Paatsjoki

{{Short description|River in the country of Finland}}

{{expand Finnish|date=June 2023|topic=geo}}

{{expand Swedish|topic=geo|date=September 2023}}

{{Infobox river

| name = Paatsjoki River

| name_other = {{native name list|tag1=fi|name1=Paatsjoki|tag2=se|name2=Báhčaveajjohka|tag3=sms|name3=Paččjokk |tag4=no|name4=Pasvikelva|tag5=ru|name5=Патсойоки|tag6=sv|name6=Pasvik älv}}

| image = Harefossen2.jpg

| image_size =

| image_caption = Harefossen and the Paatsjoki River

| map = {{Infobox mapframe|wikidata=yes|zoom=6|marker=natural}}

| map_caption = Interactive map of the river

| source1_location = Lake Inari

| source1_coordinates = {{coord|68|53|30|N|028|22|00|E|region:FI-LL}}

| mouth_location = Bøkfjorden

| subdivision_type1 = Countries

| subdivision_name1 = {{hlist|Finland|Norway|Russia}}

| length = {{convert|145|km|abbr=on}}

| source1_elevation = {{convert|118|m}}

| mouth_elevation = {{convert|0|m}}

| discharge1_avg = {{convert|175|m3/s|abbr=on}}

| basin_size = {{convert|18344|km2|abbr=on}}

}}

The Paatsjoki River ({{langx|fi|Paatsjoki}}, {{langx|sms|Paaččjokk}}, {{langx|se|Báhčaveaijohka}}, {{langx|no|Pasvikelva}},{{cite web|url=https://stadnamn.kartverket.no/fakta/443123|title=Informasjon om stadnamn|website=Norgeskart|publisher=Kartverket|language=no|accessdate=2024-07-07}} {{langx|sv|Pasvik älv}}, {{langx|ru|Паз or Патсойоки}}, Paz or Patsoyoki) is a river that flows through Finland, Norway, and Russia.

Since 1826, the river has marked parts of the Norway–Russia border, except from 1920 to 1944 when it was along the Finland–Norway border.{{cite web|url=http://snl.no/Pasvikelva|title=Pasvikelva|author=Store norske leksikon|authorlink=Store norske leksikon|language=Norwegian|accessdate=2013-03-13}}

The river is the outlet from the large Lake Inari in Finland and flows through Norway and Russia to discharge into the Bøkfjorden (which later flows into the Varangerfjorden and then the Barents Sea), not far from the town of Kirkenes. The river has a watershed of {{convert|18404|km2}}, and is {{convert|145|km}} long. A series of hydroelectric stations, known as the Paatsjoki River Hydroelectric Plants, are along the river. Five of those sevenhttps://www.dagsavisen.no/nyheter/2023/12/03/samarbeid-med-russland-lagt-pa-is-et-tap/. Dagsavisen.no. Retrieved 2023-12-04 power stations, are Russian.

The river provides good fishing opportunities for Atlantic salmon, although fishermen must ensure that their fishing lines do not cross the international border.