Karelian language - one of the Finno-Ugric languages (Balto-Finnic group). Spoken in the Republic of Karelia and the Tver, Leningrad and Murmansk regions. The number of the Karelians in Russia is 124,9 thousand. 48,6 % of them regard Karelian as their mother tongue, 51,1 % Russian. Main dialects: Karelian Proper, Olonets and Ludic.

A number of books in various Karelian dialects were printed in the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century (Cyrillic script). A literary language for the Tver Karelians based on the Latin script was created in 1931. In the Karelian republic Finnish was used as the literary language. A unified Karelian literary language based on the Cyrillic script existed in 1937-40. New literary varieties based on the Latin script have been developed since the end of the 1980's.

Basic information on the Karelian language

• Cultural autonomy of the Tver Karelians - Information on the Karelians in the Tver region (in Russian), revitalization of the Karelian language, samples of Karelian folklore
• Karelian-Russian-Karelian electronic dictionary (about 12 thousand words)
• The Karelians - An article in the Red Book of the Peoples of the Russian Empire
• Karelica - Bibliography of literature published in Karelian
• Karjalane lehüt - A Karelian page created by your humble servant. Information on the language situation and language planning in Karelia and the Tver region (in Finnish, Russian and English), texts in Karelian.
• Kulttuurisivuja Karjalasta - Information on the Balto-Finnic minorities of the Republic of Karelia (in Finnish)
• Lüüdilaine siebr - Ludic society. Information on the Ludic dialect of the Karelian language (in Finnish) a bibliography, Ludic texts.

Educational institutions

• Faculty of Balto-Finnic philology and culture of the Petrozavodsk university (brief information)

Mass media

• Oma mua - A weekly newspaper in Karelian published in Petrozavodsk (server Karelia)
• Karielan šana - A monthly paper published by the Tver Karelian cultural autonomy in Karelian and Russian
• Karelian materials published in the literary journal Carelia (Petrozavodsk)

Samples of folklore

• Audio archive of the Institute of linguistics, literature and history, Karelian research center, Russian academy of sciences

Musical sites

• Myllarit - A Karelian folk group, information in English, Finnish and Russian
• Santtu Karhu & Talvisovat - A Karelian rock group, information in English, Finnish and Russian

Pages in Karelian

• Aiga paissa i lugie karielaksi - Internet version of a multimedia teaching aid in Karelian (Tver dialect)
• Ikkun Karjalah - Karelian page on the server Onego