Finnmark
Finnmark (FinnmÃÂárku in Sami) is a county in the extreme north of Norway, bordering Troms. In 2002 there were 73,732 inhabitants, which is 1.6% of the total population in Norway. Its area is 48,637 km². The county administration is in VadsÃÂø. Finnmark is a part of the Lapland region which spans over four countries. It borders to Lapland Province in Finland, Murmansk Oblast in Russia and Norrbotten County in Sweden. It is also a part of the Barents Region.Finnmark is the northernmost county in Norway. (Svalbard is not considered as a county.) The northern and western parts are indented by bays. The nature varies from bare coast to river areas with gullies and tree vegetation. The point Knivskjellodden at Nordkapp is the northernmost point on the European mainland. Hammerfest is the centre of Finnmark's tourist trade.
Much of the Sami population of Norway live in Finnmark, and to a certain extent Troms. Finnmark and the municipalities Kautokeino, Karasjok, Tana, Nesseby, Porsanger and KÃÂÃÂ¥fjord (in Troms) also have official names in the Sami language.
There are archeological findings from the earliest times in Finnmark, belonging to the so called Komsa culture. There are also findings suggesting that the Sami people have been there for a long time. From the middle ages, the place has been populated by ethnical norwegians and been part of the kingdom.
Municipalities