The
Norwegian Minister of Environment Mr. Boerge Brende suggests an
"international borderless (probably it means visa free) national park"
around NOFIRU. The idea is already discussed with RU authorities. Now the
FI is going to be presented to this project. Before NO and RU have discussed to
increase the protected areas on both sides of the border. NO has already her national park in this area, and RU a natural
reserve.
Similar ideas I have earlier reported from the Baltic countries. It
seems like a fashion at the moment!
Before the October Revolution Samis, Finns,
Russians and Norwegians in this area lived in a practical borderless
environment. Lacking a lingua franca a Norwegian-Russian
pidgin trade language called «Russenorsk» came into
being. While pidgin languages usually appeared in colonies Norwegians and
Russians were equal partners.
Anyway this is not unique in
Europe - an Icelandic-French
language has also existed.
News reports (Norwegian only):
http://www.aftenposten.no/nyheter/miljo/article.jhtml?articleID=609856
http://www.finnmarken.no/Innenriks/article730554.ece
About
Russenorsk (German only):
http://www.sub-arctic.ac.at/articles/russ.htm
Jan