Finland loses 16 hectares to Norway after border survey

Finland has ceded 16 hectares of land to Norway following a routine border survey, an area equivalent to over 20 football pitches, according to a report by Finnish public broadcaster Yle.

The shift occurred because the national border runs along the deepest part of the border rivers, and water flow continuously reshapes the riverbeds where the boundary lies. The change was identified during the latest survey, conducted every 25 years.

Jyrki Lämsä, head of cartography at the Finnish Mapping Agency, explained that the deepest channel is determined using sonar. While shifts were often just a few metres, in some areas the border moved up to 100 metres. The total area changes for both countries amounted to a few hectares.

Lämsä emphasised that the border does not systematically shift in one direction but “lives” and adjusts during each survey. The 16-hectare change mirrors the previous survey’s adjustment, though in the opposite direction.

The most significant movement—up to 100 metres—occurred in a sandy delta area between Karigasniemi and Utsjoki church village, where the river is constantly changing. Ownership of islands and islets in the river remained unchanged.

The border through the Tenojoki water system stretches approximately 300 kilometres, covering the Rajajoki, Kietsimäjoki, Inarijoki, and Tenojoki rivers. The total length of the Finland-Norway border is 737 kilometres.