Finland Cultural Groups

Finland does not keep any official statistics on ethnicities, only the location of a person's birth. However, the government does recognize several ethnic groups. The dominant ethnicity in the country is Finnish but there are also notable historic minorities present in the country. As a result of recent immigration there are now also large groups of Estonians, Iraqis and Somalis in the country. Finn may refer to all those who live in Finland, but Finn also refer to specific groups such as Baltic Finns who live in the region of the Baltic Sea who speak Finnic languages.

Traditional Groups
There are eight traditional minorities recognized in Finland. Traditional minorities are ethnic or linguistic groups that have existed in Finland for at least a century. They are: Finland Swedes (Finlandsvenska) - Swedish-speaking Finns, Sami, Romani, "Old Russians", Jews, Tatars, Karelian-speaking Karelians, and Ålänningar (people living on Åland or descend from Åland. Åländers).

Finland Swedes
The Finland Swedes is a recent name for the Swedish-speaking minority in Finland. They meet the criteria for an ethnic group, but the identity is usually not discussed in these terms. Swedish has been spoken as a primary language in Finland since the 12th century. Most Finland Swedes think of themselves as Finns who have Swedish as their primary language. The area inhabited by most of the Swedish-speaking population is called Svenskfinland (Swedish Finland).

Sámi
The Sámi, (Northern Sami: sápmelaččat), are the only indigenous people in the European Union. They have also been known as Lapps or Laplanders, but these terms are considered derogatory. However, in historical records, they can often be identified by these terms. At one time they lived in many parts of Finland, but as a nomadic people they moved northward as the population of Finns and their practice of slash and burn agriculture spread across the country. By the 16th century most Sámi lived in the north. See Sami People for more information about the Sámi in the Nordic countries.

In 1996 the Sámi Parliament (Sámediggi) was established in Inari, Finland. It functions under the administrative sector of the Ministry of Justice, and represents the Sámi in national and international relations and addresses issues concerning Sámi language and culture See Sami People for more information about the Sámi in the Nordic countries.

Roma
In Finland the Roma (pl. Romani) are also known as Kale or Tumma. Earliest records identify them by the ethnonym "Tartar", and later Roma have been in Finland since the 16th century after being deported from Sweden in the 17th century. The term mustalainen, which translates as "gypsy" has also been applied to them, but it is considered to be derogatory. Later Roma from the Baltics and Russia arrived in Finland. In 1637 the Placat om Tartarens fördrifwande af landet (Placat on the expulsion of the Tartars from the country) all Romani were ordered to leave the country (the Kingdom of Sweden-Finland) within one year and one day, after which they would be declared outlaws and any Roma man could be hanged without trial. This was discontinued in 1748. When Finland declared independence in 1917, all Roma received full citizenship and rights. Over the years of living in Finland the Roma have experienced periodic harassment. Their unique customs and dress set them apart from their Finnish counterparts. Roma lived throughout Finland. For more information see Romani People.

Old Russians
The "Old Russians" (Finnish: Vanhat venäläiset or Suomen venäläiset) first came to Finland in the 18th century to Old Finland, areas that Russia gained from Sweden in the Great Northern War (1700–1721) and Russo-Swedish War (1741–1743). The size of the Russian-speaking population has varied over time, and in recent years a new wave of immigrants, called "New Russians" have entered the country. This presents some difficulty as these new immigrants have the same language and culture as the "Old Russians." Finland recognizes only those Russians who were living in Finland prior to World War II and their descendants as a traditional minority. For more information see Russians in Finland.

Jews
Few Jews lived in Finland during the time of Swedish rule. Those who were there were only allowed to live in the cities of Stockholm, Göteborg and Norrköping. When Finland became the Grand Duchy of Russia in 1809 more Jews chose Finland as their home. Many of those who did so had been part of the tsarist army. During World War II, the Finnish government refused to surrender any Jews to the Nazis. For more information see Jews in Finland.

Tatars
The Tatars (Finnish: Suomen tataarit, Swedish: Finländska tatarer) immigrated to Finland in the mid-19th century from Russia. These were Mishar Tatar families from the Nizhny Novgorod Governorate of the Russian Empire. Over the years they have kept their Sunni Islamic religion, language, and ethnic culture. In 1943 Estonian Tatars began arriving in Finland and Sweden as political refugees. See Finnish Tatars for more information.

Karelians
Karelians are one of the three historical Finnish tribes (Finns, Tavastians, and Karelians) who settled in what is now southern Finland. The Karelians settled in the area between the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga. This region became part of Viipuri County and much of this area was ceded to the Soviet Union in 1940. Many of the inhabitants left the region to settle in the remaining part of Finland. Karelians in Finland mostly live in a diaspora around the country and in North Karelia. All dialects of Karelian are spoken in Finland. Before 2009 Karelian was taught as a dialect of Finnish, but in 2009 it was given official status as a language in Finland. Karelians are mainly members of the Orthodox religion.

Åland Islands (Ålänningar)
The Åland Islands are a special autonomous region in Finland with a Swedish-speaking population of Swedish descent. The autonomous status of the islands dates back to 1856 with the Treaty of Paris ending the Crimean War. Until Finland's independence in 1917, the Swedish-speaking population in Åland were considered to be Swedish expatriates. With independence the majority of the people in Åland considered themselves as Swedes rather than Finns. The residents of the islands began a movement to be reunited with Sweden. The solution was to make Åland an autonomous part of Finland. With this, and the development in self-government, the sense of a unique identity matured, with the result that most of the population no longer percieve themselves as Swedes, but as Ålanders, who are Finns, but not part of the group of Finland Swedes.