Utsjoki

Utsjoki is a municipality in the Lapland region of Finland. It is located in the far north, on the border with Norway, and lies along the lower reaches of the Tana River. Utsjoki is the northernmost municipality in Finland.

The municipality has a small, sparsely populated area with around 2,000 residents. It is officially bilingual, with Finnish and Northern Sami recognized as official languages. Northern Sami is widely used in local life, and Sámi culture is a prominent aspect of the region.

The area has Sámi roots dating back centuries. Utsjoki Municipality was established in 1876. The population includes Sámi communities, and reindeer herding continues as a traditional livelihood.

Karigasniemi is a village in Utsjoki near the Norway border and hosts a border crossing that connects to Norway. The border location makes cross-border trade and travel important for the area.

The economy is based on small-scale farming, fishing, forestry, and reindeer herding. The landscape features Arctic wilderness, with opportunities for viewing the northern lights in winter and the midnight sun in summer.