Affectionately known as the daughter of the baltic, helsinki sprawls across a lowlying peninsula and is sheltered by an archipelago of 315 islands. Finland strengthened ties with regional powers 800 1050 swedish vikings established trade ties with russia via finland s 1600s 1150s swedish led crusades to southwestern finland. In 1974 the finnish library association suomen kirjastoseura took over as publisher until 1976, when it was succeeded by the helsinki. Henrik meinander is professor of history at the university of helsinki and the author of many acclaimed books on finnish and nordic history. Finlands library services are quite popular and actively used about 40 percent of citizens are active users and visit the library about twice a month. The first inhabitants of finland were the sami lapp people. Since your name sounds finnish, i take it that you have studied history at school. Reference features include a biographical section highlighting notable figures in finlands history click the link 45. The finnish bronze age started in approximately 1,500 bc and the iron age started in 500 bc and lasted until 1,300 ad. Nine chapters introduce the culture, geography and climate of the country, and discuss finland as part of the swedish realm. The history of finland begins around 9,000 bc during the end of the last glacial period. Finland strengthened ties with regional powers 800 1050 swedish vikings established trade ties with russia via finland. Finland is located in northern europe along the baltic sea, the gulf of bothnia, and the gulf of finland.
That is not to say i dont spend a lot of time reading about finland before and after trips i take there. Finland at its greatest extent 1984 many years ago, this is what finland looked like. The first humans arrived in finland about 7,000 bc after the end of the last ice age. Suomen rahvaan historia by perttu immonen, ruma sota. The literature of finland is bilingual, with lively and extensive traditions in both finnish and swedish.
The goal of our association is to provide an online source of archived materials such as communion books, census records etc. Sep 30, 2012 a group finnish mathematics students, teachers and researchers have made history during the last weekend of september, producing an openlicense high school mathematics book in a threeday. Since 1998, finland has been judged to be the worlds least corrupt country, according to the annual survey by the berlinbased organization transparency international. The history subfield includes the dates of previous constitutions and the main steps and dates in formulating and implementing the latest constitution. If you want to supply your local library or genealogical society with leaflets.
Some of the stories have entertained several generations already. This history covers both literary traditions in detail. Russian rule dubbed the age of oppression, independence, and civil war. Translated by david mcduff, it is available at northwestern university press in the us. As the lutheran church was the state religion for hundreds of years, church records essentially cover the entire population of finland, and are the most important records used in finnish genealogical research.
We asked fans to vote for their favourite finnish book. Alternative outcome for finland if world war 2 had gone differently. Finland was a province and then a grand duchy under sweden from the 12th to the 19th centuries, and an autonomous grand duchy of russia after 1809. It borders on the gulf of bothnia and sweden in the west, on norway in the north, on russia in the east, and on the gulf of finland and the baltic sea in the south. After the publication of his first novel, and inspired by a visit to paris in the late 1920s, he published many thrillers. I found the extensive details on the early history of swedishfinnish expansion extremely helpful, although the book is a bit skimpy on the topic of the finnish civil war. It was pretty much what it says on the tin, giving me a useful framework and some helpful details. Concise history of finland, from its part in the swedish kingdom to. The finnish civil war 1918 offers an account of the history and memory of the conflict and traces its legacy in finnish society until today. She has been usually pictured as a young beautiful woman with blonde hair and blue eyes wearing some form of finnish national dress or a blue and white dress or sometimes a dress with red and yellow heraldic colors which are present in the coat of arms of finland.
Europe finland the world factbook central intelligence. The earliest finns were stoneage hunters and gatherers. Culture of finland history, people, clothing, traditions. In 1741 sweden reached a secret understanding through french. Jul, 2006 a concise history of finland, david kirby 2006 i read this on the plane to finland this summer, which was rather like cramming for ones exam the night before. A merciless critic of the myths surrounding certain national figures and events, he has written about marshal mannerheim, against attempts to glorify war, and the inevitability of finlands involvment in the german. An alternative outcome for finland if the finnosoviet wars and world war ii had gone differently map of a greatger finland, the provinces, cities, network and military locations. The topography of finland is relatively gentle with low, flat or rolling plains and low hills. History of finland lonely planet travel information.
The book about moomin, mymble and little my was the first moomin picture book by finnish author tove jansson, published in 1952 in swedish. Niemi teos, 2017 it won the finlandia prize for literature last y. An uptodate political, social and economic history of finland from medieval times to the present. A history of finland by henrik meinander the anglofinnish society. Finland also forms a symbolic northern border between western and eastern europe. Moomintroll is taking milk back home to his mother, moominmamma when he meets the mymble who is searching for her missing sister little my. In april 2003, finland appointed its first female prime minister, ma.
It opens with a consideration of the folk literature in finnish that flourished. On average, finns borrow a book from a public lending library more than once a month. Over thousands of years successive waves of people entered finland. A brief history of finland by matti klinge goodreads. A concise history of finland cambridge concise histories. To read about the background of these events, see history of finland bc.
The timeline is drawn from the book the history of finland. This book provides a brief, but very comprehensive, history of finland from the bronze age to the twentieth century. Founded by swedish invaders in 1550, the city is young by european standards, but its power and influence grew dramatically when russia invaded in 1809. Finland had been one of the best performing economies within the eu before 2009 and its banks and financial markets avoided the worst of global financial crisis. Meinanders clarity of vision has placed finland in a nordic and european perspective as well as skilfully weaving political, economic and cultural developments into an integral whole. Previous theories held that the ancestors of the finns migrated into southwestern finland from estonia as recently as the first. Stone age cultures were kunda, comb ceramic, corded ware, kiukainen, and polja cultures. In finland as elsewhere, readers are clearly divided into major consumers and others. Finlands family history association ffha was founded in 2004. History finnish history is the story of a people who for centuries were a wrestling mat between two heavyweights on either side. The history of finland begins with the earliest archaeological evidence of settlement about 10,000 years ago and ends with the presidential elections of 2006.
Few countries in europe have undergone such rapid soci. When finnish speakers migrated to finland in the first millennium b. Each chapter describes cultural, economic, religious, as well as political aspects of finlands past. Discover librarianselected research resources on finnish history from the questia online library, including fulltext online books, academic journals, magazines. It shares borders with norway, sweden, and russia and has a coastline of 776 miles 1,250 km. A concise history of finland by david kirby goodreads. Finland becomes first european country to have female president and prime minister. Aug 14, 2014 the finnish civil war 1918 offers an account of the history and memory of the conflict and traces its legacy in finnish society until today.
Timeline of important chronological events in finnish history. Human habitation in finland dates to the early postglacial period in the late eighth millennium b. Finland church census and preconfirmation books, 1657. As a result of the great northern war treaty of nystad, 1721, sweden had lost estonia, livonia, ingria, and part of karelia to russia. Finland history, scandinavian history, books barnes. What is the best book for learning finnish history. List of books and articles about finnish history online. List of books and articles about finnish history online research. The topography of finland is relatively gentle with low, flat or. The unfortunate thing about this history is that the earliest chronicles were written by swedes, and much of ethnic finnish culture and events before and well after the swedish crusades has escaped written record altogether. Paavo rintala born 1930 published his first novel in 1954 and since then has brought out a new book almost every year.
The book is organized chronologically and deals with the classical turning points and critical years in finnish history. Collection of church census books rippikirjat and preconfirmation books lastenkirjat kept by the lutheran church in finland. A history of finland is an extraordinarily readable and wellbalanced book. Our mini documentaries and lists explore countries, people, society, religion, history, and more to debunk myths and uncover the mysteries of our world and universe. Sep 21, 2018 since your name sounds finnish, i take it that you have studied history at school. A concise history of finland, david kirby 2006 i read this on the plane to finland this summer, which was rather like cramming for ones exam the night before. The maiden of finland suomineito is the national personification of finland. However, the world slowdown hit exports and domestic demand hard in that year, causing finlands economy to contract from 2012 to 2014. The finns repeated raids on the scandinavian coast impelled eric ix, the swedish king, to. Professor of history at the university of helsinki, author of several books on finnish history. The volumes first section, on finnishlanguage literature, consists of a series of connected chapters by leading.
One of finlands most renowned writers, mika waltari 19081979 created novels, poems, plays and screenplays. Since that time, finland has had one of the most bloody. This plentifully illustrated overall presentation of finnish history covers the lines of development of the countrys political history, along with its economic and cultural history. History of finland by henrik meinander nook book ebook. Together, these major consumers buy over half of all books sold. The older illustrations and colors appeal also to younger parents as retro chic. I have never read a single volume history of one of my favorite countries, finland. I would therefore recommend a more recent angle at the history of finland. Finland underwent an enormous economic restructuring in the last half of the 20th century, but the author never describes how this occurred. Aug 08, 2017 our mini documentaries and lists explore countries, people, society, religion, history, and more to debunk myths and uncover the mysteries of our world and universe.
Approximately one in every six finns between the ages of 15 and 79 buys at least ten books per year. Finland is one of the worlds most northern and geographically remote countries and is subject to a severe climate. Books from finland is a journal of writing from and about finland. A group finnish mathematics students, teachers and researchers have made history during the last weekend of september, producing an openlicense high school mathematics book in a threeday.
The main emphasis is on the events in finland after 1809 and especially in independent finla. Talvi ja jatkosodan vaiettu historia by jenni kirves, kirves t. The history of finland appears to be unique and fascinating, but this rendition so focuses on the nuts and bolts that it often fails to provide the big picture. To read about the background of these events, see history of finland. Finland underwent an enormous economic restructuring in the last half of the 20th century. Aug 30, 2019 finland is located in northern europe along the baltic sea, the gulf of bothnia, and the gulf of finland. History and ethnic relations emergence of the nation.
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