Saamiland

Which country uses the flag shown above?
The native peoples of the northern parts of the Scandinavian Uplands hunt, fish, gather, and (distinctive to them) herd reindeer.
Out of what materials and for which seasons did/do they build their different shelters?

Source: German children's picture book

Answers: 1) This is the Swedish flag. The Saami live in the northern parts of Norway, Sweden, and Finland.
2) Logs, mud, and sod roofs are used to build winter shelter; reindeer skins and wooden poles are used for temporary summer shelter.

The Saami of Norway live mostly in the province of Finnmark. The 45,000 Norwegian Saami have their own language. They also have subsidised radio and television programmes, special schools and university courses, and their own parliament. But their economy lags far behind Batsfjord's (see map). Kautokeino is Finnmark's largest Saami settlement. When the reindeer-slaughtering season is over, unemployment goes up to 20%. Their average income is the lowest in Norway; barely a third of a rich Oslo suburbanite's. Plans to reduce the size of the reindeer herds (which studies show to be unsustainable) will force more Saami out of their old ways. The main question facing Kautokeino is how far modern development should be encouraged at the risk of destroying traditions. The Saami are wary of government wishes to modernise and strongly dislike mining plans. Yet they want development; so long as it is on their own strict terms. They would certainly like an airport to help lure tourists and small companies. "If it was a Norwegian community with this kind of unemployment," says one, "you could bet they'd get their airport." Source: The Economist, 29 Nov. 1997, pp. 55-56.