Jonathan Holmes, age 12, of Orlando, Fla., for his question:
IS THERE A COUNTRY CALLED LAPLAND?
Lapland is a region that lies in the extreme northern part of Europe. It is called Lapland because it is the home of a small, sturdy people known as the Lapps. But the area does not form a separate country.
The area known as Lapland is part of four separate nations: Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia.
Winter lasts nine months of the year in Lapland. And it gets very cold during this time. The three remaining months resemble spring in areas that have mild climates.
Because Lapland is so far north, it has a period of two months in summer when the sky never darkens. The sun then never rises above the horizon for two months each winter.
The Lapland area covers about 150,000 square miles. The region includes all of northern Norway, the Swedish province of Norrbotten and part of Norrland, all of northern Finland and the Kola Peninsula of Russia.
Although the Arctic Ocean borders Lapland in the north, the area has no definite boundary to the south. The White Sea washes its eastern coasts and the Norwegian Sea its west.
Lapland is a bleak and barren region with few trees. Birches, pines and firs manage to survive but they are only midget trees, kept small by the very cold climate. Plant life consists primarily of mosses and lichens. Many reindeer feed on the scanty vegetation.
People herd the reindeer like cattle. The reindeer provide the Lapps an important source of food and also serve as draft and pack animals.
Iron and nickel provide the most valuable mineral resources.
Lapland's iron deposits rank among the largest in the world. _`
There are about 35,000 Lapps in the region with about 2,500
living in Finland, 10,000 living in Sweden, 1,500 living in Russia
and about 21,000 in Norway. „„
The Lapps are among the smallest people in Europe. They average only about five feet in height. They are very strong and muscular, however.
Lapps generally have low foreheads, high cheekbones, straight black hair and yellowish skin. Their lips are straight and thin and they have noses that are broad and flat.
Some Lapps now live outside Lapland, in central Sweden, Finland and Norway. Many have married Swedes, Finns or Norwegians, and their physical types are changing.
In Lapland, the Lapps are mostly a nomadic people who follow reindeer herds. But many have settled in fishing or farming villages. They dress in clothes made of wool and reindeer skin. Their everyday garments are so colorful that they resemble holiday costumes.
The language of Lapland is related to that spoken in Finland. The people in various sections speak sharply different dialects. There are few schools, so many have no formal education.