Every design for Ylitornio

From the top of Aavasaksa, the hill north of the village, the Tornio valley opens out below: fields along the river, Sweden on the far bank and, in summer, the midnight sun that also sits on the municipal coat of arms. Aavasaksa is one of Finland's official national landscapes, with a café, accommodation and a ski centre on its slopes.

What makes Ylitornio different is that it was once one with its neighbour across the water. Until 1809 the Finnish and Swedish sides formed a single parish, and today Övertorneå sits just across the river, linked by an international bridge. In English both names come out as Upper Tornio. The village lies in the green Tornio valley, traditional farmland, ringed by rugged hills such as Ainiovaara and Palovaara, and the climate is subarctic, with long hard winters and short mild summers. The author Rosa Liksom and the skier Sami Jauhojärvi both come from here.

If you have watched the sun refuse to set from Aavasaksa, or crossed the bridge to the other Tornio and back, this map is yours. Wear it as a reminder of the river that runs between two countries and of the hill above it.