RKviKws 669 



western, 24 to •?() inches in the southeastern, and 30 to 33 inches in the 

 eastern and northeastern sections. 



During- the winter all lakes and rivers freeze over and navigation is 

 closed. 



The population of Finland is approximately 3,250,000, scattered over 

 an area which is larg-er than that of Italy. 



The most important lumber export port is Kotka, which is near 

 Helsingfors, on the southern coast, and has about 12,000 inhabitants. 

 This is one of the principal lumber export ports in Europe. 



Finland belonged to Sweden prior to 1809. In that year Sweden 

 was forced, after war with Russia, to cede Finland to the latter country, 

 and from that time until 1917 Finland was a part of the Russian Em- 

 pire. However, the position of Finland was somewhat different from 

 that, for instance, of Poland and other parts of Russia conquered by 

 that country in wars. A certain amount of freedom was allowed Fin- 

 land during the greater part of the last century and it was left to man- 

 age its own internal affairs. The country had a Russian governor, and 

 the diplomatic and consular representation abroad was by Russian of- 

 ficials. Finland was not influenced to any great extent by Russian 

 customs and methods until about 20 or 25 years ago. During the reigti 

 of the last Czar of Russia a change took nlace in this respect and con- 

 siderable friction resulted from the efforts of the Russian Government 

 to introduce Russian methods and institutions in Finland. 



Finland took no active part in the war. as a previous arrangement 

 V. ith Russia exempted the Finlanders from maintaining an army. Dur- 

 ing the war the country was shut off from the world's market through 

 the German blockade of the Baltic Sea and very serious conditions re- 

 sulted, because Finland is largely dependent on foreign countries for 

 its food supplies. With the downfall of the Russian Empire, the 

 b^inns availed themselves of the opportunity to make F'inland an inde- 

 pc^idt-nt country, which was effected during the latter part of 1917. 

 Serious internal trouble followed in the beginning of 1918, but the 

 revolution was suppressed by the assistance of German troops, and as 

 recompense for this assistance the Germans practically demanded the 

 control of the whole of Finland in l>oth a political and econonucal 

 respect. The price was extremely heavy, but at the time it was a ques- 

 tion of life or death and there was no choice in the matter. Fortunately 

 for Finland, the Germans were defeated in the war, and it did not have 

 to pay the price for the assistance received. The future of Finland 



