Is Finnish spoken in Karelia?
Karelian (karjala, karjal or kariela) is a Finnic language spoken mainly in the Russian Republic of Karelia. Karelian is not to be confused with the Southeastern dialects of Finnish, sometimes referred to as karjalaismurteet (“Karelian dialects”) in Finland.
What is Karelia known for?
Karelia is known as “the country of lakes.” One quarter of Karelia’s surface is covered by water including about sixty thousand lakes. The second-largest lake of Europe, Lake Onega, is located in Karelia. The largest lake of Europe, Lake Ladoga is partly located in Karelia (together with Leningrad Oblast).
When did Finland lost Karelia?
At the Treaty of Moscow (March 12, 1940), Finland had to cede Finnish Karelia and Salla, a total of 35,084 sq. km, to the Soviet Union, and “lease” Hango, with an additional 117 sq. km.
Did Stalin invade Finland?
Russia’s feud with its Nordic neighbor began in 1939, when Soviet leader Joseph Stalin looked to expand his influence over Eastern Europe. On November 30, 1939, following a series of ultimatums and failed negotiations, the Soviet Red Army launched an invasion of Finland with half a million troops.
How many people live in Karelia?
Altogether, the Soviet 1989 census recorded 131,000 Karelians (23,000 in Tver oblast), 18,000 Finns, and 6,000 Vepsians (straddling Karelia and the Leningrad and Vologda oblasts). Karelia occupies a strategic location on the railroad to Russia’s ice- free port of Murmansk on the Arctic Ocean.
Who are the Finns in Russia?
Finns, Karelians (in Karelian Republic and eastern Finland ), Izhorians (Ingrians) and Ingrian Finns (around St. Petersburg ), Vepsians (southeast of St. Petersburg ), near-extinct Votians (southwest of St. Petersburg), and Estonians speak mutually semi-intelligible Finnic languages.
What happened to the Izhorians in Karelia?
Deportations, immigration, and other means of russification have almost obliterated the Izhorians, while reducing the Karelians, Finns, and Vepsians to 13 percent of Karelia’s population (103,000 out of 791,000, in 1989).
What is the main industry in Karelia?
Karelia is an “urbanized forest republic” where agriculture is limited and industry ranges from lumber and paper to iron ore and aluminum. The capital, Petrozavodsk (Petroskoi in Karelian), includes 34 percent of Karelia’s entire population.