In this article you will find all the essential information about Finland. So, I wish you a good reading!
Geography
To begin with, as you probably know, Finland is a country in northern Europe, with almost a third of its territory located north of the Arctic Circle. Its capital is Helsinki. The country has an area of 338,145 km2. Finland borders Sweden (west), Norway (north) and Russia (east), and is bordered to the south by the Gulf of Finland and to the west by the Gulf of Bothnia (the Baltic Sea basin). Finland has 95,000 sea islands. These islands form archipelagos: Åland, the Finnish Archipelago and the Helsinki Archipelago, which extend to the southwest of the country. Finland is made up of many lakes and wetlands. To be precise, there are 188,000 lakes and ponds with an area of more than 500 m2 in Finland. The largest of these are Saimaa (1,300 km²), Inari (1,000 km²) and Païjänne. These lakes and rivers are all frozen in winter! On the other hand, Finland is a country of plateaus. The terrain becomes more hilly in the north of the country, near the Scandinavian Alps (in the west of the country).
Map of Finland
Environment
To speak a little about its environment, Finland is a country marked by nature. It can be seen that 65% of the territory is made up of forest, as confirmed by the famous saying: "the forest is the church of the Finns". Indeed, the Finnish people are in complete harmony with their environment. The air is crisp and refreshing (80% pure air). In short, Finland is marked by its vast forests, its beautiful Baltic Sea archipelago, its Lapland mountains and its lakes. This landscape is home to many wild animals and birds. There is a wealth of wildlife with 67 species of mammals (reindeer, elk, foxes, squirrels, lynxes,...) including the rarest seal species in the world. Emblematic animals are the bear and the whooper swan. Thirty-seven Finnish national parks, all free of charge, allow the observation of these animals. Interesting, isn't it?
Source : © Taina SohlmanFotolia
Source : Valtteri Mulkahainen
Climate
Finland has a harsh, subarctic climate. Winters are long and cold and summers are short and relatively cool. Winter (down to -30 degrees) lasts between 5 months (in the south) and 7 months (in the north). It starts in February and leaves room for skiers, hikers, frozen lakes, northern lights... On the other hand, spring, which starts in May, is short. Between the beginning of June and the beginning of August, it's summer! It reaches 20 degrees during the day (sometimes even 30°C): time for fruit, the midnight sun and, unfortunately, mosquito infestations! So remember to take mosquito repellent! Then comes the autumn, the ruska, which starts in September in Lapland (nature turns red and orange) and spreads to the south a month later. Snow follows a few weeks later.
Population:
Finland has a population of 5,532,000 and the lowest population density in the European Union: 18 inhabitants per square kilometre. The population is mainly concentrated in the large cities and towns. Life expectancy is 79.2 years for men and 84.5 years for women. The human development index is 0.94 (source: human development reports 2019).
The national languages are Finnish (91%) and Swedish (5.5%). Apart from a few very remote areas, English is widely spoken. Indeed, children learn English from the age of 9-11. By the way, did you know that Finland has one of the best education systems in the world?
On the other hand, Finns are warm, open and sincere people. Equality, trust, honesty and nature are important values for Finns.
How to behave with a Finn? I'll give you some tips! The most common way to say hello is to shake hands in formal situations. Kissing is not done. Also, punctuality is important to them, so be on time! When you talk to a Finnish person, look them in the eye. This means that you are direct and honest. It is normal to be on first-name terms with strangers, as well as with work colleagues. Be careful, what you say is taken seriously and you are expected to act on your words. Talking loudly, boasting and cutting off speech is rude. Finns value humility. Now you can escape some embarrassing situations!
Source : A-StockStudio Adobe Stock
Religions:
Most Finns are Christians. The Evangelical-Lutheran Church accounts for about 70% of the population and just over 1% are Orthodox. The rest of Finland is divided between Muslims, Jews, Catholics and about one third is not officially part of any religious community. Religious freedom prevails in Finland
Gastronomy:
Finns eat European-style cuisine. It is usual to eat two hot meals during the day: lunch and dinner. Lunch is between 11 and 12 o'clock and dinner is around five in the afternoon. So what do we usually eat in Finland?
In terms of beverages, Finland is the world's largest consumer of coffee (9 cups per day on average). In terms of alcohol, they are big fans of vodka, preferably Finlandia or Koskenkorva, a very popular national drink. They also drink a lot of strong cider, akvavit, sima, lakka liquor... Alcohol is very expensive in Finland, for example, a 16cl glass of wine costs 7 to 10 euros. Moreover, you have to be 20 years old to buy strong alcohol.
In terms of food, Finns are big fans of fish (especially on the coast of the country). They eat marinated, grilled or smoked fish. For example, they eat a lot of smoked herring (also popular for breakfast). Gravlax salmon is also one of their specialities. One of Finland's traditional dishes is reindeer. Traditionally served as a stew with cranberry jam, it is quite fatty and strong in taste. The Finns also eat elk, ptarmigan and... open your ears, bear! In summer, Finns swear by sausages, whether they are made from pork, mutton, game or turkey. They accompany their dishes with fruit such as blueberries, cranberries and blackberries. "Karjalanpiirakka" is a typical Finnish dish, small oblong patties with a rye-based crust and rice filling.
Source : "je papote"
Politics :
Finland is a democratic republic and a unitary state. The political system is parliamentary, so the government must necessarily have the support of parliament. Parliament forms the legislative branch and the Council of State, headed by the Prime Minister, forms the executive branch. Since 2012, Sauli Niinistö has been President and on 10 December 2019 he appointed Prime Minister Sanna Marin. At 34, Ms Marin became the youngest Prime Minister in Finnish history and the third woman to hold this office. By the way, did you know? The right to vote for women was recognised in 1906. Indeed, Finland is a leader in gender equality and parity. For example, in the Finnish government there are 11 women for 8 men and in the parliament 46% are women. Furthermore, Finland joined the European Union in 1995. Finally, if you want to travel to Finland, don't panic, it's a safe country: political stability, respect of human rights to the letter, low crime rate. Incredible, isn't it?
The President shakes hands with the Prime Minister
Source: Kosti Keistinen, VNK
Economy
With a GDP of approximately €43,500 per year per capita in 2019 (according to the World Bank), Finland ranks 25th in the world. It is a country with a high level of income. Services account for about 67% of GDP and industry accounts for almost 28% of GDP. Among the most dynamic sectors are metallurgy, steel and capital goods. It is a world producer of wood and the main one in the European Union with a production of 15-20% of the world's paper, cardboard and packaging. On the other hand, agriculture does not exceed 3% of GDP. On the other hand, the unemployment rate is quite low in Finland (8.4% in 2017). The currency used in Finland is the Euro (EUR). However, bad news... The cost of living in Finland is 0.68% higher than in France. Clothing, housing costs and food are, on average, much more expensive than in other EU countries.
Helsinki
Source : photo prise par Kashif Rahman
Traditions and leisure
As far as hobbies and traditions are concerned, I will remain rather vague, because this is a theme we will deal with during our Erasmus. However, how about a little taste? I will share with you some of their hobbies. For example, the Finns organise laptop/ boot throwing competitions, women's throwing competitions, an air guitar championship where you have to mime a guitar solo (without a guitar...). They have also invented a new sport: stick horse. It's horse riding... without a horse! These Finns are really full of surprises!
Women's throwing competition
Source : provenant du site www.delfi.lt
We are coming to the end of this article. I hope I have taught you a lot about Finland. And most of all I hope I have made you want to discover more about Finland and to follow all our future adventures with us! :) See you soon!
Article written by Lisa Iafrate.
Sources:
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pr%C3%A9sident_de_la_R%C3%A9publique_de_Finlande https://www.evaneos.fr/finlande/voyage/informations-pratiques/7577-la-securite-en-finlande/
https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/dossiers-pays/finlande/presentation-de-la-finlande/ https://perspective.usherbrooke.ca/bilan/servlet/BMPays/FIN
+ le livre: le routard finlande 2021 2022
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