The Border Guard (Finnish: Rajavartiolaitos) of Finland is the Finnish security authority responsible for the border security. It is a military organization, subordinate to the Ministry of the Interior in administrational issues and to the President of the Republic in issues pertaing to her authority as Commander-in-Chief (e.g. officer promotions). The official english translation of the organizations name (Rajavartiolaitos) was changed in 2006 to The Border Guard of Finland. Finland has a primarily parliamentary system, although the president also has some notable powers. ... Commander-in-Chief (in NATO-lingo often C-in-C or CINC pronounced sink) is the commander of all the military forces within a particular region or of all the military forces of a state. ...

The Border Guard's manpower is 3600 personnel, which includes 500 conscripts who are not used for border control during peace time. Upon mobilisation the Frontier Guard will be wholly or partly incorporated into the Finnish Defence Forces and increased to about 23000 personnel. The Finnish Defence Forces (Finnish Puolustusvoimat; Swedish Försvarsmakten) consist of 34,700 people in uniform (27,300 army, 3,000 navy, and 4,400 air force). ...

Main duties of the Border Guard:

• Guarding the land borders and territorial waters of Finland.
• Passport control at border crossing points, airports and ports.
• Rescue operations (mainly at sea and in the remote areas of Lapland).
• (during wartime) Long range patrols and guerrilla tactics behind enemy lines.
• Investigation of crimes pertaining to border security.
• Customs control in the minor border crossing points without customs authorities.

For the discharge of its duties, the Border Guard has limited police powers in the areas where it operates. It can, for example, seize and arrest persons and conduct searches in apartments and cars pursuant to same legislation as the police, when investigating a crime. However, the power to arrest a person has been delegated only to the commanding officers of a border control detachments and commander and vice-commanders of larger units. The Frontier Guard is not supposed to be used for the keeping of public order under normal circumstances but has quick response teams that can be used to support the police in exceptional situations. The Frontier Guard also has the power to keep public order in its own facilities and in their immediate vicinity. For the execution of its military exercises, any officer with the minimum rank of captain can close an area temporarily. Map of Sealand and the United Kingdom, with territorial water claims of 3nm and 12nm shown. ... The title page of European Union member state passports bears the name European Union, then the name of the issuing country, in the official languages of all EU countries. ... National anthem Sámi soga lávlla Languages Sami, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, Russian Area ca. ... Customs duty is a tariff or tax on the import or export of goods. ...

The Border Guard is responsible for enforcing the 3-5 km border zone towards Russia and issues the permits to visit the zone.

Equipment

The Border Guard operates:

• 7 Offshore patrol vessels (5 in West Finland, 2 in Gulf of Finland)(ASW equipped)
• 7 Hovercraft (5 in West Finland, 2 in Gulf of Finland)
• 81 Coastal patrol crafts (56 in West Finland, 25 in Gulf of Finland)
• 2 Dornier Do 228 MP aircraft
• 3 AS.332 Super Puma helicopters
• 4 AB-206 helicopters
• 4 AB-412 helicopters

Anti-submarine warfare is a term referring to warfare directed against submarines. ... The Dornier Do 228 is a small German twin turboprop STOL-utility aircraft, manufactured by Dornier GmbH (later DASA Dornier, Fairchild-Dornier) from 1981 till 1998. ... The Eurocopter Super Puma (originally built by Aérospatiale) is a helicopter marketed for civil and military use. ... Bell 206 B3 The Bell Model 206 JetRanger is one of the most successful helicopter designs in the world. ... It has been suggested that CH-146 Griffon be merged into this article or section. ...

History

After the Finnish Civil War in 1919, the control of the Finnish borders was given to the frontier troops under the command of the Ministry of Interior. Until 1945, only the Russian border was supervised by the Frontier Guard, the Swedish and Norwegian borders having only customs control. In 1929, a separate Sea Guard was founded to prevent the rampant alcohol smuggling caused by the Finnish abolition. At the start of the Winter War there were nine Frontier Companies (Rajakomppania) on the Karelian Isthmus. North of Lake Ladoga the Frontier Guards were combined into six Detached Battalions (Erillinen pataljoona). Further north in Petsamo the defence was left to the 10th Detached Company (10. Erillinen komppania). After the war marshal Mannerheim awarded all frontier guards the title "Frontier jäger" (Rajajääkäri). The Civil War in Finland was fought from January to May 1918, between the Reds (punaiset), i. ... Abolition is the act of formally destroying something through legal means, either by making it illegal, or simply no longer allowing it to exist in any form. ... Combatants Finland Soviet Union Commanders Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim Kliment Voroshilov, later Semyon Timoshenko Strength 180,000 450,000 Casualties 22,830 dead 43,557 wounded c. ... The Karelian Isthmus is the narrow stretch of land between the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga in northwestern Russia. ... Map of lake Ladoga Towpath Bridge between Lake Ladoga and Lake Onega (from a photograph taken ca. ... The area of Petsamo (Pechenga in Russian) in northern Lapland, indigenously inhabited by Samis, came to Finland in 1920 and to the Soviet Union in 1944. ... C.G.E. Mannerheim Mannerheims equestrian statue by Mannerheimintie, a central road in downtown Helsinki, the capital of Finland C.G.E. Mannerheims autograph This article is about the statesman and Commander-in-Chief, for the noble families, please see Mannerheim (family) Baron Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim (June... History The Jäger troops were volunteers from Finland in Germany trained as Jägers (elite light infantry) during World War I. It was one of many means by which Germany intended to weaken Russia and to cause Russias loss of western provinces and dependencies. ...

During the Continuation War, the Frontier Guard companies were combined into 8 Frontier Jäger battalions (Rajajääkäripataljoona) and later during the Lapland War into a Frontier Jäger Brigade (Rajajääkäriprikaati). The Continuation War or War of Continuation (Finnish: , Swedish: ) was the war that was fought between Finland and the Soviet Union during World War II, from the Finland-based hostile activities against the Soviet Union on June 21 and June 22[1], and Soviet bombing attacks on June 25, 1941... Combatants Germany Finland Commanders Lothar Rendulic Hjalmar Siilasvuo Strength 200,000 60,000 Casualties 950 killed 2,000 wounded 1,300 captured 774 killed 3,000 wounded 262 missing The Lapland War is a name used for the hostilities between Finland and Germany between September 1944 and April 1945. ...

After the Second World War, the Frontier Guards were placed on all Finnish borders. In 1950's, the Sea Guard was attached to the Frontier Guard. Since then, the Frontier guard has received a fine public image. It is famed for the wilderness skills of its guards foot-patrolling the forest-covered Russian border, its good efficiency in catching the few illegal border crossers and for the fact that it is the only state authority in large parts of Lapland. In these matters it resembles the popular image of Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Almost all conscripts in Frontier Jäger Companies have volunteered for service in the Frontier guard, tempted by its famous guerilla training. Employment in Frontier Guard is much sought for, especially in North and Eastern Finland, which suffer from chronic unemployment problems. Typically a vacancy in the Frontier Guard receives at least 50 applications.

External link

• The Border Guard