Sápmi, as the Sámi, the indigenous people north of the Arctic Circle, call their territory, covers a geographical area from the north of Norway, Sweden and Finland to the Russian Kola Peninsula and Karelia. Bordered by the Barents Sea and the European Arctic Ocean, the land area encompasses open areas of the subpolar climate zone, the so-called tundra, as well as extensive boreal coniferous forests, the taiga. Characterised by the harsh climate and the half-yearly darkness, this area challenges all living creatures to the utmost.