a region of NE Europe comprising areas of both Finland and Russia. Following the Russo-Finnish War (1939–40) a large part of what had been Finnish Karelia was annexed by the former Soviet Union; together with the part of Karelia which already belonged to Russia at that time, it corresponds roughly to the modern Karelian Republic in Russia
2. another name for the Karelian Republic
Karelia in American English
(kəˈriljə; Russian kɑˈʀiliɑ)
region in N Europe between the Gulf of Finland and the White Sea, constituting an autonomous republic of Russia: 66,564 sq mi (172,400 sq km); pop. 789,000