Karasjok

Karasjok (Kárášjohka in North Sámi) sits near the centre of Finnmark, on the inland plateau of northern Norway. It is one of the principal centres of Sámi life in the country, home to the Sámi Parliament of Norway, the Sámi museum, and the Old Karasjok Church, which dates from 1807 and is the oldest church in Finnmark, one of the few buildings in the region to survive the Second World War. It is also the birthplace of 50 Degrees North's founder Tietse Stelma.

Around 90% of the population speak Sámi, one of the highest proportions anywhere, and the surrounding plateau provides autumn and winter grazing for a reindeer population that reaches more than 60,000 at its peak. The climate is continental and severe, with dry, bitterly cold winters and short, cool summers. Karasjok holds the record for the coldest temperature ever measured in Norway, minus 51.4°C.

Karasjok is a working Sámi community rather than a museum of one. Visitors can meet local families, learn about reindeer herding as it is practised today, and hear how Sámi culture has continued and adapted over generations. Traditional food includes bidos, a reindeer stew often served at celebrations, and joik, the Sámi song tradition, remains a living form of expression. In winter, the plateau above the town can be reached by ski, by reindeer sled or by snowmobile, and the long dark season makes it one of the better places in Norway to see the Northern Lights.

Population (municipality): approximately 2,600. Municipal area: 5,453 km².