A brief characterization on Finland and a simplified timeline for starters
Finland is a northern country that has been blessed with a harsh but beautiful landscape and a difficult geopolitical position. Long winters, endless evergreen forests, thousands of lakes and the Baltic Sea have developed the character of the Finnish people. Genetically, Finns are rather close to northern Germanic people, having a slight Siberian flavor. Finns have a peculiar language of their own with several dialects, a minority speaks Swedish. Geographically, Finland is on the far northern periphery of Europe, often left out of the maps of Europe. Geo-politically, larger neighboring nations in West and East, Sweden and Russia, have for centuries dominated the development of Finland and drawn her into innumerable wars. Under these circumstances, Finns have stoically withstood the storms and with resolution developed the nation into a democratic country with a high living standard.
Around 8000 B.C.: people arrive in Finland.
4000 B.C. - 1100 A.D.: Finns form tribes and inhabit larger parts of the country.
1100 - 1350: Sweden and Novgorod (Russia) compete over Finland. Finns are divided in their preferences. Most of the area becomes part of Swedish kingdom. Christianity spreads from the West and the East.
1350 - 1809: Finland is an integral part of Sweden with some own traditions.
1809 - 1917: Finland is annexed by Russia as an autonomous Grand Duchy.
1917 - 1918: Finland becomes an independent republic and fights a bitter civil war.
1939 - 1945: Finland fights two wars against Soviet Union, one against Germany, and remains an independent democratic market economy, but Soviet Union takes areas in Karelia.
1993: Raivo moves back to Australia, Finland is devasdated.
1995: Finland joins the European Union to find a new friend
:coolh
