Norway is sometimes referred to as “The Neutral Ally”. During World War I, while theoretically a neutral country, diplomatic pressure from the British government prompted the government to favour Britain highly in relation to Norway’s large shipping fleet and vast fish supplies.

The Liberation of Finnmark was a military operation, lasting from 23 October 1944 until 26 April 1945, in which Soviet and Norwegian forces wrested away control of Finnmark, the northernmost county of Norway, from Germany. It started with a major Soviet offensive that liberated Kirkenes.

Russia, with support from the European Union, occupies Norway to restore its oil and gas production, in response to a Europe-wide energy crisis….

Sweden was not directly attacked during World War II. It was, however, subject to British and German naval blockades and accidental bombings from the Soviets on some cities (e.g. Strängnäs), which led to problems with the supply of food and fuels.

400,000 German troops

The attack on Denmark was part of Operation Weserübung Süd, Germany’s plan for the invasion of Norway. Its main purpose was to secure the iron ore that shipped from Narvik. To capture Norway, the Germans had to control the port outside Aalborg in northern Jutland.

The goal of the Germans was to conquer France. They wanted to bypass the French defence line at the eastern border by going through the Netherlands and Belgium. Their occupation of the Netherlands would also prevent England from setting up a base of operations on the European mainland.

Sami are the indigenous people of the northernmost parts of Sweden, Finland, Norway, and the Kola Peninsula of Russia. The Sami speak a language belonging to the Finno-Ugric branch of the Uralic language family with Finns, Karelians, and Estonians as their closest linguistic neighbors.

There was mistrust between the two countries. Finland believed the Soviet Union wanted to expand into its territory and the Soviet Union feared Finland would allow itself to be used as a base from which enemies could attack. A faked border incident gave the Soviet Union the excuse to invade on 30 November 1939.

In fact, Finland allied itself with Nazi Germany during the second world war not to prevent Soviet conquest but to win back territories lost to the USSR as a result of the winter war of 1939-40. The peace treaty that ended the war in March 1940 left Finnish independence intact.

Dece

Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse was elected to the throne of Finland on 9 October 1918 by the Finnish parliament, but he never took the position nor traveled to Finland….Kingdom of Finland (1918)

5 October 1910

If you are a citizen of a country in the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) countries, or Switzerland, you can study in Finland for free – you do not have to pay any tuition fees. Most international students have to pay fees, but there are some exceptions – more on that below.

Clean and safe country. Finland is known for its pure nature, air and water, as well as its safety. In 2019, Finland was ranked the world’s safest country to visit by the World Economic Forum.

English. The English language is spoken by most Finns. Official statistics in 2012 show that at least 70% of Finnish people can speak English.

24/7 daylight FOR OVER TWO MONTHS Summer in Finland is a spectacular time of the year. For those who venture north of the Arctic Circle, the sun does not set at all from May to August, while further south the sun can be visible for nearly around the clock during June and July.

You can apply for a residence permit in Finland if you have a job, a study place or a family member in Finland. Apply for a residence permit before you come to Finland.