Sami Geography
A description of the geography and demographics of Sápmi, the traditional Sami homeland.
The traditional home of the Sami is now known as Sápmi, a land divided between northern Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia’s Kola Peninsula. Historic Sami groups may have ranged farther south before being pushed northward by settlers. In total, Sápmi covers about 150,000 square miles, or 388,500 square kilometers. Its major cities include Russia’s Murmansk (approx. population 336,000) and Norway’s Tromsø (76,000). Smaller cities important to Sami cultures include Kautokeino, Kåfjord, Karasjok and Kiruna, among others. There are now an estimated 70,000 Sami people, about 40,000 of which live in Norway. Sweden is home to around 20,000 Sami people, Finland 6,000, and Russia 2,000.
Sápmi is a large region containing diverse landscapes and ecosystems. Its northern territories fall within the Arctic Circle, leading to short, cool summers and long, icy winters. Much of Sápmi sees periods of 24-hour daylight in summer and darkness in winter. Its southern borders in Sweden are heavily forested, intersected by rivers and lakes. These flow from the mountains of Western Norway, which lead into craggy coastal fjords. Farther north, the landscape transitions to rocky plains and tundra. Common tree species include Scots pine, birch, spruce, and oak. Besides its massive herds of reindeer, Sápmi is home to wildlife like wolves, moose, bears, wolverines, and abundant fish.
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References
Hund, Andrew J., ed. Antarctica and the Arctic Circle. Vol 1. ABC-CLIO. 2014.
“Murmansk.” City Population, Thomas Brinkhoff, www.citypopulation.de/php/russia-northwestern-admin.php?adm2id=47701.
Robinson, Michael P., Karim-Aly S. Kassam, and Leif Rantala. Sami Potatoes: Living with Reindeer and Perestroika. Bayeux Arts. 1998.
Sami Parliament. “The Sami: An Indigenous People in Sweden.” Samer, Samer.Se, www.samer.se/2137.
“Tromsø.” City Population, Thomas Brinkhoff, https://www.citypopulation.de/php/norway-admin.php?adm2id=1902.
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