Finland

The Republic of Finland (Finnish: Suomen tasavalta Swedish: Republiken Finland) is a Nordic country in northeastern Europe, bounded by the Baltic Sea to the southwest, the Gulf of Finland to the south and the Gulf of Bothnia to the west. Finland has land frontiers with Sweden, Norway and Russia. The Åland Islands, off the southwestern coast, are under Finnish sovereignty while enjoying extensive autonomy. The Finnish name for Finland is Suomi; in Swedish it is Finland. The Latin language name is Fennia. Finland has a population of only five million people in three hundred thousand square kilometres,

Globalization

Finland's unique relationship with Czarist Russia, the Soviet Union, and now the Russian Federation, has profoundly impacted Finland's foreign policies and ability to globalise. Finnish globalisation was tempered by their necessity to remain unprovoking to their neighbour. Even with these barriers, Finland eventually became one of the most globalised nations in the world.

Related Topics:
Czarist Russia - Soviet Union - Russian Federation

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Finland's development from newly formed agricultural state to a highly successful globalised national entity follows Robert Keohane and Joseph Nye's concept of Realism and Complex Interdependence very closely. After Finland attained independence during the winter-war period, and during World War II, it displayed many of the characteristics of political realism. During the Cold War, Finland's policies began to move away from realism, but it is not until the collapse of the Soviet Union that Finland really embraced complex interdependence.

Related Topics:
Robert Keohane - Joseph Nye - Realism - Complex Interdependence - Cold War

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990's, Finland took that opportunity to free itself from the restrictions imposed on it by the Paris Peace Treaties, 1947. Free from the fear of Soviet influence, Finland was able to begin pursuing goals that better fit Finnish ideology. The Finnish-Soviet Agreement of Friendship, Co-operation, and Mutual Assistance (and the restrictions included therein) was declared null and void, but Finland recognised the Russian Federation as the successor to the USSR and was quick to draft bilateral treaties of goodwill between the two nations.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Finland began integrating into Western institutions, while not abandoning neutrality completely. Finland's policy of neutrality was moderated further from "active neutrality" to "military non-alignment," with an emphasis on maintaining a competent independent defence. This policy allowed them to join the European Union in 1995, and any other international organisation, provided that Finland would not be forced to contribute militarily in a way that would threaten their neutrality. United Nations Peacekeeping is the only real extra-national military responsibilities that Finland participates in.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~