola Peninsula), sabme, sabmelas^ (pl. sabmela at). Other nations have called them Fenn (Finn) and since the 12th century, Lapp (e.g. the form Lop’ appears in Old Russian Chronicles at about 1000 AD). The use of the name Saam has been propagated in Russia since the 1920s and in [[Scandinavia]] within the last decades. The Saamis themselves consider the name Lapp pejorative.}}</ref> In Scandinavian languages, historical names for the region include {{lang|non|Finnmǫrk}}, ''[[Lappmarken]]'' and {{Lang|sv|Lappland}},<ref name="h806"/> and in English, Sápmi has traditionally been called '''Lapland''' ({{IPAc-en|'|l|æ|p|l|æ|n|d}}). Today, variations of these names persist in smaller cultural, geographic and administrative designations within each country, such as [[Finnmark|Finnmark County]] in Norway, [[Lapland (Sweden)|Lapland Province]] in Sweden and [[Lapland (Finland)|Lapland Region]] in Finland, all of which overlap with Sápmi.<ref name="h806">{{cite book |last1=Berg-Nordlie |first1=Mikkel |title=An Urban Future for Sápmi? |last2=Dankertsen |first2=Astri |last3=Winsvold |first3=Marte |date=2022-01-14 |publisher=Berghahn Books |isbn=978-1-80073-265-0 |publication-place=New York |pages=31–32}}</ref> The Russian part of the Sápmi is covered by [[Murmansk Oblast]].<ref name="h807">{{cite book |last1=Berg-Nordlie |first1=Mikkel |title=An Urban Future for Sápmi? |last2=Dankertsen |first2=Astri |last3=Winsvold |first3=Marte |date=2022-01-14 |publisher=Berghahn Books |isbn=978-1-80073-265-0 |publication-place=New York |page=43}}</ref>

==Etymology==
Sápmi (and corresponding terms in other Sámi languages) refers to both the Sámi land and the Sámi people. The word ''Sámi'' is the accusative-genitive form of the noun ''Sápmi''—making the name's (''Sámi olbmot'') meaning "people of Sápmi". The origin of the word is speculated to be related to the Baltic word ''*žēmē'', meaning "land".<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.sgr.fi/ct/ct51.html| title = Article on the subject by the Finno-Ugrian Society.}}</ref> Also ''Häme'', the Finnish name for [[Tavastia (historical province)|Tavastia]], a historical province of Finland, is thought to have the same origin, and the same word is at least speculated to be the origin of {{wikt-lang|fi|Suomi}}, the [[Finnish language|Finnish]] name for [[Finland]].
 
''Sápmi'' is the name in Northern Sámi, the most widely spoken of the Sámi languages. In other languages,  the following terms are used:

* {{langx|smj|Sábme / Sámeednam}}
* {{langx|sma|Saepmie}}
* {{langx|sje|Sämijednam}}
* {{langx|sju|Sábmie}}
* {{Langx|smn|Säämi}}
* {{Langx|sms|Sääʹmjânnam}}
* {{langx|sjd|Са̄мь е̄ммьне|Saam' jiemm'n'e}}
[[File:Bure Lapponia 1611.jpg|thumb|right|''Lapponia'', the first reliable map of the northern regions of both Sweden and Finland (1611), is also an important source for discussions about the early modern history of Sámi peoples.]]
In modern [[Swedish language|Swedish]] and [[Norwegian language|Norwegian]], Sápmi is known as either ''Sapmi'' or ''Sameland''. In Finnish it is known as {{Lang|fi|Saamenmaa}} or {{Lang|fi|saamelaisalue}}<!-- this the correct capitalization -->.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-12-28 |title=Saamenmaa: mihin nimi viittaa? |url=https://kielitoimistonohjepankki.fi/ohje/saamenmaa-mihin-nimi-viittaa/ |access-date=2025-03-24 |website=Kielitoimiston ohjepankki |language=fi}}</ref> In [[Old Norse]], it was historically called ''Finnmǫrk'', a name that later evolved into ''[[Finnmark]]'', the name of Norway's northernmost county.<ref name="SNL" /> In older Swedish, Sápmi was known as ''[[Lappmarken]]'' or ''Lappland''.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/egil/egil15.htm| title = Egil's Saga, Chapter XIV}}</ref> Some English language sources refer to [[Northern Norway]] and [[Murmansk Oblast]] as ''Norwegian Lapland<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lapland {{!}} Location, People, & Facts {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Lapland |access-date=2021-12-05 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref>'' and ''Russian Lapland'', respectively, especially in the context of tourism marketing.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-02-03 |title=Stereotypes have fueled a tourism boom in Europe's icy North. Can things change? |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/changing-indigneous-cultural-tourism-in-arctic-sapmi-region |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210217205301/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/changing-indigneous-cultural-tourism-in-arctic-sapmi-region |archive-date=17 February 2021 |access-date=2021-12-05 |website=National Geographic: Travel |language=en |quote=The Sámi Homeland in Finland is one part of Sápmi, a large, diverse area that encompasses northern Norway, Sweden, and Russia's Kola Peninsula. While the northernmost regions of Sweden and Finland are both called Lapland, the entire Sápmi area has been imprecisely referred to as "Lapland" and promoted as an "untouched wilderness", despite the long presence of people living and working there.}}</ref><ref>[http://www.visitnorway.com/templates/NTRDestinationArticle.aspx?id=157023 Presentation of Finnmark by Norway's Ministry of Trade and Industry] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928030638/http://www.visitnorway.com/templates/NTRDestinationArticle.aspx?id=157023|date=28 September 2007}} in their official travel guide to Norway.</ref>

[[Laponia (historical province)|''Lappland'']] became the name of Sweden's northernmost province (''landskap'') which was divided in 1809, leaving one part in Sweden and other under Finland, which became part of the [[Russian Empire]]. The name ''Lappland'' remains in use for both the Swedish [[Lapland (Sweden)|province of Lapland]] and the Finnish [[Lapland (Finland)|region of Lapland]]. Finnish Lapland includes [[Peräpohjola]], a region traditionally considered part of [[Ostrobothnia (historical province)|Ostrobothnia]]. Consequently. ''Lapland'' and ''Sápmi'' are not interchangeable in the Finnish context. While [[Rovaniemi]] is located in Lapland, it is not part of Sápmi.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Same, samisk, Sápmi och Lappland - Mediespråk |url=https://www.mediesprak.fi/same,-samisk,-sapmi-och-lappland |access-date=2025-03-24 |website=www.mediesprak.fi |language=en}}</ref>

In the 17th century, [[Johannes Schefferus]] assumed the etymology of the term ''Lapland'' to be related to the [[Swedish language|Swedish]] word for "running", {{Lang|sv|löpa}} (cognate with English, ''to leap'').<ref>[http://old.no/samidrum/lapponia/chap-i.html The History of Lapland: Chap. I: Of the name of ''Lapland''], Scheffer, John, Oxford, 1674</ref> The terms ''Lapp'' and ''Lappland'' are now regarded as outdated or offensive by many Sámi people, who prefer the area's name in their language ''{{lang|se|Sápmi}}'', because over time the term ''Lapp'' has acquired the pejorative connotation of "silly", "uneducated", "backwards", etc. in the major languages of the Scandinavian countries that include Sápmi.<ref name="myan" /><ref name="Rapp">{{cite web |last1=Rapp |first1=Ole Magnus |last2=Stein |first2=Catherine |title=Samis don't want to be 'Lapps' |url=http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article2246107.ece |website=Aftenposten |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080315181256/http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article2246107.ece |archive-date=2008-03-15 |date=8 Feb 2008}}</ref>

==Geography==

===Landscape===
The largest part of Sápmi lies north of the [[Arctic Circle]]. The western portion is an area of [[fjord]]s, deep valleys, [[glacier]]s and mountains, the highest point being Mount [[Kebnekaise]] ({{cvt|2,096.8|m|disp=sqbr}}). The [[Sweden|Swedish]] part of Sápmi is characterized by great rivers running from the northwest to the southeast. From the former Norwegian county of [[Troms og Finnmark|Troms and Finnmark]] and eastward, the terrain is that of a low plateau with many marshes and lakes, the largest of which is [[Lake Inari]] in Finnish Lapland. The extreme northeastern section lies within the [[tundra]] region, but it does not have [[permafrost]]. In the 19th century, scientific expeditions to Sápmi were undertaken, for instance by [[Jöns Svanberg]].<ref>{{Cite book
| publisher = Johan Pehr Lindh
| language = fr
| last = Svanberg
| first = Jons
| title = Exposition des opérations faites en Lapponie, pour la détermination d'un arc du méridien en 1801, 1802 et 1803
| date = 1805
| url = https://gutenberg.beic.it/webclient/DeliveryManager?pid=717801
}}</ref>

===Climate===
The climate is [[subarctic]]/[[tundra]] and vegetation is sparse, except in the densely forested southern portion. The mountainous west coast has significantly milder winters and more precipitation than the large areas east of the mountain chain. North of the Arctic Circle [[polar night]]s characterize the winter season and the [[midnight sun]] the summer season—both phenomena are longer the further north you go. Traditionally, the Sami divide the year into ''eight'' seasons instead of four.

In Inari, the climate is warm-end subarctic, with summer highs of {{Convert|18|C}}, and winter lows of {{Convert|-15|C}}. The average winter sees 131 days of snowfall, with the first flakes falling to the ground in September.<ref>{{Cite web |title=MSN |url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/ |access-date=2023-10-26 |website=www.msn.com}}</ref> Snow cover lasts about two-thirds of the year and may persist past the last flake and even the last frost.

Even without permafrost or a true tundra climate, much of Sápmi is arctic moorland with stunted, scattered trees.

===Natural resources===
[[Reindeer]]s, [[Wolf|wolves]], bears, and birds are the main forms of animal life, in addition to a myriad of insects in the short summer. Sea and river [[fisheries]] abound in the region. Steamers are operated on some of the lakes, and many ports are ice-free throughout the year. All ports along the [[Norwegian Sea]] in the west and the [[Barents Sea]] in the northeast to [[Murmansk]] are ice-free all year. The northern part of the [[Gulf of Bothnia]] usually freezes over in winter.<ref>{{Citation |last=Szaniawska |first=Anna |title=The Gulf of Bothnia |date=2018 |work=Baltic Crustaceans |pages=27–28 |url=http://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-3-319-56354-1_7 |access-date=2025-05-19 |place=Cham |publisher=Springer International Publishing |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-3-319-56354-1_7 |isbn=978-3-319-56353-4|url-access=subscription }}</ref> The ocean floor to the north and west of Sápmi has deposits of petroleum and natural gas. Sápmi contains valuable mineral deposits, particularly [[iron ore]] in Sweden, [[copper]] in Norway, and [[nickel]] and [[apatite]] in Russia.

===Cultural subdivisions===
====East Sápmi====
''East Sápmi'' consists of the [[Kola peninsula]] and the [[Lake Inari]] region and is home to the eastern Sami languages. While being the most heavily populated part of Sápmi, this is also the region where the Indigenous population and their culture are weakest. Corresponds to the regions marked 6 through 9 on the map below.

====Central Sápmi====
''Central Sápmi'' consists of the western part of Finland's Sami Domicile Area, the parts of Norway north of the [[Saltfjellet]] mountains and areas on the Swedish side corresponding to this. Central Sápmi is the region where Sami culture is strongest and home to North Sami—the most widely used Sami language, with around 20,000 speakers as of 2024. In the southernmost part of this subregion, however, Sami culture is rather weak—this is where the moribund ''Bithun'' Sami language is used. The areas around the [[Tysfjorden]] fjord in Norway and the river [[Lule River|Lule]] in Sweden are home to the ''Julev'' Sami language, one of the more widely used Sami languages. These correspond to the regions marked 3 through 5 on the map below.

====South Sápmi====
''South Sápmi'' consists of the areas south of Saltfjellet and corresponding areas in Sweden and is home to the southern languages. In this area, Sami culture is mostly visible inland and on the coast of the Baltic Sea, and the languages are spoken by few. Corresponds to the regions marked 1 and 2 on the map below to the southeast of region 1 in Sweden.

==Sámi languages==
[[File:Corrected sami map 4.PNG|thumb|250px|Map of Sámi language areas:
{{Ordered list
| [[Southern Sámi|Southern (Åarjil) Sámi]]
| [[Ume Sámi|Ume (Upme) Sámi]]
| [[Pite Sámi|Pite (Bitthun) Sámi]]
| [[Lule Sámi|Lule (Julev) Sámi]]
| [[Northern Sámi|Northern (Davvi) Sámi]]
| [[Skolt Sámi|Eastern (Skolt) Sámi]]
| [[Inari Sámi language|Inari (Ánár) Sámi]]
| [[Kildin Sámi|Kildin (Kola) Sámi]]
| [[Ter Sámi|Ter (Kill) Sámi]]
}} Darkened areas represent municipalities that recognize Sami as an official language.
]]{{Main|Sámi languages}}
The Saamic languages are the region's main minority languages and its oldest attested languages. They belong to the [[Uralic language family]] and are most closely related to the [[Baltic-Finnic|Finnic]] languages. Many Sami languages are mutually unintelligible, but the languages originally formed a [[dialect continuum]] stretching southwest and northeast, so that a message could hypothetically be passed between Sami speakers from one end to the other and be understood by all. Today, however, many of the languages are [[moribund language|moribund]] and thus there are "gaps" in the original continuum.

On the map to the right numbers indicate Sámi languages. Of these languages, [[Northern Sámi]] is by far the most vital; whereas [[Ume Sámi]] and [[Pite Sámi]] are critically endangered.<ref>{{Cite book |date=2022-06-07 |title=The Futures of Sami Languages |url=https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003025511-16/futures-sami-languages-leena-huss-anna-riitta-lindgren |publisher=Taylor & Francis |language=en |doi=10.4324/9781003025511-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240709192126/https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003025511-16/futures-sami-languages-leena-huss-anna-riitta-lindgren |archive-date=2024-07-09 |last1=Huss |first1=Leena |last2=Lindgren |first2=Anna-Riitta |pages=217–231 |isbn=978-1-003-02551-1 }}</ref> [[Kemi Sámi]] has been extinct for over a century.<ref>{{Citation |last1=Berg-Nordlie |first1=Mikkel |title=Chapter 1. The Sámi and Sápmi: The People and the Land |date=2022-01-14 |work=An Urban Future for Sápmi? |pages=30–53 |url=https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/9781800732650-004/pdf?licenseType=restricted |access-date=2025-05-19 |publisher=Berghahn Books |language=en |doi=10.1515/9781800732650-004 |isbn=978-1-80073-265-0 |last2=Andersen |first2=Anna}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Kovář |first=Michal |date=2019-12-19 |title=Sami Texts From Kemi Sápmi Recorded by Jenny and Samuli Paulaharju |url=https://karolinum.cz/casopis/auc-philologica/rocnik-2019/cislo-3/clanek-7523 |journal=AUC Philologica |language=en |volume=2019 |issue=3 |pages=39–44 |doi=10.14712/24646830.2019.28|doi-access=free }}</ref>

North Sami is subdivided into three main dialects: West, East, and Coast. The written standard is based on the Western dialect.

==Demography==
It is difficult to give estimates of inhabitants since Sápmi is not precisely defined. It is also difficult to account for the distribution of ethnic groups as many people have double or multiple ethnic identities—both seeing themselves as members of the majority population and being part of one or more minority groups.

The number of Sámi is generally estimated to be between 80,000 and 100,000.<ref>{{Cite book |date=2014-09-11 |title=Sami religion |url=https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781315728971-30/sami-religion-h%C3%A5kan-rydving |publisher=Taylor & Francis |language=en |doi=10.4324/9781315728971-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240904212237/https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781315728971-30/sami-religion-h%C3%A5kan-rydving |archive-date=2024-09-04}}</ref> Many live in areas outside Sápmi such as [[Oulu]], [[Oslo]], [[Stockholm]] and [[Helsinki]]. Some Sámi people have migrated to places outside the Sápmi vernacular region, such as Canada and the United States.

Groups of Sámi people have settled in the northern parts of [[Minnesota]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.samiculturalcenter.org/ |title=Sami Cultural Center of North America |website=www.samiculturalcenter.org}}</ref>

The Sami are a small minority in the Russian part of Sápmi.

As of 2016, 13,226 people inhabited the [[Sami native region (Finland)|Sami native region]] of [[Lapland, Finland|Finnish Lapland]] many of whom are Sami.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://retkipaikka.fi/pykeija-pikku-suomi-kaukana-pohjois-norjassa/|title=Pykeija, Pikku-Suomi kaukana Pohjois-Norjassa – Retkipaikka|work=Retkipaikka |date=17 October 2016 |accessdate=26 November 2023}}</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=This is a not a scholarly source, but a site more focused on hiking|date=March 2025}}

==Politics==
Norway, Finland and Sweden all have Sámi Parliaments that to varying degrees are involved in governing the region—though mostly they only have authority over the matters of the Sámi citizens of the states in which they are situated.

=== Sámi Parliaments ===
[[Image:Samediggi03.jpg|thumb|300px|right|The Sámi Parliament of Norway]]
Every Norwegian citizen registered as a Sámi has the right to vote in the elections for the [[Sámi Parliament of Norway]]. Elections are held every four years by direct vote from seven constituencies covering all of Norway (six of which are in Sápmi) and run parallel to the general Norwegian parliamentary elections. This is the Sámi Parliament with the most influence over any part of Sápmi, as it is involved in the autonomy established by the [[Finnmark Act]]. The parliament is in the village of [[Karasjok (village)|Kárášjohka]] and its current president is [[Silje Karine Muotka]] from the [[Norwegian Sámi Association]].

The [[Sámi Parliament of Sweden]], situated in [[Kiruna]] ({{langx|se|Giron}}), is elected by a general vote which all registered Sámi citizens of Sweden may attend. The current president is Lars-Anders Baer.

Every Sámi person in Finland who is registered in the election roll can vote in the elections of the [[Sámi Parliament of Finland]]. At least 12 of the 21 seats of the parliament are reserved for members from the [[Sámi Domicile Area]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Saamelaiskäräjien vaalit |url=https://samediggi.fi/paatoksenteko/vaalit/ |access-date=2025-12-26 |website=Saamelaiskäräjät |language=fi}}</ref> The Parliament is in [[Inari, Finland|Inari]] ({{langx|smn|Aanaar}}), and its current president is [[Pirita Näkkäläjärvi]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Yhteystiedot |url=https://samediggi.fi/yhteystiedot/ |access-date=2025-12-26 |website=Saamelaiskäräjät |language=fi}}</ref>

In Russia, there is no Sámi Parliament. Two Sámi organisations are members of the national umbrella organisation of Indigenous peoples, the [[Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North]] (RAIPON), and represent the Russian Sámi in the Sámi Council. RAIPON is represented in Russia's [[Public Chamber of Russia|Public Chamber]] by [[Pavel Sulyandziga]]. On 14 December 2008, the first Congress of the Russian Sámi took place. The Conference decided to demand the formation of a Russian Sámi Parliament, to be elected by the local Sámi. A suggestion to have the Russian Federation pick representatives for the Parliament was voted down with a clear majority. The Congress also chose a Council of Representatives that was to work for the establishment of a parliament and otherwise represent the Russian Sámi. It is headed by [[Valentina Sovkina]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.galdu.org/web/index.php?odas=3524&giella1=nor |title=RUSSLAND: Samene vil ha et eget Sameting |publisher=Galdu.org |date=14 December 2008 |access-date=2012-08-13 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120217221033/http://www.galdu.org/web/index.php?odas=3524&giella1=nor |archive-date=17 February 2012 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

=== Sámi Parliamentary Council ===
On 2 March 2000, the Sámi parliaments of Norway and Finland founded the Sámi Parliamentary Council, and the Sámi Parliament of Sweden joined two years later. Each parliament sends seven representatives, and observers are sent from the Sámi organisations of Russia and the Sámi Council. The Sámi Parliamentary Council discuss cross-border cooperation, hands out the annual ''[[Gollegiella]]'' language development award, and represents the Sámi people abroad.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.sametinget.se/1100| title = Samiskt parlamentariskt råd<!-- Bot generated title -->| work = Sametinget}}</ref>

=== Saami Council ===
In addition to the parliaments and their common council, there is a [[Saami Council]] based on Saami organisations. This council also organises interstate cooperation between the Saami, and also often represents the Saami in international fora such as the [[Barents Region]]. This organisation is older than the Parliamentary Council, but not connected to the parliaments except that some of the NGOs double as party lists in Sami parliament elections.

===Russia===
[[File:Lapland reservate-2.jpg|thumb|right|Lapland Nature Reserve, Russia]]{{see also|Sámi politics#Russia}}The Russian side of Sápmi is within [[Murmansk Oblast]]. ''Oblasts'' are governed by popularly elected parliaments and formally headed by governors. The governors are nominated by the [[president of Russia]] and accepted or rejected by the local parliaments. However, should the parliament refuse to accept the president's nominee, the president is entitled to dissolve parliament and call local elections.

[[Murmansk Oblast]] covers the Kola Peninsula and is home to Murmansk, the largest city north of the Arctic Circle and in the Sápmi. It is subdivided into several [[raion|districts]], of which the geographically largest is [[Lovozersky District]]. This is also part of Russia where the Sami population is most numerous and visible.

The [[Lapland Nature Reserve]] ({{langx|ru|Лапландский заповедник}}, Laplandskiy zapovednik) is a Russian ''[[zapovednik]]'' (strict nature reserve) in Murmansk Oblast, above the [[Arctic Circle]]. Its administrative centre is the [[types of inhabited localities in Russia|rural locality]] of [[Laplandsky Zapovednik]]. First established between 1930-1951 and reestablished in 1957, the reserve protects an area of {{convert|2784|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} to the northwest of [[Lake Imandra]], including 86&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> of inland water.

===Norway===
The counties of Norway are governed by [[County council (Norway)|popularly elected assemblies]], headed by county mayors. Formally, the counties are headed by [[County governor (Norway)|county governors]], but in practice, these have limited influence today.

The largest of Norway's landscapes, [[Finnmark|Finnmárku]] ([[Northern Sámi|Northern Sami]]) or Finnmark ([[Norwegian language|Norwegian]]) county, is in Sápmi and has a special form of autonomy: 95% (about {{cvt|46,000|sqkm|disp=sqbr}}) of the area is owned by the [[Finnmark Estate]]. The board of the Estate consists of many representatives from the [[Sami Parliament of Norway]] and Finnmark's county council. The two institutions appoint leaders of the board alternately. The administrative centre of Finnmárku (Finnmark) is [[Vadsø (town)|Čáhcesuolu]] or Vadsø, in the far east of the county. The current [[County governor (Norway)|county governor]] is [[Runar Sjåstad]] from the [[Labour Party (Norway)|Norwegian Labour Party]].

[[Troms|Romsa]] (or Troms) county is southwest of Finnmárku. Its administrative centre is the city after which the county is named, [[Tromsø (city)|Romsa]] or Tromsø. Romsa is North Norway's biggest city and Sápmi's biggest city after [[Murmansk]]. The current ''fylkesordfører'' is [[Terje Olsen (politician)|Terje Olsen]] from the [[Høyre|Conservative Party]]. A similar solution to the Finnmark Estate, [[Hålogalandsallmenningen]], has been proposed for Romsa County and its southern neighbour [[Nordland|Nordlánda]].

Nordland covers a long strip of coast that includes both North Sami, Julev Sami, Bithun Sami, and South Sami areas. Its administrative centre is [[Bodø (town)|Bådåddjo]] or Bodø. The current county governor is Mariette Korsrud from the [[Norwegian Labour Party]].<ref>[http://www.nrk.no/nyheter/distrikt/nordland/1.3747610 Korsrud Nordlands første], NRK, Retrieved 31 July 2008</ref>

The southernmost parts of Norwegian Sapmi lie in [[Trøndelag]] county (mostly the northern part of the county). The administrative centre is [[Steinkjer (town)|Steinkjer]]. The largest city in Trøndelag is [[Trondheim]]. Trondheim is outside Sápmi but is well known for being the site of the [[Sámi Assembly of 1917|first international Sami conference]] in February 1917. The county governor is [[Frank Jenssen]] from the [[Høyre|Conservative Party]].

===Sweden===
[[Lapland (Sweden)|Lapland]] is a large northwestern [[province of Sweden]], wholly within Sápmi. The traditional provinces of Sweden are cultural and historical entities; for administrative and political purposes they were replaced by the [[counties of Sweden]] (län) in 1634.

Five counties are wholly or partially within Sápmi. ''Län'' is formally governed by the ''landshövding'', who is an envoy of the government and runs the government-appointed ''länsstyrelse'' that coordinates administration with national political goals for the county. Much of county politics is run by the county council or ''landsting'', which is elected by the inhabitants of the county; but the counties' top positions are still determined by those who win the general elections of Sweden.

[[Norrbotten County]] is mostly covered by Sápmi, although the lower [[Tornedalen]] region is often excluded. The administrative centre is [[Luleå]] in the Julev Sami area (Norrbotten includes North, Julev and Bithun areas). Current landshövding is [[Per-Ola Eriksson]] of the [[Centre Party (Sweden)|Centre Party]].

Sápmi covers the interior majority of [[Västerbotten County]], which are Ubmeje and South Sami regions. The administrative centre is [[Umeå]], and the current landshövding is [[Chris Heister]] from the conservative [[Moderate Party]].

[[Västernorrland County]] is an old part of Sapmi and still is. There are a lot of Sami on the coast of the Baltic Sea ([[Gulf of Bothnia]]).

[[Jämtland County]] is sometimes considered a part of the Sápmi cultural region and is a South Sami county. The administrative centre is [[Östersund]]. Current landshövding is [[Jöran Hägglund]] from the centre party [[Centre Party (Sweden)|Centerpartiet]].

===Finland===
Finland is divided into [[Regions of Finland|nineteen regions]] (''maakunta''), each governed by regional councils. These councils serve as cooperative forums for municipalities rather than being elected through a direct popular vote. [[Lapland (Finland)|Lapland]] (''Lappi'', ''Lappland'') is the northernmost region, extending further south than Sápmi and encompassing [[Southern Lapland]] (''Peräpohjola'', ''Nordbotten''), historically regarded as the northernmost part of [[Ostrobothnia (historical province)|Ostrobothnia]]. The administrative centre is [[Rovaniemi]]. North Sami, Skolt Sami, and Aanaar Sami are Indigenous to the region.

Four municipalities, [[Anár]] (Inari), [[Eanodat]] (Enontekiö), [[Ohcejohka]] (Utsjoki) and [[Soađegilli]] (Sodankylä) in the northern part of Finnish Lapland constitute the [[Sami Domicile Area]], ''Sámiid Ruovttoguovlu'', a region that is autonomous on issues regarding Sami culture and language. Ohcejohka is the only municipality in Finland with a Sami majority.<ref>{{Citation |last=Puuronen |first=Vesa |title=Municipal Politics in the Sámi Homeland in Finland |date=2022-04-08 |work=The Sámi World |pages=348–363 |url=https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9781003025511/chapters/10.4324/9781003025511-24 |access-date=2025-03-25 |edition=1 |place=London |publisher=Routledge |language=en |doi=10.4324/9781003025511-24 |isbn=978-1-003-02551-1|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

===Coats of arms of Sami communities===
<gallery class="center" perrow="12" widths="50" heights="60" caption="Coats of arms">
File:Finnmark våpen.svg|[[Finnmark|Finnmárku]] (Norway)
File:Troms våpen.svg|[[Troms|Romsa]] (Norway)
File:Nordland våpen.svg|[[Nordland|Nordlánda]] (Norway)
File:Trøndelag våpen.svg|[[Trøndelag|Trööndelage]] (Norway)
File:Lapplands vapen .svg|[[Lapland (Sweden)|Lapplánda]]<br />(Sweden)
File:Norrbottens vapen.svg|[[Norrbotten]]a<br />(Sweden)
File:Västerbottens vapen.svg|[[Västerbotten]]a<br />(Sweden)
File:Jämtlands vapen.svg|[[Jämtland|Jämtlándda]]<br />(Sweden)
File:Härjedalens vapen.svg|[[Härjedalen|Härjedaelie]]<br />(Sweden)
File:Lapin maakunnan vaakuna.svg|[[Lapland (Finland)|Lappi]]<br />(Finland)
File:Герб Мурманской области.svg|[[Murmansk Oblast|Murmánska]]<br />(Russia) 
</gallery>

== Sports ==
The region has its own football team, the [[Sápmi football team]], which is organised by [[FA Sápmi]]. It is a member of [[ConIFA]] and the host of the [[2014 ConIFA World Football Cup]]. The Sápmi football team won the [[2006 VIVA World Cup]] and hosted the [[2008 VIVA World Cup|2008]] event.

==Notable places==
The following towns and villages have a significant Sami population or host Sami institutions. Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, or Russian toponyms are in parentheses.

===North Sámi area===
* [[Tana Municipality|Deatnu]] (Tana) has a significant Sami population.
* [[Tysfjord Municipality|Divtasvuodna]] (Tysfjord) is a centre for the Lule (Julev) Sami population. The Árran Lule-Sami centre is here.
* [[Eanodat]] (Enontekiö).
* [[Gáivuotna Municipality|Gáivuotna]] (Kåfjord) is an important centre for the Coastal Sami culture, which is host to the [[Riddu Riđđu]] international Indigenous festival each summer. The municipality has a Sami language centre and hosts the Ája Sami Centre. The opposition against Sami language and culture revitalization in Gáivuotna was infamous in the late 1990s and included Sami language road signs being shot to pieces repeatedly.
* [[Kiruna Municipality|Giron]] (Kiruna) is the seat of the Swedish Sami Parliament and the largest urban settlement in Swedish Lapland.
* [[Kautokeino Municipality|Guovdageaidnu]] (Kautokeino): About 90% of the population speaks North Sami, and several Sami institutions are here. These include Beaivváš Sami Theatre, a Sami High School and Reindeer Herding School, the Sami University College, the Nordic Sami Research Institute, the Sami Language Board, the Resource Centre for the Rights of Indigenous People, and the International Centre For Reindeer Husbandry. In addition, several Sami media are based in Kautokeino. These include the Sami language newspaper ''Áššu'' and the DAT Sami publishing house/record company. Kautokeino also hosts the Sami Easter Festival. The Kautokeino rebellion in 1852 was one of the few Sami rebellions against the Norwegian government's oppression of the Sami.
* [[Gällivare Municipality|Jiellevárri or Váhčir]] (Gällivare)
* [[Jokkmokk Municipality|Johkamohkki]] (Jokkmokk) holds a large Sami market and festival the first weekend of every February. It is also the location of [[Ájtte]].
* [[Karasjok Municipality|Kárášjohka]] (Karasjok) is the seat of the Norwegian Sami Parliament. Other important Sami institutions include NRK Sami Radio, the Sami Collections Museum, the Sami Art Centre, the Sami Specialist Library, the legal office of Middle Finnmark, the Inner Finnmark Child and Youth Psychiatric Policlinic, the Sami Specialist Medical Centre, and the Sami Health Research Institute. In addition, the ''Sápmi'' cultural park is in the township, and the Sami language Min Áigi newspaper is published here.
* [[Lakselv|Leavdnja]] (Lakselv) in [[Porsanger Municipality|Porsáŋgu]] (Porsanger) municipality is the location of the Finnmark Estate and the Ságat Sami newspaper. The Finnmarkseiendommen organisation owns and manages about 95% of the land in Finnmark, and 50% of its board members are elected by the Norwegian Sami Parliament.
* [[Ohcejohka]] (Utsjoki).
* [[Tromsø Municipality|Romsa or Tromsa]] (Tromsø) is the largest city in the Central Sami area and has a [[University of Tromsø|university]] that specialises in Sami subjects. It also has a notable and very active Sami population.
* [[Nesseby Municipality|Unjárga]] (Nesseby) is an important centre for the Coastal Sami culture. It is also the site for the Várjjat Sami Museum and the Norwegian Sami Parliament's Department of Culture and Environment. The first Sami to be elected into the Norwegian Parliament, [[Isak Saba]], was born here.

===South Sápmi===
* [[Hattfjelldal Municipality|Aarborte]] (Hattfjelldal) is a southern Sami centre with a southern Sami language school and a Sami culture centre.
* [[Arjeplog Municipality|Arjeplog]].
* [[Snåsa Municipality|Snåase]] (Snåsa) is a centre for the Southern Sami language and the only municipality in Norway where Southern Sami is an official language. The Saemien Sijte southern Sami museum is in Snåase.

===East Sápmi===
*[[Inari, Finland|Aanaar, Anár, or Aanar]] (Inari) is the seat of the Finnish Sami Parliament
*[[Lovozero (rural locality)|Lujávri]] (Lovozero) is the largest settlement of Sami on the Russian side.

==See also==
{{Spoken Wikipedia|Lapland.ogg|date=2006-02-14}}
*[[Sámi cuisine]]
*[[Environmental injustice in Europe]]
*[[French Geodesic Mission to Lapland]]
*[[Laestadian]]
*[[Lapland War]]
*[[Lapland Biosphere Reserve]]

==References==
===Citations===
{{Reflist}}

===Sources===
*[http://odin.dep.no/hod/norsk/dok/regpubl/stmeld/030005-040008/hov007-bn.html A Norwegian Government report]
*[http://www.samer.se/servlet/GetDoc?meta_id=1536 Swedish Sami Parliament web page]

==External links==
* {{Wikisource portal-inline|Lapland}}

{{Stateless nationalism in Europe}}
{{Sami navigator}}
{{Nordic Council}}
{{Nordic countries}}
{{Polar regions}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Sapmi}}
[[Category:Sápmi| ]]
[[Category:Lands inhabited by indigenous peoples]]
[[Category:Sámi peoples]]
[[Category:Historical regions in Russia]]
[[Category:Geography of Finland]]
[[Category:Regions of Norway]]
[[Category:Regions of Sweden]]
[[Category:Geography of Scandinavia]]
[[Category:Regions of the Arctic]]
[[Category:Cultural regions]]