In addition, it houses a large number of wetlands, which are home to an abundance of bird species, especially at Marsivagge and around the lake Tärnasjön, the latter recognized as a Ramsar site.

They initially lived by gathering and hunting, especially deer, but gradually developed a culture based on breeding and ranching, showing evidence of transhumance movements.

], which is similar to vända, the Swedish verb meaning to turn or change direction, probably in reference to the meandering nature of the Vindel river.

To the east, Länsväg (equivalent of "county road") 363 penetrates deep into the Vindelälven valley to Ammarnäs and thus creates a notch in the reserve.

The mountain range is cut down the middle by the narrow, deep valley of Syterskalet/Viterskalet, which is one of the icons of the reserve and is sometimes compared to the famous Lapporten by its symmetrical profile.

Finally, water is found in the form of glaciers in areas where the altitude exceeds 1,600 m, or in other words, in the Norra Storfjället mountain range and more locally in Ammarfjället.

The Caledonian orogeny is the era associated with the collision of Laurentia and Baltica plates peak between 420 and 400 MYA, with the disappearance of the Iapetus Ocean by subduction.

Glaciers grew and invaded the valleys, and then gradually unified to form a continuous ice sheet that completely covered the area.

In total, the reserve has about 500 km2 of primary coniferous forests, over 1600 km2 of birch forests (the largest protected birch forest in Sweden), nearly 1600 km2 of alpine moorland and nearly 300 km2 peatland[S 3][A 6] Among the several habitats are permanent glaciers, alpine rivers, palsa mires, alpine and boreal heaths and grasslands, mountain hay meadows, and natural rivers [8] Many of the species living in the reserve are included in the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive of the European Union and / or are considered threatened at the national or international level, which justifies the classification of the reserve in the Natura 2000 network as important bird area.

[9] The Scandinavian taiga coniferous forest consists mainly of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and Norway spruce (Picea abies).

From the foot of the Swedish mountains and along the entire length of the chain, these forests create a valuable continuity, essential for the survival of several species here.

Finally, while the remaining primary forests are often on nutrient-poor substrate, certain areas of the reserve are considered productive, especially Kirjesålandet, ideally exposed to the southwest and thus offering an ecological niche for unique flora.

[A 9] The plants that can survive in the upper alpine level (beyond 1300 m) are predominantly limited to mosses and lichens, though the buttercup glaciers are sometimes found at these altitudes as well.

The brown bear (Ursus arctos, vulnerable species in Sweden) was once abundant in the Vindel River Valley, and although they are still present in the reserve, their numbers have decreased significantly.

[12][A 11] The Vindelfjällen nature reserve is a nesting site for many species of birds, due to its wide variety of habitats, but especially its many wetlands, including in particular those around Lake Tärnasjön and in the Marsivagge Valley.

[13] The lesser white-fronted goose (Anser erythropus), an endangered species, formerly nested around Lake Tärnasjön but have not been seen there for several years; although it still regularly uses the Ammarnäs delta at its migration.

Regular inventories conducted in Tjulträsk Valley show that between 400 and 500 pairs of birds nest in one square kilometer of birch forests, half of which are the willow warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus).

There is a huge stone placed on some small pebbles on top near Lake Giengeljaure named stalostenen, which literally means 'stone Stallo'.

For example, a wooden idol, now on display at the Nordic Museum, was found in a rock hole near Lake Överst-Juktan, near a river named Ailesjokk.

Within the reserve, south of Lake Överst-Juktan, also lies a church, Viktoriakyrkan, built in 1938 when there was no road leading to it: wood construction was cut on site.

Another example is a path that starts at Ammarnäs and follows the Vindel River valley then joins Vindelkroken and then crosses the Norwegian border to Mo i Rana.

From 1892 a particularly difficult year, people began to use horses to transport resources, and had to build barns and cottages along these roads, such as Vitnjul and Dalavardo.

In the 1950s, hydroelectricity developments were building their reservoirs in the country (see also: energy in Sweden), but already concerns were being raised against the environmental impact of these power plants.

[17] In the 1980s, Naturvårdsverket (the environmental protection agency of Sweden) managed a large national inventory of the primary forests, and issued a report in four years later.

In contrast, people favorable to the project believed that the National Park status would offer greater international recognition and thus attract more tourists.

[21] It is also forbidden to drive a motor vehicle outside the areas designated for this purpose, with the exception of activities related to reindeer husbandry by Sami.

[S 9] Tourism activities are many and varied and include hiking, horseback riding, dog sledding, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, hunting, fishing, exploring the Sami culture, etc.

[23] Both villages are easily accessible by road and are connected by bus to the main railway stations and regional cities, such as Umeå in Sweden or Mo i Rana in Norway.

), the koja is a free cabin to spend the night, but not equipped, and finally a rudimentary rastskydd is a small cottage to take a short break.

The reserve is located on the western section of the three territories known as sameby (literally Sami village) : Grans, Rans and Ubmeje tjeälddie [sv].