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The Finland Portal

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 and democracy. (Full article...)

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The first stanza of "Maamme" from the Finnish translation of The Tales of Ensign Stål

"Maamme" (Finnish: [ˈmɑːmːe]; Swedish: Vårt land, Finland Swedish: [ˈvoːrt ˈlɑnːd]; both meaning "Our Land") is the de facto national anthem of Finland. The music was composed by the German immigrant Fredrik Pacius, with original Swedish lyrics by Johan Ludvig Runeberg. It was first performed on 13 May 1848. Originally, it was written for the 500th anniversary of Porvoo, and for that occasion it was Runeberg himself who wrote the music.

The melody of "Maamme" is also used for two other anthems: the Estonian anthem "Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm" ("My Fatherland, My Happiness and Joy") and the Livonian anthem "Min izāmō" ("My Fatherland"). (Full article...)

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Photo credit: Petteri Sulonen
The VR warehouses in Helsinki on fire on May 5th 2006.

Did you know (auto-generated)

... that the 1992 documentary film Daddy and the Muscle Academy, which focuses on the life of gay erotic artist Tom of Finland, has been broadcast on Finnish television multiple times?
... that Kuappi in Iisalmi, Finland, holds the Guinness world record for the smallest restaurant?
... that politician Kalervo Kummola introduced karaoke to Finland?
... that Sodankylä Old Church is one of the oldest preserved wooden churches in Finland?
... that Venla Luukkonen is the first Finnish person to win the World IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship at black belt level?
... that Finnish linguist Eeva Leinonen was one of four women to be inaugurated as heads of Irish universities in 2021, the others being Maggie Cusack, Linda Doyle and Kerstin Mey?

WikiProjects

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

...the Finnish Air Force selected the Saab 91 Safir as its primary trainer aircraft over the domestic Valmet Tuuli III?
...that the Kaleva, a Finnish passenger plane carrying diplomatic post, was shot down by Soviet bombers in an act of aggression?
...that the majority of Assyrians in Finland live in Oulu, the sixth largest city in the country?
...that Finland was close to becoming an independent kingdom in 1742?
...that the Saint Petersburg–Hiitola railroad was completed by 1917, but a year later the Finnish Civil War caused traffic to stop, with a mile of track removed?

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Nurmi at the 1920 Summer Olympics

Paavo Johannes Nurmi (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈpɑːʋo ˈnurmi] ^ⓘ; 13 June 1897 – 2 October 1973) was a Finnish middle-distance and long-distance runner. He was called the "Flying Finn" or the "Phantom Finn" because he dominated distance running in the 1920s. Nurmi set 22 official world records at distances between 1,500 metres and 20 kilometres, and won nine gold and three silver medals in his 12 events in the Summer Olympic Games. At his peak, Nurmi was undefeated for 121 races at distances from 800 m upwards. Throughout his 14-year career, he remained unbeaten in cross country events and the 10,000 metres.

Born into a working-class family, Nurmi left school at the age of 12 to provide for his family. In 1912, he was inspired by the Olympic feats of Hannes Kolehmainen and began developing a strict training program. Nurmi started to flourish during his military service, setting Finnish records in athletics en route to his international debut at the 1920 Summer Olympics. After winning a silver medal in the 5,000 m, he won gold in the 10,000 m and the cross country events. In 1923, Nurmi became the first runner to hold simultaneous world records in the mile, the 5,000 m and the 10,000 m races, a feat which has never been repeated. He set new world records for the 1,500 m and the 5,000 m with just an hour between the races, and took gold medals in both distances in less than two hours at the 1924 Summer Olympics. Seemingly unaffected by the Paris heat wave, Nurmi won all his races and returned home with five gold medals, although he was frustrated that Finnish officials had refused to enter him for the 10,000 m. (Full article...)

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General images

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

Image 1The 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 2Kalmar Union in 1400s (from History of Finland)
Image 3Linus Torvalds, a famous Fennoswede software engineer, best known for initiating the development of the Linux kernel (from Culture of Finland)
Image 4(1809 Diet of Porvoo) The sovereign's pledge, printed in Finnish (from History of Finland)
Image 5Sámi / Laplander family in traditional costumes from Finland. (from Culture of Finland)
Image 6An old drawing of the city of Turku in the 18th century (from History of Finland)
Image 7Pekka Halonen's painting "against persecutors" from 1896 depicts the warfare of the ancient Finns. (from History of Finland)
Image 8A reconstruction of a 12th-century Perniö costume (from History of Finland)
Image 9Jussipaita (transl. Jussi sweater); a traditional sweater from the Finnish region of Southern Ostrobothnia (from Culture of Finland)
Image 10Homann'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 11Alvar Aalto, Viipuri Library (1927–35) (from Culture of Finland)
Image 12Stone Age dwelling named Kierikki 5000–3000 BC (from History of Finland)
Image 13Signing 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 14Kastelli Giant's Church in Pattijoki by Pöljä culture [fi] (from History of Finland)
Image 15S/S Urania in Hanko harbor in 1893, with 509 emigrants on board on their way to America (from History of Finland)
Image 16A peasant girl and a woman in traditional dress from Ruokolahti, eastern Finland, as depicted by Severin Falkman in 1882 (from Culture of Finland)
Image 17Jean Sibelius at work in his study (from History of Finland)
Image 18Marshal of Finland Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim visit in Germany, 1942 (from History of Finland)
Image 19A smoke sauna (savusauna) in Enonkoski (from Culture of Finland)
Image 20Map of Finnish areas ceded to the Soviet Union in 1944, after the Continuation War (from History of Finland)
Image 21Winter War Monument in Suomussalmi, Kainuu, Finland (from History of Finland)
Image 22The 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 23Painting of Lalli killing Henry. Painting by C. A. Ekman. (from History of Finland)
Image 24Badge of the Finnish White/Civil Guard (from History of Finland)
Image 25Battle of Valkeala was part of the Russo-Swedish War (1788–1790). (from History of Finland)
Image 26Identification document and tag of a Finnish war child (from History of Finland)
Image 27Karjalanpiirakka, a traditional Finnish pastry (from Culture of Finland)
Image 28The Finnish composer Jean Sibelius (1865–1957), a significant figure in the history of classical music (from Culture of Finland)
Image 29Wehrmacht soldiers with a local Sámi reindeer herder, Lappland, Sodankylä, Finland 1942 (from History of Finland)
Image 30Ancylus Lake covered major part of Finland (7,500–6,000 BC) (from History of Finland)
Image 31A group of Finnish soldiers operating a Bofors gun during the Continuation War in 1943 (from History of Finland)
Image 32Pieces of the Antrea Net (8,300 BC), the oldest-known fishing net in the world. (from History of Finland)
Image 33Kreeta Haapasalo Playing the Kantele in a Peasant Cottage (1868), by Robert Wilhelm Ekman (from History of Finland)
Image 34Battle of Gangut (Hanko) was part of the Great Northern War during 1700–1721. (from History of Finland)
Image 35Prehistoric red ochre painted rock art of moose, human figures, and boats in Astuvansalmi, Finland, from ca. 3800–2200 BC (from Culture of Finland)
Image 36A summer cottage (mökki) on a lake island (from Culture of Finland)
Image 37Turku Cathedral and its surroundings from 1814 (from History of Finland)
Image 38Stone Age stone axe engraved with human face found from Kiuruvesi. (from History of Finland)
Image 39This 1825 map of the Grand Duchy of Finland is from a larger work, geographical atlas of the Russian Empire. (from History of Finland)
Image 40The Finno-Soviet Treaty (from History of Finland)
Image 41Apocalyptica's Perttu Kivilaakso playing metal music live (from Culture of Finland)
Image 42Northern Europe in 814 (from History of Finland)
Image 43In 2011 figure skater Kiira Korpi was ranked 4th in the world. (from Culture of Finland)
Image 44Grand Duchy of Finland, 75 kopek assignat (1824) (from History of Finland)
Image 45Students on Helsinki's Esplanadi wearing their caps on Vappu (from Culture of Finland)
Image 46The 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 47President Urho Kekkonen's funeral procession in 1986 (from History of Finland)
Image 48Portrait of Finnish poet Elias Lönnrot who wrote "the Kalevala" (1802 - 1884) (from History of Finland)
Image 49The area controlled by Finland at its largest, in 1942 (from History of Finland)
Image 50Mikael Agricola hands over the Finnish Translation of the New Testament to King Gustav Wasa. (from History of Finland)
Image 51Finnish folk dancers in a 1907 postcard sent from Mustamäki, Finland (from Culture of Finland)
Image 52Finnish Guards' Rifle Battalion, 1850s (from History of Finland)
Image 53Lapua 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 54A triptych by Akseli Gallen-Kallela, depicting the Aino Story of Kalevala on three panes (from Culture of Finland)
Image 55Erkki Karu, one of the pioneers of the Finnish cinema, with cinematographer Eino Kari in 1927 (from Culture of Finland)
Image 56The ruins of Vammala burned by the Reds, during the Civil war (from History of Finland)
Image 57People gathered in the Senate Square for a demonstration against the February Manifesto in March 1899. (from History of Finland)
Image 58Eero Järnefelt, Burning the Brushwood, 1893 (from History of Finland)
Image 59Three Finnish Romani women in Helsinki, Finland, in 1930s (from Culture of Finland)
Image 602007 Formula One World Champion Kimi Räikkönen celebrating victory at the 2007 Brazilian Grand Prix (from Culture of Finland)
Image 61In the sauna, by Pekka Halonen, 1925 (from Culture of Finland)
Image 62Memorial of the Mannerheim Cross Knights of Parikkala, Finland (from History of Finland)
Image 63Janne Ahonen is considered one of the best and most successful currently active ski jumpers. (from Culture of Finland)
Image 64Captain Aarne Juutilainen at the front at Kollaa during the Winter War (from History of Finland)
Image 65Midsummer bonfire (kokko) in Mäntsälä (from Culture of Finland)
Image 66Women dressed in Finnish folk costumes (from Culture of Finland)
Image 67A view of Pohjoisesplanadi in the center of Helsinki in 1891 (from History of Finland)
Image 68The part of Finland controlled by the Reds at its largest in February–March 1918 (from History of Finland)
Image 69In 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 70The area of Finland in the years 1920–1940. The 1935 county and municipality division on the map. (from History of Finland)
Image 71Helsinki Accords Treaty (from History of Finland)
Image 72Paavo Nurmi at the 1920 Summer Olympics (from Culture of Finland)
Image 73President K. J. Ståhlberg in his office in 1919 (from History of Finland)
Image 74Women in sauna with Vihtas
Image 75Imagery collage of Birger Jarl conquering Häme and the construction of Häme Castle (from History of Finland)
Image 76Finland Ostrobothnia regiment uniforms in 1705 (from History of Finland)
Image 77The 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)

In the news

18 November 2024 – 2024 Baltic Sea submarine cable disruptions: The C-Lion1 submarine communications cable across the Baltic Sea between Finland and Germany is damaged in what German officials suspect is sabotage. (The Guardian)
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)

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