Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
After World War II, Finland was made to suffer for having allied itself for a time with
Germany and for having fought against one of the Allied Powers. The Finns were forced
to cede Karelia (eastern Finland) and part of Lapland to the USSR, to accept a Soviet nav-
al base on Finnish territory, and to pay huge reparations to the Soviet government. Still,
Finland's bold, trendsetting modern design and architecture blossomed, and it built up suc-
cessful timber, paper, and electronics industries. All through the Cold War, Finland teetered
between the West and the Soviet Union, trying to be part of Western Europe's strong eco-
nomy while treading lightly and making nice with her giant neighbor to the east. The col-
lapse of the Soviet Union has done to Finland what a good long sauna might do to you.
