Portal:Finland

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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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Tarja Kaarina Halonen (pronounced [ˈtɑrjɑ (ˈkɑːrinɑ) ˈhɑlonen] ^ⓘ, born 24 December 1943) is a Finnish politician who served as the 11th president of Finland, and the first and to date only woman to hold the position, from 2000 to 2012. She first rose to prominence as a lawyer with the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK), and as the Prime Minister's parliamentary secretary (1974–1975) and a member of the City Council of Helsinki (1977–1996). Halonen was a Social Democratic Party member of parliament from 1979 until her election to the presidency in 2000. She also served as a minister at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health from 1987 to 1990, as Minister of Justice from 1990 to 1991, and as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1995 to 2000.

Halonen was an extremely popular president, with her approval ratings reaching a peak of 88 percent in December 2003. She was re-elected in 2006, defeating National Coalition Party candidate Sauli Niinistö in the second round by 51% to 48%. Ineligible to run in the 2012 presidential elections because of term limits, Halonen left office on 1 March 2012 and was succeeded by Niinistö. (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 records of transgender people in Finland stretch back to the 19th century?
... that a song about an esports team went viral in Finland?
... that Matti Lehtinen, a baritone of the Finnish National Opera and professor of singing at the Sibelius Academy, was the voice of God at age 93?
... that Joe Wirkkunen coached the Finland men's national ice hockey team after receiving a recommendation from Canada?
... that Venla Luukkonen is the first Finnish person to win the World IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship at black belt level?
... that Sodankylä Old Church is one of the oldest preserved wooden churches in Finland?

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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 Finnish company YIT was responsible for the construction of the Finnish National Opera house, the Helsinki Fair Centre and Cirrus, the tallest high-rise building in Finland?
...that the paintings in the Espoo Cathedral were painted over in the 18th century, as they were thought to be "crude and superstitious'?
...that there are three unilingually Swedish municipalities in one province of mainland Finland?
...that Maria, the Finnish form of Mary, is the most popular Finnish name used during the modern era?
...that Finnish film director Valentin Vaala was reportedly so disappointed with his first film that he dumped the original camera negatives into the sea?

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

Henri Pauli Toivonen (25 August 1956 – 2 May 1986) was a Finnish rally driver born in Jyväskylä, the home of Rally Finland. His father, Pauli, was the 1968 European Rally Champion for Porsche and his brother, Harri, became a professional circuit racer.

Toivonen's first World Rally Championship victory came with a Talbot Sunbeam Lotus at the 1980 Lombard RAC Rally in Great Britain, just after his 24th birthday. He had the record of being the youngest driver ever to win a world rally until his countryman Jari-Matti Latvala won the 2008 Swedish Rally at the age of 22. After driving for Opel and Porsche, Toivonen was signed by Lancia. Despite nearly ending up paralysed at the Rally Costa Smeralda early in 1985, he returned to rallying later that year. He won the last event of the season, the RAC Rally, as well as the 1986 season opener, the Monte Carlo Rally, which his father had won exactly 20 years earlier. (Full article...)

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General images

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

Image 1Jussipaita (transl. Jussi sweater); a traditional sweater from the Finnish region of Southern Ostrobothnia (from Culture of Finland)
Image 2Alvar Aalto, Viipuri Library (1927–35) (from Culture of Finland)
Image 3In 2011 figure skater Kiira Korpi was ranked 4th in the world. (from Culture of Finland)
Image 4A summer cottage (mökki) on a lake island (from Culture of Finland)
Image 5Map of Finnish areas ceded to the Soviet Union in 1944, after the Continuation War (from History of Finland)
Image 6Badge of the Finnish White/Civil Guard (from History of Finland)
Image 7Lapua 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 8President K. J. Ståhlberg in his office in 1919 (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 112007 Formula One World Champion Kimi Räikkönen celebrating victory at the 2007 Brazilian Grand Prix (from Culture of Finland)
Image 12The 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 13Women dressed in Finnish folk costumes (from Culture of Finland)
Image 14Finland Ostrobothnia regiment uniforms in 1705 (from History of Finland)
Image 15Kreeta Haapasalo Playing the Kantele in a Peasant Cottage (1868), by Robert Wilhelm Ekman (from History of Finland)
Image 16Ancylus Lake covered major part of Finland (7,500–6,000 BC) (from History of Finland)
Image 17Linus Torvalds, a famous Fennoswede software engineer, best known for initiating the development of the Linux kernel (from Culture of Finland)
Image 18Midsummer bonfire (kokko) in Mäntsälä (from Culture of Finland)
Image 19Students on Helsinki's Esplanadi wearing their caps on Vappu (from Culture of Finland)
Image 20The area of Finland in the years 1920–1940. The 1935 county and municipality division on the map. (from History of Finland)
Image 21Painting of Lalli killing Henry. Painting by C. A. Ekman. (from History of Finland)
Image 22Battle of Valkeala was part of the Russo-Swedish War (1788–1790). (from History of Finland)
Image 23Kastelli Giant's Church in Pattijoki by Pöljä culture [fi] (from History of Finland)
Image 24Three Finnish Romani women in Helsinki, Finland, in 1930s (from Culture of Finland)
Image 25Jean Sibelius at work in his study (from History of Finland)
Image 26(1809 Diet of Porvoo) The sovereign's pledge, printed in Finnish (from History of Finland)
Image 27This 1825 map of the Grand Duchy of Finland is from a larger work, geographical atlas of the Russian Empire. (from History of Finland)
Image 28A smoke sauna (savusauna) in Enonkoski (from Culture of Finland)
Image 29Karjalanpiirakka, a traditional Finnish pastry (from Culture of Finland)
Image 30S/S Urania in Hanko harbor in 1893, with 509 emigrants on board on their way to America (from History of Finland)
Image 31Stone Age dwelling named Kierikki 5000–3000 BC (from History of Finland)
Image 32Sámi / Laplander family in traditional costumes from Finland. (from Culture of Finland)
Image 33A peasant girl and a woman in traditional dress from Ruokolahti, eastern Finland, as depicted by Severin Falkman in 1882 (from Culture of Finland)
Image 34The 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 35Grand Duchy of Finland, 75 kopek assignat (1824) (from History of Finland)
Image 36Erkki Karu, one of the pioneers of the Finnish cinema, with cinematographer Eino Kari in 1927 (from Culture of Finland)
Image 37Prehistoric red ochre painted rock art of moose, human figures, and boats in Astuvansalmi, Finland, from ca. 3800–2200 BC (from Culture of Finland)
Image 38Janne Ahonen is considered one of the best and most successful currently active ski jumpers. (from Culture of Finland)
Image 39The part of Finland controlled by the Reds at its largest in February–March 1918 (from History of Finland)
Image 40In 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 41Women in sauna with Vihtas
Image 42Finnish Guards' Rifle Battalion, 1850s (from History of Finland)
Image 43Finnish folk dancers in a 1907 postcard sent from Mustamäki, Finland (from Culture of Finland)
Image 44Identification document and tag of a Finnish war child (from History of Finland)
Image 45People gathered in the Senate Square for a demonstration against the February Manifesto in March 1899. (from History of Finland)
Image 46Marshal of Finland Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim visit in Germany, 1942 (from History of Finland)
Image 47Winter War Monument in Suomussalmi, Kainuu, Finland (from History of Finland)
Image 48The 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 49Eero Järnefelt, Burning the Brushwood, 1893 (from History of Finland)
Image 50Pekka Halonen's painting "against persecutors" from 1896 depicts the warfare of the ancient Finns. (from History of Finland)
Image 51Captain Aarne Juutilainen at the front at Kollaa during the Winter War (from History of Finland)
Image 52Imagery collage of Birger Jarl conquering Häme and the construction of Häme Castle (from History of Finland)
Image 53An old drawing of the city of Turku in the 18th century (from History of Finland)
Image 54The Finno-Soviet Treaty (from History of Finland)
Image 55A reconstruction of a 12th-century Perniö costume (from History of Finland)
Image 56Helsinki Accords Treaty (from History of Finland)
Image 57The 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 58Wehrmacht soldiers with a local Sámi reindeer herder, Lappland, Sodankylä, Finland 1942 (from History of Finland)
Image 59President Urho Kekkonen's funeral procession in 1986 (from History of Finland)
Image 60Stone Age stone axe engraved with human face found from Kiuruvesi. (from History of Finland)
Image 61Homann'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 62In the sauna, by Pekka Halonen, 1925 (from Culture of Finland)
Image 63A triptych by Akseli Gallen-Kallela, depicting the Aino Story of Kalevala on three panes (from Culture of Finland)
Image 64Apocalyptica's Perttu Kivilaakso playing metal music live (from Culture of Finland)
Image 65Northern Europe in 814 (from History of Finland)
Image 66The area controlled by Finland at its largest, in 1942 (from History of Finland)
Image 67Portrait of Finnish poet Elias Lönnrot who wrote "the Kalevala" (1802 - 1884) (from History of Finland)
Image 68Signing 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 69Memorial of the Mannerheim Cross Knights of Parikkala, Finland (from History of Finland)
Image 70Turku Cathedral and its surroundings from 1814 (from History of Finland)
Image 71Battle of Gangut (Hanko) was part of the Great Northern War during 1700–1721. (from History of Finland)
Image 72Pieces of the Antrea Net (8,300 BC), the oldest-known fishing net in the world. (from History of Finland)
Image 73A group of Finnish soldiers operating a Bofors gun during the Continuation War in 1943 (from History of Finland)
Image 74Kalmar Union in 1400s (from History of Finland)
Image 75The ruins of Vammala burned by the Reds, during the Civil war (from History of Finland)
Image 76Mikael Agricola hands over the Finnish Translation of the New Testament to King Gustav Wasa. (from History of Finland)
Image 77Paavo Nurmi at the 1920 Summer Olympics (from Culture 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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Panoramic photo shot of Helsinki, Finland

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