Lake Inari

Lake Inarijärvi
Location Inari, Lapland Province
Coordinates 69°00′N 28°00′E / 69.000°N 28.000°E / 69.000; 28.000Coordinates: 69°00′N 28°00′E / 69.000°N 28.000°E / 69.000; 28.000
Primary outflows Paatsjoki
Basin countries Finland
Max. length 80 km
Max. width 50 km
Surface area 1,040.28 km2[1]
Average depth 15 m
Max. depth 96 m
Water volume 15.9 km3
Shore length1 3,308 km
Surface elevation 118.7 m[1]
Islands 3318 (Hautuumaasaari, Ukonkivi)
Settlements Inari
References [1]
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Lake Inarijärvi (Finnish: Inarijärvi/Inarinjärvi, Northern Sami: Anárjávri, Inari Sami: Aanaarjävri, Skolt Sami: Aanarjäuˊrr, Swedish: Enare träsk, Norwegian: Enaresjøen) is the largest lake in Sápmi and the third-largest lake in Finland. It is located in the northern part of Lapland, north of the Arctic Circle. The lake is 117–119 meters above sea level and it is regulated at the Kaitakoski power plant in Russia. The freezing period normally extends from November to early June.

The most well known islands of the lake are Hautuumaasaari ("Graveyard Island"), which served as a cemetery for ancient Sami people and Ukonkivi ("Ukko's Stone"), a historical sacrifice place of the ancient inhabitants of the area. There are over 3,000 islands in total. Trout, lake salmon, Arctic char, white fish, grayling, perch and pike are found in Lake Inari.

The lake covers 1,040 square kilometres. It empties northwards through the Paatsjoki at the mouth of the Varangerfjord, which is a bay of Barents Sea.

Philip Pullman, author of the His Dark Materials book series, chose this lake to be the home of the witch Serafina Pekkala.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Inarijärvi. Järviwiki Web Service. Finnish Environment Institute. Retrieved 2014-03-07. (English)

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