Sápmi (area)

Sápmi (area)

Sápmi in Europe National anthem Sámi soga lávlla (Song of the Sami people). National day 6 February (Sami National Day). Languages Sami languages, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, Meänkieli, Russian Area ca. 388,350 km2; (150,000 sq. mi) Population

- Total;
- Russians*
- Norwegians*
- Swedes*
- Sami
- Tornedalians
- Kvens
- Finns*

About 2,000,000
About 900,000
About 850,000
About 630,000
80,000 - 100,000
About 30,000 - 125,000
About 10,000 - 60,000
About 13,000

* = Includes minorities.

Independence None¹ Time zone UTC +1 to +3

Sápmi is the name of the cultural region traditionally inhabited by the Sami people, the Lapps or Laplanders, as they are traditionally known in English. Sápmi is located in Northern Europe and includes the northern parts of Fennoscandia. The region stretches over four countries: Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia. Sápmi is the name in North Sami, while the Julev Sami name is Sábme and the South Sami name is Saemie. In Norwegian and Swedish the term Sameland is often used. It is frequently mistaken for being exclusively synonymous with the Swedish province of Lapland. (see Etymology).

With the fall of the Soviet Union and increasing internationalization, cross-border co-operation is becoming more important, and existing state borders less important both for the Sami indigenous population and non-Sami inhabitants—the latter constituting the majority population of the region. Russians and Norwegians are the most numerous groups, and the Sami make up only a small minority of about 5%. No political organization advocates secession, though several groups desire more territorial autonomy and/or more self-determination for the region's indigenous population.

The region has its own football team, the Sámi Spábbáčiekčanlihttu, that plays in the NF-Board, won the 2006 Viva World Cup and hosted the 2008 event.