fluences along the western side of the continent of Europe push the 

 arctic boundary far to the north. 



The coast of northern Norway shows a general alinement of 

 rugged, steepsidcd peninsulas and deep fiords oriented north and 

 south. Innumerable mountainous islands fringe the barren head- 

 lands. Between this outer region and the interior upland lies the 

 more sheltered region of the fiords. Here there are birch forests, 

 meadows and some arable land. Important food crops such as 

 potatoes, barley, rye and berries are cultivated to supply the many 

 fishing ports. Fish are plentiful in the fiords. The main centers 

 of the fishing industry are Vardo, Hammerfest, Tromso, and Har- 

 stad, the latter two also being the principal ports for northern 

 shipping. 



The interior region which includes northern Sweden is relatively 

 high and rugged (elevations up to about 5,000 feet) with many 

 lakes and marshes. East of this mountainous section, the land of 

 northern Finland is a rolling plateau on which the extensive Lake 

 Inari 4s a prominent feature. Tundra covers most of the ridges 

 and elevated places while scrub pine, birch and spruce grow in 

 some of the sheltered valleys. Where it exists, the soil is thin. 

 Like the Canadian Eastern Arctic, this is a shield area of ancient 

 crystalline rock which has been highly disturbed and fractured. 

 The entire area was glaciated during the ice age, leaving scoured 

 uplands and drift-filled valleys as the dominant landscape. 



The upland region receives little of the moderating climatic influ- 

 ences felt along the coast. Winter temperatures fall well below 

 zero, as the recorded minus 58° F. at Karasjok shows. Cold air 

 accumulates on the plateau and flows down the fiords creating 

 storms along the coast in winter. The long sunless winter is 

 brightened by fine auroral displays and brilliant moonlight. In 

 September and October full nights of Alpine glow occur. The 

 summer is marked by about 82 days of continuous light. 



The native caribou have been replaced by the domesticated rein- 

 deer which the Lapps herd. Wolves, bears, and the smaller arctic 

 land animals are abundant. Sea mammals and fish are numerous, 

 although whales and walrus are more scarce than in earlier times, 

 due to excessive hunting. 



The Archeozoic rock of this area is rich in iron, copper, and 

 sulphur. Important iron mining centers are at Kirkenes near 

 Petsamo and at Kiruna in Sweden. Iron from Kiruna is shipped 

 from the Baltic port of Lules in the summer and from the Nor- 

 wegian port of Narvik in the winter. Fish are a very important 



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