Ranua

Over half of the Ranua area consist of mires and bogs shattered around, the rest being temperate lowland forest. The landscape is fairly flat and the highest peak reaches just 277 meters above sea level. Waters from the over 30 km long lake Simojärvi flow into Baltic Sea through river Simojoki, which is notable as it is one of those very few rivers still having their original Baltic Sea salmon population breeding.

Ranua had been inhabited by semi-nomadic forest Sámi until the 1600s when the first Finnish settlers arrived. There has been some kind of settlements by the lake Simojärvi for ages, but until the early 1900s the area has been very sparsely populated, and even nowadays virtually all the people reside by the river banks and lakesides. Many islands in Simojärvi appears to have been used as a graveyards. People have traditionally got their income from rural activities – first from hunting, and later also from reindeer husbandry and farming. Today tourism is the main business.

During the Lapland War of 1944–1945 (against the German former allies) Ranua suffered heavy battles, especially the one at Ylimaa. Most of the population was evacuated to Ostrobothnia.

Today Ranua has got 3,900 permanent residents of which about half reside in the parish village. The population trend is slightly declining even though the birth rate here is very high related to the rest of Lapland. The young move to study either in Rovaniemi or Oulu. The municipality is heavily bound with Rovaniemi and nearly one fifth of workers have their jobs there. The unemployment rate is relatively high though. Ranua is a popular "summer cottage municipality" and the summer residents almost double the population.

The main attraction is Ranua Wildlife Park, which opened in 1983. It is the second northernmost zoo in the world and specializes on (sub)arctic species. The municipality is also famous for the cloudberry fair in early August.

By car:

Ranua is situated 80 km (1 hour) south of Rovaniemi and 160 km (2 hours) north-east of Oulu, and is thus a possible day or half day trip destination from these cities. It is very likely that you will see reindeer crossing or walking next to the highway so you need to be vigilant not to crash into one, especially in the winter when the roads are slippery.

By bus:

Ranua is connected to Rovaniemi and Oulu by Matkahuolto long distance bus and shuttle bus YourBusRovaniemi from Rovaniemi to Ranua Zoo.