History of Finland

History of Finland

The land area that now makes up Finland was settled immediately after the Ice Age, beginning from around 8500 BCE. Most of the region was part of the Kingdom of Sweden from the 13th century to 1809, when it was ceded to the Russian Empire, becoming the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland. The Lutheran religion dominated. Finnish nationalism emerged, focused on Finnish cultural traditions, including music and especially its highly distinctive language. The catastrophic Finnish famine of 1866–1868 was followed by eased economic regulation and extensive emigration.

In 1917, Finland declared independence. A civil war between the Finnish Red Guards and the White Guard ensued a few months later with the "Whites" gaining the upper hand. After the internal affairs stabilized, the still mainly agrarian economy grew relatively fast. Relations with the West, especially Sweden and Britain, were strong but tensions remained with the Soviet Union. During the Second World War, Finland fought twice against the Soviet Union, but lost and had to cede most of Karelia to the USSR. It remained an independent democracy but was forced to stay neutral during the Cold War (1947-1991), a status called finlandization[citation needed].

Later half of its independent history, Finland has maintained a mixed economy. Since its economic takeoff in the 1970s, its GDP per capita has been among the world's highest. An expanded welfare state meant that from 1970 and 1990, the number of public sector employees and the tax burden increased more than most. In 1992 Finland simultaneously faced economic overheating and depressed Western, Russian and local markets. The country joined the European Union in 1995. According to a 2005 poll, most Finns are reluctant to join NATO.


More detail visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Finland