Finnmarksvidda

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Part of Finnmarksvidda in Alta; the Alta valley in the background

The eastern part of Finnmarksvidda (Karasjok and Tana) is located at the lowest elevation, and the river valleys are only 100 - 250 m amsl.

Finnmarksvidda (the Finnmark plateau; Finnmark highland) is Norway's largest mountain plateau, with an area greater than 22,000 km². It lies at 300-500 meters above sea level. Approximately 36% of Finnmark county lies in the Finnmarksvidda. From Alta in the west to Varangerhalvøya in the east is over 400 km, and from north to south it is at least that long, and the plateau extends into Finland.

The plateau includes extensive birch woods, pine barrens, bogs and glacially formed lakes. Finnmarksvidda is situated north of the Arctic Circle and is best known as the land of the Sami people and their reindeer herds. The Sami used to live as nomads and in the middle of the tundra you will find their shelters which are still in use in winter time when the herder is looking after the reindeer herds.

Øvre Anarjóhka National Park lies in the Finnmarksvidda in Finnmark county, Norway. The park was opened in 1976 and is 1409 km² in area.

Finnmarksvidda in the interior of the county has a continental climate with the coldest winter temperatures in Norway: the coldest temperature ever recorded was -51.4 °C (-60.5 °F) in Karasjok January 1 1886. The 24-hr averages for January & July at the same location are -17.1 °C (1.2 °F) and 13.1 °C (55.6 °F), year average is -2.4 °C (28 °F) and precipitation is only 366 mm (14.43 in)/year^[1]. Karasjok has recorded up to 32.4 °C (90.3 °F) in July, this gives a possible year amplitude of 84 °C (151 °F), which is rare in Europe. Finnmarksvidda has annual mean temperatures down to -3 °C (27 °F) (Sihcajavri in Kautokeino), this is the coldest in mainland Norway (except for higher mountains areas), and is even colder than Jan Mayen and Bjørnøya.