LAPLAND, the most northerly country of Europe, extends from north to south about 500 English miles, and about 300 from west to east. Its limits are not very precisely as certained ; but it may be said to be included between the of North Latitude and the Northern Ocean, and be tween the North Cape and the White Sea. It consists of three distinct divisions, Russian, Norwegian, and Swedish Lapland. Russian Lapland comprehends all that part of the country, which is situated to the east of the river Tor neo, (whielt falls into the Gulf of Bothnia, about 40' North Latitude, after holding a course nearly due south) ; and is subdivided into three districts, one stretching along the north coast, another bordering on the White Sea, and a third inland, adjoining to the lake Enarak. Norwegian Lapland, the smallest division, is a narrow strip along the west and north coast, divided into three portions, named Norland, West Finmark, and East Finmark. Swedish Lapland, which is the largest and most southerly division, occupies the interior part of the country, on the west of the river Torneo: and is divi,:ed into four provinces. namely, Umea Lapmark, to the south ; Pitea Lapmark, in the cen tre ; Lulea Lapmark, and Tome° Lapmark, towards the north. The city of Torneo was doubtless originally reck oned within the boundaries of Lapland ; but as the Lap Landers have been gradually driven northward, ka, a town about 140 miles distant from Torneo, is now ge nerally considered as the boundary between Westrobothina, and Lapland properly so called. Lapland has been by Wahlenberg into five zones, concentric with the Gull of Bothnia, and differing from each other in climate and pro ductions. The fiat, extending obliquely round the Gulf of Bothnia, from North Latitude 64° to nearly i 69°, and form ing a zone generally 80 miles in breadth, s covered with forests of the spruce and Scotch fir, and mined woody Lap land. The second, higher and colder than the first, ex tending from latitude 63° to nearly 70°, and generally only 6 or 8 miles in breadth, contains the Scotch fi i r, and is de nominated snbwoody Lipiand. The third, higher than any of the preceding, stretches, like the second, from 65° to 70° of North Latitude, generally about 12 miles in breadth, except to the north-east of Enontekis, where it is about 40°, produces the birch, but none of the pines, and is called the subalpine region. The fourth, immediately behind the third, and nearly of the same breadth, and still higher than any of the preceding, produces only the Salix glauca, a spe cies of willow peculiar to very cold climates, and is named the lower alpine region. The fifth, the farthest from the Gulf of Bothnia, extending along the north side of Lapland, and varying in breadth according as it is indented by the sea, is the most elevated tract of the whole, the greater part of it being above the line of perpetual congelation, and covered with eternal snows, produces no trees, and scarcely any vegetation whatever, except a few hardy plants where the snow has been melted, is denominated the higher alpine region. The whole of woody Lapland is so level, that
scarcely one of the mountains rises higher than 213 feet above the neighbouring plains ; and in none of the three first zones is the height above the level of the sea consi derable. In those lower distlicts, however, are several mountains considerably elevated ; and one particularly named Quickjock, in latitude 67°, is 1140 feet above the level of the sea. The church of Enontekis is 1429 feet above the level of the sea, and thence to the top of the Lapland Alps the ground rises constantly, but so gradual ly, that it is practicable to go in a boat to the lake Kieles jarvi, which is in so elevated a situation, that the birch tree is scarcely to be found in its neighbourhood. The Lap land Alps, passing through the southern part of the coun try as high as the lake of Torneo, retain nearly the same ele vation through the whole of their extent, and no part is con sidered to be lower than 2132 feet above the level of the sea ; but the most elevated mountains occur in the southern parts of Lulea Lapmark ; and one of them named Sulitel ma, which is the highest mountain of Lapland, is 4903, and, at its northern point, 6178 feet above the level of the This his immense glacier is situated in 67° North Lati tude, and 161° East Longitude front Greenwich. Another named Olmajalos, a little to the north of Sulitelma, is 5543 feet in height ; and Tulpajegna, a very extensive glacier, is 4050 feet. These mountains are more than 2700 feet above the line of perpetual congelation, and are the coldest re gions of Lapland. Those of Getsetjack, Pernitjack, and datjack, lying to the north of the last mentioned, are sup posed to be little inferior in height ; but, from 68r of North Latitude, the alpine range, which continues with little in terruption till it terminates at the North Cape, in the Fro zen Ocean, diminishes in height ; and though , o gh covered with snow, is free from glaciers. OF the maritime Alps, which occupy the western and northern part of Lapland, the prin cipal chain, extending from the insular promontory of Lof foden, and the western side of the gulf of Alum, contains man) mountains, winch rise above the line of perpetual congelation, and bear glaciers immediately over the sea.