Aavasaksa
Encyclopedia
Aavasaksa is a sharp-edged hill
in Ylitornio
municipality in Finnish Lapland. It has an elevation
of 242 metres (794 ft). Aavasaksa is famous for its sights both towards Finland and Sweden and it is included to the list of the National Views of Finland. The emperor Alexander II of Russia
visited the site in 1876. Decorative hunting cabin Keisarinmaja is one of the buildings on top of the hill and working as a cafe
.
Due to its distinctive altitude above other hills around, it was first used by Pierre Louis Maupertuis
in the French Geodesic Mission
(1736–1737), and later became part of the Struve Geodetic Arc
. As a result of this, UNESCO
named Aavasaksa a World Heritage Site
, along with the 33 other sites used in the Struve Geodetic Arc.
Aavasaksa is often considered as the southernmost point in Finland where the midnight sun
is literally visible. The hill is surrounded by rivers running next to it: Torne River
in the west and smaller Tengeliö river in east and north.
Asteroid
2678 Aavasaksa
is named after the hill.
Hill
A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills often have a distinct summit, although in areas with scarp/dip topography a hill may refer to a particular section of flat terrain without a massive summit A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills...
in Ylitornio
Ylitornio
Ylitornio is a municipality of Finland.It is located in the province of Lapland at the shore of the Torne River, opposite to Övertorneå. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is ....
municipality in Finnish Lapland. It has an elevation
Elevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
of 242 metres (794 ft). Aavasaksa is famous for its sights both towards Finland and Sweden and it is included to the list of the National Views of Finland. The emperor Alexander II of Russia
Alexander II of Russia
Alexander II , also known as Alexander the Liberator was the Emperor of the Russian Empire from 3 March 1855 until his assassination in 1881...
visited the site in 1876. Decorative hunting cabin Keisarinmaja is one of the buildings on top of the hill and working as a cafe
Café
A café , also spelled cafe, in most countries refers to an establishment which focuses on serving coffee, like an American coffeehouse. In the United States, it may refer to an informal restaurant, offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches...
.
Due to its distinctive altitude above other hills around, it was first used by Pierre Louis Maupertuis
Pierre Louis Maupertuis
Pierre-Louis Moreau de Maupertuis was a French mathematician, philosopher and man of letters. He became the Director of the Académie des Sciences, and the first President of the Berlin Academy of Science, at the invitation of Frederick the Great....
in the French Geodesic Mission
French Geodesic Mission
The French Geodesic Mission was an 18th-century expedition to what is now Ecuador carried out for the purpose of measuring the roundness of the Earth and measuring the length of a degree of longitude at the Equator...
(1736–1737), and later became part of the Struve Geodetic Arc
Struve Geodetic Arc
The Struve Geodetic Arc is a chain of survey triangulations stretching from Hammerfest in Norway to the Black Sea, through ten countries and over 2,820 km, which yielded the first accurate measurement of a meridian....
. As a result of this, UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
named Aavasaksa a World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
, along with the 33 other sites used in the Struve Geodetic Arc.
Aavasaksa is often considered as the southernmost point in Finland where the midnight sun
Midnight sun
The midnight sun is a natural phenomenon occurring in summer months at latitudes north and nearby to the south of the Arctic Circle, and south and nearby to the north of the Antarctic Circle where the sun remains visible at the local midnight. Given fair weather, the sun is visible for a continuous...
is literally visible. The hill is surrounded by rivers running next to it: Torne River
Torne River
The Torne River , is a river in northern Sweden and Finland. Approximately half of the river's length is a part of the border between these two countries. It rises at Lake Torne near the border with Norway and flows generally southeast for a distance of into the Gulf of Bothnia...
in the west and smaller Tengeliö river in east and north.
Asteroid
Asteroid
Asteroids are a class of small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun. They have also been called planetoids, especially the larger ones...
2678 Aavasaksa
2678 Aavasaksa
2678 Aavasaksa is a main-belt asteroid discovered on February 24, 1938 by Yrjö Väisälä at Turku. It is named after the Aavasaksa hill in Ylitornio, Finland....
is named after the hill.