FINLAND

Finland lies in the north of Europe and borders the Baltic Sea. It was inhabited as far back as 7,200 BC. When the ice melted; hunters travelled further north.

From the 1^st to the 8^th century AD the indigenous population of Lapps were driven further north by the first Finnish speaking people, who migrated to Finland from the south.

During the Middle Ages Sweden and Russia kept fighting over Finland until 1558 when Gustavus Vasa of Sweden proclaimed it as a separate Swedish duchy.

In 1807 The Treaty of Tilsit between Tsar Alexander I and Napoleon annexed Finland as a grand duchy of Russia.

1917 the Russian Revolution gave Finland a chance to get independent. It was achieved in 1819 under Marshal Carl Mannerheim and a democratic republic was announced.

1939 a Finnish- Russian war started when Russia tried to claim Finland back. Finland put up a resistance but the Soviets broke through the Mannerheim Line in 1940 and the country lost its eastern territories and port Viborg.

Finland tried to regain these and fought on the side of Hitler and his Allies during the second World War and failed.

After the war Finland remained neutral and in 1992, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, a treaty was signed with Russia.

In 1995 Finland became a member of the European Union.