HAPARANDA, a town of Sweden in the district (lan) of Norbotten, at the head of the Gulf of Bothnia. Pop. (1928) 2,624. It lies about I 1 m. from the mouth of the Torne river, on the frontier with Finland, opposite the town of Tornei.. The towns are divided by a marshy channel. Haparanda was founded in 1812, and at first bore the name of Karljohannstad. Some ship building is done and tar is exported. Sea-going vessels load and unload at Salmio, 7 m. from Haparanda. Mean temperature, February io.6° ; July 59.o°. Rainfall, 16.5 in. annually. Up the Tome valley (54 m.) is the hill Avasaxa, whither pilgrimages were formerly made in order to stand in the light of the sun at midnight on St. John's day (June 24).