LAPI &ND. The territory still known under this name does not constitute a separate political autonomy, but is included under the dominions of Sweden and Norway, and 0:Russia. Lapland, or the land of the Lapps, which is called by the natives Sameanda, or Somellada, ocebpies the n. and the me. portions of the Scandinavian peninsula. and toe extreme north-western districts of the Russian dominion, within the grand duchy of Finland. Norwegian Lapland is included under the provinces of Norrland and Fin mark; Swedish Lapland. under North and South Bothnia, and divided into Torneit. Lulea, Piteit, Umeit, A selii Lappmark; Russian Lapland, under Finland, in the circles of Keini and Cola. Norwegian Lapland comprises an area of nearly 26.500 sq.m., with a native pop. of 5,000: Swedish Lapland, an area of 50,600 sq.m., with 4,000 inhabitants; and Russian Lapland, an area of 11,300 sq.ni., with a pop: of 8,800. These numbers ;refer merely to the true Lapps, in addition to whom there are Fins, Swedes, Norwegians, :and Russians, settled in various parts of the Lappish territory, whose respective num. .hers probably bring the pop. of the several parts to about the following figures—viz., for Norwegian Lapland, about 50,000; for Swedish Lapland, about 14,000; and fm Russian Lapland, about 60,000; but the boundaries of these divisions are so loosely -defined and their areas and populations so variously given by different writers, that it is difficult to arrive at an accurate estimate of either. The climate of the Lappish terri tory is extremely cold for nine months of the year; while the excessive heat of July and Aug., when in the northernmost parts the sun never sets for several weeks, is only sep arated from the cold seasons by a short spring and autumn of a couple of weeks. The general limit of the cereals is 66' n. lat.; but barley can be grown as far u. in Lapland as The country is covered over a considerable part of its surface with forests, con sisting chiefly of birch, pine, fir, and alder, and having an undergrowth of lichens and mosses, which supply abundant food for the herds of reindeer which constitute the sources of wealth to the inhabitants. Many elevated tracts are, however, entirely destitute of vegetation, and consequently uninhabitable.
The Lapps or Laplanders, who are classed ethnologically in the same family as the Fins, Est'Ionians, and Li vonians, and who occupy the most northern parts of the Scan dinavian peninsula, are distinguished, in accordance with the nature of their pursuits, -as the Soelappen and the Boelapperi, or the sea-faring and land-tilling Lapps. They were originally all nomadic; but the difficulty of finding sufficient food within the limited space to which the increasing civilization of the neighboring people had gradually restricted them, has compelled some of the tribes to settle near the larger rivers and lakes, where they follow the pursuits of fishing and hunting with considerable success.
They show great skill as marksmen, and regularly supply the large annual markets of Vitaugi and Kengis with game and skins, which are sent by Torneit to Stockholm, where they find a ready mart. The Lapps, who call themselves the or Sahrnelads, :are a physically ill-developed, diminutive race, with small eyes, low forehead, high .cheek-bones, pointed chin, and scanty beard. They are, however, neither wanting in mental capacity nor manual dexterity; and in the seminary for Lapp teachers at Tron -denaes, in the district of Senjen, several of the students have distinguished themselves by their extensive acquirements. In the mythical sagas of Scandinavia the Lapps are represented as an inferior race, distinguished only for craft and treachery, and addicted 40 practices of sorcery. They are regarded, in accordance with the same authorities, as -the original occupiers of the whole of Scandinavia, from the fertile and more southern portions of which they were in ancient times driven forth by the superior, god-descended race of Odin, who banished them to the inhospitable regions in which they are now cir cumscribed. Their tendency to deceit is probably in a great measure to be attributed to the inferior position in which they are kept by the Norwegians, Swedes, and Rus sians, near whom they live, for they are honest and strongly attached to their own people and country; and although they are still superstitions and credulous, they are not devoid of religious sentiment. They conform to the Christian faith of their neigh bors—the Norwegian Lapps belonging to the Lutheran, and the Russian Lapps to the Greek church. The Bible has been translated into their own language, which is divided, like that of all nomadic tribes, into numerous dialects, whose many affinities and differ ences have of late years attracted much attention from northern and German philologists. The number of the Lapps probably falls below 20,000 (see above), of whom about half are included in the population of Sweden and Norway, and half within the Russian -dominions. The reindeer is the chief source of wealth, supplying the people with most of the articles of food and clothing which they use. Their dwellings consist .either of conically shaped mud-huts, raised on stakes, and almost impervious to light and air, or of hide-covered tents. Towns or villages are unknown amongst them. The contempt with which they are regarded by the tall, well-developed Norwegian peasants hinders all amalgamation between the races, while their peculiar habits, and the tenacity with which they cling to their own customs, tends still more to isolate them from the neigh boring nations.