What is the capital of Karelia?
Petrozavodsk
| Republic of Karelia | |
|---|---|
| Capital | Petrozavodsk |
| Government | |
| • Body | Legislative Assembly |
| • Head | Artur Parfenchikov |
Do they speak English in Finland?
English. The English language is spoken by most Finns. Official statistics in 2012 show that at least 70\% of Finnish people can speak English.
Why did Finland cede Karelia to the Soviet Union?
As a result of the treaty signed at the end of the Winter War, Finland had to cede parts of Karelia, Salla, and Kuusamo provinces to the Soviet Union, as well as islands in the Gulf of Finland. The total area, some 40,000 square kilometers, was three times larger than the areas captured by the Soviet Union during the Winter War itself.
What is the history of Karelia?
Beginning in the late 13th century, Russia and Sweden constantly fought over the region. Russia won Finland from Sweden in the war of 1808-09. Finland was granted the status of an autonomous grand duchy, with its own government and parliament. In 1812, western Karelia — or “Old Finland,” as it was called then — was joined to the rest of Finland.
Why are there no Finns in Karelia?
But there has been an outflow of population from the region in recent years, possibly because the economy is predominantly agricultural. According to a Finnish Foreign Ministry official, the fact that there are no Finns left in Karelia is one of the reasons why Helsinki has not officially raised the possibility of Karelia being returned.
What is the Karelian reform plan?
The organization has drafted a “Karelian Reform Plan,” the central objective of which is to raise public awareness of the circumstances of the Soviet annexation of Karelia. Its members “expect political leaders to have the courage to right past wrongs,” and would like the ceded territories returned peacefully to Finland as a result of negotiations.