Editing Kautokeino Municipality (section)

==Geography==
[[File:Pikefossen Kautokeinoelva.JPG|thumb|left|Pikefossen waterfall in the Alta-Kautokeino river, Kautokeino municipality.]]
Guovdageaidnu/Kautokeino is the southernmost municipality of [[Finnmark]] county and it shares a border with several municipalities: [[Alta Municipality]] to the north, [[Kárášjoga Municipality]] to the east, [[Nordreisa Municipality]] and [[Kvænangen Municipality]] (in [[Troms]] county) to the west, and [[Enontekiö]] Municipality (in [[Finland]]) to the south.

At {{convert|9707|km2}}, it is the largest municipality in Norway. A total of approximately 10,000 [[lake]]s cover {{convert|737|km2}}. A significant part of the [[Finnmarksvidda]]  plateau is located inside Kautokeino municipality. [[Anárjohka National Park]] is partially located in the municipality. The rivers [[Anarjohka]] and [[Karasjohka]] have their headwaters inside the park. The highest point in the municipality is the {{convert|973.9|m|adj=on}} tall mountain Mollejus.<ref name="elev" />

The [[Kautokeinoelva|Guovdageaidnu-Kautokeino River]] runs from a lake at the Finnish border, north through the villages of [[Kautokeino (village)|Guovdageaidnu (Kautokeino)]] and [[Masi, Norway|Máze]] before it leaves into Alta municipality and changes name to [[Altaelva]]. The river is collectively known as the ''[[Altaelva|Kautokeino/Alta-vassdraget]]'' and was the site of a [[Alta controversy|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 (Kautokeino)|Stuorajávri]], [[Šuoikkatjávri]], [[Suolojávri (Kautokeino)|Suolojávri]], [[Virdnejávri]], and [[Vuolit Spielgajávri]].

{{wide image|Kautokeino river in Kautokeino.jpg|770px|Kautokeino river in Kautokeino, as seen from the ski jump hill south of the town center in Kautokeino.}}

===Climate===
Kautokeino has a [[subarctic climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Dfc]]) with cool to mild summers and long, cold and fairly dry winters. Located quite far inland on the Arctic highlands of the [[Finnmarksvidda]] plateau of [[Northern Norway]], Kautokeino generally has warmer summer days than the coast to the north, but also much colder winter temperatures.

Located above the [[Arctic Circle]] at 69°N latitude, Kautokeino experiences [[midnight sun]] and [[polar night]]s. The Sun does not set for nine weeks in the summer (21 May to 22 July), and does not rise for six weeks in the winter (1 December to 11 January).

Kautokeino is the coldest town in mainland Norway by annual mean temperature. The all-time low {{convert|-50.3|C|F|0}} was recorded in January 1999. The all-time high {{convert|30|C|F|0}} was recorded in July 2018, which was the warmest month recorded with mean {{convert|18|C}} and average daily high {{convert|23.6|C}}. The coldest month on record is, as for much of Norway, February 1966. That month Kautokeino had mean {{convert|-25.8|C}}, average daily high {{convert|-20.7|C}}, average daily low {{convert|-32.1|C}} - and the warmest high that February was {{convert|-8.9|C}}.

Average precipitation ranges from {{convert|360|mm|in|1}} to {{convert|424|mm|in}} per year depending on normal period, which is among the lowest amounts in Norway.

During summer, daytime temperatures typically range between {{convert|10|C|F|0}} and {{convert|20|C|F|0}}. While this is nice for humans, the temperature, combined with 10,000 lakes, makes it a heaven for [[mosquito]]s. Consequently, both humans and [[reindeer]] tend to flee to the coast for the summer. The average date for the last overnight freeze (low below {{convert|0|°C|1|abbr=on}}) in spring is 31 May<ref>{{Cite web |date=4 May 2012 |title=Siste frostnatt om våren |url=https://www.yr.no/artikkel/siste-frostnatt-om-varen-1.8119060}}</ref> and average date for first freeze in autumn is 19 August<ref>{{Cite web |date=25 September 2013 |title=Første frostnatt |url=https://www.yr.no/artikkel/forste-frostnatt-1.11261900}}</ref> giving an average frost-free season of 79 days (1981-2010 average).

While winter usually lasts from mid-October until well into April, the hard winter is only for December–February. During hard winter, temperatures can drop as far as {{convert|-40|C|F|0}} and beyond.

{{Weather box 
|metric first= yes
|single line = yes
|location = Kautokeino 1991-2020 (307 m, extremes 1891-2022)
|Jan record high C = 7.0 | Jan record low C = -50.3
|Feb record high C = 7.0 | Feb record low C = -48.8
|Mar record high C = 8.3 | Mar record low C = -41.5
|Apr record high C = 13.8 | Apr record low C = -33.7
|May record high C = 28.0 | May record low C = -20.7
|Jun record high C = 29.8 | Jun record low C = -5.0
|Jul record high C = 30.0 | Jul record low C = -3.9
|Aug record high C = 28.4 | Aug record low C = -6.2
|Sep record high C = 22.8 | Sep record low C = -12.7
|Oct record high C = 13.4 | Oct record low C = -33.8
|Nov record high C = 7.6 | Nov record low C = -40.7
|Dec record high C = 7.2 | Dec record low C = -45.0
|Jan high C = -8.9
|Feb high C = -8.5
|Mar high C = -3.8
|Apr high C = 2.1
|May high C = 8.2
|Jun high C = 14.7
|Jul high C = 18.5
|Aug high C = 15.8
|Sep high C = 10.4
|Oct high C = 2.5
|Nov high C = -3.9
|Dec high C = -6.7
<!-- Mean daily temperature -->
|Jan mean C=-14.1
|Feb mean C=-13.7
|Mar mean C=-9.2
|Apr mean C=-3.0
|May mean C=3.7
|Jun mean C=9.9
|Jul mean C=13.4
|Aug mean C=11.1
|Sep mean C=6.0
|Oct mean C=-1.2
|Nov mean C=-8.4
|Dec mean C=-11.8
|year mean C=
|Jan low C = -20.0
|Feb low C = -19.4
|Mar low C = -15.1
|Apr low C = -7.9
|May low C = -0.3
|Jun low C = 5.5
|Jul low C = 8.8
|Aug low C = 6.5
|Sep low C = 2.6
|Oct low C = -3.5
|Nov low C = -12.2
|Dec low C = -17.1
|year low C =
<!-- Total precipitation, this should include rain and snow. -->
|precipitation colour= green<!-- Enter "green" for green precipitation colours, remove this line for blue colouring. -->
|Jan precipitation mm=22.1
|Feb precipitation mm=19.4
|Mar precipitation mm=13.8
|Apr precipitation mm=17.5
|May precipitation mm=33.5
|Jun precipitation mm=58.5
|Jul precipitation mm=71.5
|Aug precipitation mm=64.8
|Sep precipitation mm=42.4
|Oct precipitation mm=31.3
|Nov precipitation mm=24.4
|Dec precipitation mm=25.0
|year precipitation mm=
|unit precipitation days = 1.0&nbsp;mm
|Jan precipitation days= 7
|Feb precipitation days= 8
|Mar precipitation days= 6
|Apr precipitation days= 7
|May precipitation days= 9
|Jun precipitation days= 10
|Jul precipitation days= 10
|Aug precipitation days= 10
|Sep precipitation days= 9
|Oct precipitation days= 8
|Nov precipitation days= 7
|Dec precipitation days= 8
<!-- Mandatory fields, source -->
|source 1= yr.no/eklima/Norwegian Meteorological Institute<ref>{{Cite web |title=Last 13 months |url=https://www.yr.no/en/statistics/table/5-93700/Norway/Troms%20og%20Finnmark/Kautokeino/Kautokeino?q=last-13-months |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220829155801/https://www.yr.no/en/statistics/table/5-93700/Norway/Troms%20og%20Finnmark/Kautokeino/Guovdageaidnu?q=last-13-months |archive-date=29 August 2022 |access-date=26 February 2021 |website=www.yr.no |publisher=Norwegian Meteorological Institute}}</ref>
|source 2= Noaa WMO averages 91-2020 Norway <ref>{{Cite web |title=NOAA WMO normals Norway 1991-2020 |url=https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Norway/CSV/?C=D;O=A}}</ref>
}}
<br>
{{Weather box 
|collapsed=yes
|metric first= yes
|single line = yes
|location = Kautokeino (1981-2010 normals)
|Jan record high C = 7.0
|Feb record high C = 7.0
|Mar record high C = 7.6
|Apr record high C = 12.0
|May record high C = 28.0
|Jun record high C = 29.8
|Jul record high C = 29.1
|Aug record high C = 28.2
|Sep record high C = 22.8
|Oct record high C = 13.3
|Nov record high C = 7.6
|Dec record high C = 7.2
|year record high C = 29.8
|Jan high C = -9.6
|Feb high C = -9.2
|Mar high C = -5.4
|Apr high C = 0.2
|May high C = 6.4
|Jun high C = 13.6
|Jul high C = 17.0
|Aug high C = 14.3
|Sep high C = 8.6
|Oct high C = 1.1
|Nov high C = -5.5
|Dec high C = -8.2
|year high C = 2.0
|Jan mean C = -14.7
|Feb mean C = -14.3
|Mar mean C = -10.5
|Apr mean C = -4.8
|May mean C = 2.2
|Jun mean C = 9.0
|Jul mean C = 12.4
|Aug mean C = 9.9
|Sep mean C = 4.8
|Oct mean C = -2.1
|Nov mean C = -9.8
|Dec mean C = -13.4
|year mean C = -2.5
|Jan low C = -19.9
|Feb low C = -19.4
|Mar low C = -15.7
|Apr low C = -9.8
|May low C = -1.9
|Jun low C = 4.3
|Jul low C = 7.3
|Aug low C = 5.5
|Sep low C = 1.0
|Oct low C = -5.3
|Nov low C = -14.0
|Dec low C = -18.5
|year low C = -7.1
|Jan record low C = -50.5
|Feb record low C = -48.8
|Mar record low C = -40.8
|Apr record low C = -33.7
|May record low C = -19.3
|Jun record low C = -3.5
|Jul record low C = -1.9
|Aug record low C = -6.2
|Sep record low C = -12.0
|Oct record low C = -30.0
|Nov record low C = -40.8
|Dec record low C = -42.0
|year record low C = -50.5
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 18.7
|Feb precipitation mm = 16.2
|Mar precipitation mm = 17.4
|Apr precipitation mm = 18.8
|May precipitation mm = 26.8
|Jun precipitation mm = 48.0
|Jul precipitation mm = 68.2
|Aug precipitation mm = 66.3
|Sep precipitation mm = 44.2
|Oct precipitation mm = 35.8
|Nov precipitation mm = 25.5
|Dec precipitation mm = 18.5
|year precipitation mm = 405.2
|unit precipitation days =  1 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 6.2
|Feb precipitation days = 5.4
|Mar precipitation days = 5.8
|Apr precipitation days = 5.9
|May precipitation days = 6.9
|Jun precipitation days = 8.7
|Jul precipitation days = 11.0
|Aug precipitation days = 10.6
|Sep precipitation days = 9.6
|Oct precipitation days = 8.9
|Nov precipitation days = 7.8
|Dec precipitation days = 5.8
|year precipitation days = 
<!-- Mandatory fields, source -->
|source 1= Météo Climat<ref>{{Cite web |title=Météo climat stats for Kautokeino |url=http://meteo-climat-bzh.dyndns.org/listenormale-1981-2010-1-p159.php |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180228044625/http://meteo-climat-bzh.dyndns.org/listenormale-1981-2010-1-p159.php |archive-date=28 February 2018 |access-date=24 March 2017 |publisher=Météo Climat}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Météo climat stats Records for Kautokeino |url=http://meteo-climat-bzh.dyndns.org/index.php?page=stati&id=467 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171228062438/http://meteo-climat-bzh.dyndns.org/index.php?page=stati&id=467 |archive-date=28 December 2017 |access-date=24 March 2017 |publisher=Météo Climat}}</ref>
}}

===Birdlife===
Lying south in the county, and bordering with Finland, Guovdageaidnu/Kautokeino has a very interesting birdlife. There are virtually thousands of lakes in the municipality, and these combined with the Altaelva [[waterway]] system provide [[habitat]]s for a whole host of [[wetland]] species. [[Whooper swan]] can sometimes be found while [[spotted redshank]] are not uncommon.