Kittilä Gihttel Kittâl Kihttel | |
|---|---|
Municipality | |
| Kittilän kunta Kommunen Kittilä | |
 View from the top of Kätkätunturi | |
 Coat of arms | |
 Location of Kittilä in Finland | |
| Coordinates:67°39′N024°54.5′E / 67.650°N 24.9083°E /67.650; 24.9083 | |
| Country |  Finland |
| Region | Lapland |
| Sub-region | Fell Lapland |
| Charter | 1854 |
| Government | |
| • Municipality manager | Antti Jämsén |
| Area (2018-01-01)[1] | |
• Total | 8,262.97 km2 (3,190.35 sq mi) |
| • Land | 8,095.28 km2 (3,125.61 sq mi) |
| • Water | 168.71 km2 (65.14 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 3rd largest in Finland |
| Population (2024-12-31)[2] | |
• Total | 6,833 |
| • Rank | 134th largest in Finland |
| • Density | 0.84/km2 (2.2/sq mi) |
| • Village | 2,229 |
| Population by native language | |
| • Finnish | 93.7% (official) |
| • Swedish | 0.4% |
| • Sami | 0.4% |
| • Others | 5.5% |
| Population by age | |
| • 0 to 14 | 15% |
| • 15 to 64 | 63.6% |
| • 65 or older | 21.5% |
| Time zone | UTC+02:00 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+03:00 (EEST) |
| Website | kittila |
Kittilä (Northern Sami:Gihttel,Inari Sami:Kittâl,Skolt Sami:Kihttel) is amunicipality ofFinland and a popular holiday resort.
It is located in northern Finland north of theArctic Circle within theLaplandregion. The municipality has a population of 6,833 (31 December 2024)[2] and covers an area of 8,262.97 square kilometres (3,190.35 sq mi) of which 168.71 km2 (65.14 sq mi) is water.[1] Thepopulation density is 0.84 inhabitants per square kilometre (2.2/sq mi).
Kittilä is famous for being the location of the lowest recorded temperature in Finnish history: −51.5 °C (−60.7 °F), measured in January 1999 in Pokka. The "midnight sun" is above the horizon from 29 May to 16 July, and the period with continuous daylight lasts a bit longer,polar night from 14 December to 29 December.
Kittilä has asubarctic climate (Dfc) as a result of its northerly location and being far inland, which renders strong seasonal shifts. Thesun does not set between 30 May and 15 July (47 days), and white nights lasts from early May to early August.The period that the sun does not rise lasts from 14 December to 29 December (16 days), the exact boundaries depending on localTopography. Although winter temperatures are cold they are still less severe than in similar locations elsewhere in the world due to someGulf Stream influence. In summer temperatures generally are moderate, although warm days are possible. On 28 January 1999, Pokka, Kittilä recorded the official lowest temperature in Finland, -51.5 °C (-60.7 °F). On the same day, a temperature of -56.5 °C (-69.7 °F) was recorded in Pokka, Kittilä. However, this temperature is not considered an official record due to being recorded at a decommissioned weather station.[5]
| Climate data for Kittilä Pokka (1991-2020 normals, extremes 1971 - present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 5.1 (41.2) | 6.5 (43.7) | 9.5 (49.1) | 15.0 (59.0) | 28.5 (83.3) | 30.2 (86.4) | 31.8 (89.2) | 30.9 (87.6) | 22.0 (71.6) | 12.6 (54.7) | 8.5 (47.3) | 6.0 (42.8) | 31.8 (89.2) |
| Mean maximum °C (°F) | 0.3 (32.5) | 0.9 (33.6) | 4.5 (40.1) | 10.0 (50.0) | 19.6 (67.3) | 24.6 (76.3) | 26.0 (78.8) | 23.7 (74.7) | 17.3 (63.1) | 8.9 (48.0) | 2.4 (36.3) | 1.5 (34.7) | 27.2 (81.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −8.8 (16.2) | −8.3 (17.1) | −2.9 (26.8) | 2.8 (37.0) | 9.0 (48.2) | 15.6 (60.1) | 19.0 (66.2) | 16.1 (61.0) | 10.1 (50.2) | 1.8 (35.2) | −3.8 (25.2) | −6.7 (19.9) | 3.7 (38.6) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −12.9 (8.8) | −12.4 (9.7) | −7.8 (18.0) | −1.7 (28.9) | 4.3 (39.7) | 10.4 (50.7) | 13.5 (56.3) | 11.1 (52.0) | 5.8 (42.4) | −1.2 (29.8) | −7.0 (19.4) | −10.4 (13.3) | −0.7 (30.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −18.0 (−0.4) | −17.7 (0.1) | −13.7 (7.3) | −7.2 (19.0) | −0.5 (31.1) | 5.5 (41.9) | 8.4 (47.1) | 6.1 (43.0) | 1.9 (35.4) | −4.3 (24.3) | −10.8 (12.6) | −15.3 (4.5) | −5.5 (22.2) |
| Mean minimum °C (°F) | −35.6 (−32.1) | −34.3 (−29.7) | −30.2 (−22.4) | −22.1 (−7.8) | −8.7 (16.3) | −1.2 (29.8) | 1.5 (34.7) | −2.4 (27.7) | −6.4 (20.5) | −17.7 (0.1) | −25.5 (−13.9) | −31.3 (−24.3) | −38.1 (−36.6) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −51.5 (−60.7) | −43.0 (−45.4) | −42.8 (−45.0) | −33.2 (−27.8) | −21.4 (−6.5) | −4.5 (23.9) | −2.3 (27.9) | −10.1 (13.8) | −13.9 (7.0) | −28.6 (−19.5) | −38.0 (−36.4) | −42.0 (−43.6) | −51.5 (−60.7) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 30 (1.2) | 25 (1.0) | 25 (1.0) | 25 (1.0) | 31 (1.2) | 48 (1.9) | 62 (2.4) | 63 (2.5) | 52 (2.0) | 46 (1.8) | 39 (1.5) | 31 (1.2) | 477 (18.7) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 19 (7.5) | 19 (7.5) | 19 (7.5) | 12 (4.7) | 7 (2.8) | — | — | — | 1 (0.4) | 8 (3.1) | 20 (7.9) | 26 (10) | 131 (52) |
| Average precipitation days | 7 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 98 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%)(daily average) | 86 | 85 | 81 | 76 | 68 | 66 | 71 | 76 | 83 | 90 | 90 | 86 | 80 |
| Source 1: www.ilmatieteenlaitos.fi[6] kilotavu.com[7] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: weather-atlas.com[8] | |||||||||||||
 | This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(December 2022) |
In the 1980s and 1990s, Kittilä had a tourism boom. The village of Lainio became a hotbed for tourism innovation and included the planned construction of glass-roofed cabins for viewing of theaurora and luxury accommodations built aroundNeitokainen, a Finland-shaped lake. TheIriadamant eco-cult made a deal with a tourism company to act as an attraction in exchange for land and provisions.[9]
The ski resortLevi is situated in the village of Sirkka, Kittilä on Levi Fell (in Finnish "Levitunturi") (elevation 531 metres (1742 feet)). The resort hosts a slalom event early each season on theAlpine World Cup circuit and offers both downhill and cross-country skiing to the public, as well assnow shoeing, including to the next nearestfell, Kätkätunturi, located west of Levitunturi. Kätkätunturi is 504.6 metres (1,656 ft) high and 7 kilometres (4 mi) long.
On 5 June 2006, it was announced that a Canadian mining corporationAgnico-Eagle Mines will start a newgold mine in Kittilä. Once completed, it will be the biggest gold mine inEurope. Experts say that the deposits hold at least three million ounces ofgold, by current market price worth 1.8 billionU.S. dollars. The mine is expected to produce an average of 150,000 ounces of gold annually for at least 13 years.
Kittilä Airport is served byFinnair andNorwegian Air.TUI Airways also serves the airport from various UK bases as part of their programme of ski flights, as well as Christmas specials and flights in support of theWhen You Wish Upon A Star children's foundation. TheLufthansa group also has flights betweenGermany and Kittilä.
Media related toKittilä at Wikimedia Commons
Kittilä travel guide from Wikivoyage
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