Tornedalians

Meänkieli (), also known as Tornedalian, is a Finnic language or a group of distinct Finnish dialects spoken in the northernmost part of Sweden, particularly along the Torne River Valley. It is officially recognized in Sweden as one of the country's five minority languages and is treated as a separate language from Finnish. According to the National Association of Swedish Tornedalians, 70,000 individuals understand Meänkieli, at least to some level. Most fluent speakers are aged 65 or older.

Tornedalians (; ; ) are an ethnic minority native to the Meänmaa (Torne Valley) region in northern Sweden and Finland. Tornedalians may refer to themselves using several different terms, though most commonly as Tornedalians, Kvens or Lantalaiset. Tornedalians were officially recognized as a distinct national minority in Sweden in 2000. In Finland, Tornedalians are generally considered a regional subgroup of Finns.

thumb|right|Traditional location of Meänmaa in Norrbotten County (Sweden) and Finnish Lapland