Lapland Taiga

The forests of Kemi Lapland stretch across a northern country of lakes, wetlands and long winters. Forest Sámi communities lived in the region before the arrival of Finnish and Karelian settlers in the early modern period. Under Swedish rule the area was known as Kemi Lappmark; a parish centred on Kuusamo was established in 1673. As settlement expanded, some Sámi adopted Finnish language and customs, while others moved farther north.