Inari, Finland languages as their mother tongue. Ninety-seven inhabitants were native speakers of other languages. Only about 1%, 78 persons, were citizens of countries other than Finland in 2010. Inari is the largest municipality in Finland. Located in Lapland, it covers an area of , of which is water. With an area of , Lake Inari is the third largest lake in Finland, smaller than the country's second largest Lake Päijänne. Finland's largest National Park Lemmenjoki is partly located in Inari, as is the Urho Kekkonen National Park. Vast parts of the municipality are designated wilderness areas: Hammastunturi, Muotkatunturi, Paistunturi, Kaldoaivi, Vätsäri,
Inari Ōkami designated Inari as its resident protector "kami". In 827, the court granted Inari the lower fifth rank, which further increased the deity's popularity in the capital. Inari's rank was subsequently increased, and by 942, Emperor Suzaku granted Inari the top rank in thanks for overcoming rebellions. At this time, the Fushimi Inari-taisha shrine was among the twenty-two shrines chosen by the court to receive imperial patronage, a high honor. The second Inari shrine, Takekoma Inari, was established in the late ninth century. Inari's popularity continued to grow. The Fushimi shrine, already a popular pilgrimage site, gained wide renown when it