Kiruna Municipality
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| Missing image Kiruna_Municipality.png See also:Municipalities of Sweden | Coat of arms Missing image Kiruna_City_Arms.jpg | |
| Seat | Kiruna | |
| County | Norrbotten County | |
| Province | Norrbotten | |
| Area Rank | 19,446.8 km² 1st of 290 | |
| Population Rank | 23,254 (2005) 105th of 290 | |
| Density | 1.2/km² | |
Kiruna Municipality is a Municipality in northernmost Sweden where the city Kiruna is seat of government. The municipality has the largest area in Sweden with 19,446.8 km². The name comes from the Sami language Giron and means ptarmigan, a white bird native to northern areas. This bird is also depicted on the city arms, together with the sign for Iron.
Being located 145 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle, Kiruna has perpetual daylight, the midnight sun, approximately from 30 May to 15 July. The polar night is a few weeks shorter, lasting December 13 – January 5.
Kiruna is the northernmost municipality in Sweden, and geographically it is as large as the three southernmost counties of Scania, Blekinge and Halland grouped together. At one time Kiruna was listed as the largest city in the world by area, but after the Swedish municipality reform in the 1970's the area is no longer a part of a city.
The local mountain, Kebnekaise, is Sweden's highest mountain at 2,117 metres above sea level. There are more than 6,000 lakes in Kiruna municipality, with Torneträsk Lake as the largest. Seven rivers run through the municipality, named Kalix River, Torne River, Lainio River, Rautas River and Vittangi River, as well as the Könkämä River and Muonio River which mark the border with Finland.
Lapland1940.png
(Borders as of 1920–1940.)
Iron ore extraction is a key industry of the area, and the town is very dependent on the mining company LKAB.
In 2004, it was decided that the present centre of the municipality (N67°49'48'', E20°25'48'') must be relocated, since it is in danger of sinking in 1 kilometre deep due to the iron ore mining. The relocation should be made gradually over the next decade.
See also
- Esrange
- Swedish Institute of Space Physics
- Radiotjänst i Kiruna
- Swedish iron ore during World War II
External links
- Kiruna (http://www.kiruna.se) - Official site
- BBC - Sweden to save sinking town (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3694204.stm)de:Kiruna