Finnmark
[key], county, 18,783 sq mi (46,648 sq km), N Norway, bordering on the
Arctic Ocean in the north, on the Barents Sea in the east, on Russia in the
southeast, and on Finland in the south. It forms the northernmost part of
the Scandinavian peninsula and is the largest—but least
populated—county of Norway. The main towns are Vadsø (the
capital) and Hammerfest. Its coast is deeply indented by large fjords,
notably the Tanafjord and the Varangerfjord. There are numerous islands off
the coast; on one of them is North Cape. The population consists largely of
Sami (Lapps) and Finns. Fishing, reindeer raising, farming, and mining are
the chief occupations. There are large iron mines near Kirkenes and rich
mineral deposits in the Kautokeino region. Finnmark was severely damaged
(1944) by the Germans in World War II.
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