Perämeri National Park

The Bothnian Bay National Park (Finnish Perämeren kansallispuisto, swedish Bottenvikens national park ) is a national park in the Bothnian Bay, the northern part of the Gulf of Bothnia, to the north of Finland. It was founded in 1991 and is maintained by the National Forestry Authority Metsähallitus.

Geography

The Bothnian Bay National Park is located in the outer region of the archipelago area off the coast of Kemi and Tornio cities in the south of the province of Lapland. It has an area of 157 km ² ( of which 2.5 km ² land ).

The area consists of shallow, mostly less than 10 meters deep marine waters and around 30 islands and islets, which are partly forested, partly consist only of rocks. Through the postglacial land uplift the archipelago rise by 9 millimeters per year. The first islands of the national park arose about 1000 years ago from the sea. They were used until the 20th century as bases for fishing on the high seas. During the fishing season the fishermen lived for several months continuously on the islands and brought with them cattle that grazed on the islands and thus coined a meadow landscape. Only after the advent of motor boats that the fishermen on their bases in the archipelago. On the islands Selkä Sarvi -, iso- and Huituri Pensaskari some historical buildings of fishing villages have been preserved. In addition, can be found on Iso - Huituri a limit mark of the 14th century, which marked the boundary of the tithe areas of the dioceses of Uppsala and Turku.

Animal and plant life

In the area of the National Park breed around 60 species of birds, including terns, velvet scoter, black guillemots, Ruddy Turnstone, Temminck's Stint, Little Terns and Scaup.

In addition, growing on the archipelago of the National Park some rare plant species such as Primula nutans. This Primelgewächs occurs only in coastal areas, which are caused by the land uplift.