Sweden-Finland

Sweden-Finland is a term often used for the Swedish Kingdom between the Kalmar Union and the Napoleonic wars, or the period from the 14th to the 18th century. In 1809 the realm was split and the eastern half came to constitute the semi-autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland, in personal union with Imperial Russia.

Related Topics:
Swedish Kingdom - Kalmar Union - Napoleonic wars - 14th - 18th century - 1809 - Grand Duchy of Finland - Personal union - Imperial Russia

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Although the term has didactic merits, for instance when used in conjunction with the terms Denmark-Norway and Sweden-Norway, it is also potentially a bit misleading and somewhat contradicting contemporary usage. Finland (proper), as understood from the middle ages and forth, was - officially - from 1353 up to 1808 one of the provinces of Sweden, although the largest, both geographigly and by population, and also different from the other parts of the Swedish realm, both linquisticly and culturally.

Related Topics:
Denmark-Norway - Sweden-Norway - Finland (proper) - Middle ages - 1353 - 1808 - Provinces of Sweden

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While what today constitutes the Republic of Finland was then a set of provinces comprising the eastern part of Sweden proper, of which the most southern part at the time of Sweden-Finland was - by many Swedes - called the Österland ("the Eastern land").

Related Topics:
Republic of Finland - Sweden proper - Österland

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Gradually, that term fell entirely from use, and by the 18th century, after the southern parts of the present-day Finland had been twice occupied by the Russian forces (1714–21 and 1742–43), "Finland" - now among all the Swedes too - became the commonly used term for the land of the Finns, where the Finnish language was spoken by the vast majority of the population.

Related Topics:
18th century - 1714 - 21 - 1742 - 43 - Finnish language

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It should be noted that - when still in use - the term Österland was used in the official government documents for the land of the Finns only in Sweden, west from Finland. Elsewhere - outside Sweden-Finland - the terms Finn(s) and Finland are known to have been in use already at the Viking ages. Thus for instance, in the 1638 settlement of New Sweden in Wilmington, Delaware (USA), one of the areas first inhibated by the Finns became to be called Finland by the contemporaries.

Related Topics:
Finn - Finland - Viking age - 1638 - New Sweden - Wilmington - Delaware - USA

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The northern and western borders of "Finland" were established first with the Russo–Swedish peace treaty in 1809 when Finland and Sweden were separated. Finland Became an autonomous Grand duchy within the Russian empire until 1917.

Related Topics:
Peace treaty in 1809 - Autonomous - Grand duchy - Russian empire - 1917

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The large northern territories on the Swedish side of the new Finnish-Swedish border - from 1809 on - remained sparsely populated Finnish speaking areas, and Finnish mothertongue dominated in other parts of Sweden as well. In the whole of Sweden, however, the Finnish speakers were a minority - confined mainly to the northern, norhtwestern and western peripheries -, that in the ensuing centuries has mostly assimilated with the Swedish speaking majority population.

Related Topics:
1809 - Finnish speaking - Assimilated

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