Porkkala Peninsula

Porkkala Peninsula

 

(also Porkkala Udd), a peninsula in southern Finland. Area, 393.44 sq km (without the adjoining water space).

According to Article 8 of the armistice concluded between Finland and the USSR on Sept. 19, 1944, and reaffirmed by the 1947 peace treaty, Finland leased the Porkkala Peninsula and the adjoining water space to the USSR to be used and administered for a period of 50 years as the site of a Soviet naval base. In 1955 the Soviet government renounced ahead of time its rights to Porkkala Peninsula in favor of Finland and withdrew its troops from the area. The final treaty on transferring Porkkala Peninsula to Finland was signed in Helsinki on Jan. 26, 1956.