Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, opposite Estonia. Finland covers a total area of 338,145 square kilometres (130,559 sq mi), including a land area of 303,815 square kilometres (117,304 sq mi), and has a population of 5.6 million.Helsinki is the capital and largest city. The vast majority of the population are ethnic Finns. The official languages are Finnish and Swedish; 84.9 percent of the population speak the first as their mother tongue and 5.1 percent the latter. Finland's climate varies from humid continental in the south to boreal in the north. The land cover is predominantly boreal forest biome, with more than 180,000 recorded lakes.
Republic of Finland | |
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 Flag  Coat of arms | |
| Anthem: Maamme (Finnish) Vårt land (Swedish) (English: "Our Land") | |
  Location of Finland (dark green) – in Europe (green & dark grey) | |
| Capital and largest city | Helsinki 60°10′15″N 24°56′15″E / 60.17083°N 24.93750°E |
| Official languages | |
| Recognized national languages |
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| Ethnic groups (2023) |
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| Religion (2023) |
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| Demonym(s) |
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| Government | Unitary parliamentary republic |
• President | Alexander Stubb |
• Prime Minister | Petteri Orpo |
• Speaker of the Parliament | Jussi Halla-aho |
| Legislature | Parliament |
| Independence from Soviet Russia | |
• Establishment of Grand Duchy of Finland | 29 March 1809 (from Sweden) |
• Declaration of independence | 6 December 1917 |
• Constitution established | 17 July 1919 |
| Area | |
• Total | 338,145 km2 (130,559 sq mi) (65th) |
• Water (%) | 9.71 (2015) |
| Population | |
• 2023 estimate |  5,603,851 (114th) |
• Density | 18.4/km2 (47.7/sq mi) (213th) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2024 estimate |
• Total |  $361.312 billion (59th) |
• Per capita | $64,657 (24th) |
| GDP (nominal) | 2024 estimate |
• Total | $306.083 billion (48th) |
• Per capita | $54,773 (16th) |
| Gini (2023) |  26.6low inequality |
| HDI (2022) | 0.942 very high (12th) |
| Currency | Euro (€) (EUR) |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| Date format | dd.mm.yyyy |
| Calling code | +358 |
| ISO 3166 code | FI |
| Internet TLD | .fi, .axa, .eub |
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Finland was first settled around 9000 BC after the last Ice Age. During the Stone Age, various cultures emerged, distinguished by different styles of ceramics. The Bronze Age and Iron Ages were marked by contacts with other cultures in Fennoscandia and the Baltic region. From the late 13th century, Finland became part of Sweden as a result of the Northern Crusades. In 1809, as a result of the Finnish War, Finland was captured from Sweden and became an autonomous grand duchy within the Russian Empire. During this period, Finnish art flourished and the independence movement began to take hold. Finland became the first territory in Europe to grant universal suffrage in 1906, and the first in the world to give all adult citizens the right to run for public office. Following the Russian Revolution of 1917, Finland declared its independence. A civil war was fought in Finland the following year, with the Whites emerging victorious. Finland's status as a republic was confirmed in 1919. During World War II, Finland fought against the Soviet Union in the Winter War and the Continuation War, and later against Nazi Germany in the Lapland War. As a result, it lost parts of its territory to the Soviet Union but retained its independence and democracy.
Finland remained a largely agricultural country until the 1950s. After World War II, it industrialised quickly and established an advanced economy, with a welfare state built on the Nordic model. This allowed the country to experience overall prosperity and high per capita income. During the Cold War, Finland officially embraced a policy of neutrality. Since then, it has become a member of the European Union in 1995, the Eurozone in 1999, and following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, joined NATO in 2023. Finland is a member of various international organisations, such as the Nordic Council, the Schengen Area, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The nation performs extremely well in national performance metrics, including education, economic competitiveness, civil liberties, quality of life, and human development.
History
Prehistory
The area that is now Finland was settled in, at the latest, around 8,500 BC during the Stone Age towards the end of the last glacial period. The artefacts the first settlers left behind present characteristics that are shared with those found in Estonia, Russia, and Norway. The earliest people were hunter-gatherers, using stone tools.
The first pottery appeared in 5200 BC, when the Comb Ceramic culture was introduced. The area of present-day Finland was in the western limits of the culture, which produced pottery with a distinct comb pattern. The arrival of the Corded Ware culture in the south of coastal Finland between 3000 and 2500 BC may have coincided with the start of agriculture. Even with the introduction of agriculture, hunting and fishing continued to be important parts of the subsistence economy.
In the Bronze Age, permanent all-year-round cultivation and animal husbandry spread, but the cold climate slowed the change. The Seima-Turbino phenomenon brought the first bronze artefacts to the region and possibly also the Finno-Ugric languages. Commercial contacts that had so far mostly been to Estonia started to extend to Scandinavia. Domestic manufacture of bronze artefacts started 1300 BC.
In the Iron Age, population grew. Finland Proper was the most densely populated area. Commercial contacts in the Baltic Sea region grew and extended during the eighth and ninth centuries. Main exports from Finland were furs, slaves, castoreum, and falcons to European courts. Imports included silk and other fabrics, jewelry, Ulfberht swords, and, in lesser extent, glass. Production of iron started approximately in 500 BC. At the end of the ninth century, indigenous artefact culture, especially weapons and women's jewelry, had more common local features than ever before. This has been interpreted to be expressing common Finnish identity.
An early form of Finnic languages spread to the Baltic Sea region approximately 1900 BC. Common Finnic language was spoken around Gulf of Finland 2000 years ago. The dialects from which the modern-day Finnish language was developed came into existence during the Iron Age. Contacts with the ancient Baltic and eastern Germanic peoples greatly influenced the Proto-Finnic language. Although distantly related, the Sami people retained the hunter-gatherer lifestyle longer than the Finns. The Sami cultural identity and the Sami language have survived in Lapland, the northernmost province.
The name Suomi (Finnish for 'Finland') has uncertain origins, but a common etymology with saame (the Sami) has been suggested. In the earliest historical sources, from the 12th and 13th centuries, the term Finland refers to the coastal region around Turku. This region later became known as Finland Proper in distinction from the country name Finland.
Swedish era
The 12th and 13th centuries were a violent time in the northern Baltic Sea. The Livonian Crusade was ongoing and the Finnish tribes such as the Tavastians and Karelians were in frequent conflicts with Novgorod and with each other. Also, during the 12th and 13th centuries several crusades from the Catholic realms of the Baltic Sea area were made against the Finnish tribes. Danes waged at least three crusades to Finland, in 1187 or slightly earlier, in 1191 and in 1202, and Swedes, possibly the so-called second Crusade to Finland, in 1249 against Tavastians and the third Crusade to Finland in 1293 against the Karelians. The so-called first Crusade to Finland, possibly in 1155, most likely never occurred.
As a result of the Crusades, mostly with the Second Swedish Crusade led by Birger Jarl, and the colonization of some Finnish coastal areas with Christian Swedes during the Middle Ages, Finland gradually became part of the kingdom of Sweden and the sphere of influence of the Catholic Church. Under Sweden, Finland was annexed as part of the cultural order of Western Europe. The Swedes built fortresses in Häme and Turku, while a Swedish royal council was instituted, an administrative structure and fiscal apparatus was created, and law codes were codified during the reigns of Magnus Ladulås (1275–1290) and Magnus Eriksson (1319–1364). As a result, the Finnish lands were firmly integrated into the Swedish realm.
Swedish was 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. The end of the Kalmar Union ushered in an era of religious, social, and economic changes.Gustav Vasa (r. 1523–1560) made his second son Johan the duke of Finland, while Gustav Adolf (r. 1611–1632) created the office of governor-general for Finland as part of his restructuring of the administration of the Swedish realm.
In the 16th century, a bishop and Lutheran Reformer Mikael Agricola published the first written works in Finnish; and Finland's current capital city, Helsinki, was founded by King Gustav Vasa in 1555. The first university in Finland, the Royal Academy of Turku, was established by Queen Christina of Sweden at the proposal of Count Per Brahe in 1640.
The Finns reaped a reputation in the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) as a well-trained cavalrymen called "Hakkapeliitta". Finland suffered a severe famine in 1695–1697, 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 (1714–1721) and the Lesser Wrath (1742–1743). It is estimated that almost an entire generation of young men was lost during the Great Wrath, due mainly to the destruction of homes and farms, and the burning of Helsinki.
Grand Duchy of Finland
The Swedish era ended with the Finnish War of 1809. On 29 March 1809, after being conquered by the armies of Alexander I of Russia, Finland became an autonomous grand duchy within the Russian Empire, as recognised by the Diet of Porvoo. This situation continued until the end of 1917. In 1812, Alexander I incorporated the Russian province of Vyborg into the Grand Duchy of Finland. In 1854, Finland became involved in Russia's involvement in the Crimean War when the British and French navies bombed the Finnish coast and Åland during the so-called Åland War.
Although Swedish was still widely spoken, the Finnish language began to gain recognition during this period. From the 1860s, a strong Finnish nationalist movement, known as the Fennoman movement, grew. One of the movement's most prominent leaders was the philosopher and politician J.V. Snellman, who worked to stabilise the status of the Finnish language and its own currency, the Finnish markka, in the Grand Duchy of Finland. Milestones included the publication of what would become Finland's national epic, the Kalevala, in 1835 and the legal equality of the Finnish language with Swedish in 1892. In the spirit of Adolf Ivar Arwidsson - "we are not Swedes, we do not want to become Russians, so let us be Finns" - a Finnish national identity was established. Nevertheless, there was no real independence movement in Finland until the early 20th century.
The Finnish famine of 1866–1868 occurred after freezing temperatures in early September devastated crops and killed around 15% of the population, making it one of the worst famines in European history. The famine led the Russian Empire to relax financial regulations, and investment increased in the following decades. Economic development was rapid. The gross domestic product (GDP) per capita was still half of that of the United States and a third of that of Britain.
From 1869 to 1917, the Russian Empire pursued a policy of Russification, which was suspended between 1905 and 1908. In 1906, universal suffrage was introduced in the Grand Duchy of Finland. However, relations between the Grand Duchy of Finland and the Russian Empire soured when the Russian government began to take steps to restrict Finland's special status and autonomy. For example, universal suffrage was virtually meaningless in practice, as the tsar did not have to approve any of the laws passed by the Finnish parliament. The desire for independence gained ground, first among radical liberals and socialists, partly driven by a declaration called the February Manifesto by the last tsar of the Russian Empire, Nicholas II, on 15 February 1899.
Civil war and early independence
After the February Revolution of 1917, Finland's position as a Grand Duchy under the rule of the Russian Empire was questioned. The Finnish parliament, controlled by the Social Democrats, passed the so-called Power Act to give the parliament supreme authority. This was rejected by the Russian Provisional Government, which decided to dissolve the parliament. New elections were held in which the right-wing parties won by a small majority. Some social democrats refused to accept the result, claiming that the dissolution of parliament and the subsequent elections were extra-legal. The two almost equally powerful political blocs, the right-wing parties and the Social Democratic Party, were deeply divided.
The October Revolution in Russia changed the geopolitical situation once again. Suddenly the right-wing parties in Finland began to reconsider their decision to block the transfer of supreme executive power from the Russian government to Finland when the Bolsheviks came to power in Russia. The right-wing government, led by Prime Minister P. E. Svinhufvud, presented the Declaration of Independence on 4 December 1917, which was officially approved by the Finnish Parliament on 6 December. The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR), led by Vladimir Lenin was the first country to recognise Finland's independence on 4 January 1918.
On 27 January 1918, the government began to disarm the Russian forces in Ostrobothnia. The socialists took control of southern Finland and Helsinki, but the white government continued in exile in Vaasa. This led to a short but bitter civil war. The Whites, backed by Imperial Germany, prevailed over the Reds and their self-proclaimed Finnish Socialist Workers' Republic. After the war, tens of thousands of Reds were interned in camps where thousands were executed or died of malnutrition and disease. A deep social and political enmity was sown between the Reds and the Whites that would last until the Winter War and beyond. The civil war and the activist expeditions to Soviet Russia in 1918–1920, known as the "Kinship Wars", strained relations with the East.
After a brief experiment with monarchy, when an attempt to make Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse the king of Finland failed, a republican constitution was adopted and Finland became a presidential republic, with K. J. Ståhlberg elected as its first president on 25 July 1919. A liberal nationalist with a legal background, Ståhlberg anchored the state in liberal democracy, promoted the rule of law and initiated internal reforms. Finland was also one of the first European countries to strongly promote women's equality, with Miina Sillanpää becoming the first female minister in Finnish history in Väinö Tanner's cabinet in 1926–1927. The Finnish-Russian border was established in 1920 by the Treaty of Tartu, which largely followed the historical border but gave Finland Pechenga (Finnish: Petsamo) and its Barents Sea port. Finnish democracy survived Soviet coup attempts and the anti-communist Lapua movement.
In 1917 there were three million people in the country. After the civil war, a credit-based land reform was introduced, increasing the proportion of the population with access to capital. About 70% of the workforce was employed in agriculture and 10% in industry.
World War II
The Soviet Union launched the Winter War on 30 November 1939 to annex Finland in accordance with the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact with Nazi Germany to divide Europe into spheres of influence between the two dictatorships. The Finnish Democratic Republic was set up by Joseph Stalin at the beginning of the war to govern Finland after Soviet conquest. There was widespread international condemnation of the unprovoked attack and it led to the Soviet Union being expelled from the League of Nations. The Red Army was defeated in numerous battles, most notably the Battle of Suomussalmi. After two months of negligible progress on the battlefield, as well as heavy losses in men and material, Soviet forces began to advance in February and reached Vyborg (Finnish: Viipuri) in March. The Moscow Peace Treaty was signed on 12 March 1940, and the war ended the following day. Finland had defended its independence, but ceded 9% of its territory to the Soviet Union.
Hostilities resumed in June 1941 with the Continuation War, when Finland allied itself with Germany following the latter's invasion of the Soviet Union; the main aim was to regain the territory lost to the Soviets barely a year earlier. Finnish troops occupied Eastern Karelia from 1941 to 1944. The massive Soviet Vyborg-Petrozavodsk offensive in the summer of 1944 led to a breakthrough until the Finns finally repulsed it at Tali-Ihantala. This partial Soviet success led to a stalemate and later an armistice. This was followed by the Lapland War of 1944–1945, when Finland fought retreating German forces in northern Finland.
The Armistice and treaty signed with the Soviet Union in 1944 and 1948 included Finnish obligations, restraints, and reparations, as well as further territorial concessions. As a result of the two wars, Finland lost 12% of its land area, 20% of its industrial capacity, its second largest city, Vyborg (Finnish: Viipuri), and the ice-free port of Liinakhamari (Finnish: Liinahamari). The Finns lost 97,000 soldiers and were forced to pay war reparations of $300 million ($4.1 billion in 2023). However, the country avoided occupation by Soviet forces and managed to retain its independence. Along with Great Britain, Finland emerged from the war as the only European country to have taken part in hostilities that was never occupied and managed to preserve its democracy throughout.
For a few decades after 1944, the Communists were a strong political party. Furthermore, the Soviet Union persuaded Finland to refuse Marshall Plan aid. However, in the hope of preserving Finland's independence, the United States provided secret development aid and supported the Social Democratic Party.
After the war
The development of trade with the Western powers, such as the United Kingdom, and the payment of reparations to the Soviet Union led to Finland's transformation from a primarily agrarian society to an industrialised one. Valmet, originally a shipyard and then several metal workshops, was established to produce materials for war reparations. After the reparations were paid, Finland continued to trade with the Soviet Union as part of bilateral trade.
In 1950, 46% of Finnish workers were employed in agriculture and a third lived in urban areas, but new jobs in manufacturing, services and trade quickly attracted people to the cities. The average number of births per woman fell from a baby boom peak of 3.5 in 1947 to 1.5 in 1973. As the baby boomers entered the workforce, the economy failed to create jobs fast enough and hundreds of thousands emigrated to more industrialised Sweden, with emigration peaking in 1969 and 1970. Finland participated in trade liberalisation in the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.
During the Cold War, Finland officially embraced a policy of neutrality. The YYA treaty (Finno-Soviet Pact of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance) recognized Finland's desire to remain outside great-power conflicts. From 1956 president Urho Kekkonen had a virtual monopoly on relations with the Soviet Union, which was crucial to his continued popularity. In politics, there was a tendency to avoid any policy or statement that could be interpreted as anti-Soviet. This phenomenon was dubbed "Finlandisation" by the West German press.
A market economy was maintained in Finland. Various industries benefited from trade privileges with the Soviets. Economic growth was rapid in the post-war period, and by 1975 Finland's GDP per capita was the 15th highest in the world. During the 1970s and 1980s, Finland built one of the most extensive welfare states in the world. Finland negotiated a treaty with the European Economic Community (EEC, a forerunner of the European Union) that largely eliminated tariffs with the EEC from 1977.
Miscalculated macroeconomic decisions, a banking crisis, the collapse of its largest trading partner, the Soviet Union, and a global economic downturn caused a deep recession in Finland in the early 1990s. The recession bottomed out in 1993 and Finland enjoyed more than a decade of steady economic growth. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Finland began to integrate more closely with the West. Finland joined the European Union in 1995 and the euro zone in 1999. Much of the economic growth of the late 1990s was fuelled by the success of mobile phone manufacturer Nokia.
21st century
The Finnish people elected Tarja Halonen in the 2000 Presidential election, making her the first female President of Finland. Her predecessor, President Martti Ahtisaari, later won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2008. Financial crises paralysed Finland's exports in 2008, leading to weaker economic growth throughout the decade.Sauli Niinistö was elected President of Finland from 2012 until 2024, when Alexander Stubb took over.
Finnish support for NATO rose sharply after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Before February 2022, opinion polls showed a narrow but decisive majority against NATO membership; by April, a supermajority was in favour of membership. On 11 May 2022, Finland signed a mutual security pact with the United Kingdom. On 12 May, Finland's president and Prime Minister called for NATO membership "without delay". Subsequently, on 17 May, the Finnish Parliament voted 188–8 in favour of Finland's accession to NATO.Finland became a member of NATO on 4 April 2023.
Geography
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 Reykjavík lies more to the north than Helsinki. The distance from the southernmost point – Hanko in Uusimaa – to the northernmost – Nuorgam in Lapland – is 1,160 kilometres (720 mi).
Finland has about 168,000 lakes (of area larger than 500 m2 or 0.12 acres) and 179,000 islands. Its largest lake, Saimaa, is the fourth largest in Europe. The Finnish Lakeland is the area with the most lakes in the country; many of the major cities in the area, most notably Tampere, Jyväskylä and Kuopio, are located near the large lakes. The Finnish coastline is speckled with the world's largest archipelago, encompassing more than 50,000 islands, greatest concentration of which is found in the southwest, in the Archipelago Sea between continental Finland and the main island of Åland.
Much of the geography of Finland is a result of the Ice Age. The glaciers were thicker and lasted longer in Fennoscandia compared with the rest of Europe. The eroding effects have contributed to a mostly flat landscape in Finland, characterized by hills. However, in the northern regions, including areas bordering the Scandinavian Mountains, the terrain features mountainous elevations. At 1,324 metres (4,344 ft), Halti is the highest point in Finland. It is found in the north of Lapland at the border between Finland and Norway. The highest mountain whose peak is entirely in Finland is Ridnitšohkka at 1,316 m (4,318 ft), 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 Salpausselkä ridges that run across southern Finland.
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 1 cm (0.4 in) 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 (2.7 sq mi) annually. Relatively speaking, Finland is rising from the sea.
The landscape is covered mostly by coniferous taiga forests and fens, with little cultivated land. Of the total area, 10% is lakes, rivers, and ponds, and 78% is forest. 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 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.
Biodiversity
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. Finland had a 2018 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 5.08/10, ranking it 109th globally out of 172 countries.
Similarly, Finland has a diverse and extensive range of fauna. There are at least sixty native mammalian species, 248 breeding bird species, over 70 fish species, and 11 reptile and frog species present today, many migrating from neighbouring countries thousands of years ago. Large and widely recognized wildlife mammals found in Finland are the brown bear, grey 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 Western capercaillie, a large, black-plumaged member of the grouse family; and the Eurasian eagle-owl. The latter is considered an indicator of old-growth forest connectivity, and has been declining because of landscape fragmentation. Around 24,000 species of insects are prevalent in Finland some of the most common being hornets with tribes of beetles such as the Onciderini also being common. 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 390 seals today. The species has become the emblem of the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation.
A third of Finland's land area originally consisted of moorland, about half of this area has been drained for cultivation over the past centuries.
Climate
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 Köppen 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 in southern Finland (when mean daily temperature remains below 0 °C or 32 °F) are usually about 100 days long, and in the inland the snow typically covers the land from about late November to April, and on the coastal areas such as Helsinki, snow often covers the land from late December to late March. Even in the south, the harshest winter nights can see the temperatures fall to −30 °C (−22 °F) although on coastal areas like Helsinki, temperatures below −30 °C (−22 °F) are rare. Climatic summers (when mean daily temperature remains above 10 °C or 50 °F) in southern Finland last from about late May to mid-September, and in the inland, the warmest days of July can reach over 35 °C (95 °F). Although most of Finland lies on the taiga belt, the southernmost coastal regions are sometimes classified as hemiboreal.
In northern Finland, particularly in Lapland, the winters are long and cold, while the summers are relatively warm but short. On the most severe winter days in Lapland can see the temperature fall to −45 °C (−49 °F). 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 25 °C (77 °F) 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.
Finland is ranked 4th in Environmental Performance Index for year 2024. This Index combines various indicators around known issues around the world and measures how good they fit in among each countries on a scale. Finland scores good in parameters like Climate Change Mitigation, Waste Management, Air pollution, Air quality etc.
Regions
Finland consists of 19 regions (maakunta). The counties are governed by regional councils which serve as forums of cooperation for the municipalities of a county. The main tasks of the counties are regional planning and development of enterprise and education. In addition, the public health services are usually organized based on counties. 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 county has a state Employment and Economic Development Centre which is responsible for the local administration of labour, agriculture, fisheries, forestry, and entrepreneurial affairs. Historically, counties are divisions of historical provinces of Finland, areas that represent local dialects and culture more accurately.
Six Regional State Administrative Agencies are responsible for one of the counties called alue in Finnish; in addition, Åland was designated a seventh county.
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The county of Eastern Uusimaa (Itä-Uusimaa) was consolidated with Uusimaa on 1 January 2011.
Administrative divisions
The fundamental administrative divisions of the country are the municipalities, which may also call themselves towns or cities. They account for half of the public spending. Spending is financed by municipal income tax, state subsidies, and other revenue. As of 2021[update], there are 309 municipalities, and most have fewer than 6,000 residents.
In addition to municipalities, two intermediate levels are defined. Municipalities co-operate in seventy sub-regions and nineteen counties. These are governed by the member municipalities and have only limited powers. The autonomous province of Åland has a permanent democratically elected regional council. Sami people have a semi-autonomous Sami native region in Lapland for issues on language and culture.
Health, social and emergency services are organised by the Wellbeing services counties. Finland has 21 Wellbeing services counties and the county structure is mainly based on the region structure. The , which is responsible for the operation, administration and finances of the area, is the highest decision-making body in the Wellbeing services county. The delegates and deputy commissioners of the county council are elected in the county elections for a term of office of four years. Wellbeing services counties are self-governing. However, they do not have the right to levy taxes and their funding is based on central government funding.
The capital region – comprising Helsinki, Vantaa, Espoo and Kauniainen – forms a continuous conurbation of approximately 1.27 million people. However, common administration is limited to voluntary cooperation of all municipalities, e.g. in Helsinki Metropolitan Area Council.
Government and politics
13th President
since 1 March 2024
47th Prime Minister
since 20 June 2023
the Eurozone the European Union
Constitution
The Constitution of Finland defines the political system; Finland is a parliamentary republic within the framework of a representative democracy. The Prime Minister is the country's most powerful person. Citizens can run and vote in parliamentary, municipal, presidential, and European Union elections.
President
Finland's head of state is the President of the Republic. Finland had, for most of its independence a semi-presidential system of government, but in the last few decades the powers of the president have become more circumscribed, and consequently the country is now considered a parliamentary republic. A new constitution, enacted in 2000, made the presidency primarily a ceremonial office. The president appoints the prime minister as elected by Parliament, appoints and dismisses the other ministers of the Finnish Government on the recommendation of the prime minister, opens parliamentary sessions, and confers state honors. Nevertheless, the president remains responsible for Finland's foreign relations, including the making of war and peace, but excluding matters related to the European Union.[citation needed] Moreover, the president exercises supreme command over the Finnish Defence Forces as commander-in-chief. In the exercise of his or her foreign and defense powers, the president is required to consult the Finnish government, but the government's advice is not binding. In addition, the president has several domestic reserve powers, including the authority to veto legislation, to grant pardons, and to appoint several public officials.[citation needed] The president is also required by the Constitution to dismiss individual ministers or the entire government upon a parliamentary vote of no confidence.
The president is directly elected via runoff voting and may serve for a maximum of two consecutive 6-year terms. The current president is Alexander Stubb, who took office on 1 March 2024. His predecessors were Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg (1919–1925), Lauri Kristian Relander (1925–1931), Pehr Evind Svinhufvud (1931–1937), Kyösti Kallio (1937–1940), Risto Ryti (1940–1944), Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim (1944–1946), Juho Kusti Paasikivi (1946–1956), Urho Kekkonen (1956–1982), Mauno Koivisto (1982–1994), Martti Ahtisaari (1994–2000), Tarja Halonen (2000–2012), and Sauli Niinistö (2012–2024).
Parliament
The 200-member unicameral Parliament of Finland (Finnish: Eduskunta) exercises supreme legislative authority in the country. 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 several multi-seat constituencies through the most open list multi-member districts. Various parliament committees listen to experts and prepare legislation.
Significant parliamentary parties are Centre Party, Christian Democrats, Finns Party, Green League, Left Alliance, National Coalition Party, Social Democrats and Swedish People's Party.
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, as the parties represented in the cabinet usually make up a majority in the parliament.
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, other ministers, and the Chancellor of Justice. 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 often 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.
The Orpo Cabinet is the incumbent 77th government of Finland. It took office on 20 June 2023. The cabinet is headed by Petteri Orpo and is a coalition between the National Coalition Party, Finns Party, the Swedish People's Party, and the Christian Democrats.
Law
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, 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 against certain high-ranking officeholders.
Around 92% of residents have confidence in Finland's security institutions. The overall crime rate of Finland is not high in the EU context. Some crime types are above average, notably the high homicide rate for Western Europe. A day fine system is in effect and also applied to offenses such as speeding. Finland has a very low number of corruption charges; Transparency International ranks Finland as one of the least corrupt countries in Europe.
Foreign relations
According to the 2012 constitution, the president leads foreign policy in cooperation with the government, except that the president has no role in EU affairs. In 2008, president Martti Ahtisaari was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Finland's relationship with Russia deteriorated following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, with a number of Russian diplomats expelled for spying, Russians restricted from visiting Finland and the general opinion immediately changing for Finland to join NATO, while it has also had a significant impact on the increasing strengthold of relations between the United States and Finland. According to the 2024 Global Peace Index, Finland is the 13th most peaceful country in the world.
Military
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. Voluntary post-conscription overseas peacekeeping service is popular, and troops serve around the world in UN, NATO, and EU missions. Women are allowed to serve in all combat arms. In 2022, 1211 women entered voluntary military service. The army consists of a highly mobile field army backed up by local defence units. With a high capability of military personnel,arsenal and homeland defence willingness, Finland is one of Europe's militarily strongest countries.
Finnish defence expenditure per capita is one of the highest in the European Union. 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.
Finland became a member of NATO on 4 April 2023, though it participated in the NATO Response Force before becoming a member. Before NATO membership, Finland has been part of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) since 2017. Finland also contributes to the EU Battlegroup. Finland sent personnel to the Kosovo Force and the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. On 18 December 2023, Finland signed the DCA agreement with the United States, which regulates the presence of the US armed forces and their dependents on the territory of Finland, as well as the presence and activities of US suppliers.
Human rights
Finland has one of the world's most extensive welfare systems, one that guarantees decent living conditions for all residents. The welfare system was created almost entirely during the first three decades after World War II.
Section 6 of the Finnish Constitution states: "No one shall be placed in a different position on situation of sex, age, origin, language, religion, belief, opinion, state of health, disability or any other personal reason without an acceptable reason".
Finland has been ranked above average among the world's countries in democracy,press freedom, and human development.Amnesty International has expressed concern regarding some issues in Finland, such as the imprisonment of conscientious objectors, and societal discrimination against Romani people and members of other ethnic and linguistic minorities.
In the report of the European umbrella organization ILGA-Europe published in May 2023, Finland ranked sixth in a European comparison of LGBTQ+ rights.
Economy
As of 2022[update], Finland ranks 16th globally in nominal GDP per capita according to the IMF. Additionally, Finland boasts a well-developed welfare system that encompasses free education and universal healthcare, contributing to its reputation as one of the wealthiest nations.
The service sector constitutes the largest segment of the economy, amounting to 66% of the GDP, while manufacturing and refining make up 31%. Primary production accounts for 2.9% of the economy. Manufacturing is the primary economic sector concerning foreign trade. The predominant industrial sectors in 2007 were electronics (22%), machinery, vehicles, and other engineered metal products (21.1%), forest industry (13%), and chemicals (11%). The gross domestic product reached its peak in 2021. Finland has been ranked seventh in the Global Innovation Index of 2023 and 2024.
Finland has considerable timber, mineral (including iron, chromium, copper, nickel and gold) and freshwater resources. Finland's gold production in 2015 was 9 metric tons. For the rural population, forestry, paper mills and agriculture are important. The Helsinki metropolitan area area accounts for roughly one-third of Finland's GDP. Private services represent the largest employer in Finland.
Finland's soil and climate pose particular challenges for crop production, with harsh winters and relatively short growing seasons, often interrupted by frost. However, the prevalence of the Gulf Stream and the North Atlantic Drift Current in Finland's temperate climate allows for half of the world's arable land north of the 60° north latitude. Although annual precipitation is generally adequate, it mostly transpires during winter, which poses a continuous risk of summer droughts. Farmers have adapted to the climate by relying on quick-ripening and frost-resistant crop varieties. They cultivate south-facing slopes and rich bottomlands to ensure year-round production, even during summer frosts. Drainage systems are often utilized to remove excess water. Finland's agricultural sector has demonstrated remarkable efficiency and productivity, particularly in comparison to its European counterparts.
Forests are crucial to the nation's economy, making it one of the world's foremost wood producers and offering raw materials at competitive prices to the wood processing industries. The government has played an important role in forestry for a considerable period similar to that in agriculture. It has regulated tree cutting, sponsored technical improvements, and established long-term plans to guarantee the sustainability of the country's forests in supplying the wood-processing industries.
As of 2008[update], the average level of income, adjusted for purchasing power, was comparable to that of Italy, Sweden, Germany and France. In 2006, 62% of the labour force was employed by firms with fewer than 250 workers, which generated 49% of total business revenue. The employment rate of women is high. Gender segregation between male-dominated professions and female-dominated professions is higher than in the US. The proportion of part-time workers was one of the lowest in OECD in 1999. As of 2013[update], the 10 largest private sector employers in Finland were Itella, Nokia, OP-Pohjola, ISS, VR, Kesko, UPM-Kymmene, YIT, Metso, and Nordea. As of 2022[update], the unemployment rate was 6.8%.
As of 2022[update], 46% of households consist of a single person, 32% two persons and 22% three or more persons. The average residential space is 40 square metres (430 sq ft) per person. In 2021, Finland's GDP reached €251 billion. In 2022, altogether 74 per cent of employed persons worked in services and administration, 21 per cent in industry and construction, and four per cent in agriculture and forestry.
Finland has the highest concentration of cooperatives relative to its population. The largest retailer, which is also the largest private employer, S-Group, and the largest bank, OP-Group, in the country are both cooperatives.
Energy
The free and largely privately owned financial and physical Nordic energy markets traded in NASDAQ OMX Commodities Europe and Nord Pool Spot exchanges, have provided competitive prices compared with other EU countries. As of 2022[update], Finland has the lowest non-household electricity prices in the EU.
In 2021, the energy market was around 87 terawatt hours and the peak demand around 14 gigawatts in winter. Industry and construction consumed 43.5% of total consumption, a relatively high figure reflecting Finland's industries. Finland's hydrocarbon resources are limited to peat and wood. About 18% of the electricity is produced by hydropower In 2021, renewable energy (mainly hydropower and various forms of wood energy) was high at 43% compared with the EU average of 22% in final energy consumption. About 20% of electricity is imported, especially from Sweden due to its lower cost there. As of February 2022[update], Finland's strategic petroleum reserves held 200 days worth of net oil imports in the case of emergencies.
Finland has five privately owned nuclear reactors producing 40% of the country's energy. The Onkalo spent nuclear fuel repository is currently under construction at the Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant in the municipality of Eurajoki, on the west coast of Finland, by the company Posiva.
Transport
Finland's road system is utilized by most internal cargo and passenger traffic. The annual state operated road network expenditure of around €1 billion is paid for with vehicle and fuel taxes which amount to around €1.5 billion and €1 billion, respectively. Among the Finnish highways, the most significant and busiest main roads include the Turku Highway (E18), the Tampere Highway (E12), the Lahti Highway (E75), and the ring roads (Ring I and Ring III) of the Helsinki metropolitan area and the Tampere Ring Road of the Tampere urban area.
The main international passenger gateway is Helsinki Airport, which handled about 15.3 million passengers in 2023. Another 26 airports have scheduled passenger services. The Helsinki Airport-based Finnair, Blue1, and Nordic Regional Airlines, Norwegian Air Shuttle sell air services both domestically and internationally.
The Government annually spends around €350 million to maintain the 5,865-kilometre-long (3,644 mi) network of railway tracks. Rail transport is handled by the state-owned VR Group. Finland's first railway was opened in 1862, and today it forms part of the Finnish Main Line, which is more than 800 kilometers long. Helsinki opened the world's northernmost metro system in 1982.
The majority of international cargo shipments are handled at ports. Vuosaari Harbour in Helsinki is the largest container port in Finland; others include Kotka, Hamina, Hanko, Pori, Rauma, and Oulu. There is passenger traffic from Helsinki and Turku, which have ferry connections to Tallinn, Mariehamn, Stockholm and Travemünde. The Helsinki-Tallinn route is one of the busiest passenger sea routes in the world.
Industry
Finland rapidly industrialized after World War II, achieving GDP per capita levels comparable to that of Japan or the UK at the beginning of the 1970s. Initially, most of the economic development was based on two broad groups of export-led industries, the "metal industry" (metalliteollisuus) and "forest industry" (metsäteollisuus). The "metal industry" includes shipbuilding, metalworking, the automotive industry, engineered products such as motors and electronics, and production of metals and alloys including steel, copper and chromium. Many of the world's biggest cruise ships, including MS Freedom of the Seas and the Oasis of the Seas have been built in Finnish shipyards. The "forest industry" includes forestry, timber, pulp and paper, and is often considered a logical development based on Finland's extensive forest resources, as 73% of the area is covered by forest. In the pulp and paper industry, many major companies are based in Finland; Ahlstrom-Munksjö, Metsä Board, and UPM are all Finnish forest-based companies with revenues exceeding €1 billion. However, in recent decades, the Finnish economy has diversified, with companies expanding into fields such as electronics (Nokia), metrology (Vaisala), petroleum (Neste), and video games (Rovio Entertainment), and is no longer dominated by the two sectors of metal and forest industry. Likewise, the structure has changed, with the service sector growing. Despite this, production for export is still more prominent than in Western Europe, thus making Finland possibly more vulnerable to global economic trends.
In 2017, the Finnish economy was estimated to consist of approximately 2.7% agriculture, 28.2% manufacturing, and 69.1% services. In 2019, the per-capita income of Finland was estimated to be $48,869. In 2020, Finland was ranked 20th on the ease of doing business index, among 190 jurisdictions.
Public policy
Finnish politicians have often emulated the Nordic model. Nordics have been free-trading for over a century. The level of protection in commodity trade has been low, except for agricultural products. Finland is ranked 16th in the 2008 global Index of Economic Freedom and ninth in Europe. According to the OECD, only four EU-15 countries have less regulated product markets and only one has less regulated financial markets. The 2007 IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook ranked Finland 17th most competitive. The World Economic Forum 2008 index ranked Finland the sixth most competitive.
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 corrupt country in the world in the Corruption Perceptions Index and 13th in the Ease of doing business index.
In Finland, collective labour agreements are universally valid. These are drafted every few years for each profession and seniority level, with only a few jobs outside the system. 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 (AKAVA, mostly for university-educated professionals: 80%).
Tourism
In 2017, tourism in Finland grossed approximately €15.0 billion. Of this, €4.6 billion (30%) came from foreign tourism. In 2017, there were 15.2 million overnight stays of domestic tourists and 6.7 million overnight stays of foreign tourists. Tourism contributes roughly 2.7% to Finland's GDP.
Lapland has the highest tourism consumption of any Finnish 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 (for up to 73 consecutive days, at the northernmost point). 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. Finnish Lapland is also locally regarded as the home of Santa Claus, with several theme parks, such as Santa Claus Village and Santa Park in Rovaniemi. Other significant tourist destinations in Lapland also include ski resorts (such as Levi, Ruka and Ylläs) and sleigh rides led by either reindeer or huskies.
Tourist attractions in Finland include the natural landscape found throughout the country as well as urban attractions. Finland contains 40 national parks (such as Koli National Park in North Karelia), from the Southern shores of the Gulf of Finland to the high fells of Lapland. Outdoor activities range from Nordic skiing, golf, fishing, yachting, lake cruises, hiking, and kayaking, among many others. Bird-watching is popular for those fond of avifauna, however, hunting is also popular.
The most famous tourist attractions in Helsinki include the Helsinki Cathedral and the Suomenlinna sea fortress. The most well-known Finnish amusement parks include Linnanmäki in Helsinki and Särkänniemi in Tampere.St. Olaf's Castle (Olavinlinna) in Savonlinna hosts the annual Savonlinna Opera Festival, and the medieval milieus of the cities of Turku, Rauma and Porvoo also attract spectators.Commercial cruises between major coastal and port cities in the Baltic region play a significant role in the local tourism industry.
Demographics
Population by continent of origin (2023)
The population of Finland is about 5.6 million. The birth rate is 7.8 per 1,000 residents, for a fertility rate of 1.26 children born per woman, one of the lowest in the world, significantly below the replacement rate of 2.1. In 1887 Finland recorded its highest rate, 5.17 children born per woman. Finland has one of the oldest populations in the world, with a median age of 42.6 years. Approximately half of voters are estimated to be over 50 years old. 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, and the lowest population density of any European Union member country. Finland's population has always been concentrated in the southern parts of the country, a phenomenon that became even more pronounced during 20th-century urbanization. Three of the four largest cities in Finland are situated in the Helsinki metropolitan area —Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa. In the largest cities of Finland, Tampere holds the third place after Helsinki and Espoo while also Helsinki-neighbouring Vantaa is the fourth. Other cities with population over 100,000 are Turku, Oulu, Jyväskylä, Kuopio, and Lahti.
Finland's immigrant population is growing. As of 2023[update], there were 571,268 people with a foreign background living in Finland (10.2% of the population), most of whom are from the former Soviet Union, Estonia, Sweden, Iraq, China and India. The children of foreigners are not automatically given Finnish citizenship, as Finnish nationality law practices and maintain jus sanguinis policy where only children born to at least one Finnish parent are granted citizenship. If they are born in Finland and cannot get citizenship of any other country, they become citizens. Additionally, certain persons of Finnish descent who reside in countries that were once part of Soviet Union, retain the right of return, a right to establish permanent residency in the country, which would eventually entitle them to qualify for citizenship. As of 2023[update], 535,451 people in Finland were born in another country, representing 9,6 % of the population. The 10 largest foreign born groups are (in order) from Estonia, Sweden, Iraq, Russia, China, Ukraine, India, Somalia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and Turkey.
Finland's national minorities include the Sami, Romani people, the Jews and the Tatars. Romani people of the Finnish Kale group settled in the country at the end of the sixteenth century.
Language
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 (with towns such as Ekenäs,Pargas,Närpes,Kristinestad,Jakobstad and Nykarleby.) and in the autonomous region of Åland, which is the only monolingual Swedish-speaking region in Finland. As of 2023[update], the native language of 84.9% of the population was Finnish, which is part of the Finnic subgroup of the Uralic language. The language is one of only four official EU languages not of Indo-European origin, and has no relation through descent to the other national languages of the Nordics. Conversely, Finnish is closely related to Estonian and Karelian, and more distantly to Hungarian and the Sami languages.
Swedish is the native language of 5.1% of the population (Swedish-speaking Finns). Swedish is a compulsory school subject and general knowledge of the language is good among many non-native speakers. Likewise, a majority of Swedish-speaking non-Ålanders can speak Finnish. The Finnish side of the land border with Sweden is unilingually Finnish-speaking. The Swedish across the border is distinct from the Swedish spoken in Finland. There is a sizeable pronunciation difference between the varieties of Swedish spoken in the two countries, although their mutual intelligibility is nearly universal.
Finnish Romani is spoken by some 5,000–6,000 people; there are 13,000-14,000 Romani people in Finland Romani and Finnish Sign Language are also recognized in the constitution. There are two sign languages: Finnish Sign Language, spoken natively by 4,000–5,000 people, and Finland-Swedish Sign Language, spoken natively by about 150 people. Tatar is spoken by a Finnish Tatar minority of about 800 people whose ancestors moved to Finland mainly between the 1870s and 1920s.
The Sámi languages have an official status in parts of Lapland, where the Sámi, numbering over 10,000 are recognized as an indigenous people. About a quarter of them speak a Sami language as their mother tongue. The Sami languages that are spoken in Finland are Northern Sami, Inari Sami, and Skolt Sami. The rights of minority groups (in particular Sami, Swedish speakers, and Romani people) are protected by the constitution. The Nordic languages and Karelian are also specially recognized in parts of Finland.
As of 2023[update], the most common foreign languages are Russian (1.8%), Estonian (0.9%), Arabic (0.7%), English (0.6%) and Ukrainian (0.5%).
English is studied by most pupils as a compulsory subject from the first grade (at seven years of age), formerly from the third or fifth grade, in the comprehensive school (in some schools other languages can be chosen instead). German, French, Spanish and Russian can be studied as second foreign languages from the fourth grade (at 10 years of age; some schools may offer other options).
Largest cities
Largest cities or towns in Finland "Population increased most in Uusimaa in 2023". Statistics Finland. 31 December 2023. | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Name | Region | Pop. | Rank | Name | Region | Pop. | ||
| 1 | Helsinki | Uusimaa | 684,589 | 11 | Kouvola | Kymenlaakso | 78,399 | ||
| 2 | Espoo | Uusimaa | 321,031 | 12 | Joensuu | North Karelia | 78,743 | ||
| 3 | Tampere | Pirkanmaa | 260,358 | 13 | Lappeenranta | South Karelia | 73,369 | ||
| 4 | Vantaa | Uusimaa | 251,405 | 14 | Vaasa | Ostrobothnia | 70,374 | ||
| 5 | Oulu | North Ostrobothnia | 216,194 | 15 | Hämeenlinna | Kanta-Häme | 68,376 | ||
| 6 | Turku | Southwest Finland | 206,035 | 16 | Seinäjoki | South Ostrobothnia | 66,610 | ||
| 7 | Jyväskylä | Central Finland | 149,269 | 17 | Rovaniemi | Lapland | 65,738 | ||
| 8 | Kuopio | North Savo | 125,668 | 18 | Mikkeli | South Savo | 51,893 | ||
| 9 | Lahti | Päijät-Häme | 121,383 | 19 | Porvoo | Uusimaa | 51,753 | ||
| 10 | Pori | Satakunta | 83,316 | 20 | Salo | Southwest Finland | 50,867 | ||
Religion
Registered members of religions groups in Finland by the Statistics Finland (2023)
With 3.5 million members, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland is Finland's largest religious body; at the end of 2023, 63.6% of Finns were members of the church. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland has seen its share of the country's population declining by roughly one percent annually in recent years. The decline has been due to both church membership resignations and falling baptism rates. The second largest group, accounting for 26.3% of the population in 2017, has no religious affiliation. A small minority belongs to the Finnish Orthodox Church (1.1%). Other Protestant denominations and the Roman Catholic Church are significantly smaller, as are the Jewish and other non-Christian communities (totalling 1.6%). The Pew Research Center estimated the Muslim population at 2.7% in 2016.
Finland's state church was the Church of Sweden until 1809. As an autonomous Grand Duchy under Russia from 1809 to 1917, Finland retained the Lutheran State Church system, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland was established. After Finland had gained independence in 1917, religious freedom was declared in the constitution of 1919, and a separate law on religious freedom in 1922. Through this arrangement, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland gained a constitutional status as a national church alongside the Finnish Orthodox Church, whose position however is not codified in the constitution. The main Lutheran and Orthodox churches have special roles such as in state ceremonies and schools.
In 2016, 69.3% of Finnish children were baptized and 82.3% were confirmed in 2012 at the age of 15, 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 1.8% of its 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". In the same survey, 28% reported themselves as "agnostic" and 29% as "non-religious".
Health
Life expectancy was 79 years for men and 84 years for women in 2017. The under-five mortality rate was 2.3 per 1,000 live births in 2017, ranking Finland's rate among the lowest in the world. The fertility rate in 2014 stood at 1.71 children born/per woman and has been below the replacement rate of 2.1 since 1969. With a low birth rate women also become mothers at a later age, the mean age at first live birth being 28.6 in 2014. A 2011 study published in The Lancet medical journal found that Finland had the lowest stillbirth rate out of 193 countries.
There has been a slight increase or no change in welfare and health inequalities between population groups in the 21st century. Lifestyle-related diseases are on the rise. More than half a million Finns suffer from diabetes, type 1 diabetes being globally the most common in Finland. Many children are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. The number of musculoskeletal diseases and cancers are increasing, although the cancer prognosis has improved. Allergies and dementia are also growing health problems in Finland. One of the most common reasons for work disability are due to mental disorders, in particular depression. Without age standardization, the suicide rates were 13 per 100 000 in 2015, close to the North European average. Age-standardized suicide rates are still among the highest among developed countries in the OECD.
There are 307 residents for each doctor. About 19% of health care is funded directly by households and 77% by taxation.
In April 2012, Finland was ranked second in Gross National Happiness in a report published by The Earth Institute. Since 2012, Finland has every time ranked at least in the top 5 of world's happiest countries in the annual World Happiness Report by the United Nations, as well as ranking as the happiest country since 2018.
Education and science
Most pre-tertiary education is arranged at the municipal level. Around 3 percent of students are enrolled in private schools (mostly specialist language and international schools). Formal education is usually started at the age of 7. Primary school takes normally six years and lower secondary school three years.
The curriculum is set by the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Education Board. Education is compulsory between the ages of 7 and 18. After lower secondary school, graduates may 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 15 universities and 24 Universities of Applied Sciences (UAS) in the country. The University of Helsinki is ranked 75th in the Top University Ranking of 2010.Other reputable universities of Finland include Aalto University in Espoo, both University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University in Turku, University of Jyväskylä, University of Oulu, LUT University in Lappeenranta and Lahti, University of Eastern Finland in Kuopio and Joensuu, and Tampere University.
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%). In addition, 38% of Finland's population has a university or college degree, which is among the highest percentages in the world. Adult education appears in several forms, such as secondary evening schools, civic and workers' institutes, study centres, vocational course centres, and folk high schools.
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 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.
Culture
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 19th century and 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 the Kalevala, the Finnish national epic. The era saw a rise of poets and novelists who wrote in Finnish, notably the national writer of Finland, Aleksis Kivi (The Seven Brothers), and Minna Canth, Eino Leino, and Juhani Aho. Many writers of the national awakening wrote in Swedish, such as the national poet J. L. Runeberg (The Tales of Ensign Stål) and Zachris Topelius.
After Finland became independent, there was a rise of modernist writers, most famously the Swedish-speaking poet Edith Södergran. Finnish-speaking authors explored national and historical themes. Most famous of them were Frans Eemil Sillanpää, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1939, historical novelist Mika Waltari, and Väinö Linna with his The Unknown Soldier and Under the North Star trilogy. Beginning with Paavo Haavikko, Finnish poetry adopted modernism. Besides Lönnrot's Kalevala and Waltari, the Swedish-speaking Tove Jansson, best known as the creator of The Moomins, is the most translated Finnish writer; her books have been translated into more than 40 languages.
Visual arts, design, and architecture
The visual arts in Finland started to form their characteristics in the 19th century when Romantic nationalism was rising in autonomic Finland. The best known Finnish painters, Akseli Gallen-Kallela, started painting in a naturalist style but moved to national romanticism. Other notable painters of the era include Pekka Halonen, Eero Järnefelt, Helene Schjerfbeck and Hugo Simberg. In the late 20th century, the homoerotic art of Touko Laaksonen, pseudonym Tom of Finland, found a worldwide audience.
Finland's best-known sculptor of the 20th century was Wäinö Aaltonen, remembered for his monumental busts and sculptures. The works of Eila Hiltunen and Laila Pullinen exemplifies the modernism in sculpture.
Finns have made major contributions to handicrafts and industrial design: among the internationally renowned figures are Timo Sarpaneva, Tapio Wirkkala and Ilmari Tapiovaara. Finnish architecture is famous around the world, and has contributed significantly to several styles internationally, such as Jugendstil (or Art Nouveau), Nordic Classicism and functionalism. Among the top 20th-century Finnish architects to gain international recognition are Eliel Saarinen and his son Eero Saarinen. Architect Alvar Aalto is regarded as among the most important 20th-century designers in the world; he helped bring functionalist architecture to Finland, but soon was a pioneer in its development towards an organic style. Aalto is also famous for his work in furniture, lamps, textiles, and glassware, which were usually incorporated into his buildings.
Music
- Folk
Finnish folk music can be divided into Nordic dance music and the older tradition of poem singing, poems from which the national epic, the Kalevala, was created. Much of Finland's classical music is influenced by traditional Finnish and Karelian melodies and lyrics, as comprised in the Kalevala. In the historical region of Finnish Karelia, as well as other parts of Eastern Finland, the old poem singing traditions were preserved better than in the western parts of the country. In the 19th century Nordic folk dance music largely replaced the kalevaic tradition. Finnish folk music has undergone a roots revival 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.
- Classical
The first Finnish opera was written by the German-born composer Fredrik Pacius in 1852. Pacius also wrote the music to the poem Maamme/Vårt 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. In 1899 he composed Finlandia, which played an important role in Finland gaining independence. He remains one of Finland's most popular national figures.
Alongside Sibelius, the distinct Finnish style of music was created by Oskar Merikanto, Toivo Kuula, Erkki Melartin, Leevi Madetoja and Uuno Klami. Important modernist composers include Einojuhani Rautavaara, Aulis Sallinen and Magnus Lindberg, among others. Kaija Saariaho was ranked the world's greatest living composer in a 2019 composers' poll. Many Finnish musicians have achieved international success. Among them are the conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen, the opera singer Karita Mattila and the violinist Pekka Kuusisto.
- Popular music
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 Argentine music, is also popular. The light music in Swedish-speaking areas has more influences from Sweden. At least a couple of Finnish polkas are known worldwide, such as Säkkijärven polkka and "Ievan polkka".
During the 1970s, progressive rock group Wigwam and rock and roll group Hurriganes gained respect abroad. The Finnish punk scene produced some internationally acknowledged names including Terveet Kädet in the 1980s. Hanoi Rocks was a pioneering glam rock act. Many Finnish metal bands have gained international recognition; Finland has been often called the "Promised Land of Heavy Metal" because there are more than 50 metal Bands for every 100,000 inhabitants – more than any other nation in the world. Modern Finnish popular music includes a number of prominent rock musicians, pop musicians, jazz musicians, hip hop performers, and dance music acts.
Finland has won the Eurovision Song Contest once in 2006 when Lordi won the contest with the song ''Hard Rock Hallelujah''. The Finnish pop artist Käärijä also got second place in the contest in 2023 with his worldwide hit song ''Cha Cha Cha''.
Cinema and television
In the film industry, notable modern directors include brothers Mika and Aki Kaurismäki, Dome Karukoski, Antti Jokinen, Jalmari Helander, and Renny Harlin. Some Finnish drama series are internationally known, such as Bordertown.
One of the most internationally successful Finnish films are The White Reindeer, directed by Erik Blomberg in 1952, which won the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Film in 1956;The Man Without a Past, directed by Aki Kaurismäki in 2002, which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2002 and won the Grand Prix at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival; and The Fencer, directed by Klaus Härö in 2015, which was nominated for the 73rd Golden Globe Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category as a Finnish/German/Estonian co-production.
In Finland, the most significant films include The Unknown Soldier, directed by Edvin Laine in 1955.Here, Beneath the North Star from 1968, is also one of the most significant works in Finnish history. A 1960 crime comedy film Inspector Palmu's Mistake, directed by Matti Kassila, was voted in 2012 the best Finnish film of all time by Finnish film critics and journalists, but the 1984 comedy film Uuno Turhapuro in the Army, the ninth film in Uuno Turhapuro film series, remains Finland's most seen domestic film made since 1968 by Finnish audience.
Media and communications
Today, there are around 200 newspapers, 320 popular magazines, 2,100 professional magazines, and 67 commercial radio stations. The largest newspaper is Helsingin Sanomat, its circulation being 339,437 as of 2019[update].Yle, the Finnish Broadcasting Company, operates five television channels and thirteen radio channels. Each year, around 12,000 book titles are published.
Thanks to its emphasis on transparency and equal rights, Finland's press has been rated the freest in the world. Worldwide, Finns, along with other Nordic peoples and the Japanese, spend the most time reading newspapers. In regards to telecommunication infrastructure, Finland is the highest ranked country in the World Economic Forum's Network Readiness Index (NRI) – an indicator for determining the development level of a country's information and communication technologies.
Sauna
The Finns' love for saunas is generally associated with Finnish cultural tradition. Sauna is a type of dry steam bath practiced widely in Finland, which is especially evident in the strong tradition around Midsummer and Christmas. The word sauna is of Proto-Finnish origin (found in Finnic and Sami languages) dating back 7,000 years. Steam baths have been part of European tradition elsewhere as well, but the sauna has survived best in Finland, in addition to Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Russia, Norway, and parts of the United States and Canada. Moreover, nearly all Finnish houses have either their own sauna or in multi-story apartment houses, a timeshare sauna. Municipal swimming halls and hotels have often their own saunas. The Finnish sauna culture is inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists.
Cuisine
Finnish cuisine generally combines traditional country fare and contemporary style cooking. Potato, meat and fish play a prominent role in traditional Finnish dishes. 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 and drink. The most popular fish food in Finland is salmon.
Finland has the world's second highest per capita consumption of coffee. Milk consumption is also high, at an average of about 112 litres (25 imp gal; 30 US gal), per person, per year, even though 17% of the Finns are lactose intolerant.
Public holidays
There are several holidays in Finland, of which perhaps the most characteristic of Finnish culture include Christmas (joulu), Midsummer (juhannus), May Day (vappu) and Independence Day (itsenäisyyspäivä). Of these, Christmas and Midsummer are special in Finland because the actual festivities take place on eves, such as Christmas Eve and Midsummer's Eve, while Christmas Day and Midsummer's Day are more consecrated to rest. Other public holidays in Finland are New Year's Day, Epiphany, Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday, Ascension Day, All Saints' Day and Saint Stephen's Day. All official holidays in Finland are established by Acts of Parliament.
Sports
Various sporting events are popular in Finland. Pesäpallo, the Finnish equivalent of American baseball, is the national sport of Finland, although the most popular sport in terms of spectators is ice hockey. Other popular sports include athletics, cross-country skiing, ski jumping, football, volleyball, and basketball. Association football is the most played team sport in terms of the number of players in the country.Finland's national basketball team has received widespread public attention.
In terms of medals and gold medals won per capita, Finland is the best-performing country in Olympic history. Finland first participated as a nation in its own right at the Olympic Games in 1908. At the 1912 Summer Olympics, three gold medals were won by the original "Flying Finn" Hannes Kolehmainen. In the 1920s and '30s, Finnish long-distance runners dominated the Olympics, with Paavo Nurmi winning a total of nine Olympic gold medals 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. The 1952 Summer Olympics were held in Helsinki.
The javelin throw event has brought Finland nine Olympic gold medals, five world championships, five European championships, and 24 world records. Finland also has a notable history in figure skating. Finnish skaters have won 8 world championships and 13 junior world cups in synchronized skating.
Finnish competitors have achieved significant success in motorsport. In the World Rally Championship, Finland has produced eight world champions, more than any other country. In Formula One, Finland has won the most world championships per capita, with Keke Rosberg, Mika Häkkinen and Kimi Räikkönen all having won the title.
Some of the most popular recreational sports and activities include Nordic walking, running, cycling and skiing. Floorball is the most popular youth and workplace sport.
See also
- List of Finland-related topics
- Outline of Finland
Notes
- Includes Finland-Swedes, Romani, Tatar and Sámi people.
- 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.
- The role that the regional councils serve on Mainland Finland are on Åland handled by the autonomous Government of Åland.
- The names for Finland in its Sami languages are: Suopma (Northern Sami), Suomâ (Inari Sami) and Lää'ddjânnam (Skolt Sami). See Geonames.de.
- Finnish: Suomi [ˈsuo̯mi] ; Swedish: Finland Swedish pronunciation: [ˈfinlɑnd]
- Finnish: Suomen tasavalta; Swedish: Republiken Finland;
- "Republic of Finland", or Suomen tasavalta in Finnish, Republiken Finland in Swedish, and Suoma dásseváldi in Sami, is the long protocol name, which is however not defined by law. Legislation recognizes only the short name.
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Finland officially the Republic of Finland is a Nordic country in Northern Europe It borders Sweden to the northwest Norway to the north and Russia to the east with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south opposite Estonia Finland covers a total area of 338 145 square kilometres 130 559 sq mi including a land area of 303 815 square kilometres 117 304 sq mi and has a population of 5 6 million Helsinki is the capital and largest city The vast majority of the population are ethnic Finns The official languages are Finnish and Swedish 84 9 percent of the population speak the first as their mother tongue and 5 1 percent the latter Finland s climate varies from humid continental in the south to boreal in the north The land cover is predominantly boreal forest biome with more than 180 000 recorded lakes Republic of FinlandSuomen tasavalta Finnish Republiken Finland Swedish Flag Coat of armsAnthem Maamme Finnish Vart land Swedish English Our Land source source track track track track track track track track track track track track track track track track Show globeShow map of EuropeLocation of Finland dark green in Europe green amp dark grey in the European Union green Legend Capitaland largest cityHelsinki 60 10 15 N 24 56 15 E 60 17083 N 24 93750 E 60 17083 24 93750Official languagesFinnishSwedishRecognized national languagesSamiKarelianFinnish KaloFinnish Sign LanguageFinland Swedish Sign LanguageEthnic groups 2023 89 8 Finns10 2 othersReligion 2023 65 6 Christianity 63 6 Lutheranism 1 1 Orthodoxy 0 9 other Christian33 6 no religion0 8 otherDemonym s FinnishFinnGovernmentUnitary parliamentary republic PresidentAlexander Stubb Prime MinisterPetteri Orpo Speaker of the ParliamentJussi Halla ahoLegislatureParliamentIndependence from Soviet Russia Establishment of Grand Duchy of Finland29 March 1809 from Sweden Declaration of independence6 December 1917 Constitution established17 July 1919Area Total338 145 km2 130 559 sq mi 65th Water 9 71 2015 Population 2023 estimate5 603 851 114th Density18 4 km2 47 7 sq mi 213th GDP PPP 2024 estimate Total 361 312 billion 59th Per capita 64 657 24th GDP nominal 2024 estimate Total 306 083 billion 48th Per capita 54 773 16th Gini 2023 26 6 low inequalityHDI 2022 0 942 very high 12th CurrencyEuro EUR Time zoneUTC 2 EET Summer DST UTC 3 EEST Date formatdd mm yyyyCalling code 358ISO 3166 codeFIInternet TLD fi axa eubThe ax domain is used in Aland Finland was first settled around 9000 BC after the last Ice Age During the Stone Age various cultures emerged distinguished by different styles of ceramics The Bronze Age and Iron Ages were marked by contacts with other cultures in Fennoscandia and the Baltic region From the late 13th century Finland became part of Sweden as a result of the Northern Crusades In 1809 as a result of the Finnish War Finland was captured from Sweden and became an autonomous grand duchy within the Russian Empire During this period Finnish art flourished and the independence movement began to take hold Finland became the first territory in Europe to grant universal suffrage in 1906 and the first in the world to give all adult citizens the right to run for public office Following the Russian Revolution of 1917 Finland declared its independence A civil war was fought in Finland the following year with the Whites emerging victorious Finland s status as a republic was confirmed in 1919 During World War II Finland fought against the Soviet Union in the Winter War and the Continuation War and later against Nazi Germany in the Lapland War As a result it lost parts of its territory to the Soviet Union but retained its independence and democracy Finland remained a largely agricultural country until the 1950s After World War II it industrialised quickly and established an advanced economy with a welfare state built on the Nordic model This allowed the country to experience overall prosperity and high per capita income During the Cold War Finland officially embraced a policy of neutrality Since then it has become a member of the European Union in 1995 the Eurozone in 1999 and following the Russian invasion of Ukraine joined NATO in 2023 Finland is a member of various international organisations such as the Nordic Council the Schengen Area and the Organisation for Economic Co operation and Development OECD The nation performs extremely well in national performance metrics including education economic competitiveness civil liberties quality of life and human development HistoryPrehistory Stone Age bear head gavel found in Paltamo Kainuu The area that is now Finland was settled in at the latest around 8 500 BC during the Stone Age towards the end of the last glacial period The artefacts the first settlers left behind present characteristics that are shared with those found in Estonia Russia and Norway The earliest people were hunter gatherers using stone tools The first pottery appeared in 5200 BC when the Comb Ceramic culture was introduced The area of present day Finland was in the western limits of the culture which produced pottery with a distinct comb pattern The arrival of the Corded Ware culture in the south of coastal Finland between 3000 and 2500 BC may have coincided with the start of agriculture Even with the introduction of agriculture hunting and fishing continued to be important parts of the subsistence economy In the Bronze Age permanent all year round cultivation and animal husbandry spread but the cold climate slowed the change The Seima Turbino phenomenon brought the first bronze artefacts to the region and possibly also the Finno Ugric languages Commercial contacts that had so far mostly been to Estonia started to extend to Scandinavia Domestic manufacture of bronze artefacts started 1300 BC In the Iron Age population grew Finland Proper was the most densely populated area Commercial contacts in the Baltic Sea region grew and extended during the eighth and ninth centuries Main exports from Finland were furs slaves castoreum and falcons to European courts Imports included silk and other fabrics jewelry Ulfberht swords and in lesser extent glass Production of iron started approximately in 500 BC At the end of the ninth century indigenous artefact culture especially weapons and women s jewelry had more common local features than ever before This has been interpreted to be expressing common Finnish identity An early form of Finnic languages spread to the Baltic Sea region approximately 1900 BC Common Finnic language was spoken around Gulf of Finland 2000 years ago The dialects from which the modern day Finnish language was developed came into existence during the Iron Age Contacts with the ancient Baltic and eastern Germanic peoples greatly influenced the Proto Finnic language Although distantly related the Sami people retained the hunter gatherer lifestyle longer than the Finns The Sami cultural identity and the Sami language have survived in Lapland the northernmost province The name Suomi Finnish for Finland has uncertain origins but a common etymology with saame the Sami has been suggested In the earliest historical sources from the 12th and 13th centuries the term Finland refers to the coastal region around Turku This region later became known as Finland Proper in distinction from the country name Finland See also Etymology of Finns Swedish era The 12th and 13th centuries were a violent time in the northern Baltic Sea The Livonian Crusade was ongoing and the Finnish tribes such as the Tavastians and Karelians were in frequent conflicts with Novgorod and with each other Also during the 12th and 13th centuries several crusades from the Catholic realms of the Baltic Sea area were made against the Finnish tribes Danes waged at least three crusades to Finland in 1187 or slightly earlier in 1191 and in 1202 and Swedes possibly the so called second Crusade to Finland in 1249 against Tavastians and the third Crusade to Finland in 1293 against the Karelians The so called first Crusade to Finland possibly in 1155 most likely never occurred As a result of the Crusades mostly with the Second Swedish Crusade led by Birger Jarl and the colonization of some Finnish coastal areas with Christian Swedes during the Middle Ages Finland gradually became part of the kingdom of Sweden and the sphere of influence of the Catholic Church Under Sweden Finland was annexed as part of the cultural order of Western Europe The Swedes built fortresses in Hame and Turku while a Swedish royal council was instituted an administrative structure and fiscal apparatus was created and law codes were codified during the reigns of Magnus Ladulas 1275 1290 and Magnus Eriksson 1319 1364 As a result the Finnish lands were firmly integrated into the Swedish realm Now lying within Helsinki Suomenlinna is a UNESCO World Heritage Site consisting of an inhabited 18th century sea fortress built on six islands It is one of Finland s most popular tourist attractions Swedish was 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 The end of the Kalmar Union ushered in an era of religious social and economic changes Gustav Vasa r 1523 1560 made his second son Johan the duke of Finland while Gustav Adolf r 1611 1632 created the office of governor general for Finland as part of his restructuring of the administration of the Swedish realm In the 16th century a bishop and Lutheran Reformer Mikael Agricola published the first written works in Finnish and Finland s current capital city Helsinki was founded by King Gustav Vasa in 1555 The first university in Finland the Royal Academy of Turku was established by Queen Christina of Sweden at the proposal of Count Per Brahe in 1640 The Finns reaped a reputation in the Thirty Years War 1618 1648 as a well trained cavalrymen called Hakkapeliitta Finland suffered a severe famine in 1695 1697 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 1714 1721 and the Lesser Wrath 1742 1743 It is estimated that almost an entire generation of young men was lost during the Great Wrath due mainly to the destruction of homes and farms and the burning of Helsinki Grand Duchy of Finland The Swedish era ended with the Finnish War of 1809 On 29 March 1809 after being conquered by the armies of Alexander I of Russia Finland became an autonomous grand duchy within the Russian Empire as recognised by the Diet of Porvoo This situation continued until the end of 1917 In 1812 Alexander I incorporated the Russian province of Vyborg into the Grand Duchy of Finland In 1854 Finland became involved in Russia s involvement in the Crimean War when the British and French navies bombed the Finnish coast and Aland during the so called Aland War Edvard Isto The Attack 1899 The Russian eagle is attacking the Finnish Maiden trying to steal her book of laws Although Swedish was still widely spoken the Finnish language began to gain recognition during this period From the 1860s a strong Finnish nationalist movement known as the Fennoman movement grew One of the movement s most prominent leaders was the philosopher and politician J V Snellman who worked to stabilise the status of the Finnish language and its own currency the Finnish markka in the Grand Duchy of Finland Milestones included the publication of what would become Finland s national epic the Kalevala in 1835 and the legal equality of the Finnish language with Swedish in 1892 In the spirit of Adolf Ivar Arwidsson we are not Swedes we do not want to become Russians so let us be Finns a Finnish national identity was established Nevertheless there was no real independence movement in Finland until the early 20th century The Finnish famine of 1866 1868 occurred after freezing temperatures in early September devastated crops and killed around 15 of the population making it one of the worst famines in European history The famine led the Russian Empire to relax financial regulations and investment increased in the following decades Economic development was rapid The gross domestic product GDP per capita was still half of that of the United States and a third of that of Britain From 1869 to 1917 the Russian Empire pursued a policy of Russification which was suspended between 1905 and 1908 In 1906 universal suffrage was introduced in the Grand Duchy of Finland However relations between the Grand Duchy of Finland and the Russian Empire soured when the Russian government began to take steps to restrict Finland s special status and autonomy For example universal suffrage was virtually meaningless in practice as the tsar did not have to approve any of the laws passed by the Finnish parliament The desire for independence gained ground first among radical liberals and socialists partly driven by a declaration called the February Manifesto by the last tsar of the Russian Empire Nicholas II on 15 February 1899 Civil war and early independence After the February Revolution of 1917 Finland s position as a Grand Duchy under the rule of the Russian Empire was questioned The Finnish parliament controlled by the Social Democrats passed the so called Power Act to give the parliament supreme authority This was rejected by the Russian Provisional Government which decided to dissolve the parliament New elections were held in which the right wing parties won by a small majority Some social democrats refused to accept the result claiming that the dissolution of parliament and the subsequent elections were extra legal The two almost equally powerful political blocs the right wing parties and the Social Democratic Party were deeply divided Finnish military leader and statesman C G E Mannerheim as general officer leading the White Victory Parade at the end of the Finnish Civil War in Helsinki 1918 The October Revolution in Russia changed the geopolitical situation once again Suddenly the right wing parties in Finland began to reconsider their decision to block the transfer of supreme executive power from the Russian government to Finland when the Bolsheviks came to power in Russia The right wing government led by Prime Minister P E Svinhufvud presented the Declaration of Independence on 4 December 1917 which was officially approved by the Finnish Parliament on 6 December The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic RSFSR led by Vladimir Lenin was the first country to recognise Finland s independence on 4 January 1918 On 27 January 1918 the government began to disarm the Russian forces in Ostrobothnia The socialists took control of southern Finland and Helsinki but the white government continued in exile in Vaasa This led to a short but bitter civil war The Whites backed by Imperial Germany prevailed over the Reds and their self proclaimed Finnish Socialist Workers Republic After the war tens of thousands of Reds were interned in camps where thousands were executed or died of malnutrition and disease A deep social and political enmity was sown between the Reds and the Whites that would last until the Winter War and beyond The civil war and the activist expeditions to Soviet Russia in 1918 1920 known as the Kinship Wars strained relations with the East Helsinki Olympic Stadium in 1938 After a brief experiment with monarchy when an attempt to make Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse the king of Finland failed a republican constitution was adopted and Finland became a presidential republic with K J Stahlberg elected as its first president on 25 July 1919 A liberal nationalist with a legal background Stahlberg anchored the state in liberal democracy promoted the rule of law and initiated internal reforms Finland was also one of the first European countries to strongly promote women s equality with Miina Sillanpaa becoming the first female minister in Finnish history in Vaino Tanner s cabinet in 1926 1927 The Finnish Russian border was established in 1920 by the Treaty of Tartu which largely followed the historical border but gave Finland Pechenga Finnish Petsamo and its Barents Sea port Finnish democracy survived Soviet coup attempts and the anti communist Lapua movement In 1917 there were three million people in the country After the civil war a credit based land reform was introduced increasing the proportion of the population with access to capital About 70 of the workforce was employed in agriculture and 10 in industry World War II Finnish troops raise a flag on the three country cairn in April 1945 at the close of the World War II in Finland The Soviet Union launched the Winter War on 30 November 1939 to annex Finland in accordance with the Molotov Ribbentrop Pact with Nazi Germany to divide Europe into spheres of influence between the two dictatorships The Finnish Democratic Republic was set up by Joseph Stalin at the beginning of the war to govern Finland after Soviet conquest There was widespread international condemnation of the unprovoked attack and it led to the Soviet Union being expelled from the League of Nations The Red Army was defeated in numerous battles most notably the Battle of Suomussalmi After two months of negligible progress on the battlefield as well as heavy losses in men and material Soviet forces began to advance in February and reached Vyborg Finnish Viipuri in March The Moscow Peace Treaty was signed on 12 March 1940 and the war ended the following day Finland had defended its independence but ceded 9 of its territory to the Soviet Union Areas ceded by Finland to the Soviet Union during World War II The Porkkala land lease was returned to Finland in 1956 Hostilities resumed in June 1941 with the Continuation War when Finland allied itself with Germany following the latter s invasion of the Soviet Union the main aim was to regain the territory lost to the Soviets barely a year earlier Finnish troops occupied Eastern Karelia from 1941 to 1944 The massive Soviet Vyborg Petrozavodsk offensive in the summer of 1944 led to a breakthrough until the Finns finally repulsed it at Tali Ihantala This partial Soviet success led to a stalemate and later an armistice This was followed by the Lapland War of 1944 1945 when Finland fought retreating German forces in northern Finland The Armistice and treaty signed with the Soviet Union in 1944 and 1948 included Finnish obligations restraints and reparations as well as further territorial concessions As a result of the two wars Finland lost 12 of its land area 20 of its industrial capacity its second largest city Vyborg Finnish Viipuri and the ice free port of Liinakhamari Finnish Liinahamari The Finns lost 97 000 soldiers and were forced to pay war reparations of 300 million 4 1 billion in 2023 However the country avoided occupation by Soviet forces and managed to retain its independence Along with Great Britain Finland emerged from the war as the only European country to have taken part in hostilities that was never occupied and managed to preserve its democracy throughout For a few decades after 1944 the Communists were a strong political party Furthermore the Soviet Union persuaded Finland to refuse Marshall Plan aid However in the hope of preserving Finland s independence the United States provided secret development aid and supported the Social Democratic Party After the war Urho Kekkonen was Finland s longest serving president in 1956 1982 The development of trade with the Western powers such as the United Kingdom and the payment of reparations to the Soviet Union led to Finland s transformation from a primarily agrarian society to an industrialised one Valmet originally a shipyard and then several metal workshops was established to produce materials for war reparations After the reparations were paid Finland continued to trade with the Soviet Union as part of bilateral trade In 1950 46 of Finnish workers were employed in agriculture and a third lived in urban areas but new jobs in manufacturing services and trade quickly attracted people to the cities The average number of births per woman fell from a baby boom peak of 3 5 in 1947 to 1 5 in 1973 As the baby boomers entered the workforce the economy failed to create jobs fast enough and hundreds of thousands emigrated to more industrialised Sweden with emigration peaking in 1969 and 1970 Finland participated in trade liberalisation in the World Bank the International Monetary Fund and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade During the Cold War Finland officially embraced a policy of neutrality The YYA treaty Finno Soviet Pact of Friendship Cooperation and Mutual Assistance recognized Finland s desire to remain outside great power conflicts From 1956 president Urho Kekkonen had a virtual monopoly on relations with the Soviet Union which was crucial to his continued popularity In politics there was a tendency to avoid any policy or statement that could be interpreted as anti Soviet This phenomenon was dubbed Finlandisation by the West German press Alvar Aalto s Finlandia Hall hosted the Conference on Security and Co operation in Europe in 1975 A market economy was maintained in Finland Various industries benefited from trade privileges with the Soviets Economic growth was rapid in the post war period and by 1975 Finland s GDP per capita was the 15th highest in the world During the 1970s and 1980s Finland built one of the most extensive welfare states in the world Finland negotiated a treaty with the European Economic Community EEC a forerunner of the European Union that largely eliminated tariffs with the EEC from 1977 Miscalculated macroeconomic decisions a banking crisis the collapse of its largest trading partner the Soviet Union and a global economic downturn caused a deep recession in Finland in the early 1990s The recession bottomed out in 1993 and Finland enjoyed more than a decade of steady economic growth After the collapse of the Soviet Union Finland began to integrate more closely with the West Finland joined the European Union in 1995 and the euro zone in 1999 Much of the economic growth of the late 1990s was fuelled by the success of mobile phone manufacturer Nokia 21st century Prime Minister Sanna Marin and President Sauli Niinisto at the press conference announcing Finland s intent to apply to NATO on 15 May 2022 The Finnish people elected Tarja Halonen in the 2000 Presidential election making her the first female President of Finland Her predecessor President Martti Ahtisaari later won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2008 Financial crises paralysed Finland s exports in 2008 leading to weaker economic growth throughout the decade Sauli Niinisto was elected President of Finland from 2012 until 2024 when Alexander Stubb took over Finnish support for NATO rose sharply after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 Before February 2022 opinion polls showed a narrow but decisive majority against NATO membership by April a supermajority was in favour of membership On 11 May 2022 Finland signed a mutual security pact with the United Kingdom On 12 May Finland s president and Prime Minister called for NATO membership without delay Subsequently on 17 May the Finnish Parliament voted 188 8 in favour of Finland s accession to NATO Finland became a member of NATO on 4 April 2023 GeographyTopographic map of 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 Reykjavik lies more to the north than Helsinki The distance from the southernmost point Hanko in Uusimaa to the northernmost Nuorgam in Lapland is 1 160 kilometres 720 mi Finland has about 168 000 lakes of area larger than 500 m2 or 0 12 acres and 179 000 islands Its largest lake Saimaa is the fourth largest in Europe The Finnish Lakeland is the area with the most lakes in the country many of the major cities in the area most notably Tampere Jyvaskyla and Kuopio are located near the large lakes The Finnish coastline is speckled with the world s largest archipelago encompassing more than 50 000 islands greatest concentration of which is found in the southwest in the Archipelago Sea between continental Finland and the main island of Aland Much of the geography of Finland is a result of the Ice Age The glaciers were thicker and lasted longer in Fennoscandia compared with the rest of Europe The eroding effects have contributed to a mostly flat landscape in Finland characterized by hills However in the northern regions including areas bordering the Scandinavian Mountains the terrain features mountainous elevations At 1 324 metres 4 344 ft Halti is the highest point in Finland It is found in the north of Lapland at the border between Finland and Norway The highest mountain whose peak is entirely in Finland is Ridnitsohkka at 1 316 m 4 318 ft directly adjacent to Halti There are some 187 888 lakes in Finland larger than 500 square metres and 75 818 islands of over 0 5 km2 area leading to the denomination the land of a thousand lakes Picture of Lake Pielinen in North Karelia 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 Salpausselka ridges that run across southern Finland 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 1 cm 0 4 in 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 7 sq mi annually Relatively speaking Finland is rising from the sea The landscape is covered mostly by coniferous taiga forests and fens with little cultivated land Of the total area 10 is lakes rivers and ponds and 78 is forest 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 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 Biodiversity In Finland reindeer graze in Lapland area and on the fells The brown bear is Finland s national animal It is also the largest carnivore in 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 Finland had a 2018 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 5 08 10 ranking it 109th globally out of 172 countries Similarly Finland has a diverse and extensive range of fauna There are at least sixty native mammalian species 248 breeding bird species over 70 fish species and 11 reptile and frog species present today many migrating from neighbouring countries thousands of years ago Large and widely recognized wildlife mammals found in Finland are the brown bear grey 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 Western capercaillie a large black plumaged member of the grouse family and the Eurasian eagle owl The latter is considered an indicator of old growth forest connectivity and has been declining because of landscape fragmentation Around 24 000 species of insects are prevalent in Finland some of the most common being hornets with tribes of beetles such as the Onciderini also being common 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 390 seals today The species has become the emblem of the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation A third of Finland s land area originally consisted of moorland about half of this area has been drained for cultivation over the past centuries Climate Koppen climate classification types 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 Koppen 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 Share of forest area in total land area top countries 2021 Finland has the tenth highest percentage of forest cover in the world Winters in southern Finland when mean daily temperature remains below 0 C or 32 F are usually about 100 days long and in the inland the snow typically covers the land from about late November to April and on the coastal areas such as Helsinki snow often covers the land from late December to late March Even in the south the harshest winter nights can see the temperatures fall to 30 C 22 F although on coastal areas like Helsinki temperatures below 30 C 22 F are rare Climatic summers when mean daily temperature remains above 10 C or 50 F in southern Finland last from about late May to mid September and in the inland the warmest days of July can reach over 35 C 95 F Although most of Finland lies on the taiga belt the southernmost coastal regions are sometimes classified as hemiboreal In northern Finland particularly in Lapland the winters are long and cold while the summers are relatively warm but short On the most severe winter days in Lapland can see the temperature fall to 45 C 49 F 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 25 C 77 F 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 Finland is ranked 4th in Environmental Performance Index for year 2024 This Index combines various indicators around known issues around the world and measures how good they fit in among each countries on a scale Finland scores good in parameters like Climate Change Mitigation Waste Management Air pollution Air quality etc Regions Finland consists of 19 regions maakunta The counties are governed by regional councils which serve as forums of cooperation for the municipalities of a county The main tasks of the counties are regional planning and development of enterprise and education In addition the public health services are usually organized based on counties 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 county has a state Employment and Economic Development Centre which is responsible for the local administration of labour agriculture fisheries forestry and entrepreneurial affairs Historically counties are divisions of historical provinces of Finland areas that represent local dialects and culture more accurately Six Regional State Administrative Agencies are responsible for one of the counties called alue in Finnish in addition Aland was designated a seventh county Regional map English name Finnish name Swedish name Capital Regional state administrative agency Lapland North Ostrobothnia Kainuu North Karelia North Savo South Savo South Ostrobothnia Ostrobothnia Central Ostrobothnia Central Finland Pirkanmaa Satakunta Southwest Finland Kanta Hame Paijat Hame South Karelia Kymenlaakso Uusimaa Aland Lapland Lappi Lappland Rovaniemi LaplandNorth Ostrobothnia Pohjois Pohjanmaa Norra Osterbotten Oulu Northern FinlandKainuu Kainuu Kajanaland Kajaani Northern FinlandNorth Karelia Pohjois Karjala Norra Karelen Joensuu Eastern FinlandNorth Savo Pohjois Savo Norra Savolax Kuopio Eastern FinlandSouth Savo Etela Savo Sodra Savolax Mikkeli Eastern FinlandSouth Ostrobothnia Etela Pohjanmaa Sodra Osterbotten Seinajoki Western and Central FinlandCentral Ostrobothnia Keski Pohjanmaa Mellersta Osterbotten Kokkola Western and Central FinlandOstrobothnia Pohjanmaa Osterbotten Vaasa Western and Central FinlandPirkanmaa Pirkanmaa Birkaland Tampere Western and Central FinlandCentral Finland Keski Suomi Mellersta Finland Jyvaskyla Western and Central FinlandSatakunta Satakunta Satakunta Pori South Western FinlandSouthwest Finland Varsinais Suomi Egentliga Finland Turku South Western FinlandSouth Karelia Etela Karjala Sodra Karelen Lappeenranta Southern FinlandPaijat Hame Paijat Hame Paijanne Tavastland Lahti Southern FinlandKanta Hame Kanta Hame Egentliga Tavastland Hameenlinna Southern FinlandUusimaa Uusimaa Nyland Helsinki Southern FinlandKymenlaakso Kymenlaakso Kymmenedalen Kotka and Kouvola Southern FinlandAland Ahvenanmaa Aland Mariehamn Aland The county of Eastern Uusimaa Ita Uusimaa was consolidated with Uusimaa on 1 January 2011 Administrative divisions Municipalities thin borders and regions thick borders of Finland 2021 The fundamental administrative divisions of the country are the municipalities which may also call themselves towns or cities They account for half of the public spending Spending is financed by municipal income tax state subsidies and other revenue As of 2021 update there are 309 municipalities and most have fewer than 6 000 residents In addition to municipalities two intermediate levels are defined Municipalities co operate in seventy sub regions and nineteen counties These are governed by the member municipalities and have only limited powers The autonomous province of Aland has a permanent democratically elected regional council Sami people have a semi autonomous Sami native region in Lapland for issues on language and culture Health social and emergency services are organised by the Wellbeing services counties Finland has 21 Wellbeing services counties and the county structure is mainly based on the region structure The which is responsible for the operation administration and finances of the area is the highest decision making body in the Wellbeing services county The delegates and deputy commissioners of the county council are elected in the county elections for a term of office of four years Wellbeing services counties are self governing However they do not have the right to levy taxes and their funding is based on central government funding The capital region comprising Helsinki Vantaa Espoo and Kauniainen forms a continuous conurbation of approximately 1 27 million people However common administration is limited to voluntary cooperation of all municipalities e g in Helsinki Metropolitan Area Council Government and politicsAlexander Stubb 13th President since 1 March 2024Petteri Orpo 47th Prime Minister since 20 June 2023 Finland is a member of the Eurozone the European UnionConstitution The Constitution of Finland defines the political system Finland is a parliamentary republic within the framework of a representative democracy The Prime Minister is the country s most powerful person Citizens can run and vote in parliamentary municipal presidential and European Union elections President Finland s head of state is the President of the Republic Finland had for most of its independence a semi presidential system of government but in the last few decades the powers of the president have become more circumscribed and consequently the country is now considered a parliamentary republic A new constitution enacted in 2000 made the presidency primarily a ceremonial office The president appoints the prime minister as elected by Parliament appoints and dismisses the other ministers of the Finnish Government on the recommendation of the prime minister opens parliamentary sessions and confers state honors Nevertheless the president remains responsible for Finland s foreign relations including the making of war and peace but excluding matters related to the European Union citation needed Moreover the president exercises supreme command over the Finnish Defence Forces as commander in chief In the exercise of his or her foreign and defense powers the president is required to consult the Finnish government but the government s advice is not binding In addition the president has several domestic reserve powers including the authority to veto legislation to grant pardons and to appoint several public officials citation needed The president is also required by the Constitution to dismiss individual ministers or the entire government upon a parliamentary vote of no confidence The president is directly elected via runoff voting and may serve for a maximum of two consecutive 6 year terms The current president is Alexander Stubb who took office on 1 March 2024 His predecessors were Kaarlo Juho Stahlberg 1919 1925 Lauri Kristian Relander 1925 1931 Pehr Evind Svinhufvud 1931 1937 Kyosti Kallio 1937 1940 Risto Ryti 1940 1944 Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim 1944 1946 Juho Kusti Paasikivi 1946 1956 Urho Kekkonen 1956 1982 Mauno Koivisto 1982 1994 Martti Ahtisaari 1994 2000 Tarja Halonen 2000 2012 and Sauli Niinisto 2012 2024 Parliament The Parliament of Finland s main building in HelsinkiThe Session Hall of the Parliament of Finland The 200 member unicameral Parliament of Finland Finnish Eduskunta exercises supreme legislative authority in the country 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 several multi seat constituencies through the most open list multi member districts Various parliament committees listen to experts and prepare legislation Significant parliamentary parties are Centre Party Christian Democrats Finns Party Green League Left Alliance National Coalition Party Social Democrats and Swedish People s Party 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 as the parties represented in the cabinet usually make up a majority in the parliament 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 other ministers and the Chancellor of Justice 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 often 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 The Orpo Cabinet is the incumbent 77th government of Finland It took office on 20 June 2023 The cabinet is headed by Petteri Orpo and is a coalition between the National Coalition Party Finns Party the Swedish People s Party and the Christian Democrats Law The Court House of the Supreme Court 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 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 against certain high ranking officeholders Around 92 of residents have confidence in Finland s security institutions The overall crime rate of Finland is not high in the EU context Some crime types are above average notably the high homicide rate for Western Europe A day fine system is in effect and also applied to offenses such as speeding Finland has a very low number of corruption charges Transparency International ranks Finland as one of the least corrupt countries in Europe Foreign relations Martti Ahtisaari receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in 2008 According to the 2012 constitution the president leads foreign policy in cooperation with the government except that the president has no role in EU affairs In 2008 president Martti Ahtisaari was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize Finland s relationship with Russia deteriorated following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine with a number of Russian diplomats expelled for spying Russians restricted from visiting Finland and the general opinion immediately changing for Finland to join NATO while it has also had a significant impact on the increasing strengthold of relations between the United States and Finland According to the 2024 Global Peace Index Finland is the 13th most peaceful country in the world Military Sisu Nasu NA 110 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 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 Voluntary post conscription overseas peacekeeping service is popular and troops serve around the world in UN NATO and EU missions Women are allowed to serve in all combat arms In 2022 1211 women entered voluntary military service The army consists of a highly mobile field army backed up by local defence units With a high capability of military personnel arsenal and homeland defence willingness Finland is one of Europe s militarily strongest countries Finnish defence expenditure per capita is one of the highest in the European Union 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 Finland became a member of NATO on 4 April 2023 though it participated in the NATO Response Force before becoming a member Before NATO membership Finland has been part of the Joint Expeditionary Force JEF since 2017 Finland also contributes to the EU Battlegroup Finland sent personnel to the Kosovo Force and the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan On 18 December 2023 Finland signed the DCA agreement with the United States which regulates the presence of the US armed forces and their dependents on the territory of Finland as well as the presence and activities of US suppliers Human rights People gathering at the Senate Square Helsinki before the 2022 Helsinki Pride parade started Finland has one of the world s most extensive welfare systems one that guarantees decent living conditions for all residents The welfare system was created almost entirely during the first three decades after World War II Section 6 of the Finnish Constitution states No one shall be placed in a different position on situation of sex age origin language religion belief opinion state of health disability or any other personal reason without an acceptable reason Finland has been ranked above average among the world s countries in democracy press freedom and human development Amnesty International has expressed concern regarding some issues in Finland such as the imprisonment of conscientious objectors and societal discrimination against Romani people and members of other ethnic and linguistic minorities In the report of the European umbrella organization ILGA Europe published in May 2023 Finland ranked sixth in a European comparison of LGBTQ rights EconomyAs of 2022 update Finland ranks 16th globally in nominal GDP per capita according to the IMF Additionally Finland boasts a well developed welfare system that encompasses free education and universal healthcare contributing to its reputation as one of the wealthiest nations The service sector constitutes the largest segment of the economy amounting to 66 of the GDP while manufacturing and refining make up 31 Primary production accounts for 2 9 of the economy Manufacturing is the primary economic sector concerning foreign trade The predominant industrial sectors in 2007 were electronics 22 machinery vehicles and other engineered metal products 21 1 forest industry 13 and chemicals 11 The gross domestic product reached its peak in 2021 Finland has been ranked seventh in the Global Innovation Index of 2023 and 2024 Kittila Gold Mine in Kittila Finnish Lapland is the largest primary gold producer in Europe Finland has considerable timber mineral including iron chromium copper nickel and gold and freshwater resources Finland s gold production in 2015 was 9 metric tons For the rural population forestry paper mills and agriculture are important The Helsinki metropolitan area area accounts for roughly one third of Finland s GDP Private services represent the largest employer in Finland Finland s soil and climate pose particular challenges for crop production with harsh winters and relatively short growing seasons often interrupted by frost However the prevalence of the Gulf Stream and the North Atlantic Drift Current in Finland s temperate climate allows for half of the world s arable land north of the 60 north latitude Although annual precipitation is generally adequate it mostly transpires during winter which poses a continuous risk of summer droughts Farmers have adapted to the climate by relying on quick ripening and frost resistant crop varieties They cultivate south facing slopes and rich bottomlands to ensure year round production even during summer frosts Drainage systems are often utilized to remove excess water Finland s agricultural sector has demonstrated remarkable efficiency and productivity particularly in comparison to its European counterparts Forests are crucial to the nation s economy making it one of the world s foremost wood producers and offering raw materials at competitive prices to the wood processing industries The government has played an important role in forestry for a considerable period similar to that in agriculture It has regulated tree cutting sponsored technical improvements and established long term plans to guarantee the sustainability of the country s forests in supplying the wood processing industries As of 2008 update the average level of income adjusted for purchasing power was comparable to that of Italy Sweden Germany and France In 2006 62 of the labour force was employed by firms with fewer than 250 workers which generated 49 of total business revenue The employment rate of women is high Gender segregation between male dominated professions and female dominated professions is higher than in the US The proportion of part time workers was one of the lowest in OECD in 1999 As of 2013 update the 10 largest private sector employers in Finland were Itella Nokia OP Pohjola ISS VR Kesko UPM Kymmene YIT Metso and Nordea As of 2022 update the unemployment rate was 6 8 As of 2022 update 46 of households consist of a single person 32 two persons and 22 three or more persons The average residential space is 40 square metres 430 sq ft per person In 2021 Finland s GDP reached 251 billion In 2022 altogether 74 per cent of employed persons worked in services and administration 21 per cent in industry and construction and four per cent in agriculture and forestry Finland has the highest concentration of cooperatives relative to its population The largest retailer which is also the largest private employer S Group and the largest bank OP Group in the country are both cooperatives Energy The Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant Finland has five commercial nuclear reactors The free and largely privately owned financial and physical Nordic energy markets traded in NASDAQ OMX Commodities Europe and Nord Pool Spot exchanges have provided competitive prices compared with other EU countries As of 2022 update Finland has the lowest non household electricity prices in the EU In 2021 the energy market was around 87 terawatt hours and the peak demand around 14 gigawatts in winter Industry and construction consumed 43 5 of total consumption a relatively high figure reflecting Finland s industries Finland s hydrocarbon resources are limited to peat and wood About 18 of the electricity is produced by hydropower In 2021 renewable energy mainly hydropower and various forms of wood energy was high at 43 compared with the EU average of 22 in final energy consumption About 20 of electricity is imported especially from Sweden due to its lower cost there As of February 2022 update Finland s strategic petroleum reserves held 200 days worth of net oil imports in the case of emergencies Finland has five privately owned nuclear reactors producing 40 of the country s energy The Onkalo spent nuclear fuel repository is currently under construction at the Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant in the municipality of Eurajoki on the west coast of Finland by the company Posiva Transport A VR Class Sr2 locomotive The state owned VR operates a railway network serving all major cities in Finland A Finnair airplane in Helsinki Airport Finland s road system is utilized by most internal cargo and passenger traffic The annual state operated road network expenditure of around 1 billion is paid for with vehicle and fuel taxes which amount to around 1 5 billion and 1 billion respectively Among the Finnish highways the most significant and busiest main roads include the Turku Highway E18 the Tampere Highway E12 the Lahti Highway E75 and the ring roads Ring I and Ring III of the Helsinki metropolitan area and the Tampere Ring Road of the Tampere urban area The main international passenger gateway is Helsinki Airport which handled about 15 3 million passengers in 2023 Another 26 airports have scheduled passenger services The Helsinki Airport based Finnair Blue1 and Nordic Regional Airlines Norwegian Air Shuttle sell air services both domestically and internationally The Government annually spends around 350 million to maintain the 5 865 kilometre long 3 644 mi network of railway tracks Rail transport is handled by the state owned VR Group Finland s first railway was opened in 1862 and today it forms part of the Finnish Main Line which is more than 800 kilometers long Helsinki opened the world s northernmost metro system in 1982 The majority of international cargo shipments are handled at ports Vuosaari Harbour in Helsinki is the largest container port in Finland others include Kotka Hamina Hanko Pori Rauma and Oulu There is passenger traffic from Helsinki and Turku which have ferry connections to Tallinn Mariehamn Stockholm and Travemunde The Helsinki Tallinn route is one of the busiest passenger sea routes in the world Industry The Oasis of the Seas was built at the Perno shipyard in Turku Finland rapidly industrialized after World War II achieving GDP per capita levels comparable to that of Japan or the UK at the beginning of the 1970s Initially most of the economic development was based on two broad groups of export led industries the metal industry metalliteollisuus and forest industry metsateollisuus The metal industry includes shipbuilding metalworking the automotive industry engineered products such as motors and electronics and production of metals and alloys including steel copper and chromium Many of the world s biggest cruise ships including MS Freedom of the Seas and the Oasis of the Seas have been built in Finnish shipyards The forest industry includes forestry timber pulp and paper and is often considered a logical development based on Finland s extensive forest resources as 73 of the area is covered by forest In the pulp and paper industry many major companies are based in Finland Ahlstrom Munksjo Metsa Board and UPM are all Finnish forest based companies with revenues exceeding 1 billion However in recent decades the Finnish economy has diversified with companies expanding into fields such as electronics Nokia metrology Vaisala petroleum Neste and video games Rovio Entertainment and is no longer dominated by the two sectors of metal and forest industry Likewise the structure has changed with the service sector growing Despite this production for export is still more prominent than in Western Europe thus making Finland possibly more vulnerable to global economic trends In 2017 the Finnish economy was estimated to consist of approximately 2 7 agriculture 28 2 manufacturing and 69 1 services In 2019 the per capita income of Finland was estimated to be 48 869 In 2020 Finland was ranked 20th on the ease of doing business index among 190 jurisdictions Public policy Flags of the Nordic countries from left to right Denmark Iceland Sweden Norway and Finland Finnish politicians have often emulated the Nordic model Nordics have been free trading for over a century The level of protection in commodity trade has been low except for agricultural products Finland is ranked 16th in the 2008 global Index of Economic Freedom and ninth in Europe According to the OECD only four EU 15 countries have less regulated product markets and only one has less regulated financial markets The 2007 IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook ranked Finland 17th most competitive The World Economic Forum 2008 index ranked Finland the sixth most competitive 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 corrupt country in the world in the Corruption Perceptions Index and 13th in the Ease of doing business index In Finland collective labour agreements are universally valid These are drafted every few years for each profession and seniority level with only a few jobs outside the system 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 AKAVA mostly for university educated professionals 80 Tourism The historical Hame Castle in Hameenlinna is located close to the Lake Vanajavesi In 2017 tourism in Finland grossed approximately 15 0 billion Of this 4 6 billion 30 came from foreign tourism In 2017 there were 15 2 million overnight stays of domestic tourists and 6 7 million overnight stays of foreign tourists Tourism contributes roughly 2 7 to Finland s GDP Lapland has the highest tourism consumption of any Finnish 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 for up to 73 consecutive days at the northernmost point 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 Finnish Lapland is also locally regarded as the home of Santa Claus with several theme parks such as Santa Claus Village and Santa Park in Rovaniemi Other significant tourist destinations in Lapland also include ski resorts such as Levi Ruka and Yllas and sleigh rides led by either reindeer or huskies Tourist attractions in Finland include the natural landscape found throughout the country as well as urban attractions Finland contains 40 national parks such as Koli National Park in North Karelia from the Southern shores of the Gulf of Finland to the high fells of Lapland Outdoor activities range from Nordic skiing golf fishing yachting lake cruises hiking and kayaking among many others Bird watching is popular for those fond of avifauna however hunting is also popular The most famous tourist attractions in Helsinki include the Helsinki Cathedral and the Suomenlinna sea fortress The most well known Finnish amusement parks include Linnanmaki in Helsinki and Sarkanniemi in Tampere St Olaf s Castle Olavinlinna in Savonlinna hosts the annual Savonlinna Opera Festival and the medieval milieus of the cities of Turku Rauma and Porvoo also attract spectators Commercial cruises between major coastal and port cities in the Baltic region play a significant role in the local tourism industry Demographics The template Pie chart is being considered for merging Population by continent of origin 2023 Finland 89 8 Rest of Europe 5 1 Asia 3 3 Africa 1 3 Others 0 5 The population of Finland is about 5 6 million The birth rate is 7 8 per 1 000 residents for a fertility rate of 1 26 children born per woman one of the lowest in the world significantly below the replacement rate of 2 1 In 1887 Finland recorded its highest rate 5 17 children born per woman Finland has one of the oldest populations in the world with a median age of 42 6 years Approximately half of voters are estimated to be over 50 years old 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 and the lowest population density of any European Union member country Finland s population has always been concentrated in the southern parts of the country a phenomenon that became even more pronounced during 20th century urbanization Three of the four largest cities in Finland are situated in the Helsinki metropolitan area Helsinki Espoo and Vantaa In the largest cities of Finland Tampere holds the third place after Helsinki and Espoo while also Helsinki neighbouring Vantaa is the fourth Other cities with population over 100 000 are Turku Oulu Jyvaskyla Kuopio and Lahti Finland s immigrant population is growing As of 2023 update there were 571 268 people with a foreign background living in Finland 10 2 of the population most of whom are from the former Soviet Union Estonia Sweden Iraq China and India The children of foreigners are not automatically given Finnish citizenship as Finnish nationality law practices and maintain jus sanguinis policy where only children born to at least one Finnish parent are granted citizenship If they are born in Finland and cannot get citizenship of any other country they become citizens Additionally certain persons of Finnish descent who reside in countries that were once part of Soviet Union retain the right of return a right to establish permanent residency in the country which would eventually entitle them to qualify for citizenship As of 2023 update 535 451 people in Finland were born in another country representing 9 6 of the population The 10 largest foreign born groups are in order from Estonia Sweden Iraq Russia China Ukraine India Somalia Philippines Thailand Vietnam and Turkey Finland s national minorities include the Sami Romani people the Jews and the Tatars Romani people of the Finnish Kale group settled in the country at the end of the sixteenth century Language Municipalities of Finland unilingually Finnish bilingual with Finnish as majority language Swedish as minority language bilingual with Swedish as majority language Finnish as minority language unilingually Swedish bilingual with Finnish as majority language Sami as minority language 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 with towns such as Ekenas Pargas Narpes Kristinestad Jakobstad and Nykarleby and in the autonomous region of Aland which is the only monolingual Swedish speaking region in Finland As of 2023 update the native language of 84 9 of the population was Finnish which is part of the Finnic subgroup of the Uralic language The language is one of only four official EU languages not of Indo European origin and has no relation through descent to the other national languages of the Nordics Conversely Finnish is closely related to Estonian and Karelian and more distantly to Hungarian and the Sami languages Swedish is the native language of 5 1 of the population Swedish speaking Finns Swedish is a compulsory school subject and general knowledge of the language is good among many non native speakers Likewise a majority of Swedish speaking non Alanders can speak Finnish The Finnish side of the land border with Sweden is unilingually Finnish speaking The Swedish across the border is distinct from the Swedish spoken in Finland There is a sizeable pronunciation difference between the varieties of Swedish spoken in the two countries although their mutual intelligibility is nearly universal Finnish Romani is spoken by some 5 000 6 000 people there are 13 000 14 000 Romani people in Finland Romani and Finnish Sign Language are also recognized in the constitution There are two sign languages Finnish Sign Language spoken natively by 4 000 5 000 people and Finland Swedish Sign Language spoken natively by about 150 people Tatar is spoken by a Finnish Tatar minority of about 800 people whose ancestors moved to Finland mainly between the 1870s and 1920s The Sami languages have an official status in parts of Lapland where the Sami numbering over 10 000 are recognized as an indigenous people About a quarter of them speak a Sami language as their mother tongue The Sami languages that are spoken in Finland are Northern Sami Inari Sami and Skolt Sami The rights of minority groups in particular Sami Swedish speakers and Romani people are protected by the constitution The Nordic languages and Karelian are also specially recognized in parts of Finland As of 2023 update the most common foreign languages are Russian 1 8 Estonian 0 9 Arabic 0 7 English 0 6 and Ukrainian 0 5 English is studied by most pupils as a compulsory subject from the first grade at seven years of age formerly from the third or fifth grade in the comprehensive school in some schools other languages can be chosen instead German French Spanish and Russian can be studied as second foreign languages from the fourth grade at 10 years of age some schools may offer other options Largest cities Largest cities or towns in Finland Population increased most in Uusimaa in 2023 Statistics Finland 31 December 2023 Rank Name Region Pop Rank Name Region Pop 1 Helsinki Uusimaa 684 589 11 Kouvola Kymenlaakso 78 3992 Espoo Uusimaa 321 031 12 Joensuu North Karelia 78 7433 Tampere Pirkanmaa 260 358 13 Lappeenranta South Karelia 73 3694 Vantaa Uusimaa 251 405 14 Vaasa Ostrobothnia 70 3745 Oulu North Ostrobothnia 216 194 15 Hameenlinna Kanta Hame 68 3766 Turku Southwest Finland 206 035 16 Seinajoki South Ostrobothnia 66 6107 Jyvaskyla Central Finland 149 269 17 Rovaniemi Lapland 65 7388 Kuopio North Savo 125 668 18 Mikkeli South Savo 51 8939 Lahti Paijat Hame 121 383 19 Porvoo Uusimaa 51 75310 Pori Satakunta 83 316 20 Salo Southwest Finland 50 867 Religion The template Pie chart is being considered for merging Registered members of religions groups in Finland by the Statistics Finland 2023 Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland 63 6 Orthodox Church 1 1 Other Christian 0 9 Other religions 0 8 Unaffiliated 33 6 With 3 5 million members the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland is Finland s largest religious body at the end of 2023 63 6 of Finns were members of the church The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland has seen its share of the country s population declining by roughly one percent annually in recent years The decline has been due to both church membership resignations and falling baptism rates The second largest group accounting for 26 3 of the population in 2017 has no religious affiliation A small minority belongs to the Finnish Orthodox Church 1 1 Other Protestant denominations and the Roman Catholic Church are significantly smaller as are the Jewish and other non Christian communities totalling 1 6 The Pew Research Center estimated the Muslim population at 2 7 in 2016 Finland s state church was the Church of Sweden until 1809 As an autonomous Grand Duchy under Russia from 1809 to 1917 Finland retained the Lutheran State Church system and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland was established After Finland had gained independence in 1917 religious freedom was declared in the constitution of 1919 and a separate law on religious freedom in 1922 Through this arrangement the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland gained a constitutional status as a national church alongside the Finnish Orthodox Church whose position however is not codified in the constitution The main Lutheran and Orthodox churches have special roles such as in state ceremonies and schools In 2016 69 3 of Finnish children were baptized and 82 3 were confirmed in 2012 at the age of 15 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 1 8 of its 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 In the same survey 28 reported themselves as agnostic and 29 as non religious Health A man donating blood at Finnish Red Cross fi Life expectancy was 79 years for men and 84 years for women in 2017 The under five mortality rate was 2 3 per 1 000 live births in 2017 ranking Finland s rate among the lowest in the world The fertility rate in 2014 stood at 1 71 children born per woman and has been below the replacement rate of 2 1 since 1969 With a low birth rate women also become mothers at a later age the mean age at first live birth being 28 6 in 2014 A 2011 study published in The Lancet medical journal found that Finland had the lowest stillbirth rate out of 193 countries There has been a slight increase or no change in welfare and health inequalities between population groups in the 21st century Lifestyle related diseases are on the rise More than half a million Finns suffer from diabetes type 1 diabetes being globally the most common in Finland Many children are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes The number of musculoskeletal diseases and cancers are increasing although the cancer prognosis has improved Allergies and dementia are also growing health problems in Finland One of the most common reasons for work disability are due to mental disorders in particular depression Without age standardization the suicide rates were 13 per 100 000 in 2015 close to the North European average Age standardized suicide rates are still among the highest among developed countries in the OECD There are 307 residents for each doctor About 19 of health care is funded directly by households and 77 by taxation In April 2012 Finland was ranked second in Gross National Happiness in a report published by The Earth Institute Since 2012 Finland has every time ranked at least in the top 5 of world s happiest countries in the annual World Happiness Report by the United Nations as well as ranking as the happiest country since 2018 Education and science Helsinki Central Library Oodi was chosen as the best new public library in the world in 2019 Most pre tertiary education is arranged at the municipal level Around 3 percent of students are enrolled in private schools mostly specialist language and international schools Formal education is usually started at the age of 7 Primary school takes normally six years and lower secondary school three years The curriculum is set by the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Education Board Education is compulsory between the ages of 7 and 18 After lower secondary school graduates may 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 Linus Torvalds the Finnish software engineer best known for creating the popular open source kernel Linux 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 15 universities and 24 Universities of Applied Sciences UAS in the country The University of Helsinki is ranked 75th in the Top University Ranking of 2010 Other reputable universities of Finland include Aalto University in Espoo both University of Turku and Abo Akademi University in Turku University of Jyvaskyla University of Oulu LUT University in Lappeenranta and Lahti University of Eastern Finland in Kuopio and Joensuu and Tampere University 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 In addition 38 of Finland s population has a university or college degree which is among the highest percentages in the world Adult education appears in several forms such as secondary evening schools civic and workers institutes study centres vocational course centres and folk high schools 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 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 CultureLiterature Writer and artist Tove Jansson 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 19th century and the beginning of a Finnish national Romantic Movement This prompted Elias Lonnrot to collect Finnish and Karelian folk poetry and arrange and publish them as the Kalevala the Finnish national epic The era saw a rise of poets and novelists who wrote in Finnish notably the national writer of Finland Aleksis Kivi The Seven Brothers and Minna Canth Eino Leino and Juhani Aho Many writers of the national awakening wrote in Swedish such as the national poet J L Runeberg The Tales of Ensign Stal and Zachris Topelius After Finland became independent there was a rise of modernist writers most famously the Swedish speaking poet Edith Sodergran Finnish speaking authors explored national and historical themes Most famous of them were Frans Eemil Sillanpaa who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1939 historical novelist Mika Waltari and Vaino Linna with his The Unknown Soldier and Under the North Star trilogy Beginning with Paavo Haavikko Finnish poetry adopted modernism Besides Lonnrot s Kalevala and Waltari the Swedish speaking Tove Jansson best known as the creator of The Moomins is the most translated Finnish writer her books have been translated into more than 40 languages Visual arts design and architecture Akseli Gallen Kallela The Defense of the Sampo 1896 Turku Art Museum The visual arts in Finland started to form their characteristics in the 19th century when Romantic nationalism was rising in autonomic Finland The best known Finnish painters Akseli Gallen Kallela started painting in a naturalist style but moved to national romanticism Other notable painters of the era include Pekka Halonen Eero Jarnefelt Helene Schjerfbeck and Hugo Simberg In the late 20th century the homoerotic art of Touko Laaksonen pseudonym Tom of Finland found a worldwide audience Finland s best known sculptor of the 20th century was Waino Aaltonen remembered for his monumental busts and sculptures The works of Eila Hiltunen and Laila Pullinen exemplifies the modernism in sculpture Finns have made major contributions to handicrafts and industrial design among the internationally renowned figures are Timo Sarpaneva Tapio Wirkkala and Ilmari Tapiovaara Finnish architecture is famous around the world and has contributed significantly to several styles internationally such as Jugendstil or Art Nouveau Nordic Classicism and functionalism Among the top 20th century Finnish architects to gain international recognition are Eliel Saarinen and his son Eero Saarinen Architect Alvar Aalto is regarded as among the most important 20th century designers in the world he helped bring functionalist architecture to Finland but soon was a pioneer in its development towards an organic style Aalto is also famous for his work in furniture lamps textiles and glassware which were usually incorporated into his buildings Music The kantele is Finland s national and traditional instrument Folk Finnish folk music can be divided into Nordic dance music and the older tradition of poem singing poems from which the national epic the Kalevala was created Much of Finland s classical music is influenced by traditional Finnish and Karelian melodies and lyrics as comprised in the Kalevala In the historical region of Finnish Karelia as well as other parts of Eastern Finland the old poem singing traditions were preserved better than in the western parts of the country In the 19th century Nordic folk dance music largely replaced the kalevaic tradition Finnish folk music has undergone a roots revival 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 ClassicalThe Finnish composer Jean Sibelius 1865 1957 was a significant figure in the history of classical music The first Finnish opera was written by the German born composer Fredrik Pacius in 1852 Pacius also wrote the music to the poem Maamme Vart 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 In 1899 he composed Finlandia which played an important role in Finland gaining independence He remains one of Finland s most popular national figures Alongside Sibelius the distinct Finnish style of music was created by Oskar Merikanto Toivo Kuula Erkki Melartin Leevi Madetoja and Uuno Klami Important modernist composers include Einojuhani Rautavaara Aulis Sallinen and Magnus Lindberg among others Kaija Saariaho was ranked the world s greatest living composer in a 2019 composers poll Many Finnish musicians have achieved international success Among them are the conductor Esa Pekka Salonen the opera singer Karita Mattila and the violinist Pekka Kuusisto Popular musicPerttu Kivilaakso of Apocalyptica Iskelma 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 At least a couple of Finnish polkas are known worldwide such as Sakkijarven polkka and Ievan polkka During the 1970s progressive rock group Wigwam and rock and roll group Hurriganes gained respect abroad The Finnish punk scene produced some internationally acknowledged names including Terveet Kadet in the 1980s Hanoi Rocks was a pioneering glam rock act Many Finnish metal bands have gained international recognition Finland has been often called the Promised Land of Heavy Metal because there are more than 50 metal Bands for every 100 000 inhabitants more than any other nation in the world Modern Finnish popular music includes a number of prominent rock musicians pop musicians jazz musicians hip hop performers and dance music acts Finland has won the Eurovision Song Contest once in 2006 when Lordi won the contest with the song Hard Rock Hallelujah The Finnish pop artist Kaarija also got second place in the contest in 2023 with his worldwide hit song Cha Cha Cha Cinema and television Film director Aki Kaurismaki In the film industry notable modern directors include brothers Mika and Aki Kaurismaki Dome Karukoski Antti Jokinen Jalmari Helander and Renny Harlin Some Finnish drama series are internationally known such as Bordertown One of the most internationally successful Finnish films are The White Reindeer directed by Erik Blomberg in 1952 which won the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Film in 1956 The Man Without a Past directed by Aki Kaurismaki in 2002 which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2002 and won the Grand Prix at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival and The Fencer directed by Klaus Haro in 2015 which was nominated for the 73rd Golden Globe Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category as a Finnish German Estonian co production In Finland the most significant films include The Unknown Soldier directed by Edvin Laine in 1955 Here Beneath the North Star from 1968 is also one of the most significant works in Finnish history A 1960 crime comedy film Inspector Palmu s Mistake directed by Matti Kassila was voted in 2012 the best Finnish film of all time by Finnish film critics and journalists but the 1984 comedy film Uuno Turhapuro in the Army the ninth film in Uuno Turhapuro film series remains Finland s most seen domestic film made since 1968 by Finnish audience Media and communications Sanomatalo houses several offices of newspapers and radio stations Today there are around 200 newspapers 320 popular magazines 2 100 professional magazines and 67 commercial radio stations The largest newspaper is Helsingin Sanomat its circulation being 339 437 as of 2019 update Yle the Finnish Broadcasting Company operates five television channels and thirteen radio channels Each year around 12 000 book titles are published Thanks to its emphasis on transparency and equal rights Finland s press has been rated the freest in the world Worldwide Finns along with other Nordic peoples and the Japanese spend the most time reading newspapers In regards to telecommunication infrastructure Finland is the highest ranked country in the World Economic Forum s Network Readiness Index NRI an indicator for determining the development level of a country s information and communication technologies Sauna A smoke sauna in Ruka Kuusamo The Finns love for saunas is generally associated with Finnish cultural tradition Sauna is a type of dry steam bath practiced widely in Finland which is especially evident in the strong tradition around Midsummer and Christmas The word sauna is of Proto Finnish origin found in Finnic and Sami languages dating back 7 000 years Steam baths have been part of European tradition elsewhere as well but the sauna has survived best in Finland in addition to Sweden Estonia Latvia Russia Norway and parts of the United States and Canada Moreover nearly all Finnish houses have either their own sauna or in multi story apartment houses a timeshare sauna Municipal swimming halls and hotels have often their own saunas The Finnish sauna culture is inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists Cuisine Ruisleipa a dark sourdough rye bread holds the status of the national food in Finland Finnish cuisine generally combines traditional country fare and contemporary style cooking Potato meat and fish play a prominent role in traditional Finnish dishes 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 and drink The most popular fish food in Finland is salmon Finland has the world s second highest per capita consumption of coffee Milk consumption is also high at an average of about 112 litres 25 imp gal 30 US gal per person per year even though 17 of the Finns are lactose intolerant Public holidays There are several holidays in Finland of which perhaps the most characteristic of Finnish culture include Christmas joulu Midsummer juhannus May Day vappu and Independence Day itsenaisyyspaiva Of these Christmas and Midsummer are special in Finland because the actual festivities take place on eves such as Christmas Eve and Midsummer s Eve while Christmas Day and Midsummer s Day are more consecrated to rest Other public holidays in Finland are New Year s Day Epiphany Good Friday Easter Sunday and Easter Monday Ascension Day All Saints Day and Saint Stephen s Day All official holidays in Finland are established by Acts of Parliament Sports Finland s men s national ice hockey team is ranked as one of the best in the world The team has won four world championships 1995 2011 2019 and 2022 and one Olympic gold medal 2022 Various sporting events are popular in Finland Pesapallo the Finnish equivalent of American baseball is the national sport of Finland although the most popular sport in terms of spectators is ice hockey Other popular sports include athletics cross country skiing ski jumping football volleyball and basketball Association football is the most played team sport in terms of the number of players in the country Finland s national basketball team has received widespread public attention In terms of medals and gold medals won per capita Finland is the best performing country in Olympic history Finland first participated as a nation in its own right at the Olympic Games in 1908 At the 1912 Summer Olympics three gold medals were won by the original Flying Finn Hannes Kolehmainen In the 1920s and 30s Finnish long distance runners dominated the Olympics with Paavo Nurmi winning a total of nine Olympic gold medals 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 The 1952 Summer Olympics were held in Helsinki The javelin throw event has brought Finland nine Olympic gold medals five world championships five European championships and 24 world records Finland also has a notable history in figure skating Finnish skaters have won 8 world championships and 13 junior world cups in synchronized skating Finnish competitors have achieved significant success in motorsport In the World Rally Championship Finland has produced eight world champions more than any other country In Formula One Finland has won the most world championships per capita with Keke Rosberg Mika Hakkinen and Kimi Raikkonen all having won the title Some of the most popular recreational sports and activities include Nordic walking running cycling and skiing Floorball is the most popular youth and workplace sport See alsoFinland portalEurope portalList of Finland related topics Outline of FinlandNotesIncludes Finland Swedes Romani Tatar and Sami people 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 The role that the regional councils serve on Mainland Finland are on Aland handled by the autonomous Government of Aland The names for Finland in its Sami languages are Suopma Northern Sami Suoma Inari Sami and Laa ddjannam Skolt Sami See Geonames de Finnish Suomi ˈsuo mi Swedish Finland Swedish pronunciation ˈfinlɑnd Finnish Suomen tasavalta Swedish Republiken Finland Republic of Finland or Suomen tasavalta in Finnish Republiken Finland in 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