Karesuando

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Karesuando

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image_caption = Karesuando church
pushpin_

subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = Sweden
subdivision_type1 = Municipality
subdivision_name1 = Kiruna Municipality
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Norrbotten County
subdivision_type3 = Province
subdivision_name3 = Lappland
area_footnotes = cite web |title=Tätorternas landareal, folkmängd och invånare per km² 2000 och 2005 |publisher=Statistics Sweden |url=http://www.scb.se/statistik/MI/MI0810/2005A01B/T%E4torternami0810tab1.xls |format=xls |language=Swedish |accessdate=2008-05-15]
area_total_km2 = 0.9
population_as_of = 2005-12-31
population_footnotes =
population_total = 313
population_density_km2 = 348
timezone = CET
utc_offset = +1
timezone_DST = CEST
utc_offset_DST = +2
latd=68 |latm=27 |lats= |latNS=N
longd=22 |longm=29 |longs= |longEW=E
website =

Karesuando (Finnish "Kaaresuvanto", Sami "Karesuanto", "Gárasavvon" or "Karasavvon") is the northernmost locality (pop. 313 in 2005) and church village of Sweden, located at the Muonio River on the border to Finland. The village is in Kiruna Municipality, Norrbotten County.

On the Finnish side of the river, the Finnish village of Kaaresuvanto is located (pop. about 140). According to Finnish tradition they are one and the same village (with pop. about 470), but they are usually considered different, since there is a national border in between.

The village got its first buildings in 1670, when Måns Mårtensson Karesuando, called "Hyvä Maunu Martinpoika" in Finnish and "Good Maunu, Son of Martin" in English, bought land from Sami Henrik Nilsson Nikkas. The vicar and botanist Lars Levi Laestadius worked in Karesuando where he founded laestadianism named after him.

The area is traditionally Finnish speaking and the border was drawn for political reasons in 1809, not because of any cultural border. Later of course a cultural and language difference has grown because of school and church influence.

Karesuando/Kaaresuvanto is the northernmost point on the European route E45.

References