It was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996; the bulk of it had enjoyed protected status since the early 20th century.

With such a large space, the geography of the area varies greatly; it is dominated by mountains, rivers and lakes.

It consists of the national parks Muddus, Sarek, Padjelanta and Stora Sjöfallet, and the nature reserves Sjaunja and Stubba.

[3] The remaining 5% are located in the areas of Sulitelma, Tjuoltadalen, and Rapadalen (part of which is in the Sarek park).

The village of Porjus is a natural point of entry to the Laponian area and has recently opened an information center.