A concise, panoramic account of the Swedish-speaking population in Finland that follows their development from early settlement and medieval ties to Sweden through centuries of political change—including Swedish and Russian rule, the rise of national movements, and independence—examining how language, culture, institutions (church, education, press), economy and migration shaped their social position and political strategies; the book analyses debates over bilingualism, identity and minority rights and shows how Swedish-speaking Finns have both influenced and adapted to Finland’s modernization and changing state structures up to the contemporary welfare-state era.