Who were the first inhabitants of Finland?

The first people arrived in Finland about 9,000 years ago. They probably represented several groups and tribes, including the ancestors of the present Sami. Lured by the plenitude of game, particularly fur-bearing animals and fish, they followed the melting ice northward.

Was Finland part of Vikings?

There is possible evidence of Viking settlement in the Finnish mainland. The Åland Islands probably had Swedish settlement during the Viking Period. At the time there can be seen three cultural areas or tribes in Finland: Finns, Tavastians and Karelians.

What culture are people from Finland?

The culture of Finland combines indigenous heritage, as represented for example by the country’s national languages Finnish (a Uralic language) and Swedish (a Germanic language), the sauna, with common Nordic and European cultural aspects.

Who were the first people to live in Finland?

Earliest peoples The first people arrived in Finland about 9,000 years ago. They probably represented several groups and tribes, including the ancestors of the present Sami. Lured by the plenitude of game, particularly fur-bearing animals and fish, they followed the melting ice northward.

Where did the Finns come from?

They came in from central Europe as well when Europeans became sailors and they also easily followed the coastline to Finland. Many of these immigrants were actually Central European Finno-Ugrians who spoke a related language, but whose language was eventually buried under several layers of Germanic languages.

Where did the Swedes first settle in Finland?

Even before the beginning of the Viking Age (8th–11th century ce), Swedes had settled on the southwestern coast. During the Viking Age, Finland lay along the northern boundary of the trade routes to Russia, and the inhabitants of the area served as suppliers of furs.

How did Finland become part of the Russian Empire?

After the Finnish War in 1809, Finland was ceded to the Russian Empire (excluding the areas of modern-day Northern Sweden where Meänkieli dialects of Finnish are spoken), making this area the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland. The Lutheran religion dominated. Finnish nationalism emerged in the 19th century.