Finland

Republic of Finland Suomen tasavalta Republiken Finland
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: Maamme  (Finnish) Vårt land  (Swedish)
Location of Finland (dark green) – in Europe (light green & dark grey) – in the European Union (light green)  –  [Legend]
Capital and largest city	Helsinki
Official languages	Finnish, Swedish
Demonym(s)	Finnish, Finn
Government	Parliamentary republic1
• President	Tarja Halonen (sd)
• Prime Minister	Matti Vanhanen (c)
Independence  from Russian Empire
• Autonomy	March 29, 1809
• Declared	December 6, 1917
• Recognised	January 4, 1918
Area
• Total	338,145 km2 (130,559 sq mi) (65th)
• Water (%)	10,0
Population
• 2008 estimate	5,306,601 (111th)
• 2000 census	5,155,000
• Density	16/km2 (41.4/sq mi) (161st)
GDP (PPP)	2005 estimate
• Total	$163 billion (52nd)
• Per capita	$34,819 (12th)
GDP (nominal)	2005 estimate
• Total	$193.491 billion (31st)
• Per capita	$40,197 (12th)
Gini (2000)	26.9 low inequality
HDI (2007)	0.952  (11th)
Currency	Euro (€)² (EUR)
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)
Calling code	358
ISO 3166 code	FI
Internet TLD	.fi, .ax ³
Semi-presidential system Before 2002: Finnish markka The .eu domain is also used, as it is shared with other European Union member states.

Finland, officially the Republic of Finland (), is a Nordic country situated in Northern Europe. It has borders with Sweden to the west, Russia to the east, and Norway to the north, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland. The capital city is Helsinki.

Finland has a population of 5,302,778 people, spread over an area of Template:Km2 to mi2. Finland is the eighth largest country in Europe in terms of area, with a low population density of 16 people per square kilometre, making it the most sparsely populated country in the European Union. The majority of the population is concentrated in the southern part of the country. As their mother tongue, most Finns speak Finnish, one of the few official languages of the European Union that is not of Indo-European origin. The other official language of Finland, Swedish, is spoken natively by a 5.5 percent minority.

Finland was historically part of Sweden and from 1809 an autonomous Grand Duchy within the Russian Empire. Finland's declaration of independence in 1917 from the Soviet Union spurred one civil war, two wars, and a fierce political struggle during the Cold War. Today, Finland is a democratic, parliamentary republic with a central government and local government in several hundred municipalities, the most important of which are Helsinki, Espoo, Tampere, Vantaa and Turku.

Throughout its history Finland has remained economically quite free and GDP per capita reached levels similar to Japan and the UK in the 1970s. After Nordic economic liberalization from the late 1980s to 1990s, it has seen a bloom of high technology companies, globalization and rankings at or near the top in international comparisons of national performance such as income levels, Human Development Index and other indices of life quality. According to the World Audit Democracy profile, Finland is the freest nation in the world in terms of civil liberties, freedom of the press, low corruption levels and high levels of political rights. Finland has strongly integrated with Western Europe: it joined the European Union in 1995 and has invested in NATO-compatibility, though it is not a member.

History

Main article: History of Finland

Prehistory

Prehistoric red ochre painted rock art of moose, human figures and boats in Astuvansalmi in Ristiina, the Southern Savonia region from ca. 3800–2200 BCE.

According to archaeological evidence, the area now composing Finland was first settled around 8500 BCE during the Stone Age as the ice shield of the last ice age receded. The earliest people were hunter-gatherers, living primarily off what the tundra and sea could offer. Pottery is known from around 5300 BCE (see Comb Ceramic Culture).The arrival of the Battle Axe culture (or Cord-Ceramic Culture) in southern coastal Finland around 3200 BCE may have coincided with the start of agriculture. However, the earliest certain records of agriculture are from the late third millennium BCE. Even with the introduction of agriculture, hunting and fishing continued to be important parts of the subsistence economy, especially in the northern and eastern parts of the country.

The Bronze Age (1500–500 BCE) and Iron Age (500 BCE–1200 CE) were characterised by extensive contacts with other cultures in the Fennoscandian and Baltic regions. There is no consensus on when Finno-Ugric languages and Indo-European languages were first spoken in the area of contemporary Finland.

The first verifiable written documents appeared in the twelfth century.

Swedish era

The sea fortress of Suomenlinna was founded by a decision of the Swedish Diet in 1747 as a defence works and naval base, to be built on the islands off Helsinki.

Sweden established its official rule of Finland in the 13th 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. The Bishop of Turku was the most socially pre-eminent person in Finland before the Reformation.

During the 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. In the 18th century, wars between Sweden and Russia led to the occupation of Finland twice by Russian forces, known to the Finns as the Greater Wrath (1714–1721) and the Lesser Wrath (1742–1743). By this time "Finland" was the predominant term for the whole area from the Gulf of Bothnia to the Russian border.

Russian Empire era

Finnish folk dancers in a 1907 postcard sent from Mustamäki, Finland

Main article: Grand Duchy of Finland

See also: Finland's language strife and Russification of Finland

On March 29, 1809, after being conquered 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. During the Russian era, the Finnish language started 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 achieving equal legal status with Swedish in 1892.

Finnish famine of 1866-1868 killed 15 percent of the population, making it the last and 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. The GDP per capita was still a half of United States and a third of Great 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 emperor did not have to approve any of the laws adopted by the Finnish parliament. Desire for independence gained ground, first among radical nationalists and socialists.

Civil War and early independence

Main articles: Finland's declaration of independence and Finnish Civil War

On December 6, 1917, shortly after the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, Finland declared its independence, which was approved by Bolshevist Russia.

Contrary to Lenin's and Finnish socialists' expectations, the majority of Finns voted non-socialists parties in 1917 general elections. Soon in 1918, the violent wing of social democratic party started a coup, which led a brief but bitter Civil War that affected domestic politics for many decades afterwards. The Civil War was fought between "the Whites", who were supported by Imperial Germany, and "the Reds", supported by Bolshevist Russia. Eventually, the Whites overcame the Reds. The deep social and political enmity between the Reds and Whites remained. The civil war and activist expeditions (see Heimosodat) to the Soviet Union strained eastern relations.

Finland 1920-1940

After a brief flirtation with monarchy, Finland became a presidential republic, with Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg elected as its first president in 1919. The Finnish–Russian 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 didn't see any more Soviet coup attempts and survived the anti-Communist Lapua Movement. The relationship between Finland and the Soviet Union was tense. Finnish ethnicity was targeted by genocide in the Soviet Union, though little of that was known in Finland. Germany's nazism led to a deterioration of relations with Germany. Military was trained in France instead and relations to Western Europe and Sweden were strengthened.

In 1917 the population was 3 million. Land reform was enacted after the civil war, increasing the percantage of capital-owning population. About 70% of workers were occupied in agriculture and 10% in industry. The largest export markets were United Kingdom and Germany. Great Depression in the early '30s was relatively light in Finland.

World War II

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 1939–40 after the Soviet Union had attacked Finland and in the Continuation War of 1941–44, following Operation Barbarossa in which Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union. Following German losses on the Eastern Front and the subsequent Soviet advance, Finland was forced to make peace with the Soviet Union. This was followed by the Lapland War of 1944–45, when Finland forced the Germans out of northern Finland.

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.

The treaties signed in 1947 and 1948 with the Soviet Union included Finnish obligations, restraints, and reparations as well as further Finnish territorial concessions (cf. the Moscow Peace Treaty of 1940). Finland ceded most of Finnish Karelia, Salla, and Pechenga, which amounted to ten percent of its land area and twenty percent of its industrial capacity. Some 400,000 evacuees, mainly women and children, fled these areas. 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. Even after the reparations had been paid off, Finland continued to trade with the Soviet Union in the framework of bilateral trade.

Cold war

In 1950 half of the Finnish workers were occupied in agriculture and a third lived in urban towns. The new jobs in manufacturing, services and trade quickly attracted people to the towns. The average number of births per woman declined from baby boom a 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, migration peaking in 1969 and 1970. This mass migration is largely the reason why 4.7 percent of Sweden's population speak Finnish today.

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, which gave him a status of "only choice for president". There was also a tendency of self-censorship regarding Finno-Soviet relations. This phenomenon was given the name "Finlandisation" by the German press (fi. suomettuminen). When Finlandisation was not enough, direct censorship was used, including in 1700 books and many movies, and asylym-seeking defectors were returned to the Soviet Union for punishment or execution. Soviets created and financed anti-Western and pro-Soviet youth movements peaking in the 70s, when communist-led Teen Union harassed teachers suspected of bourgeois ideas, and their former members still have a lot power. Soviet intelligence services sometimes used their contacts to install personnel in the administration, mass media, academia, political parties and trade unions. Politicization was widespread and public sector workers were often dependent on having the correct political party membership.

However, Finland maintained a democratic government and a market economy unlike most other countries bordering the Soviet Union. Property rights were strong. While nationalization committees were set up in France and UK, Finland avoided nationalizations. After failed experiments with protectionism, Finland eased restrictions and made a free trade agreement with the European Community in 1973, making its markets more competitive. Local education markets expanded and an increasing number of Finns also went abroad to study in the United States or Western Europe, bringing back advanced skills. There was a quite common, but pragmatic-minded, credit and investment cooperation by state and corporations, though it was considered with suspicion. Support for capitalism was widespread. Savings rate hovered among the world's highest, at around 8% until the 80s. In the beginning of the 1970s, Finland's GDP per capita reached the level of Japan and the UK. Finland's economic development shared many aspects with Asian countries or regions such as Japan, Korea and Taiwan.

Having been targeted by Soviet intelligence and youth propaganda, liberals lost support and the socialist-majority generations seized power in the 70s and 80s. Corporatism and taxes were increased. The power of social democrats and the almost overnight-grown trade union SAK became hegemonic in politics. In 1991 Finland fell into a Great Depression-magnitude depression caused by a combination of economic overheating, depressed Western, Soviet and local markets, and disappearance of Soviet barter system. Stock market and housing prices declined by 50%. The growth in the 1980s was based on debt, and when the defaults began rolling in, GDP declined by 15% and unemployment increased from a virtual full employment to one fifth of the workforce. The crisis was amplified by trade unions' initial opposition to any reforms. Politicians struggled to cut spending and the public debt doubled to around 60% of GDP. After devaluations the depression bottomed out in 1993.

Recent history

Like other Nordic countries, Finland has liberalized the economy since late 80s. Financial and product market regulation was removed. The market is now one of the most free in Europe. State enterprises were privatized and taxes were cut. However, unlike in Denmark, trade unions blocked job market reforms, causing persistent unemployment and a two-tier job market. Trade unions also blocked social security reform proposals towards basic income or negative income tax. Finland joined the European Union in 1995. The central bank was given an inflation-targeting mandate until Finland joined eurozone. The growth rate has since been one of the highest of OECD countries and Finland has topped many indicators of national performance.

In addition to fast integration with the European Union, safety against Russian leverage has been increased by building fully NATO-compatible military. 1000 troops (a high per-capita amount) are simultaneously committed in NATO operations. Finland has also opposed energy projects that increase dependency on Moscow. At the same time, Finland remains one of the last non-members in Europe and there seems to be not enough support for full membership unless Sweden joins first.

The population is aging with the birth rate at 10.42 births/1,000 population or fertility rate at 1.8. With median age at 41.6 years Finland is one of the oldest countries and a half of voters is estimated to be over 50 years old. Like most European countries, without further reforms or much higher immigration Finland is expected to struggle with demographics, even though macroeconomic projections are healthier than in most other developed countries.

Etymology

The name Suomi (Finnish for "Finland") has uncertain origins but a strong candidate for a cognate is the proto-Baltic word *zeme meaning "land". According to an earlier theory the name was derived from suomaa (fen land) or suoniemi (fen cape).

The exonym Finland has resemblance with, e.g., the Scandinavian placenames Finnmark, Finnveden and hundreds of other toponyms starting with "Fin(n)" in Sweden and Norway. Some of these names are obviously derived from finnr, a Germanic word for a wanderer/finder and thus supposedly meaning nomadic "hunter-gatherers" or slash and burn agriculturists as opposed to the Germanic sedentary farmers and sea-faring traders and pirates. It is unknown how, why and when "Finnr" started to mean the people of Finland Proper in particular (from where the name spread from the 15th century onwards to mean the people of the whole country).

Among the first documents to mention "a land of the Finns" are two runestones. There is one in Söderby, Sweden, with the inscription finlont (U 582) and one in Gotland, a Swedish island in the Baltic Sea, with the inscription finlandi (G 319) dating from the eleventh century.

Geography and environment

Detailed map of Finland. See also: Atlas of Finland

Forest in Punkaharju.

Reindeers in Northwest Lapland.

Main article: Geography of Finland

See also: List of cities and towns in Finland, List of lakes in Finland, and List of national parks of Finland

Topography and geology

Finland is a country of thousands of lakes and islands; 187,888 lakes (larger than 500 m²) and 179,584 islands to be precise. One of these lakes, Saimaa, is the fifth largest in Europe. The Finnish landscape is mostly flat with few hills and its highest point, the Halti at 1,324 metres, is found in the extreme north of Lapland at the border between Finland and Norway.

The landscape is covered mostly (seventy-five percent 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. The greater part of the islands are found in southwest in the Archipelago Sea, part of the archipelago of the Åland Islands, and along the southern coast in the Gulf of Finland.

Finland is one of the few countries in the world whose surface area is still growing. Owing to the post-glacial rebound that has been taking place since the last ice age, the surface area of the country is growing by about Template:Km2 to mi2 a year.

The distance from the most Southern point – Hanko – to the most northern point of Finland – Nuorgam – is Template:Km to mi (driving distance), which would take approximately 18.5 hours to drive. This is very similar to Great Britain (Land's End to John o' Groats – Template:Km to mi and 16.5 h).

Flora and fauna

All terrestrial life in Finland was completely wiped out during the last ice age that ended some 10,000 years ago, following the retreat of the glaciers and the appearance of vegetation.

Today, there are over 1,200 species of vascular plant, 800 bryophytes and 1,000 lichen species in Finland, with flora being richest in the southern parts of the country. Plant life, like most of the Finnish ecology, is well adapted to tolerate the contrasting seasons and extreme weather. Many plant species, such as the Scots Pine, spruce, birch spread throughout Finland from Norway and only reached the western coast less than three millennia ago. Oak and maple grows in nature only in the southern part of Finland.

The Archipelago Sea, between the Gulf of Bothnia and the Gulf of Finland, is the largest archipelago in the world by number of islands; estimates vary between 20,000 and 50,000.

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 neighbouring countries thousands of years ago.

Large and widely recognised wildlife mammals found in Finland are the Brown Bear (the national animal), Gray Wolf, elk and reindeer. Other common mammals include the Red Fox, Red Squirrel, and Mountain Hare. Some rare and exotic species include the flying squirrel, Golden Eagle, Saimaa Ringed Seal and the Arctic fox, which is considered the most endangered. The Whooper Swan, the national bird of Finland, is a large Northern Hemisphere swan. The most common breeding birds are the Willow Warbler, Chaffinch and Redwing. Of some seventy species of freshwater fish, the northern pike, perch and others are plentiful. Salmon remains the favorite 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.

Due to hunting and persecution in history, many animals such as the Golden Eagle, Brown Bear and Eurasian Lynx all experienced significant declines in population. However, their numbers have increased again in the 2000s, mainly as a result of careful conservation and the establishment of vast national parks.

Climate

The climate in Southern Finland is a northern temperate climate. In Northern Finland, particularly in the Province of Lapland, a subarctic climate dominates, characterised by cold, occasionally severe, winters and relatively warm summers. 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, which shows characteristics of both a maritime and a continental climate, depending on the direction of air flow. Finland is near enough to the Atlantic Ocean to be continuously warmed by the Gulf Stream, which explains the unusually warm climate considering the absolute latitude.

A quarter of Finland's territory lies above the Arctic Circle, and as a consequence 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.

Demographics

Population of Finland, 1750–2000
Year	Population	Year	Population
1750	421,000	1880	2,060,800
1760	491,000	1890	2,380,100
1770	561,000	1900	2,655,900
1780	663,000	1910	2,943,400
1790	705,600	1920	3,147,600
1800	832,700	1930	3,462,700
1810	863,300	1940	3,695,617
1820	1,177,500	1950	4,029,803
1830	1,372,100	1960	4,446,222
1840	1,445,600	1970	4,598,336
1850	1,636,900	1980	4,787,778
1860	1,746,700	1990	4,998,478
1870	1,768,800	2000	5,181,000

Main article: Demographics of Finland

Population

Finland currently numbers 5,302,778 inhabitants and has an average population density of 17 inhabitants per square kilometre. This makes it, after Norway and Iceland, the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Finland's population has always been concentrated in the southern parts of the country, which is even more pronounced after twentieth-century urbanisation. The biggest and most important cities in Finland are the cities of the Greater Helsinki metropolitan area - Helsinki, Vantaa, Espoo and Kauniainen - some of the other big cities include Tampere, Turku and Oulu.

The share of immigrants in Finland is among the lowest of the European Union countries. Foreign citizens comprise 2.3 percent of the population. Most of them are from Russia, Estonia and Sweden.

Language

Main articles: Finnish language, Finland Swedish, and Languages of Finland

See also: Finnish alphabet, Finnish grammar, and Finnish phonology

Most of the Finnish people (92 percent) speak Finnish as their mother tongue. Finnish is a member of the Baltic-Finnic subgroup of the Uralic languages and is typologically between inflected and agglutinative languages. It modifies and inflects the forms of nouns, adjectives, pronouns, numerals and verbs, depending on their roles in the sentence. In practice, this means that instead of prepositions and prefixes there is a great variety of different suffixes and that compounds form a considerable percentage of the vocabulary of Finnish. It has been estimated that approximately 65–70 percent of all words in Finnish are compounds. A close linguistic relative to the Finnish language is Estonian, which, though similar in many aspects, is not mutually intelligible with it. These languages, together with Hungarian (all members of the Uralic language family), are the primary non-Indo-European languages spoken in Europe. Finland, together with Estonia and Hungary, is one of the three independent countries where an Uralic language is spoken by the majority.

The largest minority language is Swedish, which is the second official language in Finland, spoken by 5.5 percent of the population. Other minority languages are Russian (0.8 percent) and Estonian (0.3 percent). To the north, in Lapland, are also the Sami people, numbering around 7,000 and recognized as an indigenous people. About a quarter of them speaks a Sami language as their mother tongue. There are three Sami languages that are spoken in Finland: Northern Sami, Inari Sami and Skolt Sami. Other minority languages are Finnish Romani, Finnish Sign Language (spoken natively by 4,000–5,000 people) and Finland-Swedish Sign Language (spoken natively by about 150 people). The rights of minority groups (in particular Sami, Swedish-speaking Finns and Romani people) to cherish their culture and language is protected by the constitution.

In Eurobarometer 2005 studying languages of the European Union, 60% percent of residents stated to know English, 38% Swedish, and 17% German. In English Finland ranked 6th behind UK, Malta, Netherlands (86%) and Sweden (85%), and Denmark (83%). Knowledge rate in German was relatively high, while French and Spanish was relatively low.

Religion

The Helsinki Cathedral with the statue of Emperor Alexander II of Russia.

Main articles: Religion in Finland, Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, and Finnish Orthodox Church

See also: Roman Catholicism in Finland, Judaism in Finland, Islam in Finland, and Hinduism in Finland

Juho Most Finns are members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland (82.5 percent). A minority belongs to the Finnish Orthodox Church (1.1 percent) (see Eastern Orthodox Church). Other Protestant denominations and the Roman Catholic Church in Finland are significantly smaller, as are the Muslim, Jewish and other non-Christian communities (totaling 1.2 percent). 15.1 percent of the population is unaffiliated. The main Lutheran and Orthodox churches are constitutional national churches of Finland with special roles in ceremonies and often in school morning prayers. Politicians to Lutheran Church assemblies are selected in church elections every four years.

Over half of Finns say they pray at least once a month, the highest proportion in Nordics. However, the majority of Lutherans attend church only for special occasions like Christmas, weddings and funerals. According to a 2005 Eurobarometer Poll, 41 percent of Finnish citizens responded that "they believe there is a god", whereas 41 percent answered that "they believe there is some sort of spirit or life force" and 16 percent that "they do not believe there is any sort of spirit, god, or life force".

Family structure

Finnish family life is centered on the nuclear family. Relations with the extended family are often rather distant, and Finnish people do not form politically significant clans, tribes or similar structures. According to UNICEF, Finland ranks fourth in the world in child well-being.

Health

There are 307 residents for each doctor. About 18.9 percent of health care is funded directly by households and 76.6 percent by public and other insurances. Only the 800 licensed pharmacies have the right to sell medicines. National Public Health Institute has a central role in public health cooperation.

The life expectancy is 82 years for women and 75 years for men. After having one of the highest death rates from heart disease in the world in the 1970s, improvements in the Finnish diet and exercise have paid off. Nutrition is internationally good. Finland boasts exceptionally low smoking rates: 26% for males and 19% for females. Residents don't use much alcohol compared to other European countries, except teenagers and heavy drinkers. National curriculum for pre-tertiary levels include sport, health and hands-on cooking classes.

Finland's health problems are similar to other developed countries: circulatory diseases make up about half of all causes of death and cancer is the second most common cause of death. Finnish school children have one of the lowest amounts of sport classes in the European Union and according to National Public Health Institute a third of adults exercise enough. National Public Health Institute claims 54% male obesity and 38% female obesity, while other estimates put obesity rates at very high 70% and 50%. Diabetes rate is growing to 15% by 2015. Finland has the world's highest reported rate of Type I diabetes. Suicide mortality in Finland has generally been one of the highest in Europe and significant among males under 35 years.

Administrative divisions

Main article: Administrative divisions of Finland

Main articles: Provinces of Finland and Historical provinces of Finland

Main articles: Regions of Finland, Sub-regions of Finland, and Municipalities of Finland

The state organisation is divided into six administrative provinces (lääni, pl. läänit). Police, prosecutors, and other state services operate under the administration of the province, and are divided into smaller districts (formerly state local districts). After 1997 reforms they have been Southern Finland, Western Finland, Eastern Finland, Oulu, Lapland, Åland. The province of Åland Islands is autonomous.

Municipalities and regions map of Finland (2007).
Black borders refer to municipalities, red to regions.

About half of tax revenue is spent by 415 municipalities (as of 2008). Some municapalities are hundreds of years old. Since 1977, no legal or administrative distinction is made between towns, cities and other municipalities. Although a municipality must follow the laws set by the state, it makes independent decisions. That is, the decisions of a municipal council, if legal, cannot be appealed. People often identify with their municipality. Central government attempts to reform the complex and expensive municipal system under the Municipality and Service Structure Reform Program, but proposals have encountered much opposition from local bureaucrats and interest groups.

In addition to municipalities, there are complex other arrangements. Municipalities co-operate in seventy-four sub-regions and twenty regions. These are governed by the member municipalities. The Åland region has a permanent, democratically elected regional council, as a part of the autonomy. 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.

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 km², and the density in inhabitants per km² (land area). The figures are as of January 1, 2007. Notice that the capital region – comprising Helsinki, Vantaa, Espoo and Kauniainen (see Greater Helsinki) – 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.

Municipality	Population	Land area	Density
Helsinki	564,474	184.47	3,061.00
Espoo	235,100	312.00	751.60
Tampere	206,171	523.40	393.90
Vantaa	189,442	240.54	780.40
Turku	177,502	243.40	720.50
Oulu	130,049	369.43	351.40
Lahti	98,773	134.95	730.10
Kuopio	91,026	1,127.40	81.00
Jyväskylä	84,482	105.90	789.00
Pori	76,211	503.17	150.83
Lappeenranta	59,077	758.00	77.70
Rovaniemi	58,100	7,600.73	7.60
Joensuu	57,879	1,173.40	49.10
Vaasa	57,266	183.00	311.20
Kotka	54,860	270.74	203.00

Further information: List of Finnish municipalities, List of Finnish municipalities by population, List of Finnish municipalities by area, and Former municipalities of Finland

Government and politics

Main article: Politics of Finland

Finland has a semi-presidential system with parliamentarism. The president is responsible for foreign policy outside of the European Union in cooperation with the cabinet (the Finnish Council of State) where most executive power lies, headed by the Prime Minister. Responsibility for forming the cabinet is granted to a person nominated by the President and approved of by the Parliament. This person also becomes Prime Minister after formal appointment by the President. Any minister and the cabinet as a whole, however, must have continuing trust of the parliament and may be voted out, resign or be replaced. The Council of State is made up of the Prime Minister and the ministers for the various departments of the central government as well as an ex-officio member, the Chancellor of Justice.

President

File:Finland.TarjaHolonen.01.jpg

The current President of Finland Tarja Halonen in a state visit to Brazil, October 2003.

Main article: President of Finland

The President of Finland is the Head of State of Finland. Under the Constitution of Finland, executive power is vested in the President and the government, with the President possessing extensive powers. The President is elected directly by the people for a term of six years. Since 1991, no President can be elected for more than two consecutive terms. The President must be a native-born Finnish citizen. The office was established by the Constitution Act of 1919.

The current office-holder is President Tarja Halonen. She began her first term of office in 2000 and was re-elected on January 29, 2006. Her current term expires in 2012. She is the eleventh President of Finland, the first woman and first from the capital, Helsinki, to hold the office.

Parliament and government

Eduskuntatalo, the main building of the Parliament of Finland (Eduskunta) in Helsinki.

Prime Minister of Finland Matti Vanhanen eight days before the Finnish parliamentary election, 2007.

Main article: Parliament of Finland

See also: List of political parties in Finland

The 200-member unicameral parliament is called the Eduskunta (Finnish) or Riksdag (Swedish). It is the supreme legislative authority in Finland. The parliament may alter the Constitution of Finland, bring about the resignation of the Council of State, and override presidential vetoes. Its acts are not subject to judicial review. Legislation may be initiated by the Council of State, or one of the Eduskunta members, who are elected for a four-year term on the basis of proportional representation through open list multi-member districts.

The parliament has, since equal and common suffrage was introduced in 1906, been dominated by the Centre Party (former Agrarian Union), National Coalition Party, and Social Democrats, which have approximately equal support, and represent 65–80 percent of voters. After 1944 Communists were a factor to consider for a few decades. The relative strengths of the parties vary only slightly in the elections due to the proportional election from multi-member districts but there are some visible long-term trends.

According to the Constitution of Finland, the Parliament elects the Prime Minister, who is appointed to office by the President. Other Ministers are appointed by the President on the Prime Minister's proposal. The current Prime Minister of Finland, as well as Chairman of the Centre Party is Matti Vanhanen (who in the second half of 2006 was President of the European Council).

After the parliamentary elections on March 18, 2007, the seats were divided among eight parties as follows:

Party	Seats	Net Gain/Loss	% of seats	% of votes
The Centre Party	51	–4	25.5	23.1
The National Coalition Party	51	+10	25.0	22.3
The Social Democratic Party	45	–8	22.5	21.4
The Left Alliance	17	–2	8.5	8.8
The Green League	14	+1	7.5	8.5
The Swedish People's Party	9	+1	4.5	4.5
The Christian Democrats	7	0	3.5	4.9
The True Finns	5	+2	2.5	4.1
Others	1*	0	0.5	2.4

* Province of Åland representative.

Judicial system

A mounted police officer in Helsinki.

The judicial system of Finland is a civil law system divided between courts with regular civil and criminal jurisdiction and administrative courts with responsibility for litigation between the individuals and the administrative organs of the state and the communities. Finnish law is codified and based on Swedish law and in a wider sense, civil law or Roman law. Its court system consists of local courts, regional appellate courts, and the Supreme Court. The administrative branch of justice consists of administrative courts and the Supreme Administrative Court. 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 (for an offence in office) against the President of the Republic, the justices of the supreme courts, members of the Council of State, the Chancellor of Justice and the Ombudsman of Parliament.

A general court of first instance (käräjäoikeus) has professional judges and in complex cases, includes non-professional lay judges (lautamies) appointed by municipal councils. Administrative courts, appeals courts and supreme courts consist of professional judges only. Like the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, Finland has no constitutional court, and courts may not strike down laws or pronounce on their constitutionality. In principle, the constitutionality of laws in Finland is verified by parliament's constitutional committee and a simple vote in the parliament.

In its 2007 Worldwide Press Freedom Index, Reporters Without Borders ranked Finland (along with Belgium and Sweden) 5th out of 169 countries. Bloggers have been convicted for publishing inflammatory content, e.g. for incitement to ethnic or racial hatred. Since 2006, the police has also provided an Internet censorship list for voluntary use by operators, similarly to other Nordic countries; the level of censorship is classified "nominal" by the ONI.

Foreign relations

Finnish troops in Congo.

Main article: Foreign relations of Finland

According to the latest constitution 2000, the President (currently Tarja Halonen) leads the foreign policy in cooperation with the government (currently the Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen and the Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb), except that the government leads EU affairs. In surveys, most diplomats and foreign policy experts consider the current constitution flawed. Ministry of Foreign Affairs implements the foreign policy.

During the Cold War, Finland conducted its foreign policy in association with the Soviet Union and simultaneously stressed Nordic cooperation (as a member of Nordic Council). After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Finland freed itself from the last restrictions imposed on it by the Paris peace treaties of 1947 and the Finno-Soviet Agreement of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance. Although opposed by socialists and agrarians, the government filed an EU membership application three months after the dissolution of the USSR and became a member in 1995. It has also built a NATO-compatible and NATO-contributing military, but continuing political difficulties have made it the last remaining EU country bordering Russia that is not a NATO member.

Young, liberal voters generally support global market economy, European integration and identity. The aged, socialists and agrarians contribute to Finland's uniquely high levels of opposition to the EU and NATO. Studies indicate low knowledge about foreign policy and widespread false ideas, some dating back to the Cold War era, leading critics to call current politics a "paused era". The struggle between internationalists and isolationists has been a central issue in foreign policy.

The president Martti Ahtisaari and coalition governments led Finland closer to the core EU in late 1990s, 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 the socialist-wing trio of Paavo Lipponen, Tarja Halonen, and Erkki Tuomioja started spending Finland's political capital in resisting other EU members' plans for common defence (even though many considered Finland would be the biggest beneficiary of this). However, Halonen allowed Finland to join European Union Battlegroups in 2006 and NATO Response Force in 2008. Relations with Russia are cordial and common issues include bureaucracy (particularly at Vaalimaa border). Behind the scenes, the administration has witnessed a resurrection of Soviet-era tactics from threats, KGB presence to new features such as airspace violations and Finnish-language Internet brigades. Analysts have hinted worry about Finland's ability to maintain sovereignty. Socialist politicians are more willing to formulate policy based on Russia's preferences and maintain that NATO should be just an "option" or strongly rejected. Some socialists and agrarians want to exit EU. Liberal politicians are more supportive of integration. After socialist parties lost elections in 2007, the term "non-allied" was dropped from the official policy publication (replicated by Sweden just months later).

Defence Forces

Main article: Finnish Defence Forces

See also: Military history of Finland and List of Finnish wars

The Finnish Defence Forces is a cadre army of 16,500, of which 8,700 are professional soldiers (officers), with a standard readiness strength of 34,700 people in uniform (27,300 Army, 3,000 Navy, and 4,400 Air Force). A universal male conscription is in place, under which all men above 18 years of age serve for 6, 9, 11 (unarmed service) or 12 months. Alternative non-military service and volunteer service for women are possible.

Finland is the only non-NATO EU country bordering Russia. Finland's official policy states that the 350,000 reservists with ground weaponry are a sufficient deterrent. The military strategy is to hide in forests when attacked. Finland has little modern equipment compared to Russia. Military experts support NATO, but are careful to avoid politics. Finland's defence budget equals about 2 billion euro or 1.4 percent of the GDP and in international comparisons (conscription and other costs included) it is among the highest per capita in Europe. The voluntary peacekeeping service is highly popular and troops serve around the world in UN, NATO and EU missions. Homeland defence willingness stands at around 80%, one of the highest rates in Europe.

The Finnish Defence Forces are under the command of the Chief of Defence (currently Juhani Kaskeala), who is directly subordinate to the President of the Republic in matters related to the military command. The military branches are Finnish Army, Finnish Navy and Finnish Air Force. The Border Guard is under the Ministry of the Interior but can be incorporated into the Defence Forces when required by defence readiness.

Economy

Real GDP growth 1998-2007.

A phone produced by Nokia.

Forest works.

Main article: Economy of Finland

See also: List of Finnish companies and Helsinki Stock Exchange

Finland has a highly industrialised, free-market economy with a per capita output equal to that of other western economies such as France, Germany, Sweden or the UK. The largest sector of the economy is services at 65.7 percent, followed by manufacturing and refining at 31.4 percent. Primary production is low at 2.9 percent, reflecting the fact that Finland is a resource-poor country. With respect to foreign trade, the key economic sector is manufacturing. The largest industries are electronics (21.6 percent), machinery, vehicles and other engineered metal products (21.1 percent), forest industry (13.1 percent), and chemicals (10.9 percent). Except for timber and several minerals, Finland depends on imports of raw materials, energy and some components for manufactured goods. Forestry provides a secondary occupation for the rural population and taxpayers subsidy agricultural sector with around 2 billion euros every year.

Finland is highly integrated in the global economy and international trade is a third of GDP. European Union makes 60 percent of the total trade. Largest trade flows are with Germany, Russia, Sweden, United Kingdom, USA, Netherlands and China. Trade policy is managed by European Union, where Finland has traditionally been among the free trade supporters, except for agriculture. Finland is the only Nordic country to have adopted euro.

Finland is rated the world's 16th most free economy (9th in Europe) in Heritage Foundation Index of Economic Freedom, it has skilled engineering base, and the number of patents per capita is among the highest. According to OECD, the service sector could benefit substantially from policy improvements such as more aggressive tax cuts and some unregulation. The World Economic Forum has declared Finland to be the most competitive country in the world several times. Central government has tried to spur innovation and research and development, with special emphasis on information technology

Income and consumption

International consumer trends such as samba thrive in cities.

Notable companies in Finland include Nokia, the market leader in mobile telephony; Stora Enso, the largest paper manufacturer in the world; Neste Oil, an oil refining and marketing company; UPM-Kymmene, the third largest paper manufacturer in the world; Aker Finnyards, the manufacturer of the world's largest cruise ships (such as Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas); Instrumentarium Imaging, the creator of the Orthopantomograph (Pan X-Ray machine) and world innovative leader of dental imaging systems and software.; KONE, a manufacturer of elevators and escalators; Wärtsilä, a producer of power plants and ship engines; and Finnair, the largest Helsinki-Vantaa based international airline. Finland has sophisticated financial markets comparable to UK in efficiency.

Most large Finland-born companies are quite old. Between 2000-2003, early stage venture capital investments relative to GDP were 8.5 percent against 4 percent in the EU and 11.5 in the US. Later stage investments fell to EU average. Invest in Finland and other programs attempt to attract investment.

Finland's income is generated by the approximately 1.8 million private sector workers, who make an average 25.1 euro per hour (before the median 60% tax wedge) in 2007. In 2003 residents worked an average 10 years for the same employer and the trend was upwards. 62 percent worked for small and medium-size enterprises. Unemployment rate was 6.8 and employment rate 68 in early 2008. Cuts in unemployment benefits and the latest labor shortage seem to have brought more people to work. In Sweden employees are allowed to invest in any fund, but in Finland employer chooses a pension company for the employee. Only a portion of promised pensions is funded and pensions exclude health insurances and other unaccounted promises. The aging population with little or no positive net immigration is a concern, even though the deficit is not as large as in most Western European countries. Directly held public sector debt has been reduced to around 32 percent in 2007. In 2007, the average household savings rate was -3.8 and household debt 101 percent of annual disposable income, a typical level in Europe.

In 2006, there were 1.2 million residential buildings in Finland. 40 percent of households consisted of single person, 32 percent two and 28 percent three or more. The average is 2.1. The average residential space was 38 squaremetres per person. The average residential property (without land) cost 1,187 euro per sq metre (without land) and residential land on 8.6 euro per sq metre. Consumer energy prices were 8-12 euro per kilowatt hour. 74 percent of households used car. There were 2.5 million cars and 0.4 other vehicles. Around 92 percent has mobile phone and 58 percent Internet connection at home. The average total household consumption was 20,000 euro, out of which housing at around 5500 euro, transport at around 3000 euro, recreation and culture at around 2000 euro, food and beverages excluding alcoholic at around 1000 euro.

Education, science and technology

Auditorium in the Helsinki University of Technology's main building, designed by Alvar Aalto.

Main article: Education in Finland

See also: List of universities in Finland

While Sweden has a thriving private and for-profit education market, Finnish market has less competition: there are no vouchers and starting a new school is unusual. However, there is school choice, competitive practices, and egalitarianism.

Most primary and secondary education is managed by municipal bureaucrats. Attendance is compulsory between the ages of 7 and 16, and free meals are served to pupils at primary and secondary levels. The average performance of 15-years-old students in PISA assessments has been among the highest. All schools are about the same average quality: PISA shows only 5% variation between schools. After secondary school, students can apply for two kinds of schools. Trade school prepares for a profession, though it can be used to enter tertiary education as well. Gymnasium prepares for Matriculation Examinations and tertiary education.

In tertiary education, two, mostly separate and non-interoperating sectors are found: the profession-oriented higher vocational schools and the research-oriented universities. Finns used to take student loans and scholarships, but for the past decades the financial risk has been moved solely to the government. Recently, the central government has considered privatizing tertiary institutions and allowing small tuitions. The consolidation of Universities in Greater Helsinki, Helsinki Innovation University, attempts to become a leading international University. The World Economic Forum ranks Finland's tertiary education #1 in the world.

Finnish researchers are leading contributors to such fields as forest improvement, new materials, the environment, neural networks, low-temperature physics, brain research, biotechnology, genetic technology and communications.

Nordic model

Finland, like other Nordic countries, is characterized by strong property rights, openness to globalization, risk sharing and high taxes. 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. Nordic markets have went through a liberalization wave from the late 80s to 90s.

According to OECD, only four EU-15 countries has more free product markets (UK, Ireland, Denmark and Sweden) and only one has more free financial markets (Denmark). Nordic countries were pioneers in liberalizing energy, postal and other markets in Europe. Legal system is clear and bureaucracy usually modest. Finland is rated one of the least corrupted countries in Corruption Perceptions Index. Property rights are well protected and contractual agreements are strictly honored. Finland is rated 13th in the Ease of Doing Business Index.

Finland increased job market regulation in the 70s, moderating wage demands. Finnish governments have so far been unsuccessful in reform attempts, although legislation is less strict than in e.g. France. Under Comprehensive Income Policy Agreement trade unions and big companies force all workers to into their contracts. Each profession's wages and details like holiday dates and specific privileges to trade union leaders are usually set every two year in lengthy contracts. Legal and illegal strikes cut relatively high number of working hours. Trade unions have traditionally lobbied for anti-immigrant laws, but recently the administration has made some effort to improve Finland's competitiveness as a destination for skilled workers. Finland has even set up overseas recruitment programs to solve ongoing labor shortages.

The post-depression governments have cut taxes. They now are around 43 percent of GDP or 30,000 euro per household.. Value-added tax is 22 percent for most items. Capital gains tax and corporate tax are both 26 percent, about the EU average.

As other Scandinavian and Western European countries, Finland generally holds the values and ideals of the welfare state, the maintaining of which is seen as the highest political value in opinion polls. Only nine percent of Finns would want to cut taxes if it would mean weakening social security or cutting public services .

The state employs 124,000 people and the municipalities employ 430,000 people. E-readiness is rated 10th and few public services utilize Internet. In 2001 Finland was behind Sweden in outsourced proportion of spending, but ranked high in Europe. Outsourcing to free market has saved costs and increased customer satisfaction. Public insurance used to force people without private insurance or cash to use specifically assigned municipal health clinics, but most people want the same reimbursements in the popular and fast growing private clinics. Private sector reimbursements have been raised in 2007 and 2008.

Energy

Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant with two existing units. The third unit and Finland's fifth (far left) is computer manipulated and will be ready by 2011.

See also: Nordic energy market

See also: Nuclear power in Finland

Anyone can enter the liberal and largely privately-owned Nordic energy market traded in Nord Pool exchange, which has provided competitive prices compared to other EU countries.

Finland's hydrocarbon resources are limited to peat and wood, while neighboring Norway has oil and Estonia oil shale. Finland has little hydropower capacity compared to Sweden or Norway. Most energy demand is satisfied with fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas. Finland has four privately-owned nuclear reactors producing 18 percent of the country's energy., one research reactor in Otaniemi campus, and the fifth AREVA-Siemens-built reactor – the world's largest at 1600 MWe and a focal point of Europe's nuclear industry – is scheduled to be operational by 2011. Renewable energy forms (industrial and consumer wood, peat, industrial residue, garbage) make high 25 percent compared to the EU average 10 percent. A varying amount (5–17 percent) of electricity has been imported from Russia, Sweden and Norway. A submarine power cable from Russia has been considered a national security issue and one permit application has already been rejected.

Finland negotiated itself expensive Kyoto and EU emission terms. They are causing a sharp increase in energy prices and 1-2 billion euro annual cost, amplified by the aging and soon commissioned capacity. Nuclear power is by far the most inexpensive energy form and the sixth reactor is already under environmental impact assessment, but each reactor requires a permit from the parliament (where The Green League and a sect of The Centre Party are particularly opposed). The rising energy costs are causing exit by some industries.

Transportation

Wild animals, chiefly elks and reindeers, cause several thousand accidents every year.

Main article: Transport in Finland

See also: Highways in Finland, List of airports in Finland, and Public transport in Helsinki

The extensive road system is utilized by most internal cargo and passenger traffic. As of 2005, the country's network of main roads has a total length of 13,258 km and all public roads 78,186 km, of which 50,616 km are paved. The motorway network totals 653 km. Road network expenditure of around 1 billion euro is paid with vehicle and fuel taxes that amount to around 1.5 billion euro and 1 billion euro.

The main international passenger gateway is Helsinki-Vantaa Airport with over 13 million passengers in 2007. About 25 airports have scheduled passenger services. The Helsinki-Vantaa based Finnair (known for an Asia-focused strategy), Blue1 and Finncomm Airlines provide air services both domestically and internationally. Helsinki has an optimal location for great circle airline traffic routes between Western Europe and the Far East. Hence, many international travelers visit Helsinki on a stop-over while flying from Asia to Europe or vice versa.

Despite low population density, taxpayers spent annually around 350 million euro in maintaining 5,865 km railway tracks even to many rural towns. Operations are privatized and currently the only operator is VR. It has 5 percent passenger market share (out of which 80 percent are urban trips in Greater Helsinki) and 25 percent cargo market share. There are international trains to St. Petersburg and Moscow, Russia. Helsinki has an urban rail network, and light rail systems are currently being planned in Turku and Tampere.

Vuosaari harbour is the largest container port after completed in 2008. There is passenger traffic from Helsinki and Turku, which have ferry connections to Tallinn, Mariehamn, Långnäs, Stockholm, Grisslehamn and Rostock. Helsinki-Tallinn route is also served by a helicopter line.

Tourism

The M/S Silja Symphony leaving from Helsinki. Cruises are a popular tourist activity throughout Finland.

Main article: Tourism in Finland

In 2005, Finnish tourism grossed over €6.7 billion with a five percent 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. 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 35 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 Travemünde, 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, there is a polar night, a period when the sun doesn't rise for days or weeks, or even months. Lapland, the extreme north of Finland, is so far north that the Aurora Borealis, atmospheric fluorescence, is seen regularly in winter.

Outdoor activities range from 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 flying fauna, however hunting is also popular. Elk, reindeer and hare are all common game in Finland. There are many churches, cathedrals, museums and castles. Olavinlinna in Savonlinna hosts the annual Savonlinna Opera Festival. The capital city of Helsinki, on the other hand, is famous for its Grand Duchy era architecture, which resembles that of imperial St. Petersburg.

Culture

A Juhannus bonfire ("kokko") in Mäntsälä

Students on Helsinki's Esplanadi wearing their caps on Vappu.

A lakeside smoke sauna ("savusauna") in Kannonkoski

Main article: Culture of Finland

Throughout Finland's prehistory and history, cultural contacts and influences have concurrently, or at varying times, come from all directions. As a result of 600 years of Swedish rule, Swedish cultural influences are still notable. Today, cultural influences from North America are prominent. Into the twenty-first century, many Finns have contacted cultures from distantly abroad, such as with those in Asia and Africa. Beyond tourism, Finnish youth in particular have been increasing their contact with peoples from outside Finland by travelling abroad to both work and study.

There are still differences between regions, especially minor differences in accents and vocabulary. Minorities, such as the Sami, Finland Swedes, Romani, and Tatar, maintain their own cultural characteristics. Many Finns are emotionally connected to the countryside and nature, as urbanisation is a relatively recent phenomenon.

Finland comfortably won the first Eurovision Dance Contest in September 2007.

Literature

Main article: Finnish literature

Though Finnish written language could be said to exist since Mikael Agricola translated the New Testament into Finnish in the sixteenth century as a result of the Protestant Reformation, few notable works of literature were written until the nineteenth century, which saw the beginning of a Finnish national Romantic Movement. This prompted Elias Lönnrot 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.

After Finland became independent there was a rise of modernist writers, most famously Mika Waltari. Frans Eemil Sillanpää was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1939 – so far the only one for a Finnish author. The second World War prompted a return to more national interests in comparison to a more international line of thought, characterized by Väinö Linna. Literature in modern Finland is in a healthy state, with detective stories enjoying a particular boom of popularity. Ilkka Remes, a Finnish author of thrillers, is very popular.

Visual arts

The architect couple Aino and Alvar Aalto.

See also: List of Finnish architects

Finns have made major contributions to handicrafts and industrial design. Finland's best-known sculptor of the twentieth century was Wäinö 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 the functionalist architecture to Finland, is also famous for his work in furniture and glassware.

Music

Main article: Music of Finland

Folk music

Much of the music of Finland 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, in contrast to Finland's position between the East and the West. Finnish folk music has undergone a roots revival in recent decades, and has become a part of popular music.

Sami music

Main article: Sami 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.

Classical and opera

The Finnish composer Jean Sibelius (1865–1957), a significant figure in the history of classical music.

The first Finnish opera was written by the German composer Fredrik Pacius in 1852. Pacius also wrote Maamme/Vårt land (Our Land), 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. Finnish classical music has only existed for about a hundred years, and many of the important composers are still alive, such as Magnus Lindberg, Kaija Saariaho, Aulis Sallinen and Einojuhani Rautavaara. The composers are accompanied with a large number of great conductors such as Sakari Oramo, Mikko Franck, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Osmo Vänskä, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Susanna Mälkki and Leif Segerstam. Some of the internationally acclaimed Finnish classical musicians are Karita Mattila, Soile Isokoski, Kari Kriikku, Pekka Kuusisto, Réka Szilvay and Linda Brava.

Popular music

Modern Finnish popular music includes a renowned heavy metal music scene, in common with other Nordic countries, as well as a number of prominent rock bands, jazz musicians, hip hop performers, and dance music acts such as Bomfunk MCs and Darude. Finnish electronic music such as the Sähkö Recordings record label enjoys underground acclaim. Iskelmä (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 Argentinean music, is also popular. One of the most productive composers of popular music was Toivo Kärki, and the most famous singer Olavi Virta (1915–1972). Among the lyricists, Sauvo Puhtila (born 1928), Reino Helismaa (died 1965) and Veikko "Vexi" Salmi are the most remarkable authors. The composer and bandleader Jimi Tenor is well known for his brand of retro-funk music.

Dance music

Notable Finnish dance and electronic music artists include Jori Hulkkonen, Darude, JS16, DJ Proteus and DJ Orkidea.

Rock and heavy metal music

Apocalyptica playing metal music live.

Finnish rock-music scene emerged in 1960s with pioneers such as Blues Section and Kirka. In the 1970s Finnish rock musicians started to write their own music instead of translating international hits in Finnish. During the decade some progressive rock groups, such as Tasavallan Presidentti and Wigwam, gained respect abroad but failed to make commercial breakthrough outside Finland. This was also the fate of rock and roll group Hurriganes. Finnish punk scene produced some internationally respected names including Terveet Kädet in 1980s. Hanoi Rocks was a pioneering 1980s-glam rock act that left perhaps deeper mark in the history of popular music than any other Finnish group giving inspiration for Guns 'n' Roses.

In 1990s Finnish rock and metal music started to get international fame with such bands as The 69 Eyes, Amorphis, Children of Bodom, Ensiferum, HIM, Impaled Nazarene, Lordi, Negative, Nightwish, The Rasmus, Sentenced, Sonata Arctica, and Stratovarius. In the later 1990s the cello metal group Apocalyptica played Metallica cover versions as cello quartettos and sold half a million records worldwide. Some of the Finland's most domestically popular rock groups are CMX and Eppu Normaali.

In 2000s also Finnish rock bands started to sell well internationally. The Rasmus finally captured Europe (and other places, like South America) in 2000s. Their 2003 album Dead Letters sold 1.5 million units worldwide and garnered them eight gold and five platinum album designations. But so far the most successful Finnish band in the United States is HIM; they were the first band from Finland to ever sell an album that was certified gold by the RIAA. Most recently, the Finnish hard rock/heavy metal music band Lordi won the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest with a record 292 points, giving Finland its first ever victory, and the band Nightwish has sold world wide with their album Dark Passion play. And Rock bands such as Negative and Reflexion enjoy cult following abroard despite of milder commercial success.

Tuska Open Air Metal Festival, one of the largest open-air heavy metal music festivals in the world, is held annually in Kaisaniemi, Helsinki. Ruisrock and Provinssirock are the most famous rock festivals held in Finland.

Cinema

Erkki Karu, one of the pioneers of the Finnish cinema, with cinematographer Eino Kari in 1927.

Main article: Cinema of Finland

See also: List of Finnish films

Finland has a growing film industry with a number of famous directors such as Aki Kaurismäki, Timo Koivusalo, Aleksi Mäkelä and Klaus Härö. Hollywood film director/producer Renny Harlin (born Lauri Mauritz Harjola) was born in Finland.

Media and communications

Linus Torvalds, a famous Finnish software engineer, best known for initiating the development of the kernel of the Linux operating system.

See also: Communications in Finland, List of newspapers in Finland, and List of Finnish television stations

Finland is one of the most advanced information societies in the world. There are 200 newspapers; 320 popular magazines, 2,100 professional magazines and 67 commercial radio stations, with one nationwide, five national public service radio channels (three in Finnish, two in Swedish, one in Sami); digital radio has three channels. Four national analog television channels (two public service and two commercial) were fully replaced by five public service and three commercial digital television channels in September 1, 2007.

Each year around twelve feature films are made, 12,000 book titles published and 12 million records sold. 79 percent of the population use the Internet.

Finns, along with other Nordic people and the Japanese, spend the most time in the world reading newspapers. The most read newspaper in Finland is Helsingin Sanomat, with a circulation of 434,000. The media group SanomaWSOY behind Helsingin Sanomat also publishes the tabloid Ilta-Sanomat and commerce-oriented Taloussanomat. It also owns the Nelonen television channel. SanomaWSOY's largest shareholder is Aatos Erkko and his family. The other major publisher Alma Media publishes over thirty magazines, including newspaper Aamulehti, tabloid Iltalehti and commerce-oriented Kauppalehti. Finland has been at the top of the worldwide Press Freedom Ranking list every year since the publication of the first index by Reporters Without Borders in 2002.

Finland's National Broadcasting Company YLE is an independent state-owned company. It has five television channels and 13 radio channels in two national languages. YLE is funded through a television license and private television broadcasting license fees. Ongoing transformation to digital TV broadcasting is in progress — analog broadcasts ceased on the terrestrial network 31 August, 2007 and will cease on cable at the end of February 2008. The most popular television channel MTV3 and the most popular radio channel Radio Nova are owned by Nordic Broadcasting (Bonnier and Proventus Industrier).

The people of Finland are accustomed to technology and information services. The number of cellular phone subscribers as well as the number of Internet connections per capita in Finland are among the highest in the world. According to the Ministry of Transport and Communications, Finnish mobile phone penetration exceeded fifty percent of the population as far back as August 1998 – first in the world – and by December 1998 the number of cell phone subscriptions outnumbered fixed-line phone connections. By the end of June 2007 there were 5.78 million cellular phone subscriptions, or 109 percent of the population.

Another fast-growing sector is the use of the Internet. Finland had more than 1.52 million broadband Internet connections by the end of June 2007, i.e., about 287 per 1,000 inhabitants. The Finns are not only connected; they are heavy users of Internet services. All Finnish schools and public libraries have for years been connected to the Internet.

Cuisine

Karjalanpiirakka, a traditional Finnish pastry.

Main article: Cuisine of Finland

Traditional Finnish cuisine is a combination of European, Fennoscandian and Western Russian elements; table manners are European. The food is generally simple, fresh and healthy. Fish, meat, berries and ground vegetables are typical ingredients whereas spices are not common due to their historical unavailability. In years past, Finnish food often varied from region to region, most notably between the west and east. In coastal and lakeside villages, fish was a main feature of cooking, whereas in the eastern and also northern regions, vegetables and reindeer were more common. The prototypical breakfast is oatmeal or other continental-style foods such as bread. Lunch is usually a full warm meal, served by a canteen at workplaces. Dinner is eaten at around 17.00 to 18.00 at home.

Modern Finnish cuisine combines country fare and haute cuisine with contemporary continental cooking style. Today, spices are a prominent ingredient in many modern Finnish recipes, having been adopted from the east and west in recent decades.

Public holidays

Main article: Public holidays in Finland

See also: Flag days in Finland

All official holidays in Finland are established by acts of Parliament. The official holidays can be divided into Christian and secular holidays, although some of the Christian holidays have replaced holidays of pagan origin. The main Christian holidays are Christmas, Epiphany, Easter, Ascension Day, Pentecost, and All Saints Day. The secular holidays are New Year's Day, May Day, Midsummer Day, and the Independence Day. Christmas is the most extensively celebrated holiday: usually at least 23rd to 26th of December are holidays.

In addition to this, all Sundays are official holidays, but they are not as important as the special holidays. The names of the Sundays follow the liturgical calendar and they can be categorised as Christian holidays. When the standard working week in Finland was reduced to 40 hours by an act of Parliament, it also meant that all Saturdays became a sort of de facto public holidays, though not official ones. Easter Sunday and Pentecost are Sundays that form part of a main holiday and they are preceded by a kind of special Saturdays. Retail stores are prohibited by law from doing business on Sundays, except during the summer months (May through August) and in the pre-Christmas season (November and December). Business locations that have less than 400 square metres of floor space are allowed Sunday business throughout the year, with the exception of official holidays and certain Sundays, such as Mother's Day and Father's Day.

Sports

Ice hockey in Finland.

Paavo Nurmi at the 1920 Summer Olympics.

Main article: Sport in Finland

Formula One World Drivers' Champions|World Champion]] Kimi Räikkönen celebrating victory at the 2007 Brazilian Grand Prix.]] Various sporting events are popular in Finland. Pesäpallo (reminiscent of baseball) is the national sport of Finland, although the most popular sports in Finland in terms of media coverage are Formula One, ice hockey and football. The Finnish national ice hockey team is considered one of the best in the world. During the past century there has been a rivalry in sporting between Finland and Sweden, mostly in ice hockey and athletics (Finland-Sweden athletics international). Jari Kurri and Teemu Selänne are the two Finnish-born ice hockey players to have scored 500 goals in their NHL careers. Football is also popular in Finland, though the national football team has never qualified for a finals tournament of the World Cup or the European Championships. Jari Litmanen and Sami Hyypiä are the most internationally renowned of the Finnish football players.

Relative to its population, Finland has been a top country in the world in automobile racing, measured by international success. Finland has produced three Formula One World Champions – Keke Rosberg (Williams, 1982), Mika Häkkinen (McLaren, 1998 and 1999) and Kimi Räikkönen (Ferrari, 2007). Along with Räikkönen, the other Finnish Formula One driver currently active is Heikki Kovalainen (McLaren). Rosberg's son, Nico Rosberg (Williams), is also currently driving, but under his mother's German nationality. Other notable Finnish Grand Prix drivers include Leo Kinnunen, JJ Lehto and Mika Salo. Finland has also produced most of the world's best rally drivers, including the ex-WRC World Champion drivers Marcus Grönholm, Juha Kankkunen, Hannu Mikkola, Tommi Mäkinen, Timo Salonen and Ari Vatanen. The only Finn to have won a road racing World Championship, Jarno Saarinen, was killed in 1973 while racing.

Among winter sports, Finland has been the most successful country in ski jumping, with former ski jumper Matti Nykänen being arguably the best ever in that sport. Most notably, he won five Olympic medals (four gold) and nine World Championships medals (five gold). Among currently active Finnish ski jumpers, Janne Ahonen has been the most successful. Kalle Palander is a well-known alpine skiing winner, who won the World Championship and Crystal Ball (twice, in Kitzbühel). Tanja Poutiainen has won an Olympic silver medal for alpine skiing, as well as multiple FIS World Cup races.

Some of the most outstanding athletes from the past include Hannes Kolehmainen (1890–1966), Paavo Nurmi (1897–1973) and Ville Ritola (1896–1982) who won eighteen gold and seven silver Olympic medals in the 1910s and 1920s. They are also considered to be the first of a generation of great Finnish middle and long-distance runners (and subsequently, other great Finnish sportsmen) often named the "Flying Finns". Another long-distance runner, Lasse Virén (born 1949), won a total of four gold medals during the 1972 and 1976 Summer Olympics.

Also, in the past, Riku Kiri, Jouko Ahola and Janne Virtanen have been the greatest strength athletes in the country, participating in the World's Strongest Man competition between 1993 and 2000.

The 1952 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad, were held in 1952 in Helsinki, Finland. Other notable sporting events held in Finland include the 1983 and 2005 World Championships in Athletics, among others.

Some of the most popular recreational sports and activities include floorball, Nordic walking, running, cycling and skiing.

Finnishness

• List of Finns
• Suuret suomalaiset – a list of the "100 Greatest Finns" of all time as voted by the Finnish people in 2004.

Below are listed some of the characteristics of Finnishness. The term "Finnishness" is often referred to as the national identity of the Finnish people and its culture.

A triptych by Akseli Gallen-Kallela, depicting the Aino Story of Kalevala on three panes.

Finnish Maiden	a figure of national personification symbolising Finland
Kalevala	the national epic of Finland, and Finnish mythology in general
Kantele	traditional musical instrument
Mämmi	traditional Easter food
Kalakukko	traditional Savonian food
Mustamakkara	traditional blood sausage from Tampere
Karelian pasties	traditional pasties from the region of Karelia
Joulupukki	Father Christmas/Santa Claus
Jean Sibelius	one of the most popular national figures (composer of the symphonic poem Finlandia)
Sauna	a Finnish national institution (see also Finnish sauna)
Sisu	will, determination, perseverance, mental fortitude
Perkele	swear word (see Finnish profanity)
Puukko	traditional Finnish style woodcraft belt-knife
Talkoot	community work
Ice swimming	swimming in a body of water with a frozen crust of ice
Nordic walking	a recreational sport first popularized in Finland
Salmiakki	salty liquorice
Sahti	traditional beer
Koskenkorva	Finnish vodka
Reilu meininki	fair dealing
Flying Finn	a nickname given to notable Finnish sportsmen (originated with Olympic medalist Hannes Kolehmainen)

See also

Main article: List of Finland-related topics

• Lists
  • List of cities and towns in Finland
  • List of Finns
  • List of Finnish companies
  • List of Finnish television stations
  • List of newspapers in Finland
  • List of universities in Finland
  • List of bands from Finland
  • List of Finnish wars

• History
  • History of Finland
  • Finlandization
  • Finnish Railway Museum

• Politics
  • Foreign relations of Finland
  • Military of Finland
  • Gun politics in Finland

Runeberg's tart is a Finnish pastry available on the poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg's birthday on February 5.

• Infrastructure
  • Education in Finland
  • Communications in Finland
  • Crime in Finland
  • Transport in Finland
  • Fire fighting in Finland
  • VR Group (Finnish State Railways)

• Culture and sports
  • Cuisine of Finland
  • Music of Finland
  • Football in Finland
  • Ethnic issues in Finland

• Miscellaneous
  • Protected areas of Finland
  • Tourism in Finland

International rankings

The following list contains a maximum of three years per survey. For a more complete list, see International rankings of Finland.

Further reading

• Jason Lavery – The History of Finland (The Greenwood Histories of the Modern Nations), Greenwood Press 2006 (ISBN 0-313-32837-4) (ISSN 1096-2905)
• Deborah Swallow – Culture Shock! Finland: A Guide to Customs and Etiquette (ISBN 1-55868-592-8)
• Richard D. Lewis – Finland: Cultural Lone Wolf (ISBN 1-931930-18-X)
• Max Jakobson – Finland in the New Europe (ISBN 0-275-96372-1)
• William R. Trotter – A Frozen Hell: The Russo-Finnish Winter War of 1939-1940 (ISBN 1-56512-249-6)
• Eino Jutikkala, Kauko Pirinen – A History of Finland (ISBN 0-88029-260-1)
• Chris Mann – Hitler's Arctic War: The German Campaigns in Norway, Finland, and the USSR 1940-1945 (ISBN 0-312-31100-1)
• Insight Guide: Finland (ISBN 981-4120-39-1)
• Matti Klinge – Let Us Be Finns: Essays on History (ISBN 951-1-11180-9)
• Lonely Planet: Finland (ISBN 1-74059-791-5)
• Jaakko Rusama, Ecumenical Growth in Finland. (ISBN 951-693-239-8)
• Fred Singleton – A Short History of Finland (ISBN 0-521-64701-0)
• Allen F. Chew – The White Death: The Epic of the Soviet-Finnish Winter War (ISBN 0-87013-167-2)
• Eloise Engle and Lauri Paananen – The Winter War: The Soviet Attack on Finland 1939-1940 (ISBN 0-8117-2433-6)
• Jean-Jacques Subrenat – Listen, there's music from the forest; a brief presentation of the Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival (ISBN 952-92-0564-3)

External links

• The Finnish Government – Official governmental site
• The President of Finland – Official site of the President of the Republic of Finland
• Parliament of Finland – Official Parliamentary site
• Virtual Finland – Main portal to Finland (administered by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland)
• Visit Finland – The official travel and tourism guide by the Finnish Tourist Board
• Helsinki.fi – Capital of Finland's city portal
• Today's weather by the Finnish Meteorological Institute
• Template:Wikitravel
• WikiMapia [7] and Google Maps [8] satellite view of Finland

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