Finland History

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FinlandFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the European country. For other uses, seeFinland (disambiguation).

Coordinates: 65N 027E

Republic of Finland

Suomen tasavalta (Finnish)

Republiken Finland (Swedish)

Flag Coat of arms

Anthem:

Maamme (Finnish)

Vrt land (Swedish)

Our Land

Location ofFinland (dark green)

inEurope (green & dark grey)

in theEuropean Union (green) [Legend]

Capital

and largest city

Helsinki

6010N02456E

Official languages Finnish(90.0%)

Swedish(5.4%)
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Recognised regional languages Sami(0.03%)

Demonym Finnish

Finn

Government Parliamentary republic[1]

- President Sauli Niinist

- Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen(NCP)

- Speaker of the Parliament Eero Heinluoma(SDP)

Legislature Eduskunta

Independence

- Autonomy

ithinRussia

29 March 1809

- Independence

fromSoviet Russia

6 December 1917

- First recognized

y Soviet Russia

4 January 1918

Area

- Total 338,424 km2(64th)

130,596 sq mi

- Water (%) 10

Population

- 2012 estimate 5,421,827[2](112th)

- 2000 census 5,180,000

- Density 16/km2(201st)

41/sq mi

GDP(PPP) 2011 estimate

- Total $195.723 billion[3]

- Per capita $36,236[3]

GDP(nominal) 2011 estimate

- Total $266.553 billion[3]

- Per capita $49,349[3]

Gini(2000) 26.9

low

HDI(2013) 0.892[4]
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very high21st

Currency Euro()(EUR)

Time zone EET(UTC+2)

- Summer(DST) EEST(UTC+3)

Date format d.m.yyyy

Drives on the right

Calling code +358

ISO 3166 code FI

Internet TLD .fi

.axa

a. The.eudomain is also used, as it is shared with otherEuropean Unionmember

states. The.axdomain is reserved for the autonomous province of the land

Islands.

Finland( i/fnlnd/; Finnish: Suomi(helpinfo); Swedish: Finland), officially the Republic of Finland,[5]is

aNordic countrysituated in theFennoscandianregion ofNorthern Europe. It is bordered bySwedento the

west,Norwayto the north andRussiato the east, whileEstonialies to the south across theGulf of Finland.

An estimated 5.4 million people live in Finland, with the majority concentrated in its southern regions.[6]In terms

of area, it is theeighth largest country in Europeand the mostsparsely populatedcountry in theEuropean

Union. Politically, it is aparliamentaryrepublicwith a central government based in the capital ofHelsinki, local

governments in 336municipalities[7][8]and anautonomous region, theland Islands. About one million

residents live in theGreater Helsinkiarea (consisting of Helsinki,Espoo,KauniainenandVantaa) and a third of

the country'sGDPis produced there. Other larger cities

includeTampere,Turku,Oulu,Jyvskyl,LahtiandKuopio.

From the 12th until the start of the 19th century, Finland was a part of Sweden. It then becamean autonomous

Grand Duchywithin theRussian Empireuntil theRussian Revolution. This prompted theFinnish Declaration of

Independence, which was followed bya civil warwhere the pro-Bolshevik"Reds" were defeated by the pro-

conservative"Whites" with support from theGerman Empire. After a brief attempt to establisha monarchyin

the country, Finland became a republic. Finland's experience ofWorld War IIinvolved three separate conflicts:

theWinter War(19391940) andContinuation War(19411944) against theSoviet Union; and theLapland

War(19441945) againstNazi Germany. Following the end of the war, Finland joined theUnited Nationsin

1955, theOrganisation for Economic Co-operation and Development(OECD) in 1969, theEuropean Unionin

1995 and theeurozoneat its inception in 1999. During this time, it built an extensivewelfare state.
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n_for_Economic_Co-operation_and_Developmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organisation_for_Economic_Co-operation_and_Developmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organisation_for_Economic_Co-operation_and_Developmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Unionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Unionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Unionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurozonehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurozonehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurozonehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welfare_statehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welfare_statehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welfare_statehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Suomi_Finland.ogghttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b3/En-us-Finland.ogghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welfare_statehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurozonehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Unionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organisation_for_Economic_Co-operation_and_Developmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nationshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_Germanyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lapland_Warhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lapland_Warhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_Unionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuation_Warhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_Warhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_IIhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Finland_(1918)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Empirehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whites_(Finland)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservatismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finnish_Socialist_Workers%27_Republichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolshevikhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finnish_Civil_Warhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finnish_Declaration_of_Independencehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finnish_Declaration_of_Independencehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Revolutionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Empirehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Duchy_of_Finlandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Duchy_of_Finlandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuopiohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lahtihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jyv%C3%A4skyl%C3%A4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouluhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkuhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamperehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_domestic_producthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vantaahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kauniainenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Espoohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_Helsinkihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%85land_Islandshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonomous_areahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#cite_note-kunnat.net-8http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Municipalities_of_Finlandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Municipalities_of_Finlandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helsinkihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parliamentary_systemhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Unionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Unionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sovereign_states_and_dependent_territories_by_population_densityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Area_and_population_of_European_countrieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#cite_note-Population_clock-6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_of_Finlandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estoniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwayhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swedenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Europehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fennoscandiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nordic_countrieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#cite_note-5http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Suomi_Finland.ogghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Media_helphttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ed/Suomi_Finland.ogghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_Englishhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Keyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Keyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Keyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Keyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Keyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Keyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Keyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Keyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:En-us-Finland.ogghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:En-us-Finland.ogghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%85land_Islandshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%85land_Islandshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.axhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Unionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.euhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.axhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.fihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Country_code_top-level_domainhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_3166-2:FIhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_3166http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephone_numbers_in_Finlandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephone_numbers_in_Finlandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coordinated_Universal_Timehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_European_Summer_Timehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daylight_saving_timehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coordinated_Universal_Timehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_European_Timehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_4217http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euro_signhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_Human_Development_Index


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Finland was a relative latecomer toindustrialisation, remaining a largelyagrariancountry until the 1950s.

Thereafter, economic development was rapid, such that today, with anominal per-capita incomeof over

$49,000 (2011),[3]Finland is one of the world's wealthiest nations. According to some measures,[9][10]Finland

has the best educational system in Europe and has recently been ranked as one of the world's most peaceful

andeconomically competitivecountries. It has also been ranked as one of the world's countries with the

highestquality of life.[11][12][13][14]

Contents

[hide]

1 Etymology and concept of Finland

o 1.1 Etymology

o 1.2 Concept

2 History

o 2.1 Prehistory

o 2.2 Swedish era

o 2.3 Russian Empire era

o 2.4 Civil war and early independence

o 2.5 World War II

o 2.6 Cold War

o 2.7 Recent history

3 Geography

o 3.1 Biodiversity

o 3.2 Climate

o 3.3 Regions

o 3.4 Administrative divisions

4 Politics

o 4.1 Constitution

o 4.2 President

o 4.3 Parliament

o 4.4 Cabinet

o 4.5 Law

o 4.6 Foreign relations

o 4.7 Social security
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrialisationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrialisationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrialisationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal)_per_capitahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal)_per_capitahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal)_per_capitahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#cite_note-imf2-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#cite_note-imf2-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#cite_note-imf2-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#cite_note-World_Audit-9http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#cite_note-World_Audit-9http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#cite_note-World_Audit-9http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Competitivenesshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Competitivenesshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Competitivenesshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quality_of_lifehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quality_of_lifehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#cite_note-11http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#cite_note-11http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#cite_note-13http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#cite_note-13http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finlandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finlandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finlandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Etymology_and_concept_of_Finlandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Etymology_and_concept_of_Finlandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Etymologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Etymologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Concepthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Concepthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Historyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Historyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Prehistoryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Prehistoryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Swedish_erahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Swedish_erahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Russian_Empire_erahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Russian_Empire_erahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Civil_war_and_early_independencehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Civil_war_and_early_independencehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#World_War_IIhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#World_War_IIhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Cold_Warhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Cold_Warhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Recent_historyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Recent_historyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Geographyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Geographyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Biodiversityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Biodiversityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Climatehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Climatehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Regionshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Regionshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Administrative_divisionshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Administrative_divisionshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Politicshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Politicshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Constitutionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Constitutionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Presidenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Presidenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Parliamenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Parliamenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Cabinethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Cabinethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Lawhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Lawhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Foreign_relationshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Foreign_relationshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Social_securityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Social_securityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Social_securityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Foreign_relationshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Lawhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Cabinethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Parliamenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Presidenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Constitutionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Politicshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Administrative_divisionshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Regionshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Climatehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Biodiversityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Geographyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Recent_historyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Cold_Warhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#World_War_IIhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Civil_war_and_early_independencehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Russian_Empire_erahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Swedish_erahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Prehistoryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Historyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Concepthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Etymologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Etymology_and_concept_of_Finlandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finlandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#cite_note-13http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#cite_note-13http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#cite_note-11http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#cite_note-11http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quality_of_lifehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Competitivenesshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#cite_note-World_Audit-9http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#cite_note-World_Audit-9http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#cite_note-imf2-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal)_per_capitahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrialisation


5/76

o 4.8 Armed forces

5 Economy

o 5.1 Energy

o 5.2 Transporto 5.3 Industry

o 5.4 Public policy

o 5.5 Tourism

6 Demographics

o 6.1 Languages

o 6.2 Religion

o 6.3 Health

o 6.4 Society7 Culture

o 7.1 Education and science

o 7.2 Literature

o 7.3 Visual arts

o 7.4 Television

o 7.5 Music

o 7.6 Cinema

o 7.7 Media and communicationso 7.8 Cuisine

o 7.9 Public holidays

o 7.10 Sports

8 International rankings

9 See also

10 Notes

11 Further reading

12 External links

[edit]Etymology and concept of Finland
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Armed_forceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Armed_forceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Economyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Economyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Energyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Energyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Transporthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Transporthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Industryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Industryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Public_policyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Public_policyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Tourismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Tourismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Demographicshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Demographicshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Languageshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Languageshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Religionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Religionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Healthhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Healthhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Societyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Societyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Culturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Culturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Education_and_sciencehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Education_and_sciencehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Literaturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Literaturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Visual_artshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Visual_artshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Televisionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Televisionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Musichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Musichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Cinemahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Cinemahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Media_and_communicationshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Media_and_communicationshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Cuisinehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Cuisinehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Public_holidayshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Public_holidayshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Sportshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Sportshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#International_rankingshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#International_rankingshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#See_alsohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#See_alsohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Noteshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Noteshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Further_readinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Further_readinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#External_linkshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#External_linkshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Finland&action=edit&section=1http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Finland&action=edit&section=1http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Finland&action=edit&section=1http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Finland&action=edit&section=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#External_linkshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Further_readinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Noteshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#See_alsohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#International_rankingshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Sportshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Public_holidayshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Cuisinehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Media_and_communicationshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Cinemahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Musichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Televisionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Visual_artshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Literaturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Education_and_sciencehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Culturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Societyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Healthhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Religionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Languageshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Demographicshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Tourismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Public_policyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Industryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Transporthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Energyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Economyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#Armed_forces


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Astuvansalmi rock paintingsatSaimaa. The oldest date from 3000 to 2500BCE.

[edit]Etymology

[edit]Finland

The name Finland appears on three rune-stones. Two were found in the Swedish province ofUpplandand

have the inscription finlonti(U 582). The third was found inGotland, in theBaltic Sea. It has the

inscription finlandi(G 319) and dates from the 13th century.[15]

[edit]Suomi

The name Suomi(Finnishfor "Finland") has uncertain origins, but a candidate for a cognate is the Proto-Baltic

word *em, meaning "land". In addition to the close relatives of Finnish (theFinnic languages), this name is

also used in theBaltic languagesLatvianandLithuanian. Alternatively, the Indo-European word *gm-on "man"

(cf. Gothic guma, Latin homo) has been suggested, being borrowed as *oma. The word originally referred only

to the province ofFinland Proper, and later to the northern coast ofGulf of Finland, with northern regions such

asOstrobothniastill being sometimes excluded until later. Earlier theories suggested derivation

from suomaa(fenland) orsuoniemi(fen cape), and parallels between saame(Sami, a Finno-Ugric people in

Lapland) andHme(a province in the inland) were drawn, but these theories are now considered outdated.[16]

[edit]Concept

In the 12th and 13th centuries, the term "Finland" mostly referred to the area around bo (Turku), a region that

later became known asFinland Proper, while the other parts of the country were calledTavastiaandKarelia,

but which could also sometimes be collectively referred to as "sterland" (compareNorrland). (Medieval

politics concerned tribes such as theFinns, the Tavastians and theKareliansmore than geographical

boundaries.)

In the 15th century, "Finland" became a common name for the whole land area to the east of theBothnian Sea,

possibly even includingland, when the archipelago was seen as belonging to bo (Turku). What the term
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actually refers to can vary between sources, also the boundaries to the east and the north were not exact. A

sort of establishment for Finland as a unity, if only in name, came whenJohn III of Swedencalled hisduchyas

the "grand duchy of Finland" (about 1580), as a strategy to meet the claims of the Russiantsar. The term

became part of the title of theKing of Swedenbut had little practical meaning. The Finnish land area had the

same standing as the area to the west of the Bothnian Sea and the Finnish part of the realm had the same

representation in the parliament as the western part had. In 1637, QueenChristinanamedPer Brahe the

YoungerasGovernor General of Finland, land, andOstrobothnia(other parts of Sweden had also

hadgovernor generals).

The modern boundaries of Finland actually came to use only after the end ofSweden-Finland. What was

signed over to Russia in 1809 was not so much a "Finland" as six counties, land, and a little part

ofVsterbotten County. The boundary between the newGrand Duchy of Finlandand the remaining part of

Sweden could have been drawn along the riverKemijoki, which was the boundary between Vsterbotten

County and sterbotten County (Ostrobothnia) at the time - which the Swedish proposed in the peace

negotiations - or along the riverKalix, thereby including the Finnish-speaking part of theTorne Valley- which

the Russians proposed. The boundary, which followed theTorne Riverand theMuonio Riverto the

fellsSaanaandHaltiin the northwest, was a compromise, which later became what the concept of Finland

came to stand for - at least after the tsarAlexander I of Russiapermitted the parts of Finland located to the east

of theKymi Riverwhich were conquered by Russia in 1721 and 1743, called "Old Finland", to be

administratively included in "New Finland" in 1812.

[edit]History

Main article:History of Finland

[edit]Prehistory

Main article:History of Finland#Prehistory

According toarchaeologicalevidence, the area now comprising Finland was settled at the latest around

8500 BCE during theStone Ageas the ice sheet of thelast ice agereceded. Theartifactsthe first settlers left

behind present characteristics that are shared with those found in Estonia, Russia and Norway.[17]The earliest

people werehunter-gatherers, using stone tools.[18]The first pottery appeared in 5200 BCE when theComb

Ceramic culturewas introduced.[19]

The arrival of theCorded Ware culturein southern coastal Finland between3000 and 2500 BCE may have coincided with the start of agriculture.[20]Even with the introduction of

agriculture, hunting and fishing continued to be important parts of the subsistence economy.

TheBronze Age(1500500 BCE) andIron Age(500 BCE1200 CE) were characterised by extensive contacts

with other cultures in theFennoscandianandBaltic regions. There is no consensus on whenUralic

languagesandIndo-European languageswere first spoken in the area of contemporary Finland. During the 1st
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19http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corded_Ware_culturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corded_Ware_culturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corded_Ware_culturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#cite_note-Virt-Mino-20http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#cite_note-Virt-Mino-20http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#cite_note-Virt-Mino-20http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronze_Agehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronze_Agehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronze_Agehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Agehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Agehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Agehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fennoscandiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fennoscandiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fennoscandiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltic_regionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltic_regionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltic_regionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uralic_languageshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uralic_languageshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uralic_languageshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uralic_languageshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indo-European_languageshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indo-European_languageshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indo-European_languageshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indo-European_languageshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uralic_languageshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uralic_languageshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltic_regionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fennoscandiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Agehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronze_Agehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#cite_note-Virt-Mino-20http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corded_Ware_culturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#cite_note-Hist-Fin-Geo-19http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pit-Comb_Ware_culturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pit-Comb_Ware_culturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#cite_note-VF-Pre-18http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunter-gathererhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#cite_note-17http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artifact_(archaeology)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_ice_agehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_Agehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archaeologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Finland#Prehistoryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Finland&action=edit&section=7http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Finlandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Finland&action=edit&section=6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Finlandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kymi_Riverhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_I_of_Russiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haltihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saanahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muonio_Riverhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torne_Riverhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torne_Valleyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalix_Riverhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kemijokihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Duchy_of_Finlandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C3%A4sterbotten_Countyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweden-Finlandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governor_generalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ostrobothnia_(historical_province)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governor_General_of_Finlandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Per_Brahe_the_Youngerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Per_Brahe_the_Youngerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christina,_Queen_of_Swedenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_of_Swedenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duchyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_III_of_Sweden


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millennium AD, early Finnish was spoken at least in agricultural settlements of Southern Finland, whereas

Smi-speaking populations occupied most parts of the country.[citation needed]

[edit]Swedish era

TheSwedish Empirefollowing theTreaty of Roskildeof 1658.

Dark green:Sweden proper, as represented in theRiksdag of the Estates. Other greens:Swedish

dominionsandpossessions.

Swedish kings established their rule in theNorthern Crusadesfrom the12th centuryuntil1249.[21]The area of

present-day Finland became afully consolidated partof the Swedish kingdom. Swedish-speaking settlers

arrived at the coastal regions during the medieval time. In the 17th century,Swedishbecame the dominant

language of the nobility, administration and education;Finnishwas chiefly a language for

thepeasantry,clergyand localcourtsin predominantly Finnish-speaking areas.

During theProtestant Reformation, theFinnsgradually converted toLutheranism.[22]In the 16th century,Mikael

Agricolapublished the first written works in Finnish. The first university in Finland,The Royal Academy of

Turku, was established in 1640. Finland suffered a severefamine in 169697, during which about one-third of

the Finnish population died,[23]and adevastating plague a few years later. In the 18th century, wars between

Sweden and Russia led to the occupation of Finland twice by Russian forces, wars known to the Finns as

theGreater Wrath(171421) and theLesser Wrath(174243).[23]By this time Finland was the predominant

term for the whole area from theGulf of Bothniato the Russian border.

[edit]Russian Empire era

Main article:Grand Duchy of Finland

See also:Finland's language strifeandRussification of Finland
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index.php?title=Finland&action=edit&section=9http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Duchy_of_Finlandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Duchy_of_Finlandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Duchy_of_Finlandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland%27s_language_strifehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland%27s_language_strifehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland%27s_language_strifehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russification_of_Finlandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russification_of_Finlandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russification_of_Finlandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Swedish_Empire_(1560-1815)_en2.pnghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Swedish_Empire_(1560-1815)_en2.pnghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russification_of_Finlandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland%27s_language_strifehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Duchy_of_Finlandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Finland&action=edit&section=9http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_of_Bothniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#cite_note-empire-23http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russo-Swedish_War_(1741%E2%80%931743)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_Wrathhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_plague_during_the_Great_Northern_Warhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#cite_note-empire-23http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Famine_of_Finland_(1695%E2%80%931697)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Royal_Academy_of_Turkuhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Royal_Academy_of_Turkuhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikael_Agricolahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikael_Agricolahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#cite_note-22http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lutheranismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finnshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protestant_Reformationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Courthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clergyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peasanthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finnish_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland_Swedishhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consolidation_of_Swedenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland#cite_note-21http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Swedish_Crusadehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Swedish_Crusadehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Crusadeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Possessions_of_Swedenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominions_of_Swedenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominions_of_Swedenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riksdag_of_the_Estateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweden_properhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Roskildehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swedish_Empirehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Finland&action=edit&section=8http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed


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On 29 March 1809, having been taken over by the armies ofAlexander I of Russiain theFinnish War, Finland

became an autonomousGrand Duchyin theRussian Empireuntil the end of 1917. In 1811 Alexander I

incorporated RussianVyborg provinceinto the Grand Duchy of Finland. During the Russian era, the Finnish

language began to gain recognition. From the 1860s onwards, a strong Finnishnationalist movementknown as

theFennomanmovement grew. Milestones included the publication of what would become Finland'snational

epic theKalevala in 1835, and the Finnish language's achieving equal legal status with Swedish in 1892.

TheFinnish famine of 18661868killed 15% of the population, making it one of the worstfaminesin European

history. The famine led the Russian Empire to ease financial regulations, and investment rose in following

decades. Economic and political development was rapid.[24]The GDP per capita was still half of that of

theUnited Statesand a third of that ofBritain.[24]

In 1906,universal suffragewas adopted in the Grand Duchy of Finland. However, the relationship between the

Grand Duchy and the Russian Empire soured when the Russian government made moves to restrict

Finnishautonomy. For example, the universal suffrage was, in practice, virtually meaningless, since the tsar did

not have to approve any of the laws adopted by the Finnish parliament. Desire for independence gained

ground, first among radical liberals[25]and socialists.

[edit]Civil war and early independence

Soviet approval of Finland's independence (in Russian).

Main articles:Finnish Declaration of IndependenceandFinnish Civil War

After the 1917February Revolution, the position of Finland as part of the Russian Empire was questioned,

mainly bySocial Democrats. Since the head of state was theCzarof Russia, it was not clear who the chief

executive of Finland was after the revolution. The parliament, controlled by social democrats, passed the so-
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called Power Act[26]to give the highest authority to parliament. This was rejected by theRussian Provisional

Governmentand by the right-wing parties in Finland. The Provisional Government dissolved the parliament by

force, which the social democrats considered illegal, since the right to do so had been stripped from the

Russians by the Power Act.[citation needed]

New elections were conducted, in which right-wing parties won a slim majority. Some social democrats refused

to accept the result and still claimed that the dissolution of the parliament (and thus the ensuing elections) were

extralegal. The two nearly equally powerful political blocs, the right-wing parties and the social democratic

party, were highly antagonized.[citation needed]

TheOctober Revolutionin Russia changed the game anew. Suddenly, the right-wing parties in Finland started

to reconsider their decision to block the transfer of highest executive power from the Russian government to

Finland, as radical communists took power in Russia. Rather than acknowledge the authority of the Power

Lawof a few months earlier, the right-wing governmentdeclared independenceon 6 December 1917.

On 27 January 1918, the official opening shots of the war were fired in two simultaneous events. The

government started to disarm the Russian forces inPohjanmaa, and theSocial Democratic Partystaged a

coup.[not in citation given] The latter succeeded in controlling southern Finland and Helsinki, but the white government

continued in exile fromVaasa. This sparked the brief but bittercivil war. TheWhites, who were supported

byImperial Germany, prevailed over theReds.[27]After the war, tens of thousands of Reds and suspected

sympathizers were interned in camps, where thousands died by execution or from malnutrition and disease.

Deep social and political enmity was sown between the Reds and Whites and would last until theWinter

Warand beyond. The civil war andactivist expeditionsinto the Soviet Russia strained Eastern relations.

Aftera brief flirtation with monarchy, Finland became apresidentialrepublic, withKaarlo Juho

Sthlbergelected as its first president in 1919. The FinnishRussian border was determined by theTreaty of

Tartuin 1920, largely following the historic border but grantingPechenga(Finnish:Petsamo) and itsBarents

Seaharbour to Finland. Finnish democracy did not see any Soviet coup attempts and survived the anti-

CommunistLapua Movement. The relationship between Finland and the Soviet Union was tense. Germany's

relations with democratic Finland cooled also after the Nazis' rise to power. [citation needed]Army officers were

trained inFrance, and relations to Western Europe and Sweden were strengthened.

In 1917, the population was 3 million. Credit-basedland reformwas enacted after the civil war, increasing the

proportion of capital-owning population.[24]About 70% of workers were occupied in agriculture and 10% in

industry.[28]The largest export markets were the United Kingdom and Germany.

[edit]World War II
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Areas ceded by Finland to theSoviet Unionafter theWinter Warin 1940 and theContinuation Warin 1944.

ThePorkkalaland lease was returned to Finland in 1956. Finland covered an area of approximately 385,000

km2 (149,000 sq mi) before the handover.

Main article:Military history of Finland during World War II

DuringWorld War II, Finland fought theSoviet Uniontwice: in theWinter Warof 19391940 after the Soviet

Union had attacked Finland; and in theContinuation Warof 19411944, followingOperation Barbarossa, in

which Germany had invaded the Soviet Union. For 872 days, the German army besiegedLeningrad, the

USSR's second largest city.[29]Thesiege of Leningradresulted in the deaths of some one million of the city's

inhabitants.[30]Finnish troops controlled some of the areas around the city but refused to attack or let Germans

use those areas for attack; whether they should be said to have helped in the siege or refused to help is

controversial. After fighting amajor Soviet offensivein June/July 1944 to a standstill, Finland reached an

armistice with the Soviet Union. This was followed by theLapland Warof 194445, when Finland forced the

Germans out of northern Finland.

The treaties signed in 1947 and 1948 with the Soviet Union included Finnish obligations, restraints and

reparationsas well as further Finnish territorial concessions begun in theMoscow Peace Treatyof 1940. As a

result of the two wars, Finland was forced to cede most ofFinnish Karelia,SallaandPetsamo, which amounted

to 10% of its land area and 20% of its industrial capacity, including the ports ofVyborg(Viipuri) and ice-

freeLiinakhamari(Liinahamari).Almost the whole population, some 400,000 persons, fled these areas. Finland

was never occupied by Soviet forces and retained its independence, however at a loss of about 93,000 soldiers

killed, by proportion the third-highest loss rate in World War II.[citation needed]
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Documents

Finland History