Petsamo Province

Province of Finland from 1921 to 1922 Petsamo ProvincePetsamon lääniPetsamo länProvince of Finland1921–1945 Coat of arms CapitalPetsamoArea • 11,338.68 km2 (4,377.89 sq mi)History • Established 1921• Disestablished 1945 Preceded by Succeeded by Russian SFSR Province of Oulu Petsamo Province (Finnish: Petsamon lääni, Swedish: Petsamo län) was a Finnish panhandle. It was a separate province from 1921 to 1922, when it was merged into the Province of Oulu. This panhandle used to give Finland access to the Arctic Ocean, until it was annexed by the Soviet Union in 1944. Foundation In 1921, following Finnish independence and military expansion into neighboring Russian territory - which resulted in the annexation of the formerly Russian districts of Pechenga, Repola and Porajärvi by Finland - Soviet Russia was forced to cede the area of Pechenga to Finland in exchange for the return of Repola and Porajärvi according to the Treaty of Tartu. In 1922, it was merged with the province of Oulu. Petsamo's annexation to Finland was agreed upon in the Treaty of Tartu, but even before the treaty was officially approved, the Finnish government appointed a committee in the fall of 1920