Early History & Swedish Era
Finland was settled after the last Ice Age about 10,000 years ago. The first inhabitants were hunters and gatherers following the retreating ice front. The Sami (Lapps), Finland's indigenous people, have lived in the north for at least 4,000 years.
The Finnish Tribes
In the 1st millennium AD, there were three major Finnish tribes: the Suomalaiset (Finns) in the southwest, the Hämäläiset (Häme) in the interior, and the Karjalaiset (Karelians) in the east. They had no state organization, spoke Finno-Ugric languages, and practiced an animistic religion — cults around bears, forests, and waters.
Swedish Rule (1155–1809)
Around 1155, King Erik IX of Sweden began the First Crusade to Finland — marking the start of over 650 years of Swedish rule. Finland became an integral part of the Swedish kingdom:
- Turku became the capital (seat of the bishop since 1229, university since 1640).
- The Turku Castle (from 1280) and the Hämeenlinna Castle (from 1260) secured Swedish control.
- The Swedish legal system, the Lutheran Reformation, and Western European culture left a lasting imprint on Finland.
- Swedish became the language of the upper class, Finnish remained the language of the people. This bilingualism continues to shape Finland today.
The Swedish era ended abruptly: In the Finnish War (1808–1809), the Russian Empire conquered Finland from Sweden.
