1. Protected areas and National
Parks in Europe
URHO KEKKONEN NATIONAL PARK
Nature and animals

2. Facts
Urho Kekkonen National Park is located
in north-eastern Finland, Lapland
The park also known as Koilliskaira
The park was established in 1.May 1983
The second nature protection area in
Finland
The park covers the area of 225 000 ha

3. Location on map
The College of Central
Finland is in Suolahti
Helsinki is the capital of
Finland located to south
From Helsinki to Urho Kekkonen
national park there is about 1070
km distance

4. Specialities
The most majestic views of forested
Lapland.
Round shaped and bald fell tops
The rough nature
A rich and wide range of species
The wilderness
Old forests

5. Everyman’s right
People of all nationalities have the right to enjoy the Finnish
countryside freely under the traditional Finnish legal
concept known as everyman’s right.
Special regulations in national parks and many nature
reserves additionally limit activities such as:
Camping
Hunting
The use of motor vehicles
Access to sensitive areas during the nesting season

6. Nature

7. Nature
Wide, unbroken fell area
The Raututunturi–Saariselkä
fell area is made of Lapland
granulite, a rock material
formed around 1,900 million
years ago.
The present-day fells were
formed by block movements
around 30–50 million years
ago.

8. Watershed area
The national park is a
watershed area. Some
of the rivers empty into
the Arctic Ocean,
some into the Gulf of
Bothnia.
The Urho Kekkonen
national park’s
waterways consist
mainly of rivers and
brooks.

12. Animals
Twentyone different mammals have been
encountered in the national park,
amongst them Finland's large predators
the bear …

13. Bear
National animal of Finland
Biggest predator in Europe
In Finland there is
aproximately 800-1000 bears
Endangered in Finland

14. Lynx
Lynx is the only wild cat native in
Finland
Lynxes prey on hares, rabbits,
rodents, wild boar, foxes, roe deer
and reindeer
The main method of hunting is
stalking, sneaking and jumping on
prey.

15. Reindeer
Common mammal in Finland,
expecially in Lapland
It’s not a predator at all,
although it may look like one
It eats grass, leafs, lichen and
mushrooms
There are many reindeer herds
at Northern Finland

16. Wolverine
Largest land dwelling
species of mustelidaes
(weasels)
It is a stocky and
muscular carnivore,
resembling a small bear
more than other
mustelids
Adult wolverines have
no natural predators,
though they do come
into conflict with (and
may be killed by) other
large predators over
territory and food

17. Siberian jay
Siberian jay belong to the
group of crows
It’s the smallest bird on
crow groups in Finland
It eats berries, mushrooms,
seeds and insects
It’s also known as ”friend”
of rangers, because often it
is sighted to come begging
for left overs of food in
campsides.

18. Santa Claus
Everybody knows that Santa
Claus lives in Finland, but you
don´t necessarily knew that
Korvatunturi is the place where
Santa Claus (or Joulupukki in
Finnish) is said to live.
Korvatunturi is located in south
east part of Urho Kekkonen
national park. It´s 483m high
arctic hill.