Karelia
This article may come to replace the article currenty at Karelia. See Talk:Republic of Karelia for further information.
Karelia is a area in Northern Europe which is historically significant for Finland, Russia and Sweden. It is currenty divided into the Russian Republic of Karelia and two Regions of Finland, South Karelia and North Karelia. Karelia is inhabited by the Karelians, a finnic people who speak the Karelian language.
In the Karelian and Finnish languages Karelia is called Karjala and in Russian ???. The Swedish name is Karelen.
History
Main article: History of Karelia
Karelia was bitterly fought over by Sweden and Novgorod in the 13th century. The Treaty of Nöteborg in 1323 divided Karelia between the two. Vyborg become the capital of the new Swedish province.
The Treaty of Nystad in 1721 between Russia and Sweden ceded most of Karelia to Russia. After Finland had been conquered by Russia in the Finnish War, parts of the ceded provinces (Old Finland) were incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Finland. In 1917 Finland became independent and the borders with the Soviet Union were decided in 1920.
During the 1920s the Finns were involved in attempts to overthrow the Soviets in Karelia, like the failed Aunus expedition. Finland occupied East Karelia during the Continuation War between 1941 and 1944.
In 1923 the Russian part of Karelia become the Karelian ASSR which was briefly joined with the Karelo-Finnish SSR between 1941 and 1956. After which it became an ASSR again. In 1991 it formed the Republic of Karelia.
Politics
Karelia is divided between Finland and Russia. The Republic of Karelia is an autonomous republic of Russia which was formed in 1991 from the Karelian ASSR. The Karelian Isthmus belongs to the Leningrad Oblast. The Finnish parts of Karelia are part of the regions (maakunta) of South and North Karelia, which in turn are part of the province of Eastern Finland.
Geography
Main article: Geography of Karelia
Karelia streches from the White Sea coast to the Gulf of Finland. It contains the two largest lakes in Europe, Lake Ladoga and Lake Onega. The Karelian Isthmus is located between the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga.
Towns
Republic of Karelia
- Petrozavodsk (Petroskoi)
- Medvezhegorsk
- Kem (Vienan Kemi, compare with Kemi)
- Kostomuksha (Kostamus)
- Kondopoga (Kontupohja)
- Sortavala
- Segezha
- Unitsa
Karelian Isthmus
South Karelia
North Karelia
Culture
Main article: Culture of Karelia