Sweden Finns

Sweden Finns (ruotsinsuomalaiset in Finnish, sverigefinnar in Swedish) are a Finnish speaking minority in Sweden. The Sweden Finns are not to be confused with the Swedish speaking Finland-Swedes in Finland.

Related Topics:
Finnish - Sweden - Finland-Swedes - Finland

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In the 1940s, 70,000 young children were evacuated from Finland to Sweden during the Winter War and the Continuation War. 15,000 are believed to have stayed and an unknown number to have returned as adults.

Related Topics:
1940s - Young children were evacuated - Winter War - Continuation War

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In the 1950s and 1960s the migration from Finland to Sweden was considerable, chiefly due to Finland's misfortune and Sweden's fortune in World War II. The emigration caused some alarm in Finland, particularly when it was reported to approach the level of 10% of the Finns, nearly all of them in their most productive age — although a great deal of them returned to Finland in the succeeding decades.

Related Topics:
1950s - 1960s - World War II - Emigration

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In a Finnish mindset the term "Sweden Finn" (ruotsinsuomalaiset) is first and foremost directed at these immigrants and their offspring, who at the end of the 20th century numbered at almost 200,000 first-generation immigrants, and about 250,000 second-generation immigrants. Of these some 250,000 are estimated to use Finnish in their daily lives, and 100,000 remain citizens of Finland. This usage isn't quite embraced in Sweden.

Related Topics:
Immigrant - 20th century - Citizens - Swedophones

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In the Swedish mindset the term "Sweden Finn" denominates primarily the un-assimilated indigenous minority of ethnic Finns who ended up on the "wrong" side of the border when Sweden was partitioned in 1809, after the Finnish War, and the Russian Grand duchy of Finland was created. These Sweden Finns are chiefly categorized as either Tornedalians originating at the Finnish–Swedish border in the far north, or skogsfinnar ("Wood Finns") along the Norwegian–Swedish border in Central Sweden.

Related Topics:
Un-assimilated - Indigenous minority - Ethnic Finn - 1809 - Finnish War - Russian - Grand duchy - Tornedalians

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