Where is Lapland located in Sweden?

Do you know where Lapland is located? And even better: what is actually is? Because I can tell you: it’s not an actual country. Although the question “where is Lapland located” sounds simple, it is a somewhat longer and/or different answer than you might expect. I have been living in Swedish Lapland since the summer of 2023 and in this article I answer the question, from my own experience: where is Lapland actually located?

Hej hej! My name is Antonette and in 2023 I moved from The Netherlands to Sweden. On my website, you will only find firsthand information, written by a local. Enjoy! 

To immediately help you out of the dream: Lapland is not a country, but a region. Lapland refers to the northernmost part of Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. This is the land of the Sámi, the indigenous people of Lapland.

When talking about the Sámi, never use the word ‘Lapps’, this literally means the word rags as we know it (cloths) and is considered very rude. 

Note that the Sámi actually prefer to use the word Sámiland. However, Sámi also live in several other regions in Sweden such as Dalarna and Härjedalen-Jämtland.

Sweden is divided into provinces (län) and landscapes (regions). There are 25 different landscapes that actually have that function from the past in terms of history and culture. The landscapes have no administrative function. The 21 provinces were founded in 1634 to replace the landscapes, to create a modern administrative division. 

In Sweden, Lapland (in Swedish: Lappland) is a landscape consisting of the provinces of Västerbottens län and Norbottens län. I live just across the border between Jämtland and Lappland, in the province of Västerbottens län. So I live in both Lappland and Västerbottens län (not to be confused with the Västerbotten landscape).

In Sweden, Lapland is a region (landskap).

To make it even more confusing, Sweden often talks about Norrland, or the northern country. Norrland, in turn, is a part of the country and is often used for matters such as the weather forecast. Norrland covers more than half of the area of ​​Sweden. So Lapland is part of Norrland. So if you hear a Swede say that he comes from the north of Sweden (Norrland), it could still mean that he lives somewhere in central Sweden as this is a general term.

Although Norrland is the largest part of Sweden with over 59% of the area, only 12% of the residents live there. 

I have spoken to many Swedes who live here in the north and they hardly use the term Lapland themselves. They often prefer to talk about Västerbottens län or Norbottens län. In my opinion, Lapland is more of a marketing term used to describe the north of Europe. If you follow my Instagram channel, you may notice that I alternate between the terms Lapland and Northern Sweden. If I were to talk about Västerbottens län, no one would know what it was about. Lapland and Northern Sweden appeal much more to the imagination. So when people ask me where I live, the answer I get is the name of my place of residence and “it is in Swedish Lapland.”

Follow my daily life in Lapland on Instagram

Would you like to read more about Sweden and what exactly the provinces and regions are like? Then buy my e-book Sweden for beginners, where I explain all about landscapes, provinces and all you want to know before you go to Sweden for the very first time!

E-book Sweden for Beginners

Are you planning your first trip to Sweden? Excellent choice—there’s a good chance you’ll fall in love with this country just like I did.

I was once a beginner myself. Back in 2015, to be exact. Since then, I’ve traveled to Sweden every year, and since 2023 I’ve been living in Swedish Lapland. In my e-book, you’ll find everything you need to know about your first trip to Sweden, written by a local (me!).

I share many of my own experiences and all the things I wish I had known when I first traveled to Sweden in 2015.

View the e-book

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Although the answer to the question “where is Lapland located” is not entirely clear and certainly not simple, I hope that I have given you an idea of ​​where Lapland is and what Lapland is. The Swedish Lapland that is. If you have any questions about this article, please feel free to leave a comment!

Would you like to read more about Lapland? This can be done in the following blogs:

• What to do in Lapland in summer
• Arvidsjaur: one of the nicest villages in Lapland
• Treriksröset: the Three-Country Point of Sweden, Norway and Finland
• Grodkällan på Slengmyren, the most beautiful lake in Sweden

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