Portal:Finland

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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.

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 but retained its independence. (Full article...)

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Finns or Finnish people (Finnish: suomalaiset, IPA: [ˈsuo̯mɑlɑi̯set]) are a Baltic Finnic ethnic group native to Finland. Finns are traditionally divided into smaller regional groups that span several countries adjacent to Finland, both those who are native to these countries as well as those who have resettled. Some of these may be classified as separate ethnic groups, rather than subgroups of Finns. These include the Kvens and Forest Finns in Norway, the Tornedalians in Sweden, and the Ingrian Finns in Russia.

Finnish, the language spoken by Finns, is closely related to other Balto-Finnic languages, e.g. Estonian and Karelian. The Finnic languages are a subgroup of the larger Uralic family of languages, which also includes Hungarian. These languages are markedly different from most other languages spoken in Europe, which belong to the Indo-European family of languages. Native Finns can also be divided according to dialect into subgroups sometimes called heimo (lit. 'tribe'), although such divisions have become less important due to internal migration. (Full article...)

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Snow-covered landscape in Isokuru, Pyhä-Luosto National Park.

Did you know (auto-generated)

... that the Finnish 7th Division was formed in 1940 by renumbering another unit to make it appear to the Soviets that it had been replaced with fresh troops?
... that Finnish-American model Selene Mahri married three millionaires and is credited with inventing the saying "Marriage is a question of give and take. You give. I take"?
... that a song about an esports team went viral in Finland?
... that records of transgender people in Finland stretch back to the 19th century?
... that Turku remained the largest city in Finland after three quarters of it burned down?
... that the 1972 Finnish film The Sheep Eaters gathered more than a million viewers opposite the 1975 Ice Hockey World Championships match between Finland and the Soviet Union?

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You are invited to participate in Finland WikiProject, a WikiProject dedicated to developing and improving articles about Finland.

More did you know - show different entries

...that the prototypes for the WW II German U-boat fleet (Type II pictured) were designed by a Dutch company and built in Finland at the Crichton-Vulcan shipyard?
...that while repelling Soviet advances across the frozen Lake Suvanto, Finland managed to capture 12 anti-tank guns, 140 machine guns, 200 light machine guns and 1500 rifles in the Battle of Kelja in 1939?
...that Major Carl Mothander, the leader of Swedish volunteers in the Estonian War of Independence, later wrote books on Estonian politics that were banned in Finland?
...that the Korpela movement was a short-lived cult during the 1930s in Northern Sweden and Finland whose controversial sexual rituals eventually led to the arrest of 60 followers?
...that in 1745, Daniel Juslenius, a Finnish Fennoman, finished the first formal Finnish dictionary?

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This is a Good article, an article that meets a core set of high editorial standards.

Vainio in 1924 at age 71

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...)

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General images

The following are images from various Finland-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1A reconstruction of a 12th-century Perniö costume (from History of Finland)
Image 2This 1825 map of the Grand Duchy of Finland is from a larger work, geographical atlas of the Russian Empire. (from History of Finland)
Image 3Sámi / Laplander family in traditional costumes from Finland. (from Culture of Finland)
Image 4Painting of Lalli killing Henry. Painting by C. A. Ekman. (from History of Finland)
Image 5Erkki Karu, one of the pioneers of the Finnish cinema, with cinematographer Eino Kari in 1927 (from Culture of Finland)
Image 6The Swedish empire at its largest. Most of present-day Finland was part of Sweden proper, rike, shown in dark green. (from History of Finland)
Image 7Jussipaita (transl. Jussi sweater); a traditional sweater from the Finnish region of Southern Ostrobothnia (from Culture of Finland)
Image 8Marshal of Finland Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim visit in Germany, 1942 (from History of Finland)
Image 9A view of Pohjoisesplanadi in the center of Helsinki in 1891 (from History of Finland)
Image 10The Finnish composer Jean Sibelius (1865–1957), a significant figure in the history of classical music (from Culture of Finland)
Image 11Pieces of the Antrea Net (8,300 BC), the oldest-known fishing net in the world. (from History of Finland)
Image 12In the sauna, by Pekka Halonen, 1925 (from Culture of Finland)
Image 13Homann'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)
Image 14Kastelli Giant's Church in Pattijoki by Pöljä culture [fi] (from History of Finland)
Image 15Imagery collage of Birger Jarl conquering Häme and the construction of Häme Castle (from History of Finland)
Image 16Ancylus Lake covered major part of Finland (7,500–6,000 BC) (from History of Finland)
Image 17Battle of Valkeala was part of the Russo-Swedish War (1788–1790). (from History of Finland)
Image 18Lapua Movement supporters beating the "red officer" Eino Nieminen in front of the Vaasa courthouse during the 4 June 1930 riot. (from History of Finland)
Image 19Alvar Aalto, Viipuri Library (1927–35) (from Culture of Finland)
Image 20Winter War Monument in Suomussalmi, Kainuu, Finland (from History of Finland)
Image 21S/S Urania in Hanko harbor in 1893, with 509 emigrants on board on their way to America (from History of Finland)
Image 22A group of Finnish soldiers operating a Bofors gun during the Continuation War in 1943 (from History of Finland)
Image 23Linus Torvalds, a famous Fennoswede software engineer, best known for initiating the development of the Linux kernel (from Culture of Finland)
Image 24President Urho Kekkonen's funeral procession in 1986 (from History of Finland)
Image 25A triptych by Akseli Gallen-Kallela, depicting the Aino Story of Kalevala on three panes (from Culture of Finland)
Image 26Finnish Guards' Rifle Battalion, 1850s (from History of Finland)
Image 27The public education system founded during earlier Swedish rule resulted the literacy of Grand Duchy of Finland being higher than its host country Russian Empire (map of 1897 census literacy data) (from History of Finland)
Image 28Janne Ahonen is considered one of the best and most successful currently active ski jumpers. (from Culture of Finland)
Image 29Pekka Halonen's painting "against persecutors" from 1896 depicts the warfare of the ancient Finns. (from History of Finland)
Image 30Karjalanpiirakka, a traditional Finnish pastry (from Culture of Finland)
Image 31Kreeta Haapasalo Playing the Kantele in a Peasant Cottage (1868), by Robert Wilhelm Ekman (from History of Finland)
Image 32Finland Ostrobothnia regiment uniforms in 1705 (from History of Finland)
Image 33Memorial of the Mannerheim Cross Knights of Parikkala, Finland (from History of Finland)
Image 34Eero Järnefelt, Burning the Brushwood, 1893 (from History of Finland)
Image 352007 Formula One World Champion Kimi Räikkönen celebrating victory at the 2007 Brazilian Grand Prix (from Culture of Finland)
Image 36Apocalyptica's Perttu Kivilaakso playing metal music live (from Culture of Finland)
Image 37The decision of the Soviet of the People's Comissars' to recognise Finnish independence, signed by Vladimir Lenin, Leon Trotsky, Grigory Petrovsky, Joseph Stalin, Isaac Steinberg, Vladimir Karelin, and Alexander Schlichter (from History of Finland)
Image 38Three Finnish Romani women in Helsinki, Finland, in 1930s (from Culture of Finland)
Image 39Helsinki Accords Treaty (from History of Finland)
Image 40Badge of the Finnish White/Civil Guard (from History of Finland)
Image 41The part of Finland controlled by the Reds at its largest in February–March 1918 (from History of Finland)
Image 42Kalmar Union in 1400s (from History of Finland)
Image 43Women dressed in Finnish folk costumes (from Culture of Finland)
Image 44A summer cottage (mökki) on a lake island (from Culture of Finland)
Image 45The area controlled by Finland at its largest, in 1942 (from History of Finland)
Image 46Signing 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)
Image 47Portrait of Finnish poet Elias Lönnrot who wrote "the Kalevala" (1802 - 1884) (from History of Finland)
Image 48Finnish folk dancers in a 1907 postcard sent from Mustamäki, Finland (from Culture of Finland)
Image 49Jean Sibelius at work in his study (from History of Finland)
Image 50President K. J. Ståhlberg in his office in 1919 (from History of Finland)
Image 51People gathered in the Senate Square for a demonstration against the February Manifesto in March 1899. (from History of Finland)
Image 52Mikael Agricola hands over the Finnish Translation of the New Testament to King Gustav Wasa. (from History of Finland)
Image 53A peasant girl and a woman in traditional dress from Ruokolahti, eastern Finland, as depicted by Severin Falkman in 1882 (from Culture of Finland)
Image 54Wehrmacht soldiers with a local Sámi reindeer herder, Lappland, Sodankylä, Finland 1942 (from History of Finland)
Image 55Stone Age stone axe engraved with human face found from Kiuruvesi. (from History of Finland)
Image 56Battle of Gangut (Hanko) was part of the Great Northern War during 1700–1721. (from History of Finland)
Image 57Prehistoric red ochre painted rock art of moose, human figures, and boats in Astuvansalmi, Finland, from ca. 3800–2200 BC (from Culture of Finland)
Image 58Women in sauna with Vihtas
Image 59Midsummer bonfire (kokko) in Mäntsälä (from Culture of Finland)
Image 60Stone Age dwelling named Kierikki 5000–3000 BC (from History of Finland)
Image 61The 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)
Image 62An old drawing of the city of Turku in the 18th century (from History of Finland)
Image 63Northern Europe in 814 (from History of Finland)
Image 64In the middle is the patron saint of Finland, Saint Henry, on the right side of him is Bishop Konrad Bitz and on the left is Dean Magnus Stjernkors; from Missale Aboense (1488) (from History of Finland)
Image 65Captain Aarne Juutilainen at the front at Kollaa during the Winter War (from History of Finland)
Image 66(1809 Diet of Porvoo) The sovereign's pledge, printed in Finnish (from History of Finland)
Image 67A smoke sauna (savusauna) in Enonkoski (from Culture of Finland)
Image 68The Finno-Soviet Treaty (from History of Finland)
Image 69In 2011 figure skater Kiira Korpi was ranked 4th in the world. (from Culture of Finland)
Image 70Students on Helsinki's Esplanadi wearing their caps on Vappu (from Culture of Finland)
Image 71The area of Finland in the years 1920–1940. The 1935 county and municipality division on the map. (from History of Finland)
Image 72Grand Duchy of Finland, 75 kopek assignat (1824) (from History of Finland)
Image 73Turku Cathedral and its surroundings from 1814 (from History of Finland)
Image 74The ruins of Vammala burned by the Reds, during the Civil war (from History of Finland)
Image 75Identification document and tag of a Finnish war child (from History of Finland)
Image 76Paavo Nurmi at the 1920 Summer Olympics (from Culture of Finland)
Image 77Map of Finnish areas ceded to the Soviet Union in 1944, after the Continuation War (from History of Finland)

In the news

9 September 2024 –: Finnish-Canadian sportswear mogul Peter Nygård is sentenced to 11 years in prison for sexual assault. (CBC News)
14 August 2024 – Organized crime in Sweden: Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland form an international police hub in Stockholm to prevent escalating Swedish gang activity and criminal networks from spreading to other Nordic countries. (Reuters)
26 July 2024 – Finland–Russia relations: Finland reports that a Russian Navy Baltic Sea fleet vessel trespassed on Finnish territorial waters in the eastern Gulf of Finland. (Reuters)
12 July 2024 – Finland–Russia relations, Russian emigration during the Russian invasion of Ukraine: The Parliament of Finland passes a law allowing border guards to restrict trafficked asylum seekers from crossing the Finland–Russia border. (CNN)
22 May 2024 – Russia–NATO relations: The Russian Ministry of Defence proposes to unilaterally adjust Russia's maritime border in the Baltic Sea, prompting comments of concern made by Baltic members of NATO, including Finland and Lithuania. The Ministry of Defense later retracts the proposal. (Reuters) (BBC News)

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Panorama of Lake Pielinen from a hill in Koli National Park, Finland

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