Kiruna is the northenmost city of Sweden, situated in Lappland province, with roughly 18,000 inhabitants. It is the seat of Kiruna Municipality (pop. 23,235), Norrbotten County. The name Kiruna comes from the Sami language Giron and means ptarmigan, a white bird native to northern areas. This bird is also depicted on the city arms, together with the sign for Iron.

Iron symbolizes the mining industry which has been of great importance for the town. Being located 145 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle, Kiruna has perpetual daylight, the midnight sun, approximately from 30 May to 15 July. The polar night is a few weeks shorter, lasting December 13 – January 5. Iron ore extraction is a key industry of the area, and the town is very dependent on the mining company LKAB. In the village of Jukkasjärvi there is an Ice hotel, a proper hotel wholly built of ice, and reconstructed every year.

Wikipedia articles for Kiruna

• Kiruna
• Kiruna Municipality
• Kiruna Central Station
• Kiruna Mine
• Kiruna Railway Converter Station
• Lapplands jägarregemente
• Kirunavaara transmitter
• Luossajärvi
• Luossavaara
• Kiirunavaara