Photo: Juha Vuolab.

Saami names on the maps

The systematic collection of Saami-language names was initiated in the 1960s. We have ca. 11,000 file card entries with Saami-language names in the Names Archive of the Research Institute for the Languages of Finland. The collections are used for the verification of the map names, carried out at the Research Institute for the Languages of Finland.

For example, the names in Leppäjärvi village in Enontekiö were still given almost exclusively in Finnish on the topographic map of 1970. In connection with the verification of the names, the map has been supplemented with traditional Saami-language names that are in use, based on data from the archives and other sources.  The additions and other changes have been stored in the Topographic Database of the National Land Survey, which is used as the basis for the maps to be published.


Sample from the topographic map of 1970.





























Sample from the topographic data base 2010.

The Saami region covers the municipalities of Enontekiö, Inari, and

Utsjoki, and the northern parts of the municipality of Sodankylä.