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		<id>https://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Finland&amp;diff=781684</id>
		<title>Finland</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Finland&amp;diff=781684"/>
		<updated>2010-05-25T03:10:26Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Snuqwerty: /* Culture */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{Country&lt;br /&gt;
|name           =''Suomi'' &amp;lt;br /&amp;gt; ''Finland''&lt;br /&gt;
|map	        =Finland rel96.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
|map2           =Finland location.png&lt;br /&gt;
|flag	        =Flag of Finland.png&lt;br /&gt;
|arms	        =Arms of Finland.png&lt;br /&gt;
|capital	=Helsinki&lt;br /&gt;
|capital-raw	=&lt;br /&gt;
|government	=Parliamentary Democracy&lt;br /&gt;
|government-raw	=&lt;br /&gt;
|language	=Finnish, Swedish&lt;br /&gt;
|king	        =&lt;br /&gt;
|queen	        =&lt;br /&gt;
|monarch-raw	=&lt;br /&gt;
|president	=Tarja Halonen&lt;br /&gt;
|president-raw	=&lt;br /&gt;
|chancellor	=&lt;br /&gt;
|chancellor-raw	=&lt;br /&gt;
|pm	        =Matti Vanhanen&lt;br /&gt;
|pm-raw	        =&lt;br /&gt;
|area	        =130,558 sq mi&lt;br /&gt;
|pop	        =5,296,128 (2007)&lt;br /&gt;
|pop-basis	=&lt;br /&gt;
|gdp	        =&lt;br /&gt;
|gdp-year	=$193.491 billion (2005)&lt;br /&gt;
|gdp-pc	        =$40,197 (2005)&lt;br /&gt;
|currency	=euro&lt;br /&gt;
|idd		=&lt;br /&gt;
|tld            =&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
'''Republic of Finland''' (''Suomi'' or ''Suomen tasavalta'' in Finnish, ''Republiken Finland'' in Swedish) is a country of northern [[Europe]] known for its largely [[social democracy|social democratic]] economic system. The Finnish [[conservative]] party, the [[National Coalition]] led by [[Jyrki Katainen]], is its principal conservative organization.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The state capital is [[Helsinki]] and the principal exports are machines, electronics (for example cellphones) and forestry products. [[Finnish]] is the principal language spoken, a [[Finno-Ugric]] language.  Like many nations that do international business, or have a strong tourist trade, many Finns speak English to facilitate communication with other countries. The second official language is Swedish, which has the same status as Finnish in the country. Finland is known as &amp;quot;the land of lakes&amp;quot;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Geography==&lt;br /&gt;
The area of Finland is approximately 338 000 square kilometers, with a north-south axis of 890 kilometers. Most of the landscape is covered with lakes and forests. Finland is often called the &amp;quot;Land of Thousands of Lakes&amp;quot;, which is true, because the number of lakes in the country exceeds 188 000, of which about 56 000 have an area of one hectare or more. In the sea there are more than 3 000 islands. Cultivated land and habitation only account for 17% of the land area, rest being mainly [[Norway spruce]] forests.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Finland is bound by [[Sweden]] in the Northwest, [[Norway]] in the North, [[Russia]] in the East, the [[Gulf of Finland]] in the South and the [[Gulf of Bothnia]] in the West.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==People==&lt;br /&gt;
*Population (September 2007): 5.29 million.&lt;br /&gt;
*Population growth rate (2006): 0.4%.&lt;br /&gt;
*Ethnic groups: Finns, Swedes, Lapps, Sami, Roma, Tatars.&lt;br /&gt;
*Religions: Lutheran 82.5%, Orthodox 1.1%.&lt;br /&gt;
*Languages: Finnish 91.5%, Swedish 5.5% (both official); small Lapp- (0.03%) and Russian-speaking (0.8%) minorities.&lt;br /&gt;
*Education: Years compulsory--9. Attendance--almost 100%. Literacy--almost 100%.&lt;br /&gt;
*Health: Infant mortality rate--2.8/1,000 (2006). Life expectancy--males 75.8 yrs., females 82.8 yrs.&lt;br /&gt;
*Work force (2.65 million; of which 2.44 million are employed): Public services--32.8%; industry--19%; commerce--15.6%; finance, insurance, and business services--13.8%; agriculture and forestry--4.7%; transport and communications--7.4%; construction--6.7%.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Culture===&lt;br /&gt;
Finnish people (Finns) are known for their love of Ducks. Ducks are prominent in the works of Finnish artists, such as [[Jean Sibelius]], [[Aki Kaurismäki]], [[Alvar Aalto]]. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The great masters of Finnish literature include [[Mika Waltari]], [[Väinö Linna]], [[Johan Ludvig Runeberg]]. Finland is a bi-lingual country and has produced its literary heritage in both Finnish and Swedish. The beloved Mootrolls were created by the writer and graphic artist Tove Jansson.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Another important facet of traditional Finnish culture is the love of the Finnish [[sauna]].&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;div style=&amp;quot;font-size: 80%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|class=&amp;quot;wikitable&amp;quot; align=right border=1 style=&amp;quot;border-collapse: collapse; margin-left: 10pt; margin-right: 1pt&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
!colspan=4|Population of Finland, 1750–2000&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{cite book | last=Aunesluoma | first=Juhana | coauthors=Heikkonen, Esko; Ojakoski, Matti | title=Lukiolaisen yhteiskuntatieto | language=Finnish | publisher=[[SanomaWSOY|WSOY]] | date=2006}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
!Year!!Population!!Year!!Population&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
||1750||align=right|421,000||1880||align=right|2,060,800&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
||1760||align=right|491,000||1890||align=right|2,380,100&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
||1770||align=right|561,000||1900||align=right|2,655,900&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
||1780||align=right|663,000||1910||align=right|2,943,400&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
||1790||align=right|705,600||1920||align=right|3,147,600&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
||1800||align=right|832,700||1930||align=right|3,462,700&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
||1810||align=right|863,300||1940||align=right|3,695,617&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
||1820||align=right|1,177,500||1950||align=right|4,029,803&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
||1830||align=right|1,372,100||1960||align=right|4,446,222&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
||1840||align=right|1,445,600||1970||align=right|4,598,336&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
||1850||align=right|1,636,900||1980||align=right|4,787,778&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
||1860||align=right|1,746,700||1990||align=right|4,998,478&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
||1870||align=right|1,768,800||2000||align=right|5,181,000&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/div&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Population===&lt;br /&gt;
Finland currently numbers 5,302,778 inhabitants and has an average population density of 17 inhabitants per square kilometer. This makes it, after Norway and Iceland, the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Finland's population has always been concentrated in the southern parts of the country, a phenomenon even more pronounced after 20th century urbanization.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The share of foreign citizens in Finland is 2.5 percent being among the lowest of the European Union countries. Most of them are from Russia, Estonia and Sweden.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Religion===&lt;br /&gt;
Most Finns are members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland (81.7 percent). With approximately 4.6 million members, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland is one of the largest Lutheran churches in the world. A minority belong to the Finnish Orthodox Church (1.1 percent; see [[Eastern Orthodox Church]]). Other Protestantism denominations and the Roman Catholic Church in Finland are significantly.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The main Lutheran and Orthodox churches are constitutional national churches of Finland with special roles such as in state ceremonies and schools. A university degree in theology is compulsory for Lutheran priests. Representatives at Lutheran Church assemblies are selected in church elections every four years.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Even though the membership in main Lutheran church is high, the population is not highly religious. Polls suggest that 28-60% of the population to be either agnostics or atheists. &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;http://www.adherents.com/largecom/com_atheist.html&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Government===&lt;br /&gt;
====President and cabinet====&lt;br /&gt;
Elected for a 6-year term, the president: &lt;br /&gt;
*Handles foreign policy, except for certain international agreements and decisions of peace or war, which must be submitted to parliament, and EU relations, which are handled by the prime minister; &lt;br /&gt;
*Is commander in chief of the armed forces and has wide decree and appointive powers; &lt;br /&gt;
*May initiate legislation, block legislation by pocket veto, and call extraordinary parliamentary sessions; and &lt;br /&gt;
*Appoints the prime minister and the rest of the cabinet (Council of State). The Council of State is made up of the prime minister and ministers for the various departments of the central government as well as an ex officio member, the Chancellor of Justice. Ministers are not obliged to be members of the Eduskunta and need not be formally identified with any political party. &lt;br /&gt;
The president may, upon proposal of the prime minister and after having heard the parliamentary groups, order parliament to be dissolved, and a new election held. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Parliament====&lt;br /&gt;
Constitutionally, the 200-member, unicameral Eduskunta is the supreme authority in Finland. It may alter the constitution, bring about the resignation of the Council of State, and override presidential vetoes; its acts are not subject to judicial review. Legislation may be initiated by the president, the Council of State, or one of the Eduskunta members. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Eduskunta is elected on the basis of proportional representation. All persons 18 or older, except military personnel on active duty and a few high judicial officials, are eligible for election. The regular parliamentary term is 4 years; however, the president may dissolve the Eduskunta and order new elections at the request of the prime minister and after consulting the speaker of parliament. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Judicial system====&lt;br /&gt;
The judicial system is divided between courts with regular civil and criminal jurisdiction and special courts, with responsibility for litigation between the public and the administrative organs of the state. Finnish law is codified. Although there is no writ of habeas corpus or bail, the maximum period of pretrial detention has been reduced to 4 days. The Finnish court system consists of local courts, regional appellate courts, a Supreme Court, and a Supreme Administrative Court. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Administrative divisions====&lt;br /&gt;
Finland consists of five provinces and the self-ruled province of the Aland Islands. Below the provincial level, the country is divided into cities, townships, and communes administered by municipal and communal councils elected by proportional representation once every 4 years. At the provincial level, the five mainland provinces are administered by provincial boards composed of civil servants, each headed by a governor. The boards are responsible to the Ministry of the Interior and play a supervisory and coordinating role within the provinces. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The island province of Aland is located near the 60th parallel between Sweden and Finland. It enjoys local autonomy and demilitarized status by virtue of an international convention of 1921, implemented most recently by the Act on Aland Self-Government of 1951. The islands are further distinguished by the fact that they are entirely Swedish-speaking. Government is vested in the provincial council, which consists of 30 delegates elected directly by Aland's citizens. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Military====&lt;br /&gt;
Finland's defense forces consist of 35,000 persons in uniform (26,000 army; 5,000 navy; and 4,000 air force). The country's defense budget equals about 1.3% of GDP. There is universal male conscription under which all men serve from six to 12 months. As of 1995, women were permitted to serve as volunteers. A reserve force ensures that Finland can field 490,000 trained military personnel in case of need. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Political parties====&lt;br /&gt;
Finland's proportional representation system encourages a multitude of political parties and has resulted in many coalition governments. Political activity by communists was legalized in 1944, and although four major parties have dominated the postwar political arena, none now has a majority position. In elections held in 2007, the Center Party (Keskusta), traditionally representing rural interests, kept its position as the biggest party. The then-opposition Conservative Party, however, came away as the biggest winner, gaining 10 seats and becoming the second-largest political party in the country. The Center then formed a four-party governing coalition with the Conservatives and the Swedish People's Party and the Greens. The Social Democratic Party (SDP) suffered a defeat in these elections and fell to the third position among the big parties. Of the other parties, the True Finns, the Green League, and the Swedish People’s Party were able to gain seats in parliament. The Conservative Party received the portfolios of foreign minister, finance minister, and defense minister, among others, and became an important player after a long interval.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Principal Government Officials===&lt;br /&gt;
*President--[[Tarja Halonen]]&lt;br /&gt;
*Prime Minister--Matti Vanhanen&lt;br /&gt;
*Foreign Minister--Alexander Stubb&lt;br /&gt;
*Ambassador to the United States--Pekka Lintu&lt;br /&gt;
*Ambassador to the United Nations--Kirsti Lintonen &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Foreign Relations===&lt;br /&gt;
Finland's basic foreign policy goal from the end of the Continuation War with the U.S.S.R. in 1944 until 1991 was to avoid great-power conflicts and to build mutual confidence with the Soviet Union. Although the country was culturally, socially, and politically Western, Finns realized they must live in peace with the U.S.S.R. and take no action that might be interpreted as a security threat. The dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 opened up dramatic new possibilities for Finland and has resulted in the Finns actively seeking greater participation in Western political and economic structures. Finland joined the European Union in 1995. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Previous relations with the Soviet Union, and today with Russia==== &lt;br /&gt;
The principal architect of the post-1944 foreign policy of neutrality was J.K. Paasikivi, who was President from 1946 to 1956. Urho Kekkonen, President from 1956 until 1981, further developed this policy, stressing that Finland should be an active rather than a passive neutral. This policy is now popularly known as the &amp;quot;Paasikivi-Kekkonen Line.&amp;quot; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Finland and the U.S.S.R. signed a peace treaty at Paris in February 1947 limiting the size of Finland's defense forces and providing for the cession to the Soviet Union of the Petsamo area on the Arctic coast, the Karelian Isthmus in southeastern Finland, and other territory along the former eastern border. Another provision, terminated in 1956, leased the Porkkala area near Helsinki to the U.S.S.R. for use as a naval base and gave free access to this area across Finnish territory. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The 1947 treaty also called for Finland to pay to the Soviet Union reparations of 300 million gold dollars (amounting to an estimated $570 million in 1952, the year the payments ended). Although an ally of the Soviet Union in World War II, the United States was not a signatory to this treaty because it had not been at war with Finland. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In April 1948, Finland signed an Agreement of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance with the Soviet Union. Under this mutual assistance pact, Finland was obligated--with the aid of the Soviet Union, if necessary--to resist armed attacks by Germany or its allies against Finland or against the U.S.S.R. through Finland. At the same time, the agreement recognized Finland's desire to remain outside great-power conflicts. This agreement was renewed for 20 years in 1955, in 1970, and again in 1983 to the year 2003, although the subsequent dissolution of the Soviet Union led to the agreement's abrogation. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Finns responded cautiously in 1990-91 to the decline of Soviet power and the U.S.S.R.'s subsequent dissolution. They unilaterally abrogated restrictions imposed by the 1947 and 1948 treaties, joined in voicing Nordic concern over the coup against Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, and gave increasing unofficial encouragement to Baltic independence. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
At the same time, by replacing the Soviet-Finnish mutual assistance pact with treaties on general cooperation and trade, Finns put themselves on an equal footing while retaining a friendly bilateral relationship. Finland now is boosting cross-border commercial ties and touting its potential as a commercial gateway to Russia. It has reassured Russia that it will not raise claims for Finnish territory seized by the U.S.S.R. and continues to reaffirm the importance of good bilateral relations. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Multilateral Relations====&lt;br /&gt;
Finnish foreign policy emphasizes its participation in multilateral organizations. Finland joined the United Nations in 1955 and the EU in 1995. As noted, the country also is a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) Partnership for Peace as well as a member in the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council. As a NATO partner, Finland had 100 troops in Afghanistan as of September 2007. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Finland is well represented in the UN civil service in proportion to its population and belongs to several of its specialized and related agencies. Finnish troops have participated in UN peacekeeping activities since 1956, and the Finns continue to be one of the largest per capita contributors of peacekeepers in the world. Finland is an active participant in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and in early 1995 assumed the co-chairmanship of the OSCE's Minsk Group on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Cooperation with the other Scandinavian countries also is important to Finland, and it has been a member of the Nordic Council since 1955. Under the council's auspices, the Nordic countries have created a common labor market and have abolished immigration controls among themselves. The council also serves to coordinate social and cultural policies of the participating countries and has promoted increased cooperation in many fields. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In addition to the organizations already mentioned, Finland became a member of the following organizations: Bank for International Settlements, 1930; International Monetary Fund, 1948; International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, 1948; General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), 1950; International Finance Corporation, 1956; International Development Association, 1960; European Free Trade Association, 1961; Asian Development Bank, 1966; Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, 1969; Inter-American Development Bank, 1977; African Development Bank, 1982; Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, 1988; the Council of Europe, 1989; European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in Central and Eastern Europe, 1991; World Trade Organization, 1995; and INTELSAT, 1999. Finland entered Stage Three of EMU (the European Monetary Union) in 1999. All the Nordic countries, including Finland, joined the Schengen area in March 2001.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Economy==&lt;br /&gt;
Finland has an industrial economy based on abundant forest resources, capital investments, and high technology. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Finnish economy has made enormous strides since the severe recession of the early 1990s. Finland successfully joined the euro zone and has outperformed euro-area partners in terms of economic growth and public finance. In the last few years, the Finnish economy has performed reasonably well. Total output was 5% higher in 2006 than in 2005, but economic activity leveled off in the latter half of the year. GDP is predicted to grow by 4.4% in 2007, while 2008 is likely to show a slower rate of growth, estimated at 3.3%. Despite the current favorable outlook, there is a degree of uncertainty in the Finnish economy caused by the large fluctuations in electronics industry production, together with resource constraints. Cost and price pressures have increased, and there is a threat of industry’s price competitiveness starting to weaken.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Unemployment decreased significantly from 1994 to 7.7% in 2006 and is expected to drop to 6.7% in 2007. A relatively inflexible labor market and high employer-paid social security taxes hamper growth in employment. Labor bottlenecks are becoming more common in certain sectors, and this will increasingly restrict growth in output in the future. The main constraint to medium-term economic growth will be the drop in the population of working age once the post-war baby boomers reach retirement age.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Exports of goods and services contribute 32% of Finland's GDP. Metals and engineering (including electronics) and timber (including pulp and paper) are Finland's main industries. The United States is Finland's third most important trading partner outside of Europe. With a 3.8% share of imports in 2006, the United States was Finland's seventh-largest supplier. The total value of U.S. exports to Finland in 2006 was $2.6 billion. Major exports from the United States to Finland continue to be machinery, telecommunications equipment and parts, aircraft and aircraft parts, computers, peripherals and software, electronic components, chemicals, medical equipment, and some agricultural products. The primary competition for American companies comes from Russia, Germany, Sweden, and China. The main export items from Finland to the United States are electronics, machinery, ships and boats, paper and paperboard, refined petroleum products, telecommunications equipment and parts. In 2006, the United States was Finland's fourth-largest customer after Germany (11.3%), Sweden (10.5%), and Russia (10.1%), with an export share of 6.5%, or $5 billion. However, trade is only part of the totality: the 10 biggest Finnish companies in the United States have a combined turnover that is three times the value of Finland's total exports to the United States. About 2.3% of the Finnish GDP comes from exports to the United States. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Except for timber and several minerals, Finland depends on imported raw materials, energy, and some components for its manufactured products. Farms tend to be small, but farmers own sizable timber stands that are harvested for supplementary income in winter. The country's main agricultural products are dairy, meat, and grains. Finland's EU accession has accelerated the process of restructuring and downsizing of this sector. &lt;br /&gt;
*GDP: $210.8 billion (EUR 167.9 billion).&lt;br /&gt;
*GDP growth rate: 5%.&lt;br /&gt;
*Per capita income: $40,036 (EUR 31,886).&lt;br /&gt;
*Inflation rate: 1.6% (2006 average); 2.6% (September 2007).&lt;br /&gt;
*Natural resources: Forests, minerals (copper, zinc, iron), farmland.&lt;br /&gt;
*Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting (2.9% of GDP): Products--meat (pork and beef), grain (wheat, rye, barley, oats), dairy products, potatoes, rapeseed. &lt;br /&gt;
*Industry (30.1% of GDP): Types--metal (including electronics and electrical equipment) and engineering, forest products, chemicals, shipbuilding, foodstuffs, textiles.&lt;br /&gt;
*Trade: Exports--$77.08 billion. Major markets--EU 56.9%, Russia 10.1%, U.S. 6.5%, China 3.2%. Imports--$68.9 billion. Major suppliers--EU 55.3%, Russia 14.1%, China 7.5%, U.S. 3.8%. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==History==&lt;br /&gt;
The origins of the Finnish people are still a matter of conjecture, although many scholars argue that their original home was in what is now west-central [[Siberia]]. The Finns arrived in their present territory thousands of years ago, pushing the indigenous Lapps into the more remote northern regions. Finnish and Lappish--the language of Finland's small Lapp minority--both are Finno-Ugric languages and are in the Uralic rather than the Indo-European family. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Finland's nearly 700-year association with the Kingdom of [[Sweden]] began in 1154 with the introduction of Christianity by Sweden's King Eric. During the ensuing centuries, Finland played an important role in the political life of the Swedish-Finnish realm, and Finnish soldiers often predominated in Swedish armies. Finns also formed a significant proportion of the first &amp;quot;Swedish&amp;quot; settlers in 17th-century America. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Following Finland's incorporation into Sweden in the 12th century, Swedish became the dominant language, although Finnish recovered its predominance after a 19th-century resurgence of Finnish nationalism. Publication in 1835 of the Finnish national epic, The Kalevala--a collection of traditional myths and legends--first stirred the nationalism that later led to Finland's independence from Russia. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 1809, Finland was conquered by the armies of Czar Alexander I and thereafter remained an autonomous grand duchy connected with the Russian Empire until the end of 1917. On December 6, 1917, shortly after the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, Finland declared its independence. In 1918, the country experienced a brief but bitter civil war that colored domestic politics for many years. During [[World War II]], Finland fought the [[Soviet Union]] twice--in the [[Winter War]] of 1939-40 and again in the [[Continuation War]] of 1941-44. This was followed by the [[Lapland War]] of 1944-45, when Finland fought against the Germans as they withdrew their forces from northern Finland. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
During the Continuation War (1941-1944) Finland was a co-belligerent with [[Germany]]. However, Finnish Jews were not persecuted. Of the approximately 500 Jewish refugees who arrived in Finland, eight were handed over to the Germans, for which Finland submitted an official apology in 2000.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.uta.fi/~tuulikki.vuonokari/fin-1.html Jews in Finland During World War II]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;  Also during the war, approximately 2,600 Soviet prisoners of war were exchanged for 2,100 Finnish prisoners of war from Germany. In 2003, the Simon Wiesenthal Center submitted an official request for a full-scale investigation by the Finnish authorities of the prisoner exchange. It was established there were about 70 Jews among the extradited prisoners but none was extradited as a result of ethnic background or religious belief.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Treaties signed in 1947 and 1948 with the Soviet Union included obligations and restraints on Finland vis-a-vis the U.S.S.R. as well as territorial concessions by Finland; both have been abrogated by Finland since the 1991 dissolution of the Soviet Union. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[http://www.conservapedia.com/Template:Copyright_Details_%28US_Government%29 Copyright Details]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==References==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Finland]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:European Countries]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:EU Members]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Nordic Countries]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Christian-Majority Countries]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Snuqwerty</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Obadiah_(Translated)&amp;diff=781683</id>
		<title>Obadiah (Translated)</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Obadiah_(Translated)&amp;diff=781683"/>
		<updated>2010-05-25T03:07:50Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Snuqwerty: /* Chapter 1 */&lt;/p&gt;
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==Chapter 1==&lt;br /&gt;
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{| class=&amp;quot;wikitable&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
!Verse&lt;br /&gt;
!King James Version&lt;br /&gt;
!Proposed Conservative Translation&lt;br /&gt;
!Analysis&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|1&lt;br /&gt;
|The vision of Obadiah. Thus saith the Lord GOD concerning Edom; We have heard a rumour from the LORD, and an ambassador is sent among the heathen, Arise ye, and let us rise up against her in battle. &lt;br /&gt;
|This is the vision of Obadiah.  This is was the Lord God says about Edom: we heard a message from the Lord, and He sent a messenger to the people, saying &amp;quot;Get up, and let us challenge here in battle!&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
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|2&lt;br /&gt;
|Behold, I have made thee small among the losers: thou art greatly despised. &lt;br /&gt;
|I have made you insignificant among the nations, and despised by all.&lt;br /&gt;
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|3&lt;br /&gt;
|The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground? &lt;br /&gt;
|You were deceived by the pride of your heart, you who live in rocky cliffs, who make your home up high, who says to himself in his heart, &amp;quot;who will bring me down to the ground?&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
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|4&lt;br /&gt;
|Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD. &lt;br /&gt;
|Though now you rise up high like an eagle, and you make your nest up in the stars, I will bring you down from there, the Lord says.&lt;br /&gt;
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|5&lt;br /&gt;
|If thieves came to thee, if robbers by night, would they not have stolen till they had enough? if the grapegatherers came to thee, would they not leave some grapes? &lt;br /&gt;
|If thieves come to you, or night-time robbers, wouldn't they steal ''only'' until they had enough?  If grape gatherers came, wouldn't they leave a few grapes?&lt;br /&gt;
|The phrase translated as &amp;quot;(how art thou cut off!)&amp;quot; in KJV doesn't appear in more recent translations. If you think it should be included, perhaps this verse could be referred to an expert in the original text.&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|6&lt;br /&gt;
|How are the things of Esau searched out! how are his hidden things sought up! &lt;br /&gt;
|But Esau's things will be sought after, and his hidden things all found!&lt;br /&gt;
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|7&lt;br /&gt;
|All the men of thy confederacy have brought thee even to the border: the men that were at peace with thee have deceived thee, and prevailed against thee; they that eat thy bread have laid a wound under thee: there is none understanding in him. &lt;br /&gt;
|Even your allies will force you to the border, and the men who were at peace with you will deceive and attack you, and those who eat your bread will injure you; but you will not be aware of this.&lt;br /&gt;
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|8&lt;br /&gt;
|Shall I not in that day, saith the LORD, even destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of the mount of Esau? &lt;br /&gt;
|&amp;quot;When that day comes,&amp;quot; says the Lord, &amp;quot;I shall even kill the wise Edomite men, and banish understanding from the mount of Esau.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
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|9&lt;br /&gt;
|And thy mighty men, O Teman, shall be dismayed, to the end that every one of the mount of Esau may be cut off by slaughter. &lt;br /&gt;
|Your fighters, Teman, will be terrified, since everyone of the mount of Esau will be slaughtered.&lt;br /&gt;
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|10&lt;br /&gt;
|For thy violence against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever. &lt;br /&gt;
|Because of your violent act against your brother Jacob, your descendents will be shamed, and destroyed forever.&lt;br /&gt;
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|11&lt;br /&gt;
|In the day that thou stoodest on the other side, in the day that the strangers carried away captive his forces, and foreigners entered into his gates, and cast lots upon Jerusalem, even thou wast as one of them. &lt;br /&gt;
|On that fateful day you stood to the side as strangers carried away his warriors as captives, and foreigners walked through his gates, and gambled for Jerusalem, and you acted like one of them.&lt;br /&gt;
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|12&lt;br /&gt;
|But thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy brother in the day that he became a stranger; neither shouldest thou have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction; neither shouldest thou have spoken proudly in the day of distress. &lt;br /&gt;
|You shouldn't have abandoned your brother on that unlucky day of his, nor should you have celebrated the destruction of the children of Judah, nor should you have boasted of the day they were in such trouble.&lt;br /&gt;
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|13&lt;br /&gt;
|Thou shouldest not have entered into the gate of my people in the day of their calamity; yea, thou shouldest not have looked on their affliction in the day of their calamity, nor have laid hands on their substance in the day of their calamity; &lt;br /&gt;
|You shouldn't have passed through the gate of my people when they found themselves in disaster; nor look down at their troubles on that day of their disaster, nor have stolen their things on that day of their disaster.&lt;br /&gt;
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|14&lt;br /&gt;
|Neither shouldest thou have stood in the crossway, to cut off those of his that did escape; neither shouldest thou have delivered up those of his that did remain in the day of distress. &lt;br /&gt;
|Neither should you have blocked the crossroads, to cut off those who escaped, nor should you have handed over those who did not escape.&lt;br /&gt;
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|-&lt;br /&gt;
|15&lt;br /&gt;
|For the day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head. &lt;br /&gt;
|Because the day of the Lord is near for all nations; and what you have done, shall be done to you: your reward will return upon your own head.&lt;br /&gt;
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|16&lt;br /&gt;
|For as ye have drunk upon my holy mountain, so shall all the heathen drink continually, yea, they shall drink, and they shall swallow down, and they shall be as though they had not been. &lt;br /&gt;
|For as you drunk upon my Holy Mountain, so will all the nations drink continually, indeed, they will drink and swallow down and be as though they had not been.&lt;br /&gt;
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|-&lt;br /&gt;
|17&lt;br /&gt;
|But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions. &lt;br /&gt;
|On mount Zion there will be deliverance, and there will be holiness, and the house of Jacob will have its inheritance.&lt;br /&gt;
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|-&lt;br /&gt;
|18&lt;br /&gt;
|And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them, and devour them; and there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau; for the LORD hath spoken it. &lt;br /&gt;
|The house of Jacob will be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau merely stubble, and they shall set it aflame and destroy it, so that nothing remains of the house of Esau, for the Lord has spoken.&lt;br /&gt;
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|19&lt;br /&gt;
|And they of the south shall possess the mount of Esau; and they of the plain the Philistines: and they shall possess the fields of Ephraim, and the fields of Samaria: and Benjamin shall possess Gilead. &lt;br /&gt;
|Those of the south will take over the mount of Esau, and the plain of the Philistines, and the fields of Ephraim, and the fields of Samaria, and Benjamin will possess Gilead.&lt;br /&gt;
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|20&lt;br /&gt;
|And the captivity of this host of the children of Israel shall possess that of the Canaanites, even unto Zarephath; and the captivity of Jerusalem, which is in Sepharad, shall possess the cities of the south. &lt;br /&gt;
|The Israelite captives in Canaan will possess the land out to Zaperphath, and the captives in Sepharad, will control the southern cities. &lt;br /&gt;
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|21&lt;br /&gt;
|And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD's. &lt;br /&gt;
|Saviors will ascend mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau, and the kingdom will be the Lord's.&lt;br /&gt;
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[[Category:Conservative Bible]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Snuqwerty</name></author>
	</entry>
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