Lapland was first inhabited about 7,000-years-ago by the Sami people. Between the years 1634 to 1809, it was split between the Sweedish Realm, and in the year 1918, the royal constitution of Finland ordered that it become a Grand Principality. During WWII, Lapland was used by Nazi Germany. In 1944 The Soviet Union used its’ influence to remove the German army. After World War II ended, Lapland entered a stage of voracious growth. The area thrived and prospered after being ceded by The Soviet Union. An intense postwar rebuilding effort resulted in the prosperous Lapland we see today.