Norwegian Collaboration in the Economic Development of Arctic Finland

The transfer of Petsamo Province from Finland to the Soviet Union following World War II isolated northern Finland from the ocean and cut it off from overseas trade. Between the two World Wars the Petsamo corridor was used as a means for exporting Finnish lumber, and importing fuels and other supplies. It also provided the basis for a thriving tourist trade. There was the beginning of hydro‐electric development of the Pasvik River, not only to supply power for the new Petsamo nickel industry, but also to further development of the whole region. During the decade immediately following World War II, the loss of Petsamo, serious though it was, did not make its full impact on the area's economy. There was a heavy demand for labour needed in reconstruction of devastated Lapland, and Finnish contractors were busy constructing Soviet power plants on the Pasvik River. This post‐war boom period has now ended. Unemployment is severe, and the Finnish government is anxious to develop the resources of Arctic Finland by using seaports on the Norwegian coast. The present paper surveys the physical, economic and political factors involved in this and discusses the best routes to the sea‐coast. The possibility of establishing in northern Finland not only a sawn lumber industry, but the manufacture of wallboard and other wood products is discussed, along with the part to be played in this by Norwegian hydro‐electric power. Should Finnish trade through Norway expand appreciably, there should be a demand in Finland for fish and other products of the Finnmark province of Norway and a corresponding improvement in the highly seasonal economy of the Norwegian coastal zone

Archaeology · Arctic · Boom · Economics · Economy · Geography · Norwegian · Sociology · Thriving · Tourism · World War II · Arctic and Russian Policy Studies · Engineering · Oceanography