Finland–Sweden border

Sweden loses Finland

Finland was then the eastern part of the Swedish realm. Russian forces occupied it in the autumn of 1808, and in 1809 an exhausted Sweden sued for peace. Talks began in mid-August at Fredrikshamn (Hamina), and the treaty was signed on 17 September 1809.^[1]

Russia demanded Finland, the Åland Islands and the northern lands along the Kalix River. The Kalix line was the only demand the Swedes managed to fight off: the area was thinly settled, but its people were mostly Finnish speakers and it was known to be rich in iron ore. The border was drawn instead along the Torne and Muonio rivers, farther east, and it is still there today.^[1]

Karonen notes that the new frontier sharpened the problems of the border region.^[1] It cut through a culturally uniform area, dividing church parishes, economies and families; locals call the valley Meänmaa, “Our Land”.^[3] The river became the border between Sweden and the Russian Empire’s Grand Duchy of Finland.^[3]

One town in two countries

On either side of the Torne sit Tornio in Finland and Haparanda in Sweden. They have cooperated since the 1960s, and people move easily between Finnish, Swedish and the local language Meänkieli.^[2] Formal cooperation began in 1987, and a shared district between the two was planned from 1995 and built from 2005; IKEA opened a store there in 2006.^[2]

The two towns share a marketplace, Victoria Square, opened in 2011. The time zone changes in the middle of it, which makes it a popular spot to see in the New Year.^[2]

A sudden fence

Before the COVID-19 pandemic about 38,000 people crossed between the two countries every day. Finland reintroduced checks on its land border with Sweden on 19 March 2020.^[3][4] Border guards, barriers and surveillance cameras appeared along the river valley, which angered and upset many locals whose lives are split across the border.^[3]