Portal:Finland
The Finland Portal
Finland (Finnish: Suomi [ˈsuo̯mi] (
listen); Swedish: Finland [ˈfɪ̌nland] (listen)), officially the Republic of Finland (Finnish: Suomen tasavalta; Swedish: Republiken Finland (listen to all)), is a Nordic country and a member state of the European Union in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the west, Russia to the east, Norway to the north, and is defined by the Gulf of Bothnia to the west, and the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea across Estonia to the south. Finland covers an area of 338,455 square kilometres (130,678 sq mi) with a population of 5.5 million. Helsinki is the country's capital and largest city, and forms a larger metropolitan area together with the neighbouring cities of Espoo, Kauniainen, and Vantaa. Finland is officially bilingual, with Finnish and Swedish being official. The climate varies relative to latitude, from the southern humid continental climate to the northern boreal climate. The land cover is primarily a boreal forest biome, with more than 180,000 recorded lakes.
Finland was first inhabited around 9000 BC after the Last glacial period. The Stone Age introduced several different ceramic styles and cultures. The Bronze Age and Iron Age were characterized by extensive contacts with other cultures in Fennoscandia and the Baltic region. From the late 13th century, Finland gradually became an integral part of Sweden as a consequence of the Northern Crusades. In 1809, as a result of the Finnish War, Finland became part of the Russian Empire as the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland, during which Finnish art flourished and the idea of independence began to take hold. In 1906, Finland became the first European state to grant universal suffrage, and the first in the world to give all adult citizens the right to run for public office. Nicholas II, the last Tsar of Russia, tried to russify Finland and terminate its political autonomy, but after the 1917 Russian Revolution, Finland declared independence from Russia. In 1918, the fledgling state was divided by the Finnish Civil War. During World War II, Finland fought the Soviet Union in the Winter War and the Continuation War, and Nazi Germany in the Lapland War. After the wars, Finland lost parts of its territory, including the culturally and historically significant town of Vyborg, but maintained its independence. (Full article...)
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The flag of Finland (Finnish: Suomen lippu, Swedish: Finlands flagga), also called Siniristilippu ("Blue Cross Flag"), dates from the beginning of the 20th century. On a white background, it features a blue Nordic cross, which represents Christianity.
The state flag has a coat of arms in the centre, but is otherwise identical to the civil flag. The swallow-tailed state flag is used by the military. The presidential standard is identical to the swallow-tailed state flag but also has in its upper left corner the Cross of Liberty after the Order of the Cross of Liberty, which has the President of Finland as its Grand Master. Like Sweden's, Finland's national flag is based on the Scandinavian cross. It was adopted after independence from Russia, when many patriotic Finns wanted a special flag for their country, but its design dates back to the 19th century. The blue colouring is said to represent the country's thousands of lakes and the sky, with white for the snow that covers the land in winter. This colour combination has also been used over the centuries in various Finnish provincial, military, and town flags. (Full article...)Selected image -
Did you know (auto-generated)
- ... that Finnish politician Maija Rask earned a PhD at the age of 61 after a career as a nurse, teacher, member of Parliament, and minister of education?
- ... that Finnish politician Margit Eskman did not attend secondary school because she had to work in a shoe factory?
- ... that the University of Oulu renamed an institute after Finnish politician Kerttu Saalasti in 2017, six decades after she introduced the bill that established the university?
- ... that one of Finland's longest unsolved crimes, a 1987 murder on board the cruiseferry MS Viking Sally, is going to court after 33 years?
- ... that Theodolinda Hahnsson is the first known Finnish-language female author?
- ... that Finland became a member state of the International Labour Organization 100 years ago today?
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More did you know -
- ...that the Finnish Communist leader Arvo Tuominen broke with the Soviet Union during the Winter War and ordered the Finnish Communists not to assist the Red Army?
- ...that mobile phone throwing is an international sport in which thrown mobile phones are judged by the distance and choreographics of the throw?
- ...that the self-taught weapon designer Aimo Lahti designed over 50 weapons of all types prior to and during World War II, including the successful Suomi M-31?
- ...that Norse sagas record some Finnish campaigns against Sweden in the mid-8th century?
- ...that Larin Paraske, a Finnish oral poet, could recite over 32,000 verses of poetry?
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Edvard August Vainio (born Edvard Lang; 5 August 1853 – 14 May 1929) was a Finnish lichenologist. His early works on the lichens of Lapland, his three-volume monograph on the lichen genus Cladonia, and, in particular, his study of the classification and form and structure of lichens in Brazil, made Vainio renowned internationally in the field of lichenology.
Young Vainio's friendship with university student Johan Petter Norrlin, who was nearly eleven years older, helped him develop an impressive knowledge of the local cryptogams (ferns, mosses, algae, and fungi, including lichens) and afforded him ample opportunity to hone his collection and identification techniques at an early age. It was through this association that Vainio met Norrlin's teacher, the prominent lichenologist William Nylander, who supported his early botanical efforts. Vainio's earliest works dealt with phytogeography—elucidating and enumerating the local flora—and are considered the earliest publications on phytogeography in the Finnish language. In these early publications he demonstrated an attention to detail and thoroughness that would become characteristic of his later work. (Full article...)General images
Homann's map of the Scandinavian Peninsula and Fennoscandia with their surrounding territories: northern Germany, northern Poland, the Baltic region, Livonia, Belarus, and parts of Northwest Russia. Johann Baptist Homann (1664–1724) was a German geographer and cartographer; map dated around 1730. (from History of Finland)
Prehistoric red ochre painted rock art of moose, human figures, and boats in Astuvansalmi, Finland from ca. 3800–2200 BC. (from Culture of Finland)
2007 Formula One World Champion Kimi Räikkönen celebrating victory at the 2007 Brazilian Grand Prix. (from Culture of Finland)
Erkki Karu, one of the pioneers of the Finnish cinema, with cinematographer Eino Kari in 1927 (from Culture of Finland)
Signing the Helsinki Accords are the West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt, East Germany's leader Erich Honecker, US president Gerald Ford and the Austrian chancellor Bruno Kreisky (from History of Finland)
The Swedish empire at its largest. Most of present-day Finland was part of Sweden proper, rike, shown in dark green. (from History of Finland)
Janne Ahonen is considered one of the best and most successful currently active ski jumpers. (from Culture of Finland)
An old drawing of the city of Turku in the 18th century (from History of Finland)
The area controlled by Finland at its largest, in 1942 (from History of Finland)
Eero Järnefelt, Burning the Brushwood, 1893 (from History of Finland)
Kastelli Giant's Church in Pattijoki by Pöljä culture (from History of Finland)
In 2011 figure skater Kiira Korpi was ranked 4th in the world. (from Culture of Finland)
Linus Torvalds, a famous Fennoswede software engineer, best known for initiating the development of the Linux kernel (from Culture of Finland)
Women in sauna with Vihtas.
Midsummer bonfire (kokko) in Mäntsälä (from Culture of Finland)
Stone Age stone axe engraved with human face found from Kiuruvesi. (from History of Finland)
Students on Helsinki's Esplanadi wearing their caps on Vappu (from Culture of Finland)
President K. J. Ståhlberg in his office in 1919. (from History of Finland)
A peasant girl and a woman in traditional dress from Ruokolahti, eastern Finland, as depicted by Severin Falkman in 1882 (from Culture of Finland)
The Finnish composer Jean Sibelius (1865–1957), a significant figure in the history of classical music. (from Culture of Finland)
Three Finnish Romani women in Helsinki, Finland, in 1930s. (from Culture of Finland)
Ancylus Lake covered major part of Finland (7,500–6,000 BC) (from History of Finland)
Apocalyptica's Perttu Kivilaakso playing metal music live. (from Culture of Finland)
A smoke sauna (savusauna) in Enonkoski (from Culture of Finland)
In the sauna, by Pekka Halonen, 1925 (from Culture of Finland)
Karjalanpiirakka, a traditional Finnish pastry. (from Culture of Finland)
A triptych by Akseli Gallen-Kallela, depicting the Aino Story of Kalevala on three panes. (from Culture of Finland)
Pieces of the Antrea Net (8,300 BC), the oldest-known fishing net in the world. (from History of Finland)
The first government of independent Finland. P. E. Svinhufvud, the first Prime Minister of Finland, sitting at the head of the table. (from History of Finland)
Northern Europe in 814 (from History of Finland)
Paavo Nurmi at the 1920 Summer Olympics (from Culture of Finland)
Grand Duchy of Finland, 75 kopek assignat (1824) (from History of Finland)
A summer cottage (mökki) on a lake island (from Culture of Finland)
Alvar Aalto, Viipuri Library (1927–35) (from Culture of Finland)
Finnish folk dancers in a 1907 postcard sent from Mustamäki, Finland (from Culture of Finland)
A reconstruction of a 12th-century Perniö costume (from History of Finland)
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