Greater Finland

Regions associated with Greater Finland superimposed on modern borders; yellow is the border according to the 1920 Treaty of Tartu and red is the current border according to the 1947 Paris Peace Treaties.
  East Karelia
  Estonia
  Ingria
  Finland
  Kola
  Meänmaa
  Ruija

Greater Finland (Finnish: Suur-Suomi; Estonian: Suur-Soome; Swedish: Storfinland) is an irredentist and nationalist idea which aims for the territorial expansion of Finland.[1] It is associated with Pan-Finnicism. The most common concept saw the country as defined by natural borders encompassing the territories inhabited by Finns and Karelians, ranging from the White Sea to Lake Onega and along the Svir River and Neva River—or, more modestly, the Sestra River—to the Gulf of Finland. Some extremist proponents also included the Kola Peninsula, Finnmark, Swedish Meänmaa, Ingria, and Estonia.[2]

The idea of a Greater Finland rapidly gained popularity after Finland became independent in December 1917. The idea has lost support after World War II (1939–1945).

  1. ^ Kinnunen, Tiina; Kivimäki, Ville (25 November 2011). Finland in World War II: History, Memory, Interpretations. BRILL. p. 385. ISBN 978-90-04-20894-0.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Weiss was invoked but never defined (see the help page).