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 About Finland |
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Sometimes called the Land of a Thousand Lakes, Finland’s interior is a forested plateau (average elevation is 300–600 ft/90–180 m) that includes about 60,000 lakes, and 98,000 inland islands. The country is located almost entirely in the northern coniferous zone, with forests of pine, fir, birch, and dwarf birch.
Finland was a province and then a grand duchy under Sweden from the 12th to the 19th centuries, and an autonomous grand duchy of Russia after 1809. It won its complete independence in 1917.
During World War II, Sweden was able to successfully defend its freedom and resist invasions by the Soviet Union, albeit with some loss of territory. In the subsequent half century, the Finns made a remarkable transformation from a farm/forest economy to a diversified modern industrial economy. Per capita income is now on par with Western Europe.
As a member of the European Union, Finland was the only Nordic state to join the euro system at its initiation in January 1999.
Finland is stretched over 210,023 square miles (338,000 square kilometers), of which 10% is water and 69% forest.
There are about 30,000 islands off the Finnish coast, mainly in the south and southwest, and inland lakes containing a further 98,000 islands. The Saimaa lake area is the largest inland water system in Europe. Of the total land area, 10 per cent is under water, and 65 per cent is forest, the country being situated almost entirely in the northern coniferous zone. In the south and southwest, the forest is mainly pine, fir and birch. In Lapland, in the far north, trees become sparser and are mainly dwarf birch. 8 per cent of the land is cultivated. |
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Location |
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Finland is situated in the far north of Europe. Bordered to the west by Sweden and the Gulf of Bothnia, to the north by Norway, to the east by the Russian Federation and to the south by the Gulf of Finland, it is the fifth-largest country in Europe. There are about 30,000 islands off the Finnish coast, mainly in the south and southwest. The Saimaa lake area is the largest inland water system in Europe. Of the total land area, 10 per cent is under water, and 65 per cent is forest. Eight per cent of the land is cultivated. |
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Population |
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The population of Finland is 5.2 million, with 17 inhabitants per square kilometer. Sixty-seven% of the people live in towns or urban areas, and 33% in rural areas. 85.6% Lutheran and about 1% Orthodox and 13% are Protestant. |
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Language |
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Finland has two official languages: Finnish and Swedish. Finnish, a Finno-Ugric language, is spoken by 91.3% of the population and Swedish by 5.4 %. Sami (Lappish) is the mother tongue of about 1,700 people. |
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Education |
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Finland has had a strong tradition of literacy since the Protestant Reformation. The Lutheran Church aimed at widespread literacy to enable the common man to read the Bible. In the next century, proof of literacy became a requirement for the right to marry. By the second half of the nineteenth century, legislation was in place for a general system of elementary education, although the tsarist regime did not allow its realization. After freedom, a Comprehensive Education Act was passed in 1921 that met the state's constitutional requirement to offer "universal compulsory education," including elementary education, at no cost. Legislation also stipulated that Finnish citizens had a duty to be educated.
In the postwar time, the basic goal of Finnish education authorities has been to create a system that would offer equal educational opportunities for everyone, would guarantee the nation a populace able to meet the technological challenges of the international marketplace, would promote democratic values, and would allow each person the fullest realization of his or her potential. Work to realize this goal has led since the 1960s to profound changes in the organization of the nation's school system. Secondary education was broadened and reformed to allow a greater range of choices and opportunities. University education was expanded and distributed more equally across the nation, its control was democratized, and access to it was widened.
Schooling is free and compulsory in Finland between the ages of 7 and 16. Virtually no illiteracy exists. In addition to regular primary and secondary schools, Finland has a considerable adult education program consisting of folk high schools, folk academies, and workers’ institutes. The adult education schools are operated privately or by municipalities or provinces and obtain state subsidies. |
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Weather |
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The climate of Finland is marked by cold winters and fairly warm summers. In the far north of the country the sun does not set for about 73 days, producing the white nights of summer. In winter the sun remains below the horizon for 51 days in the far north.
In summer the temperature quite often rises to +68 F (+20 C) or more and occasionally goes close to +86 F (+30 C) in southern and eastern parts of the country. In winter, temperatures of –4 F (-20 C) are not uncommon in many areas. Finnish Lapland invariably has the lowest winter temperatures. The mean temperature in Helsinki in July is +62.6 F (+17 C) and in February +21.7 F (-5.7 C). |
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Money and Cost of Living |
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In general, Finland is not as expensive as many of its European neighbors. However, the cost of living in key cities, especially Helsinki, can be high.
To get an idea of price levels in Finland, here is a short list of example products and their prices: liter of milk €0,80, loaf of bread €1-2, bottle of beer in a grocery shop around €1, a beer (half a liter) in a bar €2.50-4. |
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Currency |
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The Finnish currency unit is the euro. Finland was one of the 12 EU countries that started using euro cash in 2002.
Bank (PANKKI)
Banks are open: Mon-Fri 9.30 a.m-4.30 p.m. (Closed on Saturdays and Sundays). If you arrive in the evening or during the weekend, |
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Health |
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There are no health risks associated with travel to Finland. Medical care is of a good standard. British, and other EU nationals, should ensure they take with them a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which entitles citizens to emergency medical treatment on the same terms as Finnish citizens. Comprehensive travel insurance is advised. |
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Weights and Measures |
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The official system in Finland is the metric system with local variation. |
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Electricity |
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230 volts AC, 50Hz. Continental two-pin plugs are standard. |
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