Torne River

Geography

The Torne basin has a total area of 37,300 square kilometres (14,400 sq mi) or 40,147.1 square kilometres (15,500.9 sq mi) (see sidebar). Of this, 25,392.2 km2 (9,804.0 sq mi) or 25,393.1 km2 (9,804.3 sq mi) is in Sweden, 10,400 km2 (4,000 sq mi) or 14,266.3 km2 (5,508.2 sq mi) is in Finland and 1,500 km2 (580 sq mi) or 497.7 km2 (192.2 sq mi) is in Norway.

Nominal source and hydrological source

The source of the Torne is generally believed to be the lake Torneträsk near the border with Norway.

But the main feeder of this lake is Abiskojåkka, flowing out of Abiskojaure, which is mainly fed by Kamajåkka, coming from tributary Gamajávri. This lake's major tributary is Válfojohka. That river comes from Lake Válfojávri in Norway's Nordland, but near to that lake it is joined by a nameless, longer stream, according to official Swedish maps fed by a small glacier, 1,189 m (3,901 ft) above sea level (68°16′02″N 18°07′41″E).

Lake Torne

Other affluents of Lake Torne are Njuoraätno and Kåppasjåkka in the west, Gurttejohka, Snurrijåkka, Bessešjohka, Bággesgorsajohka, Davip Duoptejohka, Lulip Duoptejohka, Sarvájohka and others in the north, and Rákkasjohka, Gohpasjohka, Miellejohka, Bessešjohka, Golkkokjohka, Nivsakkjohka and others in the south.

Above Torne lake, the watershed of the Torne includes the villages Riksgränsen, Katterjåkk, Vassijaure, Låktatjåkka, Kopperåsen and Tornehamn.

On the south shore of Torne lake are Björkliden, Abisko, Stordalen, Kaisepakte. Stenbacken and Torneträsk.

On the north shore are the Sami villages Laimoluokta and Kattuvuoma.

Upper river

Beyond the lake, the Torne River flows unhindered by any concentrations of human inhabitants until the village of Kurravaara, around 12 kilometres (7 mi) northeast of Kiruna.

The river splits in two parts that only join at Kurravaara; the part between the river is Alajávri nature reserve.

Between the lake and Kurravaara, the streams Čearrojogaš and Rávdojohka join on the right side, and shortly before Kurravaara, the 135-kilometre (84 mi) long Rautas River

flows into the Torne.

On the left side, the streams Gukkajohka, Reaskkajohka and Dápmokjohka join.

In the area between the two streams, the Beallejohka joins the right arm from the left.

After Kurravaara, the river proceeds Laxforsen, where it is joined from the right by the Luossajoki.

Here is the first bridge over the river for the road leading from the E10 to Laxforsen, Luossajärvi and Esrange. The river continues to Jukkasjärvi, where an ice hotel is built in winter from the river ice.

Beyond Paksuniemi, the river is joined by the Pounujoki from the right.

At Vittangi, the 126-kilometre (78 mi) long Vittangi river, which passes by Esrange, joins from the left.

Here is the second river-crossing bridge, used by the E45 to Karesuando.

The river then proceeds to Kuoksu, where it is crossed by the road to Lainio and Oksajärvi, and to Juopakosku, where the Junojoki joins from the left.

Lower river

From here the river flows south along the Finno-Swedish border.

Slightly south of Pajala is a border-crossing bridge for a road leading to Kolari, the eighth bridge over the main river from the source.

The river proceeds to the village Kassa.

At the village of Pello, which lies on both sides of the river, is a bridge between the two parts.

The river continues south to Svanstein, crosses the arctic circle at Juoksengi and proceeds to Niskanpää and Kuivakangas.

In Övertorneå (Finnish: Ylitornio) there is another bridge, the final road bridge before the sea.

Here, the 127-kilometre (79 mi) long Tengeliön River joins from the (Finnish) left side .

The river continues to Hedenäset and Risudden.

At Karungi, the Liakanjoki departs from the Torne river and flows to the Gulf of Bothnia independently in Finland.

From Karungi south, there are railways on both sides of the valley.

At Kukkola is Kukkolaforsen, a rapids which is also a tourist attraction.

Before finally arriving at the twin city of Haparanda/Tornio, it passes by the villages Vojakkala and Mattila.

In the twin city of Haparanda/Tornio are four more bridges: one for cyclists and pedestrians, one for local traffic, one for the E4 and the southernmost, last and 14th bridge over the Tornio river is a dual gauge railway bridge connecting the Swedish and Finnish railway systems.

History

Antti Keksi authored a poem about the 1677 river flood.

In the Treaty of Fredrikshamn in 1809, when Sweden lost the areas which constitute present-day Finland to Imperial Russia, the river was together with the Muonio River and Könkämä River chosen as border between Sweden and the new Russian Grand Duchy of Finland, thus splitting the provinces of Lappland and Västerbotten.

According to the treaty, the border shall follow the deepest part of the river. Near Haparanda/Tornio the border was fixed in the treaty, partly on land, so the city of Tornio would belong to Russia. Once every 25 years, a commission of Swedish and Finnish representatives shall review this border. This means that the border can move, such as in 2006 when such a border change was undertaken.

Natural history

Research on ice breakup on the river and on Lake Suwa in Japan suggested "global processes including climate change and variability are driving the long-term changes in ice seasonality."

Culture

The Torne river is vital to the history and culture of the Tornedalian people and features frequently and consistently in Tornedalian literature and cinema and is vital to traditional livelihoods. The Tornedalian name for the river Väylä also means path, artery or way. Tornedalians have inhabited the area since perhaps the 800s. From the later 1800s up until the 1950s the Swedish state attempted to forcefully assimilate Tornedalians and swedify Torne Valley.