page_title: Kautokeino
section_title: Geography
hierarchical_section_title: Kautokeino / Geography
caption_attribution_description: Pikefossen waterfall in Kautokeino river
context_page_description: Kautokeino is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Guovdageaidnu/Kautokeino. Other villages include Láhpoluoppal and Máze.
  The 9,707-square-kilometre municipality is the largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Kautokeino is the 232nd most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 2,910. The municipality's population density is 0.3 inhabitants per square kilometre and its population has decreased by 1.3% over the last decade.
  Guovdageaidnu-Kautokeino is one of two cultural centers of Northern Sápmi today. The most significant industries are reindeer herding, theatre/movie industry, and the public education system.
context_section_description: Guovdageaidnu/Kautokeino is the southernmost municipality of Finnmark county and it shares a border with several municipalities: Alta Municipality to the north, Kárášjohka - Karasjok Municipality to the east, Nordreisa Municipality and Kvænangen Municipality (in Troms county) to the west, and Enontekiö Municipality (in Finland) to the south.
  At 9,707 square kilometres (3,748 sq mi), it is the largest municipality in Norway. A total of approximately 10,000 lakes cover 737 square kilometres (285 sq mi). A significant part of the Finnmarksvidda  plateau is located inside Kautokeino municipality.  Øvre Anárjohka National Park is partially located in the municipality.  The rivers Anarjohka and Karasjohka have their headwaters inside the park.
  The Guovdageaidnu-Kautokeino River runs from a lake at the Finnish border, north through the villages of Guovdageaidnu (Kautokeino) and Máze before it leaves into Alta municipality and changes name to Altaelva. The river is collectively known as the Kautokeino/Alta-vassdraget and was the site of a major political controversy in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The lake Šuoikkatjávri is located on the border of the municipality with Kvænangen. Other lakes in the municipality include Bajášjávri, Bajit Spielgajávri, Biggejávri, Čárajávri, Dátkojávri, Gahččanjávri, Gavdnjajávri, Geađgejávri, Geašjávri, Guolehis Suolojávri, Heammojávri, Iešjávri, Láhpojávri, Latnetjávri, Nuorbejávri, Rágesjávri, Sálganjávri, Soagŋojávri, Stuora Galbajávri, Stuorajávri, Šuoikkatjávri, Suolojávri, Virdnejávri, and Vuolit Spielgajávri.
caption: Pikefossen waterfall in the Alta-Kautokeino river, Kautokeino municipality.
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