Skibotn

Skibotn ( _se. Ivgubahta, _fi. Markkina or Yykeänperä) is a village with approximately 700 inhabitants in Storfjord municipality, located on the southeastern shore of the "Lyngen Fjord" in the Northern Norwegian county of Troms. The distance by road to the northernmost community in the western "arm" of Finland, Kilpisjärvi, is approximately 50 kilometers.

Skibotn is located in a valley, surrounded by large mountains - such as "Nallagais", "Imagais", "Steindalsbreen", "Balggesvarr" and "Storfjellet". Skibotn is known for its dry climate with frequent clear skies in the Skibotn valley, and the calcareous pine forests, with rare orchids. Due to the climate with few clouds, there is an astrophysical observatory located in Skibotn ( [http://www.phys.uit.no/fysikk/astro/skibotn_main.htm] ).

The modern day residents of Skibotn are mostly either descendant of the Kven and Sami peoples, or immigrants - and their descendants - of Southern and Central Norway.

The well known Sami writer Nils-Aslak Valkeapää lived in Skibotn for a significant part of his life. Leonhard Seppala, the dog sled racing legend, was born in Skibotn.

External links

* [http://www.nordiclichensociety.org/Excursions/NLF2003/NLF2003_opdateret_2006.htm Nordiclichensociety: About Skibotn valley]
* [http://www.mycotaxon.com/resources/checklists/elvebakk-v96-checklist.pdf University of Tromsø: The rich lichen flora of Skibotn] pdf