The Laponian area is Europe's largest continuous area of virtually untouched nature. It has steep mountain massifs and extensive mountain plains, glaciers, mires, and primeval forests, torrential waterfalls and large mountain lakes. In addition, it has a rich animal and plant life, with several endangered species.

Laponia is the cultural landscape of the Saami people and one of the last large wildernesses of Western Europe. It consists of the four national parks of Muddus, Sarek, Padjelanta, and Stora Sjöfallet, and the nature reserves of Sjaunja and Stubba with the adjacent areas of Sulitelma, Tjuoltadalen, and Rapadalen. The whole area comprises 9,400 square kilometres of great geological, ecological, and cultural value with magnificent scenery.

The large national parks in Laponia display the great and sometimes extraordinary variation of nature - from open panoramas with undulating plains, gently rounded mountain ridges, and extensive bodies of water to the sharp peaks, glaciers, and narrow valleys of the high mountains. Since prehistoric times Laponia has been inhabited by the Saami, and it is one of the best-preserved examples of a nomadic area in northern Scandinavia.

The old Saami nomadic society probably took shape in the latter part of the Middle Ages and had its heyday between the sixteenth and the eighteenth centuries. Reindeer herding provided ample food for sale, and crafts were an important source of income. Around 1900 the nomadic society began to break up. Industrialism, modern communications, and hydroelectric plants penetrated deeper and deeper into the land of the Saami.

Laponia is the first collaborative project between the National Heritage Board and the National Environmental Protection Agency within the framework of the World Heritage Convention.

Laponia was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1996. The justification of the World Heritage Committee as regards the natural qualities of the property was:

"The area is an outstanding example of how the earth has developed, especially geologically, and how ecological and biological changes happen today. There are also unique natural phenomena of exceptional natural beauty and significant natural localities for the protection of biological diversity."

The justification as regards the cultural qualities of the property was: "The Laponian cultural heritage in northern Sweden, which has been inhabited by the Saami since prehistoric times, is one of the best preserved examples of a nomadic area in northern Scandinavia. It contains settlements and pastures for large herds of reindeer, a custom that was once very common, going back to an early stage in human economic and social development."

Contact:

Ájtte, Swedish Mountain and Saami Museum Phone: +46-971-170 70.
Jokkmokk Municipality Phone: +46-971-172 48.
Norrbotten County Administration Phone: +46-920-960 00.

See also:
Swedens National Parks - The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency.
The Laponian Area - UNESCO.