Lapland

Lapland, region in the extreme north of Europe, the homeland of the Lapps (or Finns, as they are called in Norway). Lying primarily within the Arctic Circle, it embraces northern parts of Norway, Sweden, and Finland, and the Kola Peninsula of the former USSR, with an area of 150,000 sq mi (388,000 sq km). It has tundra vegetation, with some forest vegetation in the south. Its wildlife, especially the economically important reindeer, were severely hurt by radioactive contamination from the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster.