This thesis examines how Lapland and its population were portrayed in the annual publications of the Swedish Tourist Association during the period 1886–1914. Through a qualitative content analysis of various texts such as travelogues, it is analyzed how themes such as communications, nature, natural resources, language and minorities contributed to the construction of a particular image of the area in the far north. These representations are also linked to identity and nation-building. The study shows that Lapland was often portrayed as an exotic and underdeveloped region, but at the same time as a potential resource for the future of the Swedish nation-state. Railway construction, industrialization and increased tourism were presented as keys to civilization and modernity, where Sami or “Finnish” culture and presence were often marginalized or seen as a threat. The essay contributes knowledge about how ideological and cultural boundaries were produced in popular science and tourism contexts during a time when Swedish identity was formulated in relation to the country’s periphery.