SV: Scandinavia

[bror.hellman@sodexho-se.com]

> How many Swedish-speaking people are there in Finland? (Or 
> maybe they are "officially" non-existant?)

No, on the contrary, Swedish is - and have been since the republics
beginning - an official secondary (minority) language in Finland. Native
swedish speaking Finns  also have their own variant of Swedish with many
entirely own words and sayings, etc.

Most signs must be bi-lingual, and all cities have two names as well as the
country itself - Finland, or Suomi as it is named in Finnish, Finland
originally being the Swedish name.

Unfortunately - to my embarrasment and shame as a native swede - the finnish
speaking native swedes have had their language "oficially" non-existant for
centuries.. It's a big disgrace I'm afraid, and hope it's not to late to do
something about that.  But it's interesting to compare how two neigbouring
countries treats a large language minority so different.. 

Maybe Finland as a nation is a nation with higher ethics and better morals
than Sweden?   *shrug* Not a pleasant thought for me as a Swede...

> Related question: does the Swedish Kalle Anka get published 
> in Finland?

Yes, and perhaps.. :-)  The Swedish weekly are distributed and sold over
large areas of Finland. The Swedish magazine is priced on the cover in both
Swedish Crowns and Finnish Marks, much like american comics with price in
both US and Canadian dollars...



   // Steamboat Willie

P.S.

Btw, to all who missed this: Finnish is and Swedish are very different from
each other being originally from two entirely different language groups.
Finnish is related to Hungarian (very distantly) and Sami; and Swedish are
closely related to Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Faeroese and the Swedish
talked in Finland (which I don't know the proper name for in English.. :-(
)  There are also many Norwegian, Danish and Swedish dialects that - should
that part be independent - very well could have been a language of it's
own.. Like Gothlandic, Northwestern Norwegian, etc.  They are not closer to
one of the major languages than for example Faeroese and Norwegian...

            // StW

P.P.S


.. if Finland and Sweden are to each other as the US are to Canada... Which
is Canada and which is the USA? ;-)    

          // StW