Meänmaa

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Meänmaa, also called Meänkieli for “Our Land,” is the border area between Sweden and Finland. It’s also known as the Torne Valley or Torne River Valley because the Torne River runs through it and flows into the Gulf of Bothnia.

Where it is
- In Sweden: Haparanda, Övertorneå, Pajala, Kiruna, and often Gällivare.
- In Finland: Tornio, Ylitornio, Pello, Kolari, Muonio, Enontekiö.
- The area around the river is sometimes described as Meänmaa even though its borders are broader than the river valley.

People and language
- The people are called Tornedalians. The Meänkieli language is a Finnic language spoken in the area.
- On the Finnish side, Finnish is the official language.
- Meänkieli has been recognized as a minority language in Sweden.
- Many younger people on the Swedish side speak Swedish as their main language, but Meänkieli is still spoken in homes.

History and culture
- The region was part of Sweden until 1809, when the border with Finland was drawn.
- Because of the border, cultures and languages on the two sides have influenced each other, but traditional elements remain.
- The area has farming, reindeer herding, and fishing. People have lived here since at least the 11th century, with farming on river meadows and trading along the river.
- One old trading center was Oravaisensaari at Vojakkala. Today the main center is the twin city of Haparanda-Tornio.

Names and language in the land
- The Meänmaa region is large and includes places with three names in different languages: Meänkieli, Sámi, and Swedish. For example, Kiruna is Kiruna in Swedish, Kieruna in Meänkieli, and Giron in North Sámi.
- The area where Meänkieli is spoken is also called Meänmaa.

Flag
- Since June 15, 2006, Tornedalians have their own flag.

Meänmaa is in northern Sweden and northern Finland, centered along the Torne River.