Geography

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Geography

Geography

Pasvik State Nature Reserve is located in the extreme north-west of Russia, in Pechenga District of Murmansk Region, at the border with Norway.

The territory of the nature reserve is situated 15 km southwest from Nikel and 25 km northeast from Rayaloski.

Pasvik Nature Reserve is the northernmost part of the Green Belt of Fennoscandia, which is an environmental project on conservation of old-aged forests along the borders between Russia, Finland and Norway. The nature reserve is located at the border between the northern taiga and forest-tundra in subtundra forests zone.

Borders

The western border (54 km) shares the state border and goes along the mid-channel of the Pasvik River at its middle course.

The eastern border (48 km) lies along the line of engineering facilities across the road Nikel — Virtaniemi.

The northern border (8 km) is limited by Lake Salmijarvi.

The southern border (1,5 km) is limited by the facility channel mouth of the Hevoskoski hydroelectric station (former Hestefoss rapid) and the stream that flows into it.

The western border (54 km) shares the state border and goes along the mid-channel of the Pasvik River at its middle course.
The eastern border (48 km) lies along the line of engineering facilities across the road Nikel — Virtaniemi.

The northern border (8 km) is limited by Lake Salmijarvi.
The southern border (1,5 km) is limited by the facility channel mouth of the Hevoskoski hydroelectric station (former Hestefoss rapid) and the stream that flows into it.

The width of the surface area of the nature reserve varies from 350 m in the southern part of the nature reserve to 10 km in its central part (Mount Kalkupja).

Area

Since its designation on 16, July 1992 the area of the nature reserve was changed and specified several times:

145,86 sq. km (1992),
147,07 sq. km (1993),
147,27 sq. km (1993),
146,87 sq. km (2009).