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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. It is now part of Russia. It contains an ice-free harbour, Liinahamari, and deposits of nickel.

The harbour Liinahamari in Petsamo was important for the Finnish economy during the First World War as the Baltic Sea was blocked by the Germans. In the Treaty of Tartu, 1920, Bolshevist Russia ceded Petsamo to Finland.

Deposits of Nickel were found 1921Events January 2 The first religious radio broadcast ( KDKA AM in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) January 2 Spanish liner Santa Isabel sinks off Villa Garcia 244 dead January 2 DeYoung Museum in Golden Gate Park San Francisco opens. January 20 Republic of Turke, after Petsamo became a part of Finland, and in 1934Events January-April January 1 Alcatraz becomes a federal prison. January 7 First Flash Gordon comic strip is published. January 10 Execution of Marinus van der Lubbe January 24 Einstein visits White House January 26 The Apollo Theater opens in Harlem, Ne it was estimated that the deposits contained over five million tonnes of Nickel. Mining operations started in 1935Events January January 1 Italian colonies of Tripoli and Kyrenaika are joined together as Libya January 7 World War II: Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French foreign minister Pierre Laval conclude agreement in which each power undertakes not to oppo by CanadianCanada historically the Dominion of Canada is the second-largest, and northernmost, country in the world. It is a decentralized federation of 10 provinces and 3 territories, governed as a constitutional monarchy, and formed in 1867 through an act of Confe and FrenchThe French Republic or France ( French: Republique francaise or France is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in western Europe, and which is further made up of a collection of overseas islands and territories located in other continents. corporations.

Construction of a road from SodankyläSodankyl is a town and municipality of Finland. It is located in the province of Lapland, Finland. The municipality has a population of 9,373 ( 2003) and covers an area of 12,416. 81 km² of which 643. 81 km² is water. The population density is 0. 8 inhabi through Ivalo to Liinahamari started in 19161916 is a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar) Events January 1 -The first successful blood transfusion using blood that had been stored and cooled. Impressionist Monet paints Water Lilies'. January 8 Allied forces withdraw from and was completed in 19311931 is the common year starting on Thursday. see link for calendar) Events January January 4 Female aviator Elly Beinhorn begins her flight to Africa January 6 Thomas Edison submits his last patent application. January 22 Sir Isaac Isaacs sworn in as the. After that Petsamo became a popular tourist attraction as it was the only port at the Barents Sea that could be reached by an automobile.

In the Winter War the Soviet Union occupied Petsamo. In the following peace agreement only the Finnish part of the Kalastajansaarento ( Rybachi ) peninsula was ceded to the Soviet Union. Although the Soviet Union had occupied Petsamo during the Winter War they left it to Finland, possibly to appease the governments of the foreign mining corporations operating there.

In 1941, during the Continuation War, Petsamo was used by Nazi Germany as a staging area for the attack towards Murmansk. In 1944 the Red Army occupied Petsamo again. Petsamo was ceded to the Soviet Union according to the Paris Peace Treaty. Finland ceded the Jäniskoski area with its hydroelectric plant to Soviet Union 1947 in exchange for Soviet confiscated German investments in Finland.

After the war the Soviets expanded the mining operations which had a catastrophic impact on the environment.