Finland

1
Finland
This article is about the European country. For other uses, see Finland (disambiguation).
Coordinates: 64N 26E
[1]
Republic of Finland
Suomen tasavalta(Finnish)
Republiken Finland(Swedish)
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem:
Maamme(Finnish)
Vrt land(Swedish)
Our Land
Location of Finland(dark green)
in Europe(green &dark grey)
in the European Union(green) [Legend]
Finland
2
Capital
and largest city
Helsinki
6010N 02456E
[2]
Official languages Finnish (89.33%)
Swedish (5.34%)
Recognised regionallanguages Sami (0.03%)
Religion Lutheranism,
Eastern Orthodoxy
Demonym Finnish
Finn
Government Parliamentary republic
- President Sauli Niinist
- Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen
- Speaker of the Parliament Eero Heinluoma
Legislature Eduskunta
Independence
- Autonomy
within Russia
29 March 1809
- Independence
from the Russian SFSR
6 December 1917
- First recognized
by the Russian SFSR
4 January 1918
Area
- Total
338,424km
2
(64th)
130,596sqmi
- Water(%) 10
Population
- 2014estimate 5,457,429 (114th)
- 2000census 5,180,000
- Density
16/km
2
(201st)
41/sqmi
Finland
3
GDP(PPP) 2012estimate
- Total $197.476 billion
- Per capita $36,395
GDP(nominal) 2012estimate
- Total $250.126 billion
- Per capita $46,098
Gini(2012) 25.9
low
HDI (2013)
0.892
[3]
very high 21st
Currency Euro () (EUR)
Time zone EET (UTC+2)
- Summer(DST) EEST(UTC+3)
Date format d.m.yyyy
Drives on the right
Calling code +358
Patron saint St Henry of Uppsala
ISO 3166 code FI
Internet TLD
.fi
a
a.
The .eu domain is also used, as it is shared with other European Union member states.
Finland (
i
/fnlnd/; Finnish: Suomi [suomi]( ); Swedish: Finland [fnln]), officially the Republic of
Finland,
[4]
is a country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden to the
west, Norway to the north, Russia to the east, and Estonia to the south across the Gulf of Finland.
As of 2013, Finland's population was around 5.5 million, with the majority concentrated in its southern regions. In
terms of area, it is the eighth largest country in Europe and the most sparsely populated country in the European
Union. Finland is a parliamentary republic with a central government based in the capital of Helsinki, local
governments in 336 municipalities and an autonomous region, the land Islands. About one million residents live in
the Greater Helsinki area (consisting of Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen), which also produces a third of the
country's GDP. Other large cities include Tampere, Turku, Oulu, Jyvskyl, Lahti, and Kuopio.
From the late 12th century until 1809, Finland was part of Sweden, a legacy reflected in the prevalence of the
Swedish language and its official status. It then became an autonomous Grand Duchy within the Russian Empire
until the Russian Revolution, which prompted the Finnish Declaration of Independence. This was followed by a civil
war where the pro-Bolshevik "Reds" were defeated by the pro-conservative "Whites" with support from the German
Empire. After a brief attempt to establish a monarchy, Finland became a republic. Finland's experience of World
War II involved three separate conflicts: the Winter War (19391940) and Continuation War (19411944) against
the Soviet Union and the Lapland War (19441945) against Nazi Germany. Following the end of the war, Finland
joined the United Nations in 1955 and established an official policy of neutrality. Nevertheless, it remained fairly
active on the world stage, joining the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 1969,
the European Union in 1995, and the eurozone at its inception in 1999.
Finland was a relative latecomer to industrialisation, remaining a largely agrarian country until the 1950s. Thereafter,
it rapidly developed an advanced economy while building an extensive Nordic-style welfare state, resulting in
widespread prosperity and one of the highest per capita incomes in the world. Subsequently, Finland is a top
Finland
4
performer in numerous metrics of national performance, including education, economic competitiveness, civil
liberties, quality of life, and human development. Finland is also a member of the United Nations, the Council of
Europe and the World Trade Organization.
Etymology and concept of Finland
Etymology
See also: Finns Etymology
The name Finland appears on three rune-stones. Two were found in the Swedish province of Uppland and have the
inscription finlonti (U 582). The third was found in Gotland, in the Baltic Sea. It has the inscription finlandi (G 319)
and dates from the 13th century. The name can be assumed to be related to the tribe name Finns, which is mentioned
first known time AD 98 (disputed meaning).
Suomi
The name Suomi (Finnish for "Finland") has uncertain origins, but a candidate for a cognate is the Proto-Baltic word
*em, meaning "land". In addition to the close relatives of Finnish (the Finnic languages), this name is also used in
the Baltic languages Latvian and Lithuanian. Alternatively, the Indo-European word *gm-on "man" (cf. Gothic
guma, Latin homo) has been suggested, being borrowed as *oma. The word originally referred only to the province
of Finland Proper, and later to the northern coast of Gulf of Finland, with northern regions such as Ostrobothnia still
being sometimes excluded until later. Earlier theories suggested derivation from suomaa (fen land) or suoniemi (fen
cape), and parallels between saame (Sami, a Finno-Ugric people in Lapland), and Hme (a province in the inland)
were drawn, but these theories are now considered outdated.
[5]
Concept
In the 12th and 13th centuries, the term "Finland" mostly referred to the area around bo (Turku), a region that later
became known as Finland Proper, while the other parts of the country were called Tavastia and Karelia, but which
could also sometimes be collectively referred to as "sterland" (compare Norrland). (Medieval politics concerned
tribes such as the Finns, the Tavastians and the Karelians more than geographical boundaries.)
In the 15th century, "Finland" became a common name for the whole land area to the east of the Bothnian Sea,
possibly even including land, when the archipelago was seen as belonging to bo (Turku). What the term actually
refers to can vary between sources, also the boundaries to the east and the north were not exact. A sort of
establishment for Finland as a unity, if only in name, came when John III of Sweden called his duchy as the "grand
duchy of Finland" (about 1580), as a strategy to meet the claims of the Russian tsar. The term became part of the title
of the King of Sweden but had little practical meaning. The Finnish land area had the same standing as the area to
the west of the Bothnian Sea and the Finnish part of the realm had the same representation in the parliament as the
western part had. In 1637, Queen Christina named Per Brahe the Younger as Governor General of Finland, land,
and Ostrobothnia (other parts of Sweden had also had governor generals).
The modern boundaries of Finland actually came to use only after the end of Sweden-Finland. What was signed over
to Russia in 1809 was not so much a "Finland" as six counties, land, and a little part of Vsterbotten County. The
boundary between the new Grand Duchy of Finland and the remaining part of Sweden could have been drawn along
the river Kemijoki, which was the boundary between Vsterbotten County and sterbotten County (Ostrobothnia) at
the timewhich the Swedish proposed in the peace negotiationsor along the river Kalix, thereby including the
Finnish-speaking part of the Torne Valleywhich the Russians proposed. The boundary, which followed the Torne
River and the Muonio River to the fells Saana and Halti in the northwest, was a compromise, which later became
what the concept of Finland came to stand forat least after the tsar Alexander I of Russia permitted the parts of
Finland located to the east of the Kymi River which were conquered by Russia in 1721 and 1743, called "Old
Finland
5
Finland", to be administratively included in "New Finland" in 1812.
History
Main article: History of Finland
Prehistory
Main article: History of Finland Prehistory
According to archaeological evidence, the area now comprising Finland was settled at the latest around 8500BCE
during the Stone Age as the ice sheet of the last ice age receded. The artifacts the first settlers left behind present
characteristics that are shared with those found in Estonia, Russia and Norway.
[6]
The earliest people were
hunter-gatherers, using stone tools.
[7]
The first pottery appeared in 5200BCE when the Comb Ceramic culture was
introduced.
[8]
The arrival of the Corded Ware culture in southern coastal Finland between 3000 and 2500 BCE may
have coincided with the start of agriculture.
[9]
Even with the introduction of agriculture, hunting and fishing
continued to be important parts of the subsistence economy.
The Bronze Age (1500500BCE) and Iron Age (500BCE1200CE) were characterised by extensive contacts with
other cultures in the Fennoscandian and Baltic regions. There is no consensus on when Uralic languages and
Indo-European languages were first spoken in the area of contemporary Finland. During the first millennium AD,
early Finnish was spoken in agricultural settlements in southern Finland, whereas Smi-speaking populations
occupied most parts of the country.Wikipedia:Citation needed
Swedish era
The Swedish Empire following the Treaty of
Roskilde of 1658.
Dark green: Sweden proper, as represented in the
Riksdag of the Estates. Other greens: Swedish
dominions and possessions.
Swedish kings established their rule in the Northern Crusades from the
12th century until 1249.
[10]
The area of present-day Finland became a
fully consolidated part of the Swedish kingdom. Swedish-speaking
settlers arrived at the coastal regions during the medieval time. In the
17th century, Swedish became the dominant language of the nobility,
administration and education; Finnish was chiefly a language for the
peasantry, clergy and local courts in predominantly Finnish-speaking
areas.
During the Protestant Reformation, the Finns gradually converted to
Lutheranism. In the 16th century, Mikael Agricola published the first
written works in Finnish. The first university in Finland, The Royal
Academy of Turku, was established in 1640. Finland suffered a severe
famine in 16961697, during which about one-third of the Finnish
population died, and a devastating plague a few years later. In the 18th
century, wars between Sweden and Russia twice led to the occupation
of Finland by Russian forces, times known to the Finns as the Greater
Wrath (17141721) and the Lesser Wrath (17421743).
[]
It is
estimated that almost an entire generation of young men was lost
during the Great Wrath, due namely to the destruction of homes and
farms and to the burning of Helsinki. By this time Finland was the predominant term for the whole area from the
Gulf of Bothnia to the Russian border.
Finland
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Now lying within Helsinki, Suomenlinna is a
UNESCO World Heritage Site consisting of an
inhabited sea fortress built on six islands. It is one
of Finland's most popular tourist attractions.
Two Russo-Swedish wars in twenty-five years served as reminders to
the Finnish people of how precarious their position between Sweden
and Russia was. An increasingly vocal elite in Finland soon determined
that Finnish ties with Sweden were becoming too costly, and following
Gustav III's War (17881790), the Finnish elite's desire to break with
Sweden only heightened.
In the late eighteenth century a politically active portion of the Finnish
nobility became utterly convinced that, due to Sweden and Russia's
repeated use of Finland as a battlefield, it would be in the country's
best interests to seek autonomy. Even before the Russo-Swedish War
of 17881790, there were conspiring Finns, among them Col G. M.
Sprengtporten, who had supported Gustav III's coup in 1772.
Sprengporten fell out with the king and resigned his commission in
1777. In the following decade he tried to secure Russian support for an autonomous Finland, and later became an
adviser to Catherine II.
Notwithstanding the efforts of Finland's elite and nobility to break ties with Sweden, there was no genuine
independence movement in Finland until the early twentieth century. As a matter of fact, at this time the Finnish
peasantry was outraged by the actions of their elite and almost exclusively supported Gustav's actions against the
conspirators. (The High Court of Turku condemned Sprengtporten as a traitor c. 1793.Wikipedia:Citation needed)
Russian Empire era
Main article: Grand Duchy of Finland
See also: Finland's language strife and Russification of Finland
On 29 March 1809, having been taken over by the armies of Alexander I of Russia in the Finnish War, Finland
became an autonomous Grand Duchy in the Russian Empire until the end of 1917. In 1811 Alexander I incorporated
Russian Vyborg province into the Grand Duchy of Finland. During the Russian era, the Finnish language began to
gain recognition. From the 1860s onwards, a strong Finnish nationalist movement known as the Fennoman
movement grew. Milestones included the publication of what would become Finland's national epic the Kalevala
in 1835, and the Finnish language's achieving equal legal status with Swedish in 1892.
The Finnish famine of 18661868 killed 15% of the population, making it one of the worst famines in European
history. The famine led the Russian Empire to ease financial regulations, and investment rose in following decades.
Economic and political development was rapid.
[11]
The GDP per capita was still half of that of the United States and
a third of that of Britain.
In 1906, universal suffrage was adopted in the Grand Duchy of Finland. However, the relationship between the
Grand Duchy and the Russian Empire soured when the Russian government made moves to restrict Finnish
autonomy. For example, the universal suffrage was, in practice, virtually meaningless, since the tsar did not have to
approve any of the laws adopted by the Finnish parliament. Desire for independence gained ground, first among
radical liberals
[12]
and socialists.
Finland
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Civil war and early independence
White Guard of Lammi.
Main articles: Finnish Declaration of Independence and Finnish Civil
War
After the 1917 February Revolution, the position of Finland as part of
the Russian Empire was questioned, mainly by Social Democrats.
Since the head of state was the Czar of Russia, it was not clear who the
chief executive of Finland was after the revolution. The parliament,
controlled by social democrats, passed the so-called Power Act
[13]
to
give the highest authority to parliament. This was rejected by the
Russian Provisional Government and by the right-wing parties in
Finland. The Provisional Government dissolved the parliament by
force, which the social democrats considered illegal since the right to do so had been stripped from the Russians by
the Power Act.Wikipedia:Citation needed
New elections were conducted, in which right-wing parties won a slim majority. Some social democrats refused to
accept the result and still claimed that the dissolution of the parliament (and thus the ensuing elections) were
extralegal. The two nearly equally powerful political blocs, the right-wing parties and the social democratic party,
were highly antagonized.Wikipedia:Citation needed
The October Revolution in Russia changed the game anew. Suddenly, the right-wing parties in Finland started to
reconsider their decision to block the transfer of highest executive power from the Russian government to Finland, as
radical Communists took power in Russia. Rather than acknowledge the authority of the Power Law of a few months
earlier, the right-wing government declared independence on 6 December 1917.
On 27 January 1918, the official opening shots of the war were fired in two simultaneous events. The government
started to disarm the Russian forces in Pohjanmaa, and the Social Democratic Party staged a
coup.Wikipedia:Verifiability The latter succeeded in controlling southern Finland and Helsinki, but the white
government continued in exile from Vaasa. This sparked the brief but bitter civil war. The Whites, who were
supported by Imperial Germany, prevailed over the Reds. After the war, tens of thousands of Reds and suspected
sympathizers were interned in camps, where thousands died by execution or from malnutrition and disease. Deep
social and political enmity was sown between the Reds and Whites and would last until the Winter War and beyond.
The civil war and activist expeditions into Soviet Russia strained Eastern relations.
After a brief flirtation with monarchy, Finland became a presidential republic, with Kaarlo Juho Sthlberg elected as
its first president in 1919. The FinnishRussian border was determined by the Treaty of Tartu in 1920, largely
following the historic border but granting Pechenga (Finnish: Petsamo) and its Barents Sea harbour to Finland.
Finnish democracy did not see any Soviet coup attempts and survived the anti-Communist Lapua Movement. The
relationship between Finland and the Soviet Union was tense. Germany's relations with democratic Finland cooled
also after the Nazis' rise to power.Wikipedia:Citation needed Army officers were trained in France, and relations to
Western Europe and Sweden were strengthened.
In 1917, the population was three million. Credit-based land reform was enacted after the civil war, increasing the
proportion of capital-owning population. About 70% of workers were occupied in agriculture and 10% in industry.
The largest export markets were the United Kingdom and Germany.
Finland
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World War II
Areas ceded by Finland to the Soviet Union after
the Winter War in 1940 and the Continuation
War in 1944. The Porkkala land lease was
returned to Finland in 1956. Finland covered an
area of approximately 385,000km
2
(149,000sqmi) before the handover.
Main article: Military history of Finland during World War II
During World War II, Finland fought the Soviet Union twice: in the
Winter War of 19391940 after the Soviet Union had attacked Finland;
and in the Continuation War of 19411944, following Operation
Barbarossa, in which Germany had invaded the Soviet Union. For 872
days, the German army besieged Leningrad, the USSR's second largest
city.
[14]
The siege of Leningrad resulted in the deaths of some one
million of the city's inhabitants.
[15]
Finnish troops controlled some of
the areas around the city but refused to attack or let Germans use those
areas for attack; whether they should be said to have helped in the
siege or refused to help is controversial. After fighting a major Soviet
offensive in June/July 1944 to a standstill, Finland reached an armistice
with the Soviet Union. This was followed by the Lapland War of
19441945, when Finland fought against the retreating German forces
in northern Finland.
The treaties signed in 1947 and 1948 with the Soviet Union included
Finnish obligations, restraints and reparationsas well as further
Finnish territorial concessions begun in the Moscow Peace Treaty of
1940. As a result of the two wars, Finland was forced to cede most of
Finnish Karelia, Salla and Petsamo, which amounted to 10% of its land
area and 20% of its industrial capacity, including the ports of Vyborg (Viipuri) and ice-free Liinakhamari
(Liinahamari). Almost the whole population, some 400,000 persons, fled these areas. Finland was never occupied by
Soviet forces and retained its independence, however, at a loss of about 93,000 soldiers.
Finland rejected Marshall aid, in apparent deference to Soviet desires. However, the United States provided secret
development aid and helped the still non-communist Social Democratic Party in hopes of preserving Finland's
independence.
[16]
Establishing trade with the Western powers, such as the United Kingdom, and the reparations to
the Soviet Union caused Finland to transform itself from a primarily agrarian economy to an industrialised one. For
example, the Valmet corporation was founded to create materials for war reparations. Even after the reparations had
been paid off, Finlandpoor in certain resources necessary for an industrialized nation (such as iron and
oil)continued to trade with the Soviet Union in the framework of bilateral trade.Wikipedia:Citation needed
Cold War
In 1950, 46% of Finnish workers were occupied in agriculture and a third lived in urban areas. The new jobs in
manufacturing, services and trade quickly attracted people to the towns. The average number of births per woman
declined from a baby boom peak of 3.5 in 1947 to 1.5 in 1973. When baby-boomers entered the workforce, the
economy did not generate jobs fast enough, and hundreds of thousands emigrated to the more industrialized Sweden,
with emigration peaking in 1969 and 1970. The 1952 Summer Olympics brought international visitors. Finland took
part in trade liberalization in the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the General Agreement on
Tariffs and Trade.
Finland
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Urho Kekkonen, the eighth president
of Finland
Officially claiming to be neutral, Finland lay in the grey zone between the
Western countries and the Soviet Union. The YYA Treaty (Finno-Soviet Pact of
Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance) gave the Soviet Union some
leverage in Finnish domestic politics. This was extensively exploited by
president Urho Kekkonen against his opponents. He maintained an effective
monopoly on Soviet relations from 1956 on, which was crucial for his continued
popularity. In politics, there was a tendency of avoiding any policies and
statements that could be interpreted as anti-Soviet. This phenomenon was given
the name "Finlandization" by the German press.
Despite close relations with the Soviet Union, Finland remained a Western
European market economy. Various industries benefited from trade privileges
with the Soviets, which explains the widespread support that pro-Soviet policies
enjoyed among business interests in Finland. Economic growth was rapid in the
postwar era, and by 1975 Finland's GDP per capita was the 15th highest in the world.Wikipedia:Citation needed In
the 1970s and 1980s, Finland built one of the most extensive welfare states in the world. Finland also negotiated with
the EEC (a predecessor of the European Union) a treaty that mostly abolished customs duties towards the EEC
starting from 1977, although Finland did not fully join. In 1981, president Urho Kekkonen's failing health forced him
to retire after holding office for 25 years.Wikipedia:Citation needed
Miscalculated macroeconomic decisions, a banking crisis, the collapse of its largest single trading partner (the Soviet
Union) and a global economic downturn caused a deep recession in Finland in the early 1990s. The depression
bottomed out in 1993, and Finland saw steady economic growth for more than ten years.Wikipedia:Citation needed
Recent history
Like other Nordic countries, Finland has decentralised its economy since the late 1980s. Financial and product
market regulation was loosened. Some state enterprises have been privatized and there have been some modest tax
cuts. Finland joined the European Union in 1995, and the Eurozone in 1999.
The population is aging with the birth rate at 10.42 births per 1,000 population, or a fertility rate of 1.8. With a
median age of 42.7 years, Finland is one of the oldest countries; half of voters are estimated to be over 50 years old.
The Finnish markka was replaced by the euro in 2002. As a preparation for this date, the minting of the new euro
coins started as early as 1999; this is why the first euro coins from Finland have the year 1999 on them, instead of
2002 like some of the other countries of the Eurozone. Three different designs (one for 2 coin, one for 1 coin and
one for the other six coins) were selected for the Finnish coins. In 2007, in order to adopt the new common map like
the rest of the Eurozone countries, Finland changed the common side of its coins.
Finland
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Geography
Detailed map of Finland. (See also Atlas of
Finland.)
Main article: Geography of Finland
See also: List of cities and towns in Finland, List of lakes in Finland,
List of national parks of Finland and Environmental issues in Finland
Lying approximately between latitudes 60 and 70 N, and longitudes
20 and 32 E, Finland is one of the world's northernmost countries. Of
world capitals, only Reykjavk lies more to the north than Helsinki.
The distance from the southernmostHankoto the northernmost
point in the countryNuorgamis 1,160 kilometres (720mi).
Finland is a country of thousands of lakes and islandsabout 188,000
lakes (larger than 500m
2
or 0.12 acre) and 179,000 islands. Its largest
lake, Saimaa, is the fourth largest in Europe. The area with most lakes
is called Finnish Lakeland. The greatest concentration of islands is
found in the southwest in the Archipelago Sea between continental
Finland and the main island of land.
Much of the geography of Finland is explained by the Ice Age. The
glaciers were thicker and lasted longer in Fennoscandia compared with
the rest of Europe. Their eroding effects have left the Finnish
landscape mostly flat with few hills and fewer mountains. Its highest
point, the Halti at 1,324 metres (4,344ft), is found in the extreme north of Lapland at the border between Finland
and Norway. The highest mountain whose peak is entirely in Finland is Ridnitsohkka at 1,316m (4,318ft), directly
adjacent to Halti.
The retreating glaciers have left the land with morainic deposits in formations of eskers. These are ridges of stratified
gravel and sand, running northwest to southeast, where the ancient edge of the glacier once lay. Among the biggest
of these are the three Salpausselk ridges that run across southern Finland.
The Whooper Swan, Finland's national bird.
Having been compressed under the enormous weight of the glaciers,
terrain in Finland is rising due to the post-glacial rebound. The effect is
strongest around the Gulf of Bothnia, where land steadily rises about
1cm (0.4in) a year. As a result, the old sea bottom turns little by little
into dry land: the surface area of the country is expanding by about 7
square kilometres (2.7sqmi) annually. Relatively speaking, Finland is
rising from the sea.
[17]
Forest covers 86% of the country's land area,
[18]
the largest forested
area in Europe. The forest consists of pine, spruce, birch and other
species. Finland is the largest producer of wood in Europe and among
the largest in the world.
The landscape is covered mostly (75% of land area) by coniferous taiga forests and fens, with little arable land. The
most common type of rock is granite. It is a ubiquitous part of the scenery, visible wherever there is no soil cover.
Moraine or till is the most common type of soil, covered by a thin layer of humus of biological origin. Podzol profile
development is seen in most forest soils except where drainage is poor. Gleysols and peat bogs occupy poorly
drained areas.
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11
Biodiversity
Main article: Fauna of Finland
Phytogeographically, Finland is shared between the Arctic, central European and northern European provinces of the
Circumboreal Region within the Boreal Kingdom. According to the WWF, the territory of Finland can be subdivided
into three ecoregions: the Scandinavian and Russian taiga, Sarmatic mixed forests and Scandinavian Montane Birch
forest and grasslands. Taiga covers most of Finland from northern regions of southern provinces to the north of
Lapland. On the southwestern coast, south of the Helsinki-Rauma line, forests are characterized by mixed forests,
that are more typical in the Baltic region. In the extreme north of Finland, near the tree line and Arctic Ocean,
Montane Birch forests are common.
The brown bear (Ursus arctos) is Finland's
national animal.
Similarly, Finland has a diverse and extensive range of fauna. There
are at least sixty native mammalian species, 248 breeding bird species,
over seventy fish species and eleven reptile and frog species present
today, many migrating from neighboring countries thousands of years
ago.Wikipedia:Citation needed Large and widely recognized wildlife
mammals found in Finland are the brown bear (the national animal),
gray wolf, wolverine and elk. Three of the more striking birds are the
Whooper Swan, a large European swan and the national bird of
Finland; the Capercaillie, a large, black-plumaged member of the
grouse family; and the European Eagle-owl. The latter is considered an
indicator of old-growth forest connectivity, and has been declining because of landscape fragmentation. The most
common breeding birds are the Willow Warbler, Common Chaffinch and Redwing. Of some seventy species of
freshwater fish, the northern pike, perch and others are plentiful. Atlantic salmon remains the favourite of fly rod
enthusiasts.
The endangered Saimaa Ringed Seal, one of only three lake seal species in the world, exists only in the Saimaa lake
system of southeastern Finland, down to only 300 seals today. It has become the emblem of the Finnish Association
for Nature Conservation.
Climate
Repovesi National Park in southeastern Finland.
See also: Climate of Finland
The main factor influencing Finland's climate is the country's
geographical position between the 60th and 70th northern parallels in
the Eurasian continent's coastal zone. In the Kppen climate
classification, the whole of Finland lies in the boreal zone
characterized by warm summers and freezing winters. Within the
country, the temperateness varies considerably between the southern
coastal regions and the extreme north, showing characteristics of both a
maritime and a continental climate. Finland is near enough to the
Atlantic Ocean to be continuously warmed by the Gulf Stream. The Gulf Stream combines with the moderating
effects of the Baltic Sea and numerous inland lakes to explain the unusually warm climate compared with other
regions that share the same latitude, such as Alaska, Siberia and southern Greenland.
Winters of southern Finland (when mean daily temperature remains below 0C or 32F) are usually about 100 days
long, and the snow typically covers the land from about late November to mid-April. Even in the most temperate
regions of the south, the harshest winter nights can see the temperatures fall to 30C (22F). Climatic summers
(when mean daily temperature remains above 10C or 50F) in southern Finland last from about late May to
mid-September, and in the inland, the warmest days of July can reach 35C (95F). Although most of Finland lies
Finland
12
on the taiga belt, the southernmost coastal regions are sometimes classified as hemiboreal.
Pyh-Luosto National Park, Lapland.
In northern Finland, particularly in Lapland, the winters are long and
cold, while the summers are relatively warm but short. The most severe
winter days in Lapland can see the temperature fall down to 45C
(49F). The winter of the north lasts for about 200 days with
permanent snow cover from about mid-October to early May.
Summers in the north are quite short, only two to three months, but can
still see maximum daily temperatures above 25C (77F) during heat
waves. No part of Finland has Arctic tundra, but Alpine tundra can be
found at the fells Lapland.
The Finnish climate is suitable for cereal farming only in the
southernmost regions, while the northern regions are suitable for animal husbandry.
A quarter of Finland's territory lies within the Arctic Circle and the midnight sun can be experienced for more days
the farther north one travels. At Finland's northernmost point, the sun does not set for 73 consecutive days during
summer, and does not rise at all for 51 days during winter.
Lake Pielinen seen from a hill in Koli National Park.
Regions
Finland consists of 19 regions called maakunta in Finnish and landskap in Swedish. The regions are governed by
regional councils which serve as forums of cooperation for the municipalities of a region. The main tasks of the
regions are regional planning and development of enterprise and education. In addition, the public health services are
usually organized on the basis of regions. Currently, the only region where a popular election is held for the council
is Kainuu. Other regional councils are elected by municipal councils, each municipality sending representatives in
proportion to its population.
In addition to inter-municipal cooperation, which is the responsibility of regional councils, each region has a state
Employment and Economic Development Centre which is responsible for the local administration of labour,
agriculture, fisheries, forestry and entrepreneurial affairs. The Finnish Defence Forces regional offices are
responsible for the regional defence preparations and for the administration of conscription within the region.
Regions represent dialectal, cultural and economic variations better than the former provinces, which were purely
administrative divisions of the central government. Historically, regions are divisions of historical provinces of
Finland, areas which represent dialects and culture more accurately.
Six Regional State Administrative Agencies were created by the state of Finland in 2010, each of them responsible
for one of the regions called alue in Finnish and region in Swedish; in addition, land was designated a seventh
region. These take over some of the tasks of the earlier Provinces of Finland (the lnis), which were abolished.
Finland
13
In English In Finnish In Swedish Capital Regional state administrative agency
Lapland Lappi Lappland Rovaniemi Lapland
Northern Ostrobothnia Pohjois-Pohjanmaa Norra sterbotten Oulu Northern Finland
Kainuu Kainuu Kajanaland Kajaani Northern Finland
North Karelia Pohjois-Karjala Norra Karelen Joensuu Eastern Finland
Northern Savonia Pohjois-Savo Norra Savolax Kuopio Eastern Finland
Southern Savonia Etel-Savo Sdra Savolax Mikkeli Eastern Finland
Southern Ostrobothnia Etel-Pohjanmaa Sdra sterbotten Seinjoki Western and Central Finland
Central Ostrobothnia Keski-Pohjanmaa Mellersta sterbotten Kokkola Western and Central Finland
Ostrobothnia Pohjanmaa sterbotten Vaasa Western and Central Finland
Pirkanmaa Pirkanmaa Birkaland Tampere Western and Central Finland
Central Finland Keski-Suomi Mellersta Finland Jyvskyl Western and Central Finland
Satakunta Satakunta Satakunda Pori South-Western Finland
Finland Proper Varsinais-Suomi Egentliga Finland Turku South-Western Finland
South Karelia Etel-Karjala Sdra Karelen Lappeenranta Southern Finland
Pijnne Tavastia Pijt-Hme Pijnne Tavastland Lahti Southern Finland
Tavastia Proper Kanta-Hme Egentliga Tavastland Hmeenlinna Southern Finland
Uusimaa Uusimaa Nyland Helsinki Southern Finland
Kymenlaakso Kymenlaakso Kymmenedalen Kouvola Southern Finland
land Islands
[19]
Ahvenanmaa land Mariehamn land
The region of Eastern Uusimaa was consolidated with Uusimaa on 1 January 2011.
Administrative divisions
Main articles: Administrative divisions of Finland, Regions of Finland, Sub-regions of Finland, Municipalities of
Finland and Historical provinces of Finland
A steam boat on Lake Pijnne leaving
Jyvskyl, the capital of Central Finland.
The fundamental administrative divisions of the country are the
municipalities, which may also call themselves towns or cities. They
account for half of public spending. Spending is financed by municipal
income tax, state subsidies, and other revenue. There are 336
municipalities, and most have fewer than 6,000 residents. People often
identify with their municipality.Wikipedia:Citation needed
In addition to municipalities, two intermediate levels are defined.
Municipalities co-operate in seventy sub-regions and nineteen regions.
These are governed by the member municipalities and have only
limited powers. The autonomous province of land has a permanent
democratically elected regional council. In the Kainuu region, there is a pilot project underway with regional
elections. Sami people have a semi-autonomous Sami Domicile Area in Lapland for issues on language and culture.
Finland
14
The Tammerkoski rapids in the inland city of
Tampere.
In the following chart, the number of inhabitants includes those living
in the entire municipality (kunta/kommun), not just in the built-up area.
The land area is given in km, and the density in inhabitants per km
(land area). The figures are as of 31 January 2014. The capital region
comprising Helsinki, Vantaa, Espoo and Kauniainen forms a
continuous conurbation of one million people. However, common
administration is limited to voluntary cooperation of all municipalities,
e.g. in Helsinki Metropolitan Area Council.
Municipalities (thin borders) and regions (thick
borders) of Finland (2009).
City Population Land area Density
Helsinki 614,074 213.75 2,872.86
Espoo 260,981 312.26 835.78
Tampere 220,609 525.03 420.18
Vantaa 208,310 238.37 873.89
Oulu 193,902 1,410.17 137.5
Turku 182,281 245.67 741.98
Jyvskyl 134,802 1,170.99 115.12
Kuopio 106,451 1,597.39 66.64
Lahti 103,352 135.05 765.29
Kouvola 86,943 2,558.24 33.99
Finland
15
Pori 83,487 834.06 100.1
Joensuu 74,475 2,381.76 31.27
Lappeenranta 72,678 1,433.36 50.7
Hmeenlinna 67,766 1,785.76 37.95
Vaasa 66,405 188.81 351.7
Further information: List of Finnish municipalities, List of Finnish municipalities by population, List of Finnish
municipalities by area and Former municipalities of Finland
Politics
The Parliament of Finland's main building.
Main article: Politics of Finland
See also: List of political parties in Finland and Human rights in
Finland
Constitution
The Constitution of Finland defines the political system. Finland is a
parliamentary democracy, and the prime minister is the country's most
powerful politician. The constitution in its current form came into force
on 1 March 2000, and was amended on 1 March 2012. Citizens can run
and vote in parliamentary, municipal, and presidential elections, and in
European Union elections.
President
According to the Constitution, the President of Finland is the head of state. Finland was formerly considered a
semi-presidential parliamentary system, but under the 2000 constitution, and even further under its 2012 amendment,
the presidency became largely a ceremonial, non-executive position.
[]
The position still does entail some powers,
including responsibility for foreign policy (excluding affairs related to the European Union) in cooperation with the
cabinet, being the head of the armed forces, some decree powers, and some appointive powers. Direct, one- or
two-stage elections are used to elect the president for a term of six years and for a maximum of two consecutive
terms. The current president is Sauli Niinist; he took office on 1 March 2012. The former presidents were K. J.
Sthlberg (19191925), L. K. Relander (19251931), P. E. Svinhufvud (19311937), Kysti Kallio (19371940),
Risto Ryti (19401944), C. G. E. Mannerheim (19441946), J. K. Paasikivi (19461956), Urho Kekkonen
(19561982), Mauno Koivisto (19821994), Martti Ahtisaari (19942000), and Tarja Halonen (20002012).
Parliament
Finland
16
Finland
This article is part of a series on
the
politics and government of
Finland
Other countries
Atlas
Politics portal
v
t
e
[20]
The 200-member unicameral Parliament of Finland exercises supreme legislative authority. It may alter the
constitution and ordinary laws, dismiss the cabinet, and override presidential vetoes. Its acts are not subject to
judicial review; the constitutionality of new laws is assessed by the parliament's constitutional law committee. The
parliament is elected for a term of four years using the proportional D'Hondt method within a number of multi-seat
constituencies through open list multi-member districts. Various parliament committees listen to experts and prepare
legislation. The speaker is currently Eero Heinluoma (Social Democrats).
[21]
Since universal suffrage was introduced in 1906, the parliament has been dominated by the Centre Party (former
Agrarian Union), the National Coalition Party (conservatives), and the Social Democrats. These parties have enjoyed
approximately equal support, and their combined vote has totalled about 6580% of all votes. Their lowest common
total of MPs, 121, was reached in the 2011 elections. For a few decades after 1944, the Communists were a strong
fourth party. Due to the electoral system of proportional representation, and the relative reluctance of voters to
switch their support between parties, the relative strengths of the parties have commonly varied only slightly from
one election to another. However, there have been some long-term trends, such as the rise and fall of the
Communists during the Cold War; the steady decline into insignificance of the Liberal party and its predecessors
from 1906 to about 1980; and the rise of the Green party and its predecessor since 1983. In the 2011 elections, the
True Finns achieved exceptional success, increasing its representation from 5 to 39 seats, and thus surpassing the
Centre Party.
[22]
The autonomous province of land, which forms a federacy with Finland, elects one member to the parliament, who
traditionally joins the parliamentary group of the Swedish People's Party of Finland. (The province also holds
elections for its own permanent regional council, and in the 2011 elections, land Centre was the largest party.)
The Parliament can be dissolved by a recommendation of the Prime minister endorsed by the President. This
procedure has never been used, although the parliament was dissolved several times under the pre-2000 constitution,
when this action was the sole prerogative of the president.
After the parliamentary elections on 17 April 2011, the seats were divided among eight parties as follows:
Finland
17
Party Seats Net gain/loss % of seats % of votes
National Coalition Party 44 6 22.0 20.4
Social Democratic Party 42 -3 21.0 19.1
True Finns 39 +34 19.5 19.1
Centre Party 35 -16 17.5 15.8
Left Alliance 14 -2 7.0 8.1
Green League 10 -5 5.0 7.3
Swedish People's Party 9 0 4.5 4.3
Christian Democrats 6 -1 3.0 4.0
Others
1
a 0 0.5 0.4
a
Province of land's representative.
Cabinet
After parliamentary elections, the parties negotiate among themselves on forming a new cabinet (the Finnish
Government), which then has to be approved by a simple majority vote in the parliament. The cabinet can be
dismissed by a parliamentary vote of no confidence, although this rarely happens (the last time in 1957), as the
parties represented in the cabinet usually make up a majority in the parliament.
[23]
The cabinet exercises most executive powers, and originates most of the bills that the parliament then debates and
votes on. It is headed by the Prime Minister of Finland, and consists of him or her, of other ministers, and of the
Chancellor of Justice. The current prime minister is Jyrki Katainen (National Coalition Party). Each minister heads
his or her ministry, or, in some cases, has responsibility for a subset of a ministry's policy. After the prime minister,
the most powerful minister is the minister of finance.
As no one party ever dominates the parliament, Finnish cabinets are multi-party coalitions. As a rule, the post of
prime minister goes to the leader of the biggest party and that of the minister of finance to the leader of the second
biggest.
Law
Main articles: Law of Finland and Judicial system of Finland
The judicial system of Finland is a civil law system divided between courts with regular civil and criminal
jurisdiction and administrative courts with jurisdiction over litigation between individuals and the public
administration. Finnish law is codified and based on Swedish law and in a wider sense, civil law or Roman law. The
court system for civil and criminal jurisdiction consists of local courts (krjoikeus, tingsrtt), regional appellate
courts (hovioikeus, hovrtt), and the Supreme Court (korkein oikeus, hgsta domstolen). The administrative branch
of justice consists of administrative courts (hallinto-oikeus, frvaltningsdomstol) and the Supreme Administrative
Court (korkein hallinto-oikeus, hgsta frvaltningsdomstolen). In addition to the regular courts, there are a few
special courts in certain branches of administration. There is also a High Court of Impeachment for criminal charges
against certain high-ranking officeholders.
Around 92% of residents have confidence in Finland's security institutions.
[24]
The overall crime rate of Finland is
not high in the EU context. Some crime types are above average, notably the highest homicide rate in Western
Europe. A day fine system is in effect and also applied to offenses such as speeding.
Finland has successfully fought against government corruption, which was more common in the 1970s and
1980s.
[25]
Wikipedia:Verifiability For instance, economic reforms and EU membership introduced stricter
Finland
18
requirements for open bidding and many public monopolies were abolished.Wikipedia:Disputed statement Today,
Finland has a very low number of corruption charges; Transparency International ranks Finland as one of the least
corrupt countries in Europe. Also, Finland's public records are among the world's most
transparent.Wikipedia:Verifiability
In 2008, Transparency International criticized the lack of transparency of the system of Finnish political finance.
[26]
According to GRECO in 2007 corruption should be taken into account in the Finnish system of election funds
better.
[27]
A scandal revolving around campaign finance of the 2007 parliamentary elections broke out in spring
2008. Nine Ministers of Government submitted incomplete funding reports and even more of the members of
parliament. The law includes no punishment of false funds reports of the elected politicians.
Foreign relations
Main article: Foreign relations of Finland
Ahtisaari receives his Nobel prize
According to the 2012 constitution, the president (currently Sauli
Niinist) leads foreign policy in cooperation with the government,
except that the president has no role in EU affairs.
[28]
In 2008, president Martti Ahtisaari was awarded the Nobel Peace
Prize. Finland was considered a cooperative model state, and Finland
did not oppose proposals for a common EU defence policy. This was
reversed in the 2000s, when Tarja Halonen and Erkki Tuomioja made
Finland's official policy to resist other EU members' plans for common
defence.
[]
Social security
Main article: Social security in Finland
Finland has one of the world's most extensive welfare systems, one that
guarantees decent living conditions for all residents, Finns and
non-citizens. Since the 1980s the social security has been cut back, but
still the system is one of the most comprehensive in the
world.Wikipedia:Citation needed Created almost entirely during the
first three decades after World War II, the social security system was
an outgrowth of the traditional Nordic belief that the state was not
inherently hostile to the well-being of its citizens, but could intervene
benevolently on their behalf. According to some social historians, the
basis of this belief was a relatively benign history that had allowed the
gradual emergence of a free and independent peasantry in the Nordic countries and had curtailed the dominance of
the nobility and the subsequent formation of a powerful right wing. Finland's history has been harsher than the
histories of the other Nordic countries, but not harsh enough to bar the country from following their path of social
development.
[29]
Finland
19
Armed forces
Sisu tracked transport vehicle of the Finnish
Army. Most conscripts receive training for
warfare in winter, and transport vehicles such as
this give mobility in heavy snow.
Main articles: Finnish Defence Forces and Military history of Finland
See also: List of wars involving Finland
The Finnish Defence Forces consist of a cadre of professional soldiers
(mainly officers and technical personnel), currently serving conscripts,
and a large reserve. The standard readiness strength is 34,700 people in
uniform, of which 25% are professional soldiers. A universal male
conscription is in place, under which all male Finnish nationals above
18 years of age serve for 6 to 12 months of armed service or 12 months
of civilian (non-armed) service.
Alternative non-military service for men is possible, as is voluntary
military service for women (currently approximately 500 annually).
[30]
Finland is the only non-NATO EU country bordering Russia. Finland's official policy states that the 350,000
reservists, armed mostly with ground weaponry, are a sufficient deterrent.Wikipedia:Citation needed
The armed forces favour partnerships with Western institutions such as NATO, WEU and the EU, but are careful to
avoid politics.
[31]
Finland's defence budget equals about 2 billion or about 1.41.6% of the GDP. Finnish defence
expenditure is around the sixth highest in the EU.
[32]
Voluntary post-conscription overseas peacekeeping service is popular, and troops serve around the world in UN,
NATO and EU peacekeeping missions. Residents claim around 80% homeland defence willingness, one of the
highest rates in Europe.
[33]
The armed forces are under the command of the Chief of Defence (currently General Ari Puheloinen), who is
directly subordinate to the president in matters related to military command. The branches of the military are the
army, the navy and the air force. The border guard is under the Ministry of the Interior but can be incorporated into
the Defence Forces when required for defence readiness.
Economy
Angry Birds, a mobile phone game developed in
Finland, has become a commercial hit both
domestically and internationally.
Main article: Economy of Finland
See also: List of companies of Finland and Helsinki Stock Exchange
Finland has a highly industrialized mixed economy with a per capita
output equal to that of other European economies such as France,
Germany, Belgium or the UK. The largest sector of the economy is
services at 66%, followed by manufacturing and refining at 31%.
Primary production is 2.9%. With respect to foreign trade, the key
economic sector is manufacturing. The largest industries are
electronics (22%), machinery, vehicles and other engineered metal
products (21.1%), forest industry (13%) and chemicals (11%).
Finland has timber and several mineral and freshwater resources.
Forestry, paper factories, and the agricultural sector (on which
taxpayers spend around 3 billion euros annually) are politically sensitive to rural residents. The Greater Helsinki area
generates around a third of GDP. In a 2004 OECD comparison, high-technology manufacturing in Finland ranked
second largest after Ireland. Knowledge-intensive services have also ranked the smallest and slow-growth sectors
especially agriculture and low-technology manufacturing second largest after Ireland.
[34]
Overall short-term
outlook was good and GDP growth has been above many EU peers.
Finland
20
Finland's real-terms GDP growth, 19982011.
Finland is highly integrated in the global economy, and international
trade is a third of GDP. The European Union makes 60% of the total
trade.Wikipedia:Citation needed The largest trade flows are with
Germany, Russia, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States,
Netherlands and China. Trade policy is managed by the European
Union, where Finland has traditionally been among the free trade
supporters, except for agriculture. Finland is the only Nordic country to
have joined the Eurozone.
Finland's climate and soils make growing crops a particular challenge.
The country lies between latitudes 60N and 70N, and has severe
winters and relatively short growing seasons that are sometimes interrupted by frosts. However, because the Gulf
Stream and the North Atlantic Drift Current moderate the climate, Finland contains half of the world's arable land
north of 60 north latitude. Annual precipitation is usually sufficient, but it occurs almost exclusively during the
winter months, making summer droughts a constant threat. In response to the climate, farmers have relied on
quick-ripening and frost-resistant varieties of crops, and they have cultivated south-facing slopes as well as richer
bottomlands to ensure production even in years with summer frosts. Most farmland had originally been either forest
or swamp, and the soil had usually required treatment with lime and years of cultivation to neutralize excess acid and
to develop fertility. Irrigation was generally not necessary, but drainage systems were often needed to remove excess
water. Finland's agriculture was efficient and productiveat least when compared with farming in other European
countries.
Aleksanterinkatu, a commercial street in
Helsinki.
Forests play a key role in the country's economy, making it one of the
world's leading wood producers and providing raw materials at
competitive prices for the crucial wood-processing industries. As in
agriculture, the government has long played a leading role in forestry,
regulating tree cutting, sponsoring technical improvements, and
establishing long-term plans to ensure that the country's forests
continue to supply the wood-processing industries. To maintain the
country's comparative advantage in forest products, Finnish authorities
moved to raise lumber output toward the country's ecological limits. In
1984 the government published the Forest 2000 plan, drawn up by the
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. The plan aimed at increasing
forest harvests by about 3% per year, while conserving forestland for
recreation and other uses.
Private sector employees amount to 1.8 million, out of which around a
third with tertiary education. The average cost of a private sector employee per hour was 25.1 euros in 2004.
[35]
As
of 2008 average purchasing power-adjusted income levels are similar to those of Italy, Sweden, Germany and
France. In 2006, 62% of the workforce worked for enterprises with less than 250 employees and they accounted for
49% of total business turnover and had the strongest rate of growth. The female employment rate is high. Gender
segregation between male-dominated professions and female-dominated professions is higher than in the US.
[36]
The
proportion of part-time workers was one of the lowest in OECD in 1999.
Finland
21
Graphical depiction of Finland's product exports
in 28 colour-coded categories.
The employment rate was 68% and the unemployment rate was 6.8%
in early 2008. 18% of residents are outside the job market at the age of
50 and less than a third are working at the age of 61. Unfunded
pensions and other promises such as health insurances are a dominant
future liability, though Finland is much better prepared than countries
such as France or Germany. Directly held public debt has been reduced
to around 32% of GDP in 2007. In 2007, the average household
savings rate was 3.8 and household debt 101% of annual disposable
income, a typical level in Europe.
[37]
Home ownership rate is 60%.
As of 2006, 2.4 million households reside in Finland. The average size
is 2.1 persons; 40% of households consist of a single person, 32% two
persons and 28% three or more persons. Residential buildings total 1.2
million and the average residential space is 38 m
2
per person. The average residential property without land costs
1,187 euro per sq metre and residential land 8.6 euro per sq metre. 74% of households had a car. There are 2.5
million cars and 0.4 million other vehicles.
Around 92% have a mobile phone and 83.5% (2009) Internet connection at home. The average total household
consumption was 20,000 euro, out of which housing consisted of about 5500 euro, transport about 3000 euro, food
and beverages excluding alcoholic beverages at around 2500 euro, and recreation and culture at around 2000 euro.
According to Invest in Finland, private consumption grew by 3% in 2006 and consumer trends included durables,
high quality products, and spending on well-being.
[38]
Energy
The two existing units of the Olkiluoto Nuclear
Power Plant. On the far left is a visualization of a
third unit, which, when completed, will become
Finland's fifth commercial nuclear reactor.
See also: Nordic energy market and Nuclear power in Finland
Anyone can enter the free and largely privately owned financial and
physical Nordic energy markets traded in NASDAQ OMX
Commodities Europe and Nord Pool Spot exchanges, which have
provided competitive prices compared with other EU countries. As of
2007, Finland has roughly the lowest industrial electricity prices in the
EU-15 (equal to France).
[39]
In 2006, the energy market was around 90 terawatt hours and the peak
demand around 15 gigawatts in winter. This means that the energy
consumption per capita is around 7.2 tons of oil equivalent per year.
Industry and construction consumed 51% of total consumption, a
relatively high figure reflecting Finland's industries. Finland's hydrocarbon resources are limited to peat and
wood.Wikipedia:Citation needed About 1015% of the electricity is produced by hydropower, which is little
compared with more mountainous Sweden or Norway. In 2008, renewable energy forms (mainly hydropower and
various forms of wood energy) made high 30.5% compared with the EU average 10.3% in final energy consumption.
Finland has four privately owned nuclear reactors producing 18% of the country's energy and one research reactor at
the Otaniemi campus. The fifth AREVA-Siemens-built reactorthe world's largest at 1600 MWe and a focal point
of Europe's nuclear industryhas faced many delays and is currently scheduled to be operational by 20182020, a
decade after the original planned opening. A varying amount (517%) of electricity has been imported from Russia
(at around 3 gigawatt power line capacity), Sweden and Norway.
Finland negotiated itself expensive Kyoto and EU emission terms. They might be causing an increase in energy
prices, amplified by the aging and soon decommissioned production capacity. Energy companies are about to
increase nuclear power production, as in July 2010 the Finnish parliament granted permits for additional two new
Finland
22
reactors.
Transport
Main article: Transport in Finland
The extensive road system is utilized by most internal cargo and passenger traffic. The annual state operated road
network expenditure of around 1 billion euro is paid with vehicle and fuel taxes which amount to around 1.5 billion
euro and 1 billion euro.
Icebreakers enable shipping even during severe
winters.
The state-owned VR Group operates a railway
network serving all major cities.
The main international passenger gateway is Helsinki-Vantaa Airport
with almost 15 million passengers in 2011. Oulu Airport is the second
largest and around 25 airports have scheduled passenger services. The
Helsinki-Vantaa based Finnair, Blue1 and Flybe Nordic sell air
services both domestically and internationally. Helsinki has an optimal
location for great circle (i.e. the shortest and most efficient) routes
between Western Europe and the Far East.
Despite low population density, the Government spends annually
around 350 million euroWikipedia:Citation needed in maintaining
5,865 kilometres (3,644mi) of railway tracks. Rail transport is handled
by state owned VR Group, which has 5% passenger market share (out
of which 80% are urban trips in Greater Helsinki) and 25% cargo
market share.
[40]
Since 12 December 2010, Karelian Trains, a joint
venture between Russian Railways and VR (Finnish Railways), has
been running Alstom Pendolino operated high-speed services between
Saint Petersburg's Finlyandsky and Helsinki's Central railway stations.
These services are branded as "Allegro" trains. Journey from Helsinki
to Saint Petersburg takes only three and a half hours.
The majority of international cargo utilizes ports. Port logistics prices
are low. Vuosaari Harbour in Helsinki is the largest container port after
completion in 2008 and others include Kotka, Hamina, Hanko, Pori,
Rauma, and Oulu. There is passenger traffic from Helsinki and Turku,
which have ferry connections to Tallinn, Mariehamn and Stockholm. The Helsinki-Tallinn route, one of the busiest
passenger sea routes in the world,Wikipedia:Citation needed has also been served by a helicopter line.
Industry
Main article: Economy of Finland
Finland was rapidly industrialized after the Second World War, achieving GDP per capita levels equal to that of
Japan or the UK in the beginning of the 1970s. Initially, most development was based on two broad groups of
export-led industries, the "metal industry" (metalliteollisuus) and "forest industry" (metsteollisuus). The "metal
industry" includes shipbuilding, metalworking, the car industry, engineered products such as motors and electronics,
and production of metals (steel, copper and chromium). The world's biggest cruise ships are built in Finnish
shipyards. The "forest industry" (metsteollisuus) includes forestry, timber, pulp and paper, and is a logical
development based on Finland's extensive forest resources (77% of the area is covered by forest, most of it in
renewable use). In the pulp and paper industry, many of the largest companies are based in Finland (Ahlstrom,
M-real, UPM). However, the Finnish economy has diversified, with expansion into fields such as electronics (e.g.
Nokia), metrology (Vaisala), transport fuels (Neste Oil), chemicals (Kemira), engineering consulting (Pyry) and
information technology (e.g. Rovio, known for Angry Birds), and is no longer dominated by the two sectors of metal
Finland
23
and forest industry. Likewise, the structure has changed, with the service sector growing, with manufacturing
reducing in importance; agriculture is only a minor part. Despite this, production for export is still more prominent
than in Western Europe, thus making Finland more vulnerable to global economic trends.
Based on the Economist Intelligence Unit report released in September 2011, Finland has clinched the second place
after the United States on Benchmarking IT Industry Competitiveness 2011 which scored on 6 key indicators:
overall business environment, technology infrastructure, human capital, legal framework, public support for industry
development, and research and development landscape.
Public policy
See also: Nordic model
Finnish politicians have often emulated other Nordics and the Nordic model.
[41]
Nordics have been free-trading and
relatively welcoming to skilled migrants for over a century, though in Finland immigration is relatively new. The
level of protection in commodity trade has been low, except for agricultural products.
Finland has top levels of economic freedom in many areas.Wikipedia:Please clarify Finland is ranked 16th in the
2008 global Index of Economic Freedom and 9th in Europe. While the manufacturing sector is thriving, the OECD
points out that the service sector would benefit substantially from policy improvements.
The 2007 IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook ranked Finland 17th most competitive. The World Economic
Forum 2008 index ranked Finland the 6th most competitive. In both indicators, Finland's performance was next to
Germany, and significantly higher than most European countries. In the Business competitiveness index 20072008
Finland ranked third in the world.
Economists attribute much growth to reforms in the product markets. According to the OECD, only four EU-15
countries have less regulated product markets (UK, Ireland, Denmark and Sweden) and only one has less regulated
financial markets (Denmark). Nordic countries were pioneers in liberalizing energy, postal, and other markets in
Europe. The legal system is clear and business bureaucracy less than most countries. Property rights are well
protected and contractual agreements are strictly honoured. Finland is rated the least corrupted country in the world
in the Corruption Perceptions Index and 13th in the Ease of Doing Business Index. This indicates exceptional ease in
cross-border trading (5th), contract enforcement (7th), business closure (5th), tax payment (83rd) and low worker
hardship (127th).
[42]
Finnish law forces all workers to obey the national contracts that are drafted every few years for each profession and
seniority level. The agreement becomes universally enforceable provided that more than 50% of the employees
support it, in practice by being a member of a relevant trade union. The unionization rate is high (70%), especially in
the middle class (AKAVA80%). A lack of a national agreement in an industry is considered an exception.
Finland
24
Tourism
Main article: Tourism in Finland
Silja Symphony, one of the Baltic sea
cruiseferries, passing Kustaanmiekka strait in
Helsinki.
In 2005, Finnish tourism grossed over 6.7 billion with a 5% increase
from the previous year. Much of the sudden growth can be attributed to
the globalisation and modernisation of the country as well as a rise in
positive publicity and awareness.Wikipedia:Citation needed There are
many attractions in Finland which attracted over 4 million visitors in
2005.
The Finnish landscape is covered with thick pine forests, rolling hills
and complemented with a labyrinth of lakes and inlets. Much of
Finland is pristine and virgin as it contains 37 national parks from the
Southern shores of the Gulf of Finland to the high fells of Lapland. It is
also an urbanised region with many cultural events and activities.
Commercial cruises between major coastal and port cities in the Baltic
region, including Helsinki, Turku, Tallinn, Stockholm and Travemnde, play a significant role in the local tourism
industry. Finland is regarded as the home of Saint Nicholas or Santa Claus, living in the northern Lapland region.
Above the Arctic Circle, in midwinter, there is a polar night, a period when the sun does not rise for days or weeks,
or even months, and correspondingly, midnight sun in the summer, with no sunset even at midnight. Lapland is so
far north that the Aurora Borealis, fluorescence in the high atmosphere due to solar wind, is seen regularly in the fall,
winter and spring.
Outdoor activities range from Nordic skiing, golf, fishing, yachting, lake cruises, hiking, kayaking among many
others. At Finland's northernmost point, in the heart of summer, the Sun does not completely set for 73 consecutive
days. Wildlife is abundant in Finland. Bird-watching is popular for those fond of avifauna, however hunting is also
popular. Elk and hare are common game in Finland. Olavinlinna in Savonlinna hosts the annual Savonlinna Opera
Festival.
Demographics
Main article: Demographics of Finland
Population of Finland, 17502013
year population
1750 421,500
1760 491,100
1770 561,000
1780 663,900
1790 705,600
1800 832,700
1810 863,300
1820 1,177,500
1830 1,372,100
1840 1,445,600
1850 1,636,900
1860 1,746,700
Finland
25
1870 1,768,800
1880 2,060,800
1890 2,380,100
1900 2,655,900
1910 2,943,400
1920 3,147,600
1930 3,462,700
1940 3,695,617
1950 4,029,803
1960 4,446,222
1970 4,598,336
1980 4,787,778
1990 4,998,478
2000 5,181,115
2010 5,375,276
2013 5,451,270
Sources:
The population of Finland is currently about 5,500,000. Finland has an average population density of 18 inhabitants
per square kilometre. This is the third-lowest population density of any European country, behind those of Norway
and Iceland. Finland's population has always been concentrated in the southern parts of the country, a phenomenon
that became even more pronounced during 20th-century urbanisation. The largest cities in Finland are those of the
Greater Helsinki metropolitan areaHelsinki, Espoo and Vantaa. Other cities with population over 100.000 are
Tampere, Turku, Oulu, Jyvskyl and Lahti.
The share of foreign citizens in Finland is 3.4%, among the lowest in the European Union. Most of them are from
Russia, Estonia and Sweden. The children of foreigners are not automatically given Finnish citizenship. If they are
born in Finland and cannot get citizenship of any other country, they become citizens.
[43]
Languages
Main articles: Finnish language, Finland Swedish and Languages of Finland
Finnish and Swedish are the official languages of Finland. Finnish predominates nationwide while Swedish is
spoken in some coastal areas in the west and south and in the autonomous region of land. The Sami language is an
official language in northern Lapland. Also Finnish Romani and Finnish Sign Language are recognized in the
constitution. The Nordic languages and Karelian are also specially treated in some contexts.
The native language of 90% of the population is Finnish, which is part of the Finnic subgroup of the Uralic
languages. The language is one of only four official EU languages not of Indo-European origin. Finnish is closely
related to Karelian and Estonian and more remotely to the Sami languages and Hungarian.
Swedish is the native language of 5.4% of the population (Swedish-speaking Finns),
To the north, in Lapland, are the Sami people, numbering around 7000
[44]
and recognized as an indigenous people.
About a quarter of them speak a Sami language as their mother tongue. There are three Sami languages that are
spoken in Finland: Northern Sami, Inari Sami and Skolt Sami.
[45]
Finnish Romani is spoken by some 5,0006,000
people,
[46]
Wikipedia:Verifiability who usually also speak Finnish. The Finnish Sign Language is used as a first
language by 4,0005,000 people. Tatar language is spoken by a Finnish Tatar minority of about 800 people who
Finland
26
moved to Finland mainly during the Russian rule from the 1870s until the 1920s.
The rights of minority groups (in particular Sami, Swedish-speaking Finns and Romani people) are protected by the
constitution.
Immigrant languages include Russian (1.1%), Estonian (0.6%), Somali, English and Arabic (see Languages of
Finland).
The best-known foreign languages are English (63%), German (18%), and French (3%). English is studied by most
pupils as a compulsory subject from the third or fifth grade (at 9 or 11 years of age respectively) in the
comprehensive school (in some schools other languages can be chosen instead). German, French and Russian can be
studied as second foreign languages from the eighth grade (at 14 years of age; some schools may offer other
options). A third foreign language may be studied in upper secondary school or university (at 16 years of age or
over).Wikipedia:Citation needed
Norwegian and, to some extent, Danish are mutually intelligible with Swedish and are thus understood by a
significant minority, although studied only slightly in school.Wikipedia:Citation needed
Religion
Main article: Religion in Finland
Religion in Finland
[47]
year Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland Finnish Orthodox Church Other No religious affiliation
1900 98.1% 1.7% 0.2% 0.0%
1950 95.0% 1.7% 0.5% 2.8%
1980 90.3% 1.1% 0.7% 7.8%
1990 87.8% 1.1% 0.9% 10.2%
2000 85.1% 1.1% 1.1% 12.7%
2005 83.2% 1.1% 1.2% 14.5%
2010 78.3% 1.1% 1.4% 19.2%
2011 77.3% 1.1% 1.5% 20.1%
2012 76.4% 1.1% 1.4% 21.0%
2013 75.3% 1.1% 1.4% 22.1%
Petjvesi Old Church is an old
wooden Lutheran church and a
UNESCO World Heritage site.
Approximately 4.1 million (or 75.3% at the end of 2013) Finns are members of
the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. The Evangelical Lutheran Church
of Finland is one of the largest Lutheran churches in the world, although its share
of the country's population has declined by roughly one percent annually in
recent years. The second largest group, accounting for 22.1% of the population in
2013, has no religious affiliation. The non-religious group is growing quickly
from just below 13% in the year 2000. A small minority belong to the Finnish
Orthodox Church (1.1%). Other Protestant denominations and the Roman
Catholic Church in Finland are significantly smaller, as are the Muslim, Jewish
and other non-Christian communities (totaling 1.4%). The main Lutheran and
Orthodox churches are national churches of Finland with special roles such as in state ceremonies and schools.
In 2012, 75.3% of Finnish children were baptized
[48]
and 82.3% were confirmed in 2012 at the age of 15,
[49]
and
over 90% of the funerals are Christian. However, the majority of Lutherans attend church only for special occasions
like Christmas ceremonies, weddings and funerals. The Lutheran Church estimates that approximately 2% of its
Finland
27
members attend church services weekly. The average number of church visits per year by church members is
approximately two. According to a 2010 Eurobarometer poll, 33% of Finnish citizens responded that "they believe
there is a God"; 42% answered that "they believe there is some sort of spirit or life force"; and 22% that "they do not
believe there is any sort of spirit, God, or life force". According to ISSP survey data (2008), 8% consider themselves
"highly religious", and 31% "moderately religious".
[50]
In the same survey, 28% reported themselves as "agnostic"
and 29% as "non-religious".
Health
Main article: Healthcare in Finland
Life expectancy was estimated in 2013 at 83.2 years for women and 76.1 years for men (average of 79.6 years).
There are 307 residents for each doctor. About 19% of health care is funded directly by households and 77% by
taxation.
A recent study by The Lancet medical journal found that Finland has the lowest stillbirth rate out of 193 countries,
including UK, France and New Zealand. In April 2012, Finland was ranked 2nd in Gross National Happiness in a
report published by The Earth Institute.
Society
According to UNICEF, Finland ranks fourth in the world in child well-being (behind the Netherlands, Sweden and
Denmark).
In 1906, Finland was the first nation in the world to give full suffrage (the right to vote and to run for office) to all
adult citizens, including women.
[51]
Finnish women were the first in Europe to gain the franchise, and by the 1980s
they routinely constituted about one-third of the membership of the Eduskunta (parliament) and held several
ministerial posts. In the 1980s, about 75% of adult women worked outside the home; they made up about 48% of the
work force. Finnish women were as well educated as their male counterparts, and, in some cases, the number of
women studying at the university level, for example, was slightly ahead of the number of men. In addition to an
expanding welfare system, which since World War II had come to provide them with substantial assistance in the
area of childbearing and child-rearing, women had made notable legislative gains that brought them closer to full
equality with men.
The Equality Law that went into effect in 1987 committed the country to achieving full equality for women. In the
late 1980s, there was a timetable listing specific goals to be achieved during the remainder of the twentieth century.
The emphasis was to be equality for everyone, rather than protection for women. Efforts were undertaken not only to
place women in occupations dominated by males, but also to bring males into fields traditionally believed to belong
to the women's sphere, such as child care and elementary school teaching. Another aim was for women to occupy a
more equal share of decision-making positions. After examining the position of women around the world, the
Washington-based Population Crisis Committee reported in 1988 that Finland, slightly behind top-ranked Sweden
and just ahead of the United States, was one of the best places in which a woman could live. The group reached this
conclusion after examining the health, educational, economic, and legal conditions that affect women's lives. In a
number of areas, however, the country's small feminist movement maintained that the circumstances in which
Finnish women lived needed to be improved. Most striking was the disparity in wages. Although women made up
just under half the work force and had a tradition of working outside the home, they earned only about two-thirds of
the wages paid to men. Finland also has been relatively slow (by European standards) to deal legally with the
problem of domestic violence.
[52]
Finland was ranked second in the Global Gender Gap Report 2012.
[53]
Finland has general elections every fourth
year.
Finland
28
Culture
Mikael Agricola, the father of the Finnish written
language.
Main article: Culture of Finland
Education and science
Auditorium in Aalto University's main building,
designed by Alvar Aalto.
Main article: Education in Finland
See also: List of universities in Finland and List of schools in Finland
Most pre-tertiary education is arranged at municipal level. Even though
many or most schools were started as private schools, today only
around 3 percent of students are enrolled in private schools (mostly
specialist language and international schools), much less than in
Sweden and most other developed countries. Pre-school education is
rare compared with other EU countries and formal education is usually
started at the age of 7. Primary school takes normally six years and
lower secondary school three years. Most schools are managed by
municipal officials.
The flexible curriculum is set by the Ministry of Education and the Education Board. Education is compulsory
between the ages of 7 and 16. After lower secondary school, graduates may either enter the workforce directly, or
apply to trade schools or gymnasiums (upper secondary schools). Trade schools offer a vocational Education:
Approximately 40% of an age group choose this path after the lower secondary school. Academically oriented
gymnasiums have higher entrance requirements and specifically prepare for Abitur and tertiary education.
Graduation from either formally qualifies for tertiary education.
In tertiary education, two mostly separate and non-interoperating sectors are found: the profession-oriented
polytechnics and the research-oriented universities. Education is free and living expenses are to a large extent
financed by the government through student benefits. There are 20 universities and 30 polytechnics in the country.
Helsinki University is ranked 75th in the Top University Ranking of 2010. The World Economic Forum ranks
Finland's tertiary education No. 1 in the world. Around 33% of residents have a tertiary degree, similar to Nordics
and more than in most other OECD countries except Canada (44%), United States (38%) and Japan (37%). The
proportion of foreign students is 3% of all tertiary enrollments, one of the lowest in OECD, while in advanced
Finland
29
programs it is 7.3%, still below OECD average 16.5%.
[54]
More than 30% of tertiary graduates are in science-related fields. Forest improvement, materials research,
environmental sciences, neural networks, low-temperature physics, brain research, biotechnology, genetic
technology and communications showcase fields of study where Finnish researchers have had a significant impact.
Finland had a long tradition of adult education, and by the 1980s nearly one million Finns were receiving some kind
of instruction each year. Forty percent of them did so for professional reasons. Adult education appeared in a number
of forms, such as secondary evening schools, civic and workers' institutes, study centres, vocational course centres,
and folk high schools. Study centres allowed groups to follow study plans of their own making, with educational and
financial assistance provided by the state. Folk high schools are a distinctly Nordic institution. Originating in
Denmark in the nineteenth century, folk high schools became common throughout the region. Adults of all ages
could stay at them for several weeks and take courses in subjects that ranged from handicrafts to economics.
Finland is highly productive in scientific research. In 2005, Finland had the fourth most scientific publications per
capita of the OECD countries. In 2007, 1,801 patents were filed in Finland.
Literature
Main article: Finnish literature
Written Finnish could be said to have existed since Mikael Agricola translated the New Testament into Finnish
during the Protestant Reformation, but few notable works of literature were written until the nineteenth century and
the beginning of a Finnish national Romantic Movement. This prompted Elias Lnnrot to collect Finnish and
Karelian folk poetry and arrange and publish them as Kalevala, the Finnish national epic. The era saw a rise of poets
and novelists who wrote in Finnish, notably Aleksis Kivi and Eino Leino. Many writers of the national awakening
wrote in Swedish, such as the national poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg and Zachris Topelius.
After Finland became independent, there was a rise of modernist writers, most famously the Finnish-speaking Mika
Waltari and Swedish-speaking Edith Sdergran. Frans Eemil Sillanp was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in
1939. The Second World War prompted a return to more national interests in comparison to a more international line
of thought, characterized by Vin Linna. Besides Kalevala and Waltari, the Swedish-speaking Tove Jansson is the
most translated Finnish writer. Popular modern writers include Arto Paasilinna, Ilkka Remes, Kari Hotakainen, Sofi
Oksanen and Jari Tervo, while the best novel is annually awarded the prestigious Finlandia Prize.
Visual arts
See also: List of Finnish architects
Art, such as this triptych depicting the story of
Aino in the Kalevala were important for
promoting the idea of a Finnish nation.
Finns have made major contributions to handicrafts and industrial
design. Finland's best-known sculptor of the twentieth century was
Win Aaltonen, remembered for his monumental busts and
sculptures. Finnish architecture is famous around the world. Among
the top of the twentieth century Finnish architects to win international
recognition are Eliel Saarinen (designer of the widely recognised
Helsinki Central railway station and many other public works) and his
son Eero Saarinen. Alvar Aalto, who helped bring functionalist
architecture to Finland, is also famous for his work in furniture, textiles
and glassware.
Television
Finland's most internationally successful TV shows are the backpacking travel documentary series Madventures and
the reality TV show The Dudesons, about four childhood friends who perform stunts and play pranks on each other
Finland
30
(in similar vein to the American TV show Jackass).Wikipedia:Citation needed
Music
The Finnish composer Jean Sibelius
(18651957), a significant figure in
the history of classical music.
Main articles: Music of Finland, Finnish rock and Sami music
Classical
Much of the Finland's classical music is influenced by traditional Karelian
melodies and lyrics, as comprised in the Kalevala. Karelian culture is perceived
as the purest expression of the Finnic myths and beliefs, less influenced by
Germanic influence than the Nordic folk dance music that largely replaced the
kalevaic tradition. Finnish folk music has undergone a roots revival in recent
decades, and has become a part of popular music.
The people of northern Finland, Sweden and Norway, the Sami, are known
primarily for highly spiritual songs called Joik. The same word sometimes refers
to lavlu or vuelie songs, though this is technically incorrect.
The first Finnish opera was written by the German-born composer Fredrik Pacius
in 1852. Pacius also wrote the music to the poem Maamme/Vrt land (Our
Country), Finland's national anthem. In the 1890s Finnish nationalism based on the Kalevala spread, and Jean
Sibelius became famous for his vocal symphony Kullervo. He soon received a grant to study runo singers in Karelia
and continued his rise as the first prominent Finnish musician. In 1899 he composed Finlandia, which played its
important role in Finland gaining independence. He remains one of Finland's most popular national figures and is a
symbol of the nation.
Today, Finland has a very lively classical music scene and many of Finland's important composers are still alive,
such as Magnus Lindberg, Kaija Saariaho, Kalevi Aho, Aulis Sallinen, and Einojuhani Rautavaara. The composers
are accompanied by a large number of great conductors such as Esa-Pekka Salonen, Osmo Vnsk, Jukka-Pekka
Saraste, and Leif Segerstam. Some of the internationally acclaimed Finnish classical musicians are Karita Mattila,
Soile Isokoski, Pekka Kuusisto, Olli Mustonen, and Linda Lampenius.
Pop
Perttu Kivilaakso of Apocalyptica.
Iskelm (coined directly from the German word Schlager, meaning "hit") is a
traditional Finnish word for a light popular song. Finnish popular music also
includes various kinds of dance music; tango, a style of Argentine music, is also
popular. The light music in Swedish-speaking areas has more influences from
Sweden. Modern Finnish popular music includes a number of prominent rock
bands, jazz musicians, hip hop performers, dance music acts, etc.
During the early 1960s, the first significant wave of Finnish rock groups
emerged, playing instrumental rock inspired by groups such as The Shadows.
Around 1964, Beatlemania arrived in Finland, resulting in further development
of the local rock scene. During the late 1960s and 1970s, Finnish rock musicians
increasingly wrote their own music instead of translating international hits into
Finnish. During the decade, some progressive rock groups such as Tasavallan
Presidentti and Wigwam gained respect abroad but failed to make a commercial
breakthrough outside Finland. This was also the fate of the rock and roll group
Finland
31
Hurriganes. The Finnish punk scene produced some internationally acknowledged names including Terveet Kdet in
the 1980s. Hanoi Rocks was a pioneering 1980s glam rock act that inspired the hit American hard rock group Guns
N' Roses among others.
Many Finnish metal bands have gained international recognition. HIM and Nightwish are some of Finland's most
internationally known bands. HIM's 2005 album Dark Light went gold in the United States. Apocalyptica are an
internationally famous Finnish group who are most renowned for mixing strings-led classical music with classic
heavy metal. Other well-known metal bands are Amorphis, Children of Bodom, Impaled Nazarene, Korpiklaani,
Sentenced, Sonata Arctica, Stratovarius, Turisas, Finntroll, Ensiferum and Waltari.
After Finnish hard rock/heavy metal band Lordi won the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest, Finland hosted the
competition in 2007.
Cinema
Main article: Cinema of Finland
See also: List of Finnish films
In the film industry, notable directors include Aki Kaurismki, Mauritz Stiller, Spede Pasanen and Hollywood film
director and producer Renny Harlin. Around twelve feature films are made each year.
Media and communications
Linus Torvalds, the Finnish software
engineer best known for creating the
popular open-source operating
system Linux.
See also: Telecommunications in Finland, List of newspapers in Finland and
Television in Finland
Thanks to its emphasis on transparency and equal rights, Finland's press has been
rated the freest in the world.
[55]
Today, there are around 200 newspapers, 320 popular magazines, 2,100
professional magazines, 67 commercial radio stations, three digital radio
channels and one nationwide and five national public service radio channels.
Each year, around 12,000 book titles are published and 12 million records are
sold.
Sanoma publishes the newspaper Helsingin Sanomat (its circulation of 412,000
making it the largest), the tabloid Ilta-Sanomat, the commerce-oriented
Taloussanomat and the television channel Nelonen. The other major publisher
Alma Media publishes over thirty magazines, including the newspaper
Aamulehti, tabloid Iltalehti and commerce-oriented Kauppalehti. Worldwide,
Finns, along with other Nordic peoples and the Japanese, spend the most time
reading newspapers.
YLE, Finland's public broadcasting station, operates five television channels and thirteen radio channels in both
national languages. YLE is funded through a mandatory television license and fees for private broadcasters. All TV
channels are broadcast digitally, both terrestrially and on cable. The commercial television channel MTV3 and
commercial radio channel Radio Nova are owned by Nordic Broadcasting (Bonnier and Proventus Industrier).
Around 79% of the population use the Internet. Finland had around 1.52 million broadband Internet connections by
the end of June 2007 or around 287 per 1,000 inhabitants. All Finnish schools and public libraries have Internet
connections and computers and most residents have a mobile phone. Value-added services are rare.
[56]
In October
2009, Finland's Ministry of Transport and Communications committed to ensuring that every person in Finland
would be able to access the Internet at a minimum speed of one megabit-per-second beginning July 2010.
Finland
32
Cuisine
Main article: Finnish cuisine
Karelian pasty (karjalanpiirakka) is a traditional
Finnish dish made from a thin rye crust with a
filling of rice. Butter, often mixed with boiled egg
(eggbutter or munavoi), is spread over the hot
pastries before eating.
Finnish cuisine is notable for generally combining traditional country
fare and haute cuisine with contemporary style cooking. Fish and meat
play a prominent role in traditional Finnish dishes from the western
part of the country, while the dishes from the eastern part have
traditionally included various vegetables and mushrooms. Refugees
from Karelia contributed to foods in eastern
Finland.Wikipedia:Citation needed
Finnish foods often use wholemeal products (rye, barley, oats) and
berries (such as bilberries, lingonberries, cloudberries, and sea
buckthorn). Milk and its derivatives like buttermilk are commonly used
as food, drink or in various recipes. Various turnips were common in
traditional cooking, but were replaced with the potato after its
introduction in the 18th century.
According to the statistics, red meat consumption has risen, but still Finns eat less beef than many other nations, and
more fish and poultry. This is mainly because of the high cost of meat in Finland.
Public holidays
Main articles: Public holidays in Finland and Flag days in Finland
All official holidays in Finland are established by Acts of Parliament.Wikipedia:Citation needed Christian holidays
include Christmas, New Year's Day, Epiphany, Easter, Ascension Day, Pentecost, Midsummer Day (St. John's Day)
and All Saints' Day, while secular holidays include May Day, Independence Day, New Year's Day, and Midsummer.
Christmas is the most extensively celebrated, and at least 24 to 26 December is taken as a holiday.
Sports
Finland's men's national ice hockey team is
ranked as one of the best in the world. The team
has won two world championship titles (in 1995
& 2011) and six Olympic medals.
Main article: Sport in Finland
Various sporting events are popular in Finland. Pespallo, resembling
baseball, is the national sport of Finland, although the most popular
sports in terms of spectators are ice hockey, athletics, cross-country
skiing, ski jumping and Formula One.
[57]
In terms of medals and gold medals won per capita, Finland is the best
performing country in Olympic history. Finland first participated at the
Olympic Games in 1908, while still an autonomous Grand Duchy
within the Russian Empire. At the 1912 Summer Olympics, great pride
was taken in the three gold medals won by the original "Flying Finn"
Hannes Kolehmainen.
Finland was one of the most successful countries at the Olympic Games before World War II. At the 1924 Summer
Olympics, Finland, a nation then of only 3.2 million people, came second in the medal count. In the 1920s and
1930s, Finnish long-distance runners dominated the Olympics, with Paavo Nurmi winning a total of nine Olympic
gold medals between 1920 and 1928 and setting 22 official world records between 1921 and 1931. Nurmi is often
considered the greatest Finnish sportsman and one of the greatest athletes of all time.
For over 100 years, Finnish male and female athletes have consistently excelled at the javelin throw. The event has
brought Finland nine Olympic gold medals, five world championships, five European championships and 24 world
Finland
33
records.
In addition to Kolehmainen and Nurmi, some of Finland's most internationally well-known and successful
sportspeople are long-distance runners Ville Ritola and Lasse Virn; ski-jumpers Matti Nyknen and Janne Ahonen;
cross-country skiers Veikko Hakulinen, Eero Mntyranta, Marja-Liisa Kirvesniemi and Mika Myllyl; rower Pertti
Karppinen; gymnast Heikki Savolainen; professional skateboarder Arto Saari; ice hockey players Jari Kurri, Teemu
Selnne, and Saku Koivu; football players Jari Litmanen and Sami Hyypi; alpine skiers Kalle Palander and Tanja
Poutiainen; Formula One world champions Keke Rosberg, Mika Hkkinen and Kimi Rikknen; four-time World
Rally champions Juha Kankkunen and Tommi Mkinen; 13-time World Enduro Champion Juha Salminen,
seven-time champion Kari Tiainen, and the five-time champions Mika Ahola and Samuli Aro.
The 1952 Summer Olympics were held in Helsinki. Other notable sporting events held in Finland include the 1983
and 2005 World Championships in Athletics.
Some of the most popular recreational sports and activities include floorball, Nordic walking, running, cycling and
skiing, football.
Football however is the most played team sport when looking at the amount of players the country consists and the
popularity of football is rising year after year.
International rankings
The following list contains international comparisons of national performance. The list has a maximum of three
years per survey. For a more comprehensive list, see International rankings of Finland.
v
t
e
[58]
International rankings of Finland
Organisation Survey Year Rank Out of
(countries)
Ref Notes
A.T. Kearney /
Foreign Policy
Magazine
Globalization Index
[website]
[59]
2007 18 72
2006 13 62
[60]
2005 10 62
[61]
Yale University /
Columbia University
Environmental Performance
Index [website]
[62]
2008 4 149
2006 3 133
[63]
Heritage Foundation /
The Wall Street
Journal
Index of Economic
Freedom [website]
[64]
2008 16 165
2007 16 165
2006 16 165
IMD International
World Competitiveness
Yearbook [website]
[65]
2008 15 55*
[]
*economies (countries and
regions)
2007 17 55
2006 10 61
[66]
NationMaster
Technological Achievement
[67] 2001 1 68
Finland
34
Organisation for
Economic
Co-operation
and Development
(OECD)
Programme for International
Student
Assessment (PISA)
[website]
[68]
2006 57
[69]
rank 1 in science and ability to
use scientific knowledge; rank
2 in reading literacy; rank 2 in
mathematics
2003 41 rank 1 in science (tied with
Japan); rank 1 in reading
literacy; rank 2 in problem
solving; rank 2 in mathematics
2000 43
[70]
rank 1 in reading performance
Reporters Without
Borders
Worldwide Press Freedom
Index [website]{{dead
link|date=March 2011}}
[71]
2008 4 173 tied with Estonia and Ireland
2007 5 169 tied with Belgium and Sweden
2006 1 168 tied with Iceland, Ireland and
Netherlands
Save the Children
State of the Worlds Mothers
[72]
2010 7 43 Compared against 42 other
developed countries
2003 5 117 117 developed and developing
countries
The Economist
Intelligence Unit
Global Peace Index
[website]
[73]
2008 8 140
[74]
2007 6 121
[75]
Transparency
International
Corruption Perceptions
Index [website]
[76]
2008 5 180
[77]
tied with Switzerland
2007 1 179
[78]
tied with Denmark and New
Zealand
2006 1 163
[79]
tied with Iceland and New
Zealand
United Nations
Development
Programme (UNDP)
Human Development Index
[website]
[80]
20072008 11 177
[81]
2006 11 177
2005 13 177
World Economic
Forum
Global Competitiveness
Report
[website]
[82]
20082009 6 134
[83]
20072008 6 131
20062007 2 125
[84]
Networked Readiness Index
(Global Information
Technology Report)
[website]
[85]
2012 3 142
[86]
2013 1 144
[87]
WorldAudit.org
[88]
World Democracy Audit
[89]
2008 1 150
2006 1 150
Finland
35
Notes and references
[1] http:/ / tools.wmflabs. org/ geohack/ geohack. php?pagename=Finland& params=64_N_26_E_region:FI_type:country
[2] http:/ / tools.wmflabs. org/ geohack/ geohack. php?pagename=Finland& params=60_10_N_024_56_E_type:country
[3] [3] and
[4] [4] "Republic of Finland", or "" in Finnish, "" in Swedish, and "" in Sami, is the long protocol name, which is however not defined by law.
Legislation only recognizes the short name.
[5] SUOMI(TTAVIA ETYMOLOGIOITA) (http:/ / www. kotikielenseura. fi/ virittaja/ hakemistot/ jutut/ 1998_613. pdf). kotikielenseura.fi
[6] Herkules.oulu.fi (http:/ / herkules. oulu. fi/ isbn9514281411/ isbn9514281411. pdf). People, material, culture and environment in the north.
Proceedings of the 22nd Nordic Archaeological Conference, University of Oulu, 1823 August 2004 Edited by Vesa-Pekka Herva Gummerus
Kirjapaino
[7] Dr. Pirjo Uino of the National Board of Antiquities, ThisisFinland"Prehistory: The ice recedesman arrives". Retrieved 24 June 2008.
[8] History of Finland and the Finnish People from stone age to WWII (https:/ / web. archive. org/ web/ 20071123072314/ http:/ / www.
geocities. com/ ojoronen/ EARLYFIN.HTM). Retrieved 24 June 2008.
[9] Professor Frank Horn of the Northern Institute for Environmental and Minority Law University of Lappland writing for Virtual Finland on
National Minorities of Finland (https:/ / web.archive.org/ web/ 20080611022047/ http:/ / virtual. finland. fi/ netcomm/ news/ showarticle.
asp?intNWSAID=26470). Retrieved 24 June 2008.
[10] [10] Sawyer and Sawyer: Medieval Scandinavia, p. 67. University of Minnesota Press, 1993
[11] Growth and Equity in Finland (http:/ / siteresources. worldbank. org/ INTRANETSOCIALDEVELOPMENT/ Resources/ finland. pdf),
World Bank
[12] Mickelsson, Rauli. Suomen puolueetHistoria, muutos ja nykypiv. Vastapaino 2007.
[13] The Finnish Civil War (http:/ / countrystudies. us/ finland/ 15. htm), Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress
[14] David Glantz (2001). " The siege of Leningrad, 194144: 900 days of terror (http:/ / books. google. com/ books?id=fGPBOAatMycC&
pg=& dq& hl=en#v=onepage& q=& f=false)". Zenith Imprint. p. 33. ISBN 0-7603-0941-8
[15] Timothy Snyder (2010). Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin (http:/ / books. google. com/ books?id=n856VkLmF34C& pg=&
dq& hl=en#v=onepage& q=& f=false). Basic Books. p. 173. ISBN 0-465-00239-0
[16] Hidden help from across the Atlantic (http:/ / www.hs. fi/ english/ article/ Hidden+ help+ from+ across+ the+ Atlantic/ 1135223633788),
Helsingin Sanomat
[17] [17] "Finland." Encyclopdia Britannica. Encyclopdia Britannica Ultimate Reference Suite. Chicago: Encyclopdia Britannica, 2011.
[18] Finland is the most forested country in Europe (http:/ / www. forest. fi/ smyforest/ foresteng. nsf/ allbyid/
BE3C5576C911F822C2256F3100418AFD?Opendocument). forest.fi
[19] The role that the regional councils serve on Mainland Finland are on the land Islands handled by the autonomous Government of land.
[20] http:/ / en. wikipedia. org/ w/ index. php?title=Template:Politics_of_Finland& action=edit
[21] The Parliament: Parliament Elected Speakers (http:/ / web. eduskunta. fi/ Resource. phx/ pubman/ templates/ 56. htx?id=4119)
[22] The source for historical information on party support is the Finnish Wikipedia's article on the parliament
[23] [23] The Finnish Wikipedia's article on Motion of no confidence
[24] [24] Policing corruption, International Perspectives.
[25] [25] The History of Corruption in Central Government By Seppo Tiihonen, International Institute of Administrative Sciences
[26] Vaalijohtaja: Vaalirahoituslain rikkominen melko yleist (http:/ / www. yle. fi/ uutiset/ kotimaa/ oikea/ id90735. html) YLE 15 May 2008
[27] Evaluation Report on Finland on Incriminations, Theme I, s. 21, GRECO 37.12.2007
[28] Finnish constitution (http:/ / www. finlex.fi/ fi/ laki/ kaannokset/ 1999/ en19990731. pdf), Section 93.
[29] Text from PD source: US Library of Congress: A Country Study: Finland (http:/ / lcweb2. loc. gov/ frd/ cs/ fitoc. html), Library of Congress
Call Number DL1012 .A74 1990.
[30] Women's voluntary service (http:/ / www. mil.fi/ varusmies/ naisten_vapaaehtoinen_asepalvelus. dsp) (in Finnish)
[31] [31] Hgglund, Gustav. Leijona ja kyyhky.
[32] Tyvoimakustannukset puuttuvat puolustusmenoista (http:/ / www. stat. fi/ artikkelit/ 2007/ art_2007-06-01_005. html), Statistics Finland
(in Finnish): Eurostat ranking is sixth, but the third when conscription is accounted.
[33] Jane's World Armies: Finland. For update: "FinlandDefence Industry (Finland), Defence Industry Country Overview: Summary" (http:/ /
www.janes. com/ articles/ Janes-World-Defence-Industry/ Finland--Defence-Industry-Finland. html); full article by subscription.
[34] [34] Finland Economy 2004, OECD
[35] Tehdyn tytunnin hinta 2327 euroa (http:/ / www. stat. fi/ til/ tvtutk/ 2004/ tvtutk_2004_2006-09-15_tie_001. html), Statistics Finland
[36] [36] The Nordic Model of Welfare: A Historical Reappraisal, by Niels Finn Christiansen
[37] Taloussanomat.fi (http:/ / www. taloussanomat.fi/ omatalous/ 2008/ 02/ 29/ Kotitalouksien+ velkaantumisaste+ yli+ sadan+ prosentin/
20086262/ 322?rss=4)
[38] "Retail growth best in Finland for five years". For updates, see the Invest in Finland (http:/ / www. investinfinland. fi/ ) website.
[39] Electricity pricesindustrial users (https:/ / web.archive. org/ web/ 20080204033032/ http:/ / epp. eurostat. ec. europa. eu/ portal/
page?_pageid=1996,39140985& _dad=portal& _schema=PORTAL& screen=detailref& language=en& product=STRIND_ECOREF&
root=STRIND_ECOREF/ ecoref/ er02b1). eurostat.ec.europa.eu
Finland
36
[40] Transport and communications ministryRail. For year 2009 update: Finnish Railway Statistics 2010 (http:/ / rhk-fi-bin. directo. fi/ @Bin/
a7268406c6d22495230bb875bdf04c78/ 1299812171/ application/ pdf/ 4036970/ Finnish Railway Statistics 2010. pdf). For subsequent years
when available: Finnish Railway Statistics. (https:/ / web. archive. org/ web/ 20110712060937/ http:/ / portal. liikennevirasto. fi/ sivu/ www/ e/
fta/ statistics) liikennevirasto.fi
[41] The Nordic Model (http:/ / www. etla. fi/ files/ 1892_the_nordic_model_complete. pdf) by Torben M. Andersen, Bengt Holmstrm, Seppo
Honkapohja, Sixten Korkman, Hans Tson Sderstrm, Juhana Vartiainen
[42] Economy Rankings (http:/ / www.doingbusiness. org/ economyrankings/ ), Doing Business Report 2008, World Bank
[43] Syntympaikan perusteella lapsi saa Suomen kansalaisuuden silloin, kun lapsi syntyy Suomessa eik voi saada minkn vieraan valtion
kansalaisuutta. (http:/ / www. migri. fi/ netcomm/ content. asp?path=8,2477,2549& language=FI)
[44] According to the Finnish Population Registry Centre and the Finnish Sami parliament, the Sami population living in Finland was 7,371 in
2003. See Regional division of Sami people in Finland by age in 2003 (https:/ / web. archive. org/ web/ 20080306223521/ http:/ / www.
samediggi. fi/ vanha/ suomi/ toimieli/ vaali/ lukumaara_vuoden_2003_vaaleissa. pdf) (in Finnish).
[45] Unofficial names for Finland in Sami languages are: Suopma (Northern Sami), Suom (Inari Sami) and Lddjnnam (Skolt Sami). See
Geonames.de (http:/ / www.geonames.de/ coufi.html)
[46] See Kalo Finnish Romani language
[47] Population structure (http:/ / tilastokeskus.fi/ tup/ suoluk/ suoluk_vaesto_en. html#structure) Statistics Finland
[48] Lutheran church member statistics (http:/ / evl. fi/ EVLUutiset. nsf/ Documents/
A2B2B7B6BFC8B7DCC2257B050023BC62?OpenDocument& lang=FI) evl.fi 1.2.2013
[49] Church statistical yesrbook 2012 (http:/ / sakasti.evl. fi/ sakasti. nsf/ 0/ 8A75CE045AD09FE4C22577AE00256611/ $FILE/
KKH_Tilastollinen_vuosikirja2012_toiminta_lopullinen versio. pdf) The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland
[50] http:/ / tampub.uta. fi/ bitstream/ handle/ 10024/ 65683/ uskonto_suomalaisten_elamassa_2011. pdf?sequence=1
[51] [51] Finland was the first nation in the world to give all (adult) citizens full suffrage, in other words the right to vote and to run for office (in
1906). New Zealand was the first country in the world to grant all (adult) citizens the right to vote (in 1893), but women did not get the right to
run for the New Zealand legislature until 1919.
[52] According to a report by Amnesty International: "Finland is repeatedly reminded of its widespread problem of violence against women and
recommended to take more efficient measures to deal with the situation. International criticism concentrates on the lack of measures to combat
violence against women in general and in particular on the lack of a national action plan to combat such violence and on the lack of legislation
on domestic violence. (...) Compared with Sweden, Finland has been slower to reform legislation on violence against women. In Sweden,
domestic violence was already illegal in 1864, while in Finland such violence was not outlawed until 1970, over a hundred years later. In
Sweden the punishment of victims of incest was abolished in 1937, but not until 1971 in Finland. Rape within marriage was criminalised in
Sweden in 1962, but the equivalent Finnish legislation only came into force in 1994 making Finland one of the last European countries to
criminalise marital rape. In addition, assaults taking place on private property did not become impeachable offences in Finland until 1995.
Only in 1997 did victims of sexual offences and domestic violence in Finland become entitled to government-funded counselling and support
services for the duration of their court cases." (pp. 8991) Case Closed Rape and human rights in the Nordic countries (http:/ / www.
amnesty. dk/ sites/ default/ files/ mediafiles/ 44/ case-closed. pdf)
[53] http:/ / www3.weforum.org/ docs/ WEF_GenderGap_Report_2012. pdf
[54] Education at Glance 2007: Finland (http:/ / www. oecd. org/ dataoecd/ 24/ 52/ 39315711. pdf), OECD
[55] 2010 Freedom of the Press Survey (http:/ / www.newseum. org/ news/ 2011/ 05/ world-press-freedom. html) (retrieved 4 May 2011).
[56] Information technology has become part of Finns' everyday life (http:/ / www. tilastokeskus. fi/ ajk/ tiedotteet/ v2006/
tiedote_017_2006-09-05_en. html) (Statistics Finland).
[57] Tss ovat Suomen suosituimmat lajit | Urheilu (http:/ / www. iltalehti. fi/ urheilu/ 2012030115273355_ur. shtml). Iltalehti.fi (3 January
2012). Retrieved on 9 June 2012.
[58] http:/ / en. wikipedia. org/ w/ index. php?title=Template:International_rankings_of_Finland& action=edit
[59] http:/ / www.atkearney. com/ main. taf?p=5,4,1,127
[60] The Global Top 20 (http:/ / web. archive. org/ web/ 20090324200549/ http:/ / www. atkearney. com/ shared_res/ pdf/
Globalization-Index_FP_Nov-Dec-06_S. pdf). Foreign Policy November/December 2006, pp. 7481
[61] Measuring Globalisation. The Global Top 20 (http:/ / web. archive. org/ web/ 20090324200557/ http:/ / www. atkearney. com/ shared_res/
pdf/ 2005G-index. pdf). Foreign Policy May/June 2005, pp. 5260
[62] http:/ / epi. yale. edu/ Home
[63] Pilot 2006 Environmental Performance Index (http:/ / www. yale. edu/ epi/ files/ 2006EPI_Report_Full. pdf). Yale University, Columbia
University and World Economic Forum (2006)
[64] http:/ / www.heritage. org/ research/ features/ index/
[65] http:/ / www01. imd. ch/ wcy/
[66] IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook Scoreboard 2006 (http:/ / www. imd. ch/ about/ pressroom/ pressreleases/ upload/
IMD-WCY2006-Scoreboard. pdf). www.imd.ch
[67] http:/ / www.nationmaster.com/ graph/ eco_tec_ach-economy-technological-achievement
[68] http:/ / www.oecd.org/ pisa
[69] Pisa 2006. Science Competencies for Tomorrows World. Volume 1: Analysis (http:/ / www. pisa. oecd. org/ dataoecd/ 30/ 17/ 39703267.
pdf). Organisation for economic co-operation and development (2007) pisa.oecd.org
Finland
37
[70] Messages From Pisa 2000 (http:/ / www.oecd. org/ dataoecd/ 31/ 19/ 34107978. pdf). Organisation for economic co-operation and
development
[71] http:/ / www.rsf. org/ article.php3?id_article=24025
[72] http:/ / www.savethechildren. org/ atf/ cf/ %7B9def2ebe-10ae-432c-9bd0-df91d2eba74a%7D/ SOWM-2010-INDEX-RANKINGS. PDF
[73] http:/ / www.visionofhumanity. org/
[74] 2008 Methodology, Results & Findings (http:/ / web.archive. org/ web/ 20090616170553/ http:/ / www. visionofhumanity. org/ images/
content/ Documents/ 2008 GPi EIU Report.pdf). Global Peace Index. Institute for Economics & Peace
[75] Methodology, Results & Findings (http:/ / web.archive. org/ web/ 20090617010524/ http:/ / www. visionofhumanity. org/ images/ content/
Documents/ 2007 GPI EIU Report. pdf). Global Peace Index. Institute for Economics & Peace
[76] http:/ / www.icgg. org/ corruption. .html
[77] Persistently high corruption in low-income countries amounts to an ongoing humanitarian disaster (http:/ / www. transparency. org/
content/ download/ 36589/ 575262). Transparency International
[78] Persistent corruption in low-income countries requires global action (http:/ / www. transparency. org/ content/ download/ 23972/ 358236).
Transparency International
[79] Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index 2006 (http:/ / www. transparency. org/ content/ download/ 10825/ 92857/ version/
1/ file/ CPI_2006_presskit_eng. pdf). Transparency International
[80] http:/ / hdr.undp.org/
[81] Human Development Report 2007/2008 (http:/ / web. archive. org/ web/ 20110715213601/ http:/ / hdr. undp. org/ en/ media/
HDR_20072008_EN_Complete. pdf). United Nations Development Programme (2007) Palgrave Macmillan ISBN 978-0-230-54704-9
[82] http:/ / www.weforum. org/ en/ initiatives/ gcp/ Global%20Competitiveness%20Report/ index. htm
[83] Finland (http:/ / www. weforum.org/ pdf/ gcr08/ Finland. pdf). The Global Competitiveness Report 2008-2009. World Economic Forum.
weforum.org
[84] Table 1: Global Competitiveness Index rankings and 2005 comparisons (http:/ / www. weforum. org/ pdf/ Global_Competitiveness_Reports/
Reports/ gcr_2006/ gcr2006_rankings. pdf). The Global Competitiveness Report 2006. World Economic Forum. weforum.org
[85] http:/ / edit. weforum. org/ reports/ global-information-technology-report-2013
[86] http:/ / www.weforum. org/ issues/ global-information-technology/ gitr-2012-data-platform
[87] http:/ / www.weforum. org/ reports/ global-information-technology-report-2013/
[88] http:/ / www.worldaudit. org/
[89] http:/ / www.worldaudit. org/ democracy.htm
Further reading
Chew, Allen F. The White Death: The Epic of the Soviet-Finnish Winter War (ISBN 0-87013-167-2).
Engle, Eloise and Paananen, Pauri. The Winter War: The Soviet Attack on Finland 19391940 (ISBN
0-8117-2433-6).
Insight Guide: Finland (ISBN 981-4120-39-1).
Jakobson, Max. Finland in the New Europe (ISBN 0-275-96372-1).
Jutikkala, Eino; Pirinen, Kauko. A History of Finland (ISBN 0-88029-260-1).
Klinge, Matti. Let Us Be Finns: Essays on History (ISBN 951-1-11180-9).
Lavery, Jason. The History of Finland, Greenwood Histories of the Modern Nations, Greenwood Press, 2006
(ISBN 0-313-32837-4, ISSN 1096-2905).
Lewis, Richard D. Finland: Cultural Lone Wolf (ISBN 1-931930-18-X).
Lonely Planet: Finland (ISBN 1-74059-791-5)
Mann, Chris. Hitler's Arctic War: The German Campaigns in Norway, Finland, and the USSR 19401945 (ISBN
0-312-31100-1).
Rusama, Jaakko. Ecumenical Growth in Finland (ISBN 951-693-239-8).
Singleton, Fred. A Short History of Finland (ISBN 0-521-64701-0).
Subrenat, Jean-Jacques. Listen, there's music from the forest; a brief presentation of the Kuhmo Chamber Music
Festival (ISBN 952-92-0564-3).
Swallow, Deborah. Culture Shock! Finland: A Guide to Customs and Etiquette (ISBN 1-55868-592-8).
Trotter, William R. A Frozen Hell: The Russo-Finnish Winter War of 19391940 (ISBN 1-56512-249-6).
Finland
38
External links
Overviews and data
Finland (https:/ / www. cia. gov/ library/ publications/ the-world-factbook/ geos/ fi. html) entry at The World
Factbook
Finland (http:/ / www. dmoz. org/ Regional/ Europe/ Finland) at DMOZ
Finland profile (http:/ / www. bbc. co. uk/ news/ world-europe-17288360) from the BBC News
Key Development Forecasts for Finland (http:/ / www. ifs. du. edu/ ifs/ frm_CountryProfile. aspx?Country=FI)
from International Futures
Population in Finland 17502010 (http:/ / www. stat. fi/ til/ vaerak/ 2010/ vaerak_2010_2011-03-18_kuv_001_en.
html)
Appendix figure 2. The largest groups by native language 2001 and 2011 (http:/ / www. stat. fi/ til/ vaerak/ 2011/
vaerak_2011_2012-03-16_kuv_002_en. html) (Statistics Finland)
Official statistical information about Finland (http:/ / findikaattori. fi/ en) from Findicator.
Government
This is Finland (http:/ / finland. fi/ ), the official English-language online portal (administered by the Finnish
Ministry for Foreign Affairs)
Finland (http:/ / ucblibraries. colorado. edu/ govpubs/ for/ finland. htm) (University of Colorado at Boulder
Libraries Government Publications)
Maps
Geographic data related to Finland (http:/ / www. openstreetmap. org/ browse/ relation/ 54224) at
OpenStreetMap
Wikimedia Atlas of Finland
Travel
Official Travel Site of Finland (http:/ / www. visitfinland. com/ )
Article Sources and Contributors
39
Article Sources and Contributors
Finland Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=611967996 Contributors: -- April, 05barbs, 12458a, 159753, 1DYOLOCHERRY, 334a, 5 albert square, 5-HT8, 7&6=thirteen, 850
C, A Werewolf, A little insignificant, ACSE, AJRM, Aaker, Aaronneswa, Aatox, Abce2, AbelM7, Abrech, Abroad78, Accurizer, Acdx, Acebone86, Acebulf, Achangeisasgoodasa, Adam
Mihalyi, AdamF657, Adambro, Adashiel, Addshore, Adnmak, Adrian, Adrian.benko, AdrianTM, AdultSwim, Adumoul, Aek96hel, Aetheling1125, Aetheri, Afv2006, AgainErick, Aggz3,
Aherunar, Ahjteam, Ahoerstemeier, Ahuhtala, Ahuskay, Aitias, Ajk, Akanemoto, Akihironihongo, Akmoilan, Aksi great, Alagemo, Alakirrak, Alan Rockefeller, Alan.ca, Alansohn, Alcea setosa,
Alecistheman, AlefZet, Aleksi Peltola, Alexius Manfelt, AlexiusHoratius, Alfio, Alinor, Allanhalme, Allstarecho, Almafeta, Alpha-ZX, Alphachimp, Alphasinus, Alreadyinuse, Altenmann,
Alvaro, Alwes, Amakuru, Amazonien, Amedico, Anarchistpenguin, AndTheCrowdGoesWild, Andrei Stroe, AndrewHowse, AndrewWTaylor, Andy Marchbanks, Andycjp, Anger22, Angilbas,
Animum, Anna Lincoln, AnotherSkierDude, Anszi, Antandrus, Ante Aikio, Antman100, Antonio Lopez, Anttin, Apalsola, Apoc2400, Appletree56, Apterygial, Aqwsed989080, Arandia,
Arcades, Arce, Arctic-Editor, Arne List, Arria Belli, Artemis 942, Arto Alanenp, Asarla, Asclepias, Ashley renee365, Asterion, Astinus, Astrohoundy, Atabata, Atoine85, Atomic punk,
August132001, Aurorainthesky, Austin123457, Avala, Avatarion, Avaya1, Avman89, Avoided, AxG, Axeman89, Axemurder785, Axt, Ayreb002, Azylber, B.Lameira, BD2412, BIL, BIsacson,
BKfi, Bagels United, Ballscratcher, Baltist, Bambuway, Bardhylius, Barrold 2, Barrold 6, Barryob, Bart133, Basketball110, Bazonka, Bazzajf, Bc's baseball legends, Beagel, Beeswaxcandle,
Before My Ken, Belligero, BenFalvey, Benanhalt, Bencherlite, Bender235, Bendzh, Bennylin, Bentley4, Bento00, Bentogoa, Bergie, Berig, BernardaAlba, Beta m, Bethwinstonpublishing,
Bettyboop330, Bhadani, Big Adamsky, Big mac14, Bill da bomb, BillMasen, Birdhousebirdy, Bisswajit, Bkalafut, Bkell, Black Falcon, Black Kite, Blackfish, Blastwizard, Bleaney, Blipblopblip,
Blondlieut, Blood Red Sandman, BlueCatMan, BlueMars, Bob Burkhardt, Bob4321234, Bobblewik, Bobet, Bobfrombrockley, Bobo192, Boivie, Bongwarrior, Bono24, BoomerAB, BorgHunter,
BorgQueen, BorisG, Born Gay, Borne nocker, Borobarmy, Borovi4ok, Borsi112, Bosonic dressing, Bped1985, Brain40, BrendelSignature, Brian0918, BrianGV, Brianga, Brianmarx, Brion
VIBBER, BritishWatcher, Bryan Derksen, Btball, Buaidh, Bubba Joe, Bubba hotep, Bubbajohnson29, Budekai, Bugamahagen, Bukkia, Bunny-chan, Burntsauce, C hammervold10, C mon, C.J.
Griffin, C12H22O11, C777, CIreland, CL, CSWarren, CWii, Cabalamat, Cacophony, Caduon, Caitiffchoir, Caitlinrocks, Caknuck, Calcwatch15, CalicoCatLover, Calix, Callanecc, Calliopejen1,
Calmer Waters, Calvin 1998, Cameltrader, Can't sleep, clown will eat me, Canadian-Bacon, CanadianLinuxUser, Canadianism, Canderson7, Candyman9127, Canthusus, Cantus, Care,
CarmenAutre, Cassius235, Catgut, Cdmafra, Ceyockey, Cgtdk, ChKa, Chairman S., Chamal N, Chandler, Chanheigeorge, Chaseeversole, Chasingsol, Chasit, Ched, Cheese223, Chelseafc122,
Chikilik, Chino, Chiraag4, Chirag, Chris G, Chris j wood, Chris the speller, Chrism, Christian B, Christian List, ChristopherJames2008, Chriswiki, Chuunen Baka, Cielbleu, CieloEstrellado, Civil
Engineer III, Ckatz, Clarifer, Clarkcj12, Clbbct3, CliffX, Closedmouth, Cobaltbluetony, Cobrien17, Cobweb-1313, CodeCarpenter, Codingmasters, Coemgenus, Coffee, Colchicum, Colly55,
Colstrom, Comartinb, Cometstyles, Commit charge, Common appeal, CommonsDelinker, ConMan, Conann, Connormah, Conorbrady.ie, Conservative321, Conversion script, Coolton12,
Coreyemotela, Corkpants, Corporalpunishment79, Corporate Rock Whore, Corpx, Corticopia, Corvus13, Cosmic Latte, Cosmoswalker, Costyn, Countchodula, Courcelles, Cpay, Credema, Cristi
bnr, Crocadog, CrucifiedChrist, Cruz123, Cs-wolves, CsDix, Csagbom, Cserlajos, Curps, Curufinwe, Cyrilgermond, D.c.camero, DARTH SIDIOUS 2, DBigXray, DH85868993, DMacks,
DSRH, DSuser, DVD R W, DVdm, DabMachine, Dailyenglish, Dalstadt, Damian Radu, Dan D. Ric, Dan1113, Dancepartyopolis, Daniel, Daniel625, DanielCD, Danny, DannyBoy20802,
Darkglass, Darth Panda, DarthBibble, Dasdi, Dataranking, Davewild, Davhoah, David Biddulph, David Kernow, David Liuzzo, David Newton, DavidLeighEllis, Davidovic, Dawnseeker2000,
Dbarnes99, Dbenbenn, Dc3m, Dca5347, DeadEyeArrow, Deathrange07, Deflective, Deiaemeth, Deibid, Deli nk, Deliriumus, Delldot, Deltabeignet, Delusion23, Delux, Demi, Demiurge, Den
fjttrade ankan, Dendodge, Denihilonihil, Deor, DerHexer, Dethman2011, DetroitSeattle, Devatipan, Deville, Dexter prog, Dgw, Diderot's dreams, DiiCinta, Dillonpg2, Dimadick, Din mamma99,
Diotime, Discospinster, DivineIntervention, Djmoomoo, Dlae, Dlohcierekim, Dmerrill, Doc glasgow, Docu, Dojarca, Dolphin Jedi, Donetruk, Donner60, Doublex120, Douglas the Comeback
Kid, DouglasCalvert, Doulos Christos, Doulos202, Download, Dr. Blofeld, Dr.Poison, DraconianDebate, DragonflySixtyseven, Drappel, Drbug, Drieakko, DriveMySol, Drivenapart,
Drkameleon, Drmies, Dru of Id, Dthomsen8, Dwscomet, Dybdal, Dylanvt, Dysepsion, E Pluribus Anthony, E-0r, E-boy, E.P.Y. Foundation, EastlandhotelinME, Eastlaw, Easyas12c, EddyVadim,
Editarod, Editoijjja, Edivorce, Edward, EdwinHJ, Eeamoscopolecrushuva, Eeekster, Efghij, Egil, Ejgreen77, Ekeb, Ekrumme, El C, El Roih, El0i, ElSaxo, Elassint, Electionworld,
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