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.

SWEDEN

Sweden is a North European country. It is on the eastern side of the Scandinavian peninsular. It includes the Baltic island Gotland and Oeland.

The Roman historian Tacitus refers to Suiones tribesmen and it is assumed that it was the first inhabitants to have founded the Swedish State.

Vikings from Sweden raided in the Baltic, Russia and as far as  the Arab caliphate of Baghdad.

In 1397 Sweden joined Norway and Denmark in the Union of Kalmar. Denmark dominated the union until 1523 when Gustavus Vasa led a successful revolt. It gave Sweden independence and established his own royal dynasty.  He introduced Lutheranism as the state religion.

Sweden’s power and territory expanded during the 16^th and 17^th centuries especially during the reigns of the great military commander Gustavus Adolfus (1611-32).

As all great empires the strain started to tell to maintain it during the reign of Charles XII (1682-1718).

In 1721 the Northern War ended and the empire broke up and a parliamentary government was established replacing the monarchy.

The coup of Gustavus II in 1772 re-established the monarchy again.

During the Napoleonic War Sweden was one of the Third Coalition fighting the French.

In 1818 Charles XIV became king and when he died in 1844 he established today’s Swedish monarchy.

Sweden had a policy of non-alignment during the two World Wars. It managed to become one of the World’s wealthiest and socially most progressive states.

After a long period of Social Democratic power the prime minister Olaf Palme tried to raise taxation to fund the welfare spending and his party was outvoted in 1976.

The Social Democrats were voted in again n 1982. Palme was assassinated four years later but his party held power till 1991.

The Moderate Unity Party took over and started negotiation to be members of the European Community. The party reduced public expenditure on welfare, especially on health and education.

Sweden joined the European Union in 1995.