Finland

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|- !Year!!Population!!Year!!Population |- ||1750||align=right|421,000||1880||align=right|2,060,800 |- ||1760||align=right|491,000||1890||align=right|2,380,100 |- ||1770||align=right|561,000||1900||align=right|2,655,900 |- ||1780||align=right|663,000||1910||align=right|2,943,400 |- ||1790||align=right|705,600||1920||align=right|3,147,600 |- ||1800||align=right|832,700||1930||align=right|3,462,700 |- ||1810||align=right|863,300||1940||align=right|3,695,617 |- ||1820||align=right|1,177,500||1950||align=right|4,029,803 |- ||1830||align=right|1,372,100||1960||align=right|4,446,222 |- ||1840||align=right|1,445,600||1970||align=right|4,598,336 |- ||1850||align=right|1,636,900||1980||align=right|4,787,778 |- ||1860||align=right|1,746,700||1990||align=right|4,998,478 |- ||1870||align=right|1,768,800||2000||align=right|5,181,000 |}

Main article: Demographics of Finland

Population

Finland currently numbers 5,302,778 inhabitants and has an average population density of 17 inhabitants per square kilometre. This makes it, after Norway and Iceland, the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Finland's population has always been concentrated in the southern parts of the country, which is even more pronounced after twentieth-century urbanisation. The biggest and most important cities in Finland are the cities of the Greater Helsinki metropolitan area - Helsinki, Vantaa, Espoo and Kauniainen - some of the other big cities include Tampere, Turku and Oulu.

The share of immigrants in Finland is among the lowest of the European Union countries. Foreign citizens comprise 2.3 percent of the population. Most of them are from Russia, Estonia and Sweden.

Language

Main articles: Finnish language, Finland Swedish, and Languages of Finland

See also: Finnish alphabet, Finnish grammar, and Finnish phonology

Most of the Finnish people (92 percent) speak Finnish as their mother tongue. Finnish is a member of the Baltic-Finnic subgroup of the Uralic languages and is typologically between inflected and agglutinative languages. It modifies and inflects the forms of nouns, adjectives, pronouns, numerals and verbs, depending on their roles in the sentence. In practice, this means that instead of prepositions and prefixes there is a great variety of different suffixes and that compounds form a considerable percentage of the vocabulary of Finnish. It has been estimated that approximately 65–70 percent of all words in Finnish are compounds. A close linguistic relative to the Finnish language is Estonian, which, though similar in many aspects, is not mutually intelligible with it. These languages, together with Hungarian (all members of the Uralic language family), are the primary non-Indo-European languages spoken in Europe. Finland, together with Estonia and Hungary, is one of the three independent countries where an Uralic language is spoken by the majority.

The largest minority language is Swedish, which is the second official language in Finland, spoken by 5.5 percent of the population. Other minority languages are Russian (0.8 percent) and Estonian (0.3 percent). To the north, in Lapland, are also the Sami people, numbering around 7,000 and recognized as an indigenous people. About a quarter of them speaks a Sami language as their mother tongue. There are three Sami languages that are spoken in Finland: Northern Sami, Inari Sami and Skolt Sami. Other minority languages are Finnish Romani, Finnish Sign Language (spoken natively by 4,000–5,000 people) and Finland-Swedish Sign Language (spoken natively by about 150 people). The rights of minority groups (in particular Sami, Swedish-speaking Finns and Romani people) to cherish their culture and language is protected by the constitution. The majority of Finns learn enough English in school and from media to be proficient in that language. Other common secondary languages are Swedish, German and French.

Religion

The Helsinki Cathedral with the statue of Emperor Alexander II of Russia.

Main articles: Religion in Finland, Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, and Finnish Orthodox Church

See also: Roman Catholicism in Finland, Judaism in Finland, Islam in Finland, and Hinduism in Finland

Most Finns are members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland (82.5 percent). A minority belongs to the Finnish Orthodox Church (1.1 percent) (see Eastern Orthodox Church). Other Protestant denominations and the Roman Catholic Church in Finland are significantly smaller, as are the Muslim, Jewish and other non-Christian communities (totaling 1.2 percent). 15.1 percent of the population is unaffiliated. The main Lutheran and Orthodox churches are the national churches of Finland. Church attendance is much lower than these figures may suggest. Most of the population holds generally secular views. A majority of members of the state Lutheran Church do not participate actively, often attending church only for special occasions like weddings and funerals.

According to a 2005 Eurobarometer Poll, 41 percent of Finnish citizens responded that "they believe there is a god", whereas 41 percent answered that "they believe there is some sort of spirit or life force" and 16 percent that "they do not believe there is any sort of spirit, god, or life force".

Family structure

Finnish family life is centered on the nuclear family. Relations with the extended family are often rather distant, and Finnish people do not form politically significant clans, tribes or similar structures. According to UNICEF, Finland ranks fourth in child well-being.

Health

Finland has a developed public health care system. 18.9 percent of health care is funded by households themselves, 76.6 percent is publicly funded, and the rest of the funding comes from elsewhere. There are 307 residents for each doctor.

After having one of the highest death rates from heart disease in the world in the 1970s, improvements in the Finnish diet and exercise have paid off. Finland also boasts the lowest smoking rate of any country in the European Union. Finland is now one of the fittest countries in the world.

The life expectancy is 82 years for women and 75 years for men.

Administrative divisions

Main article: Administrative divisions of Finland

Main articles: Provinces of Finland and Historical provinces of Finland

Main articles: Regions of Finland, Sub-regions of Finland, and Municipalities of Finland

The state organisation is divided into six administrative provinces (lääni, pl. läänit). Police, prosecutors, and other state services operate under the administration of the province, and are divided into smaller districts (formerly state local districts). After 1997 reforms they have been Southern Finland, Western Finland, Eastern Finland, Oulu, Lapland, Åland. There has been discussion about abolishing the provincial division as unnecessary bureaucracy. The province of Åland Islands is autonomous.

Municipalities and regions map of Finland (2007).
Black borders refer to municipalities, red to regions.

About half of tax revenue is spent by 415 municipalities (as of 2008). Some municapalities are hundreds of years old. Since 1977, no legal or administrative distinction is made between towns, cities and other municipalities. Although a municipality must follow the laws set by the state, it makes independent decisions. That is, the decisions of a municipal council, if legal, cannot be appealed. People often identify with their municipality. Central government attempts to reform the complex and expensive municipal system under the Municipality and Service Structure Reform Program, but proposals have encountered much opposition from local bureaucrats and interest groups.

In addition to municipalities, there are complex other arrangements. Municipalities co-operate in seventy-four sub-regions and twenty regions. These are governed by the member municipalities. The Åland region has a permanent, democratically elected regional council, as a part of the autonomy. In the Kainuu region, there is a pilot project underway, with regional elections. Sami people have a semi-autonomous Sami Domicile Area in Lapland for issues on language and culture.

In the following chart, the number of inhabitants includes those living in the entire municipality (kunta/kommun), not just in the built-up area. The land area is given in km², and the density in inhabitants per km² (land area). The figures are as of January 1, 2007. Notice that the capital region – comprising Helsinki, Vantaa, Espoo and Kauniainen (see Greater Helsinki) – forms a continuous conurbation of one million people. However, common administration is limited to voluntary cooperation of all municipalities, e.g. in Helsinki Metropolitan Area Council.

Municipality	Population	Land area	Density
Helsinki	564,474	184.47	3,061.00
Espoo	235,100	312.00	751.60
Tampere	206,171	523.40	393.90
Vantaa	189,442	240.54	780.40
Turku	177,502	243.40	720.50
Oulu	130,049	369.43	351.40
Lahti	98,773	134.95	730.10
Kuopio	91,026	1,127.40	81.00
Jyväskylä	84,482	105.90	789.00
Pori	76,211	503.17	150.83
Lappeenranta	59,077	758.00	77.70
Rovaniemi	58,100	7,600.73	7.60
Joensuu	57,879	1,173.40	49.10
Vaasa	57,266	183.00	311.20
Kotka	54,860	270.74	203.00

Further information: List of Finnish municipalities, List of Finnish municipalities by population, List of Finnish municipalities by area, and Former municipalities of Finland

Government and politics

Main article: Politics of Finland

Finland has a semi-presidential system with parliamentarism. The president is responsible for foreign policy outside of the European Union in cooperation with the cabinet (the Finnish Council of State) where most executive power lies, headed by the Prime Minister. Responsibility for forming the cabinet is granted to a person nominated by the President and approved of by the Parliament. This person also becomes Prime Minister after formal appointment by the President. Any minister and the cabinet as a whole, however, must have continuing trust of the parliament and may be voted out, resign or be replaced. The Council of State is made up of the Prime Minister and the ministers for the various departments of the central government as well as an ex-officio member, the Chancellor of Justice.

President

File:Finland.TarjaHolonen.01.jpg

The current President of Finland Tarja Halonen in a state visit to Brazil, October 2003.

Main article: President of Finland

The President of Finland is the Head of State of Finland. Under the Constitution of Finland, executive power is vested in the President and the government, with the President possessing extensive powers. The President is elected directly by the people for a term of six years. Since 1991, no President can be elected for more than two consecutive terms. The President must be a native-born Finnish citizen. The office was established by the Constitution Act of 1919.

The current office-holder is President Tarja Halonen. She began her first term of office in 2000 and was re-elected on January 29, 2006. Her current term expires in 2012. She is the eleventh President of Finland, the first woman and first from the capital, Helsinki, to hold the office.

Parliament and government

Eduskuntatalo, the main building of the Parliament of Finland (Eduskunta) in Helsinki.

Prime Minister of Finland Matti Vanhanen eight days prior to the Finnish parliamentary election, 2007.

Main article: Parliament of Finland

See also: List of political parties in Finland

The 200-member unicameral parliament is called the Eduskunta (Finnish) or Riksdag (Swedish). It is the supreme legislative authority in Finland. The parliament may alter the Constitution of Finland, bring about the resignation of the Council of State, and override presidential vetoes. Its acts are not subject to judicial review. Legislation may be initiated by the Council of State, or one of the Eduskunta members, who are elected for a four-year term on the basis of proportional representation through open list multi-member districts.

The parliament has, since equal and common suffrage was introduced in 1906, been dominated by secular Conservatives, the Centre Party (former Agrarian Union), and Social Democrats, which have approximately equal support, and represent 65–80 percent of voters. After 1944 Communists were a factor to consider for a few decades. The relative strengths of the parties vary only slightly in the elections due to the proportional election from multi-member districts but there are some visible long-term trends.

According to the Constitution of Finland, the Parliament elects the Prime Minister, who is appointed to office by the President. Other Ministers are appointed by the President on the Prime Minister's proposal. The current Prime Minister of Finland, as well as Chairman of the Centre Party is Matti Vanhanen (who in the second half of 2006 was President of the European Council).

After the parliamentary elections on March 18, 2007, the seats were divided among eight parties as follows:

Party	Seats	Net Gain/Loss	% of seats	% of votes
The Centre Party	51	–4	25.5	23.1
The National Coalition Party	51	+10	25.0	22.3
The Social Democratic Party	45	–8	22.5	21.4
The Left Alliance	17	–2	8.5	8.8
The Green League	14	+1	7.5	8.5
The Swedish People's Party	9	+1	4.5	4.5
The Christian Democrats	7	0	3.5	4.9
The True Finns	5	+2	2.5	4.1
Others	1*	0	0.5	2.4

* Province of Åland representative.

Judicial system

The judicial system of Finland is a civil law system divided between courts with regular civil and criminal jurisdiction and administrative courts with responsibility for litigation between the individuals and the administrative organs of the state and the communities. Finnish law is codified and based on Swedish law and in a wider sense, civil law or Roman law. Its court system consists of local courts, regional appellate courts, and the Supreme Court. The administrative branch of justice consists of administrative courts and the Supreme Administrative Court. In addition to the regular courts, there are a few special courts in certain branches of administration. There is also a High Court of Impeachment for criminal charges (for an offence in office) against the President of the Republic, the justices of the supreme courts, members of the Council of State, the Chancellor of Justice and the Ombudsman of Parliament.

A general court of first instance (käräjäoikeus) has professional judges and in complex cases, includes non-professional lay judges (lautamies) appointed by municipal councils. Administrative courts, appeals courts and supreme courts consist of professional judges only. Like the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, Finland has no constitutional court, and courts may not strike down laws or pronounce on their constitutionality. In principle, the constitutionality of laws in Finland is verified by parliament's constitutional committee and a simple vote in the parliament.

In its 2007 Worldwide Press Freedom Index, Reporters Without Borders ranked Finland (along with Belgium and Sweden) 5th out of 169 countries. Bloggers have been convicted for publishing inflammatory content, e.g. for incitement to ethnic or racial hatred. Since 2006, the police has also provided an Internet censorship list for voluntary use by operators, similarly to other Nordic countries; the level of censorship is classified "nominal" by the ONI.

Crime in Finland has some unique features. Finland has the third highest total crime rate in the world and the highest homicide rate in Western Europe. Violent crime is particularly prevalent in and within marginalized social groups and is often committed intoxicated. The penalties are among the lowest in the world. A day fine system is in effect; uniquely, it is also summarily applied to aggravated traffic violations.

Foreign relations

Main article: Foreign relations of Finland

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Finland freed itself from the last restrictions imposed on it by the Paris peace treaties of 1947, save for declaring that she would voluntarily continue to adhere to the treaty's ban on nuclear weapons. The Finno-Soviet Agreement of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance (and the restrictions included therein) was annulled but Finland recognised the Russian Federation as the successor of the USSR and was quick to draft bilateral treaties of goodwill as well as reallocating Soviet debts.

Finland deepened its participation in the European integration by joining the European Union with Sweden and Austria in 1995. It could perhaps be said that the country's policy of neutrality has been moderated to "military non-alignment" with an emphasis on maintaining a competent independent defence. Peacekeeping under the auspices of the United Nations was for years the only real extra-national military responsibility which Finland undertook. Since 2006, Finland has participated in the formation of European Union Battlegroups.

The President leads Finnish foreign policy, which is implemented by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The current Minister for Foreign Affairs is Ilkka Kanerva. Matters related to the European Union are usually not considered part of the foreign policy.

Finland's foreign policy is based on the membership of the European Union with its customs union, military non-alliance, and neutrality. Finland is also in the Nordic Council, and has long traditions of co-operation with the Nordic countries. Finland has good relations with all its neighbours, Sweden, Norway, Russia and Estonia, and is not involved in international conflicts or border disputes.

The military doctrine is strictly self-defensive, and indeed, the Constitution of Finland only allows participation in military operations authorised by the UN or the OSCE. Public opinion is against joining any military alliances, such as NATO, although Finland is involved in the Partnership for Peace programme with NATO. Foreign trade is highly important, as about a third of the gross domestic product comes from foreign trade, and Finland depends on imports for most raw materials.

Defence Forces

File:Finnish Soldiers Skiing.jpg

Virtually every conscript in Finnish Defence Forces is given ski-training.

Main article: Finnish Defence Forces

See also: Military history of Finland and List of Finnish wars

The Finnish Defence Forces is a cadre army of 16,500, of which 8,700 are professional soldiers (officers), with a standard readiness strength of 34,700 people in uniform (27,300 Army, 3,000 Navy, and 4,400 Air Force). Finland's defence budget equals about 1.4 percent of the GDP. A universal male conscription is in place, under which all men above 18 years of age serve for six, nine, eleven (unarmed service) or twelve months. Inhabitants of Finland's Åland Islands and Jehovah's Witnesses are exempt, but there are no other general exemptions. Non-military service for twelve months is also possible. Since 1995, Finnish women have been able to do military service as volunteers. The defence is based on a large trained reserve. During the Cold War, Finland could have mobilised 490,000 reservists in a conflict, but this number has since been reduced to some 350,000 due to ongoing budget cuts.

The Finnish Defence Forces are under the command of the Chief of Defence, who is directly subordinate to the President of the Republic in matters related to the military command. The current Chief of Defence is Admiral Juhani Kaskeala.

The military branches are Finnish Army, Finnish Navy and Finnish Air Force. The Border Guard is under the Ministry of the Interior but can be incorporated into the Defence Forces when required by defence readiness.

Economy

Aleksanterinkatu, a commercial street in the capital city of Helsinki.

Main article: Economy of Finland

See also: List of Finnish companies and Helsinki Stock Exchange

Finland has a highly industrialised, free-market economy with a per capita output equal to that of other western economies such as France, Germany, Sweden or the UK. The largest sector of the economy is services at 65.7 percent, followed by manufacturing and refining at 31.4 percent. Primary production is low at 2.9 percent, reflecting the fact that Finland is a resource-poor country. With respect to foreign trade, the key economic sector is manufacturing. The largest industries are electronics (21.6 percent), machinery, vehicles and other engineered metal products (21.1 percent), forest industry (13.1 percent), and chemicals (10.9 percent). Except for timber and several minerals, Finland depends on imports of raw materials, energy and some components for manufactured goods. Taxpayers subsidy agricultural sector with around 2 billion euros every year. Forestry provides a secondary occupation for the 'rural population.

Finland is highly integrated in the global economy and international trade is a third of GDP. European Union makes 60 percent of the total trade. Largest trade flows are with Germany, Russia, Sweden, United Kingdom, USA, Netherlands and China. Trade policy is managed by European Union, where Finland has traditionally been among the free trade supporters, except for agriculture. Finland is the only Nordic country to have adopted euro.

Finland is rated the world's 16th most free economy (9th in Europe) in Heritage Foundation Index of Economic Freedom and it has skilled engineering base. The number of patents per capita is among the highest. According to OECD, the service sector could benefit substantially from policy improvements. The World Economic Forum has declared Finland to be the most competitive country in the world several times. Central government has tried to spur innovation and research and development, with special emphasis on information technology

Corporations and consumption

Habbo Hotel, a multinational Internet company.

Notable companies in Finland include Nokia, the market leader in mobile telephony; Stora Enso, the largest paper manufacturer in the world; Neste Oil, an oil refining and marketing company; UPM-Kymmene, the third largest paper manufacturer in the world; Aker Finnyards, the manufacturer of the world's largest cruise ships (such as Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas); Instrumentarium Imaging, the creator of the Orthopantomograph (Pan X-Ray machine) and world innovative leader of dental imaging systems and software.; KONE, a manufacturer of elevators and escalators; Wärtsilä, a producer of power plants and ship engines; and Finnair, the largest Helsinki-Vantaa based international airline. Finland has sophisticated financial markets.

According to Deloitte, the fastest growing companies in 2007 were Nomovok (2329,2%), Bluegiga Technologies, Openbit, Sulake Corporation and Nebula. Between 2000-2003, early stage venture capital investments relative to GDP were 8.5 percent against 4 percent in the EU and 11.5 in the US. Later stage investments fell to EU average. Compared to EU average investment was categorized average in communications, double in IT and a tenth in health and biosciences. Invest in Finland and other programs attempt to attract investment.

In 2003 residents worked an average 10 years for the same employer and the trend was upwards. 62 percent worked for small and medium-size enterprises.

In 2006, there were 1.2 million residential buildings in Finland. 40 percent of households consisted of single person, 32 percent two and 28 percent three or more. The average is 2.1. The average residential space was 38 squaremeters per person. The average residential property (without land) cost 1,187 euro per sq meter (without land) and residential land on 8.6 euro per sq meter. Consumer energy prices were 8-12 euro per kilowatt hour. 74 percent of households used car. There were 2.5 million cars and 0.4 other vehicles. Around 92 percent has mobile phone and 58 percent Internet connection at home. The average total household consumption was 20,000 euro, out of which housing at around 5500 euro, transport at around 3000 euro, recreation and culture at around 2000 euro, food and beverages excluding alcoholic at around 1000 euro. In 2007, the average household savings rate was -3.8 and acquired debt 101 percent of annual disposable income, a typical level in Europe.

Unemployment rate was 6.8 and employment rate 68 in early 2008. Unemployment has steadily come down during the latest boom. Pension system is managed by private insurance companies chosen by employers. Unlike in Sweden, savers have no choice how their savings are invested. Only a portion of promised pensions is funded and pensions exclude health insurances and other unaccounted promises. The aging population with little or no positive net immigration is a concern, even though the deficit is not as large as in most Western European countries. Directly held public sector debt has been reduced to around 32 percent in 2007.

Finland's manufacturing is highly energy-efficient, although total greenhouse gas emissions is high. Finland negotiated itself into Kyoto protocol and EU emission schemes with terms that are estimated to cause 15-45 percent electricity price hike, meaning 1-2 billion euro annual cost to industry and exit of some industries. So far taxpayers have purchased pollution permits and distributed them for free to polluting companies.

Education, science and technology

Auditorium in the Helsinki University of Technology's main building, designed by Alvar Aalto.

Main article: Education in Finland

See also: List of universities in Finland

The Finnish education system is a comparatively egalitarian Nordic system. While Sweden has a thriving private and for-profit education market, Finnish market has less competition. There are no vouchers and starting a new school is unusual. However, there is school choice and competitive practises.

Most primary and secondary education is managed by municipal bureaucrats. Attendance is compulsory between the ages of 7 and 16, and free meals are served to pupils at primary and secondary levels. The average performance of 15-years-old students in PISA assessments has been among the highest. All schools are about the same average quality: PISA shows only 5% variation between schools. After secondary school, students can apply for two kinds of schools. Trade school prepares for a profession, though it can be used to enter tertiary education as well. Gymnasium prepares for Matriculation Examinations and tertiary education.

In tertiary education, two, mostly separate and non-interoperating sectors are found: the profession-oriented higher vocational schools and the research-oriented universities. Finns used to take student loans and scholarships, but for the past decades the financial risk has been moved solely to the government. The central government has recently considered privatizing tertiary institutions and allowing small tuitions. The recently formed consolidation of Universities in Greater Helsinki, Helsinki Innovation University, attempts to become a leading international University. The World Economic Forum ranks Finland's tertiary education #1 in the world. ui

Nordic model

If (insurance company) office in a Turku industrial park.

Finland, like other Nordic countries, is characterized by strong property rights, openness to globalization, risk sharing and expensive government. Nordics have been free-trading and relatively welcoming to skilled migrants for over a century, though in Finland immigration is relatively new. The level of protection in commodity trade has been low, except for agricultural products.

Finland's product markets went through a liberalization wave in 90s. They are now among the most free in Europe, behind UK, Ireland, Denmark and Sweden. Nordic countries have often lead Europe in liberalization.

Legal system is clear and bureaucracy is mostly modest. Officials are occasionally convicted, but overall Finland is rated one of the least corrupted countries in Corruption Perceptions Index. Property rights are well protected and contractual agreements are strictly honored. Finland is rated 13th in the Ease of Doing Business Index.

Finland moved to regulated job market in 70s providing some macroeconomic stability to manufacturing industry. Slower growth followed and after crash Denmark liberalized job markets in 90s. Finnish governments have so far been unsuccessful in reform attempts despite ranking ahead countries such as France. Under Comprehensive Income Policy Agreement trade unions and big companies force all workers to into their contracts. Each profession's wages and details like holiday dates and specific privileges to trade union leaders are usually set every two year.

While income levels are among the world's highest, disposable income and purchasing power are considerably smaller. Median worker pays nearly 60 percent tax wedge and marginal tax rates are high. Value-added tax is 22 percent for most items. Capital gains tax and corporate tax are both 26 percent, about European average. For instance, consumers have to pay around 1600 euro for a 400 euro service, discouraging service supply and demand. All post-depression governments have cut taxes, but they are still around 43 percent of GDP or 30,000 euro per household. Taxpayers pay around 124,000 state employees and 430,000 municipal employees, twice as much as in Japan and almost as much as in Sweden. E-readiness is rated 10th, reflecting lower information technology utilization than the United States and higher than France. In 2001 Finland was behind Sweden in outsourcing percantage, but ranked well in Europe. Outsourcing had saved costs and increased customer satisfaction. Assigned municipal health clinic used to be the only choice for residents without private health insurance, but after recent reforms residents are increasingly allowed to use private health care and there is popular support for making them equal in the marketplace.

Energy market

Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant with two existing units. The third unit and Finland's fifth (far left) is computer manipulated and will be ready by 2011.

See also: Nuclear power in Finland

Nordic countries were among the first in Europe to liberalize energy market. Private companies compete in the Nordic energy market Nordpool and prices are very competitive. Production, including all of nuclear power, is largely private and can be entered by anyone, though nuclear reactor permits depend on the parliament and Russian energy projects may be blocked as national security threats.

Cheap and reliable energy is of exceptional importance. The energy demand is high because of its cold climate and the structure of its industry. Finland's hydrocarbon resources are limited to peat and wood, while neighboring Norway has oil and Estonia oil shale. Until the 1960s, Finnish energy policy relied on the electricity produced by hydropower stations and extensive decentralised use of wood for energy. Finland's 187,888 lakes do not lie much above sea level – less than 80 metres in the case of the two biggest lakes, Saimaa and Päijänne. Consequently, Finland has less hydropower capacity than Sweden or Norway.

Finnish energy cooperative Teollisuuden voima operates four Soviet-built nuclear reactors that produce 18 percent of the country's energy. There is also one research reactor in Otaniemi campus and the fifth AREVA-Siemens-built reactor – world's largest at 1600 MWe and a showcase of new technology – is currently under construction and is scheduled to be operational by 2011. Finland's Kyoto and EU emission terms are causing a sharp increase in energy prices and the existing reactors are aging: there has been talk about many more reactors and the sixth is already under environmental impact assessment.

Nuclear power is by far the cheapest energy form in Finland (the few hydropower plants excluded), but because political parties - particularly the Green League - are hesitant to grant nuclear power permits, most energy is produced from fossil fuels, mainly coal and oil. About 25 percent of energy production is categorized to be renewable energy, which is high compared to the EU average 10 percent. About one fifth of all the energy consumed in Finland is wood-based. Industrial residue and garbage are often utilized for energy. Many homeowners use wood as an additional (but not primary) heat source. About seven percent of electricity is produced from peat harvested from Finland's extensive bogs.

Currently, some electricity is imported to Finland. In recent years, a varying amount (5–17 percent) of power has been imported from Russia, Sweden and Norway. The Norwegian and Swedish hydroelectric plants remain an important source for imported power. The current energy policy debate is centred on self-sustainability. There are plans to build an submarine power cable from Russia, but this is also considered a national security issue. The government has already rejected one plan for such a power cable. Neste Oil operates two large oil refineries for domestic and Baltic markets, refined products making 36 percent of chemical exports.

Transportation market

Wild animals cause several thousand crashes every year.

Main article: Transport in Finland

See also: Highways in Finland, List of airports in Finland, and Public transport in Helsinki

The extensive road system is utilized by most internal cargo and passenger traffic. As of 2005, the country's network of main roads has a total length of 13,258 km, and is mainly centred on the capital city of Helsinki. The total length of all public roads is 78,186 km, of which 50,616 km are paved. The motorway network is still to a great extent under development, and currently totals 653 km. Road network expenditure of around 1 billion euro is paid with vehicle and fuel taxes that amount to around 1.5 billion euro and 1 billion euro.

The main international passenger gateway is Helsinki-Vantaa Airport with over 13 million passengers in 2007. About 25 airports have scheduled passenger services. Finnair, Blue1 and Finncomm Airlines provide air services both domestically and internationally. There are non-stop flights to such places as Bangkok, Beijing, Delhi, Guangzhou, Mumbai, Nagoya, New York, Osaka, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Tokyo. Helsinki has an optimal location for great circle airline traffic routes between Western Europe and the Far East. Hence, many foreign tourists visit Helsinki on a stop-over while flying from Asia to Europe or vice versa.

Despite low population density there are railway tracks to even many rural towns, which are maintained with taxpayer money of around 350 million euro annually. Operations are privatized and currently the only operator is VR. It has 5 percent market share of passenger trips, out of which 80 percent are urban trips in Greater Helsinki. Cargo market share is about 25 percent. It offers InterCity and express trains throughout the country and the faster Pendolino trains connecting the major cities. There are international trains to St. Petersburg and Moscow, Russia. Sweden has different rail gauge. There are 5,865 km of railways in the country. Helsinki has an urban rail network, and light rail systems are currently being planned in Turku and Tampere.

Vuosaari harbour is the largest container port after completed in 2008. There is passenger traffic from Helsinki and Turku, which have ferry connections to Tallinn, Mariehamn, Långnäs, Stockholm, Grisslehamn and Rostock. Helsinki-Tallinn route is also served by a helicopter line.

Tourism

The M/S Silja Symphony leaving from Helsinki. Cruises are a popular tourist activity throughout Finland.

Main article: Tourism in Finland

In 2005, Finnish tourism grossed over €6.7 billion with a five percent increase from the previous year. Much of the sudden growth can be attributed to the globalisation and modernisation of the country as well as a rise in positive publicity and awareness. There are many attractions in Finland which attracted over 4 million visitors in 2005.

The Finnish landscape is covered with thick pine forests, rolling hills and complemented with a labyrinth of lakes and inlets. Much of Finland is pristine and virgin as it contains 35 national parks from the Southern shores of the Gulf of Finland to the high fells of Lapland. It is also an urbanised region with many cultural events and activities.

Commercial cruises between major coastal and port cities in the Baltic region, including Helsinki, Turku, Tallinn, Stockholm and Travemünde, play a significant role in the local tourism industry. Finland is regarded as the home of Saint Nicholas or Santa Claus, living in the northern Lapland region. Above the Arctic Circle, there is a polar night, a period when the sun doesn't rise for days or weeks, or even months. Lapland, the extreme north of Finland, is so far north that the Aurora Borealis, atmospheric fluorescence, is seen regularly in winter.

Outdoor activities range from golf, fishing, yachting, lake cruises, hiking, kayaking among many others. At Finland's northernmost point, in the heart of summer, the Sun does not completely set for 73 consecutive days. Wildlife is abundant in Finland. Bird-watching is popular for those fond of flying fauna, however hunting is also popular. Elk, reindeer and hare are all common game in Finland. There are many churches, cathedrals, museums and castles. Olavinlinna in Savonlinna hosts the annual Savonlinna Opera Festival. The capital city of Helsinki, on the other hand, is famous for its Grand Duchy era architecture, which resembles that of imperial St. Petersburg.

Culture

Chimneyless sauna building in Enonkoski. Strong Finnish sauna culture is one of the remains of the aboriginal Finnish culture.

Main article: Culture of Finland

Throughout Finland's prehistory and history, cultural contacts and influences have concurrently, or at varying times, come from all directions. As a result of 600 years of Swedish rule, Swedish cultural influences are still notable. Today, cultural influences from North America are prominent. Into the twenty-first century, many Finns have contacted cultures from distantly abroad, such as with those in Asia and Africa. Beyond tourism, Finnish youth in particular have been increasing their contact with peoples from outside Finland by travelling abroad to both work and study.

There are still differences between regions, especially minor differences in accents and vocabulary. Minorities, such as the Sami, Finland Swedes, Romani, and Tatar, maintain their own cultural characteristics. Many Finns are emotionally connected to the countryside and nature, as urbanisation is a relatively recent phenomenon.

Finland comfortably won the first Eurovision Dance Contest in September 2007.

Literature

Main article: Finnish literature

Though Finnish written language could be said to exist since Mikael Agricola translated the New Testament into Finnish in the sixteenth century as a result of the Protestant Reformation, few notable works of literature were written until the nineteenth century, which saw the beginning of a Finnish national Romantic Movement. This prompted Elias Lönnrot to collect Finnish and Karelian folk poetry and arrange and publish them as Kalevala, the Finnish national epic. The era saw a rise of poets and novelists who wrote in Finnish, notably Aleksis Kivi and Eino Leino.

After Finland became independent there was a rise of modernist writers, most famously Mika Waltari. Frans Eemil Sillanpää was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1939 – so far the only one for a Finnish author. The second World War prompted a return to more national interests in comparison to a more international line of thought, characterized by Väinö Linna. Literature in modern Finland is in a healthy state, with detective stories enjoying a particular boom of popularity. Ilkka Remes, a Finnish author of thrillers, is very popular.

Visual arts

The architect couple Aino and Alvar Aalto.

See also: List of Finnish architects

Finns have made major contributions to handicrafts and industrial design. Finland's best-known sculptor of the twentieth century was Wäinö Aaltonen, remembered for his monumental busts and sculptures. Finnish architecture is famous around the world. Among the top of the twentieth century Finnish architects to win international recognition are Eliel Saarinen (designer of the widely recognised Helsinki Central railway station and many other public works) and his son Eero Saarinen. Alvar Aalto, who helped bring the functionalist architecture to Finland, is also famous for his work in furniture and glassware.

Music

Main article: Music of Finland

Folk music

Much of the music of Finland is influenced by traditional Karelian melodies and lyrics, as comprised in the Kalevala. Karelian culture is perceived as the purest expression of the Finnic myths and beliefs, less influenced by Germanic influence, in contrast to Finland's position between the East and the West. Finnish folk music has undergone a roots revival in recent decades, and has become a part of popular music.

Sami music

Main article: Sami music

The people of northern Finland, Sweden and Norway, the Sami, are known primarily for highly spiritual songs called Joik. The same word sometimes refers to lavlu or vuelie songs, though this is technically incorrect.

Classical and opera

The Finnish composer Jean Sibelius (1865–1957), a significant figure in the history of classical music.

The first Finnish opera was written by the German composer Fredrik Pacius in 1852. Pacius also wrote Maamme/Vårt land (Our Land), Finland's national anthem. In the 1890s Finnish nationalism based on the Kalevala spread, and Jean Sibelius became famous for his vocal symphony Kullervo. He soon received a grant to study runo singers in Karelia and continued his rise as the first prominent Finnish musician. In 1899 he composed Finlandia, which played its important role in Finland gaining independence. He remains one of Finland's most popular national figures and is a symbol of the nation.

Today, Finland has a very lively classical music scene. Finnish classical music has only existed for about a hundred years, and many of the important composers are still alive, such as Magnus Lindberg, Kaija Saariaho, Aulis Sallinen and Einojuhani Rautavaara. The composers are accompanied with a large number of great conductors such as Sakari Oramo, Mikko Franck, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Osmo Vänskä, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Susanna Mälkki and Leif Segerstam. Some of the internationally acclaimed Finnish classical musicians are Karita Mattila, Soile Isokoski, Kari Kriikku, Pekka Kuusisto, Réka Szilvay and Linda Brava.

Popular music

Modern Finnish popular music includes a renowned heavy metal music scene, in common with other Nordic countries, as well as a number of prominent rock bands, jazz musicians, hip hop performers, and dance music acts such as Bomfunk MCs and Darude. Finnish electronic music such as the Sähkö Recordings record label enjoys underground acclaim. Iskelmä (coined directly from the German word Schlager, meaning hit) is a traditional Finnish word for a light popular song. Finnish popular music also includes various kinds of dance music; tango, a style of Argentinean music, is also popular. One of the most productive composers of popular music was Toivo Kärki, and the most famous singer Olavi Virta (1915–1972). Among the lyricists, Sauvo Puhtila (born 1928), Reino Helismaa (died 1965) and Veikko "Vexi" Salmi are the most remarkable authors. The composer and bandleader Jimi Tenor is well known for his brand of retro-funk music.

Dance music

Notable Finnish dance and electronic music artists include Jori Hulkkonen, Darude, JS16, DJ Proteus and DJ Orkidea.

Rock and heavy metal music

File:Rammstein and Apocalyptica.jpg

Apocalyptica playing live with Rammstein

Finnish rock-music scene emerged in 1960s with pioneers such as Blues Section and Kirka. In the 1970s Finnish rock musicians started to write their own music instead of translating international hits in Finnish. During the decade some progressive rock groups, such as Tasavallan Presidentti and Wigwam, gained respect abroad but failed to make commercial breakthrough outside Finland. This was also the fate of rock and roll group Hurriganes. Finnish punk scene produced some internationally respected names including Terveet Kädet in 1980s. Hanoi Rocks was a pioneering 1980s-glam rock act that left perhaps deeper mark in the history of popular music than any other Finnish group giving inspiration for Guns 'n' Roses.

In 1990s Finnish rock and metal music started to get international fame with such bands as The 69 Eyes, Amorphis, Children of Bodom, Ensiferum, HIM, Impaled Nazarene, Lordi, Negative, Nightwish, The Rasmus, Sentenced, Sonata Arctica, and Stratovarius. In the later 1990s the cello metal group Apocalyptica played Metallica cover versions as cello quartettos and sold half a million records worldwide. Some of the Finland's most domestically popular rock groups are CMX and Eppu Normaali.

In 2000s also Finnish rock bands started to sell well internationally. The Rasmus finally captured Europe (and other places, like South America) in 2000s. Their 2003 album Dead Letters sold 1.5 million units worldwide and garnered them eight gold and five platinum album designations. But so far the most successful Finnish band in the United States is HIM; they were the first band from Finland to ever sell an album that was certified gold by the RIAA. Most recently, the Finnish hard rock/heavy metal music band Lordi won the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest with a record 292 points, giving Finland its first ever victory. Rock bands such as The 69 Eyes and Reflexion enjoy cult following abroard despite of milder commercial success.

Tuska Open Air Metal Festival, one of the largest open-air heavy metal music festivals in the world, is held annually in Kaisaniemi, Helsinki. Ruisrock and Provinssirock are the most famous rock festivals held in Finland.

Cinema

Erkki Karu, one of the pioneers of the Finnish cinema, with cinematographer Eino Kari in 1927.

Main article: Cinema of Finland

See also: List of Finnish films

Finland has a growing film industry with a number of famous directors such as Aki Kaurismäki, Timo Koivusalo, Aleksi Mäkelä and Klaus Härö. Hollywood film director/producer Renny Harlin (born Lauri Mauritz Harjola) was born in Finland.

Media and communications

Linus Torvalds, a famous Finnish software engineer, best known for initiating the development of the kernel of the Linux operating system.

See also: Communications in Finland, List of newspapers in Finland, and List of Finnish television stations

Finland is one of the most advanced information societies in the world. There are 200 newspapers; 320 popular magazines, 2,100 professional magazines and 67 commercial radio stations, with one nationwide, five national public service radio channels (three in Finnish, two in Swedish, one in Sami); digital radio has three channels. Four national analog television channels (two public service and two commercial) were fully replaced by five public service and three commercial digital television channels in September 1, 2007.

Each year around twelve feature films are made, 12,000 book titles published and 12 million records sold. 79 percent of the population use the Internet.

Finns, along with other Nordic people and the Japanese, spend the most time in the world reading newspapers. The most read newspaper in Finland is Helsingin Sanomat, with a circulation of 434,000. The media group SanomaWSOY behind Helsingin Sanomat also publishes the tabloid Ilta-Sanomat and commerce-oriented Taloussanomat. It also owns the Nelonen television channel. SanomaWSOY's largest shareholder is Aatos Erkko and his family. The other major publisher Alma Media publishes over thirty magazines, including newspaper Aamulehti, tabloid Iltalehti and commerce-oriented Kauppalehti. Finland has been at the top of the worldwide Press Freedom Ranking list every year since the publication of the first index by Reporters Without Borders in 2002.

Finland's National Broadcasting Company YLE is an independent state-owned company. It has five television channels and 13 radio channels in two national languages. YLE is funded through a television license and private television broadcasting license fees. Ongoing transformation to digital TV broadcasting is in progress — analog broadcasts ceased on the terrestrial network 31 August, 2007 and will cease on cable at the end of February 2008. The most popular television channel MTV3 and the most popular radio channel Radio Nova are owned by Nordic Broadcasting (Bonnier and Proventus Industrier).

The people of Finland are accustomed to technology and information services. The number of cellular phone subscribers as well as the number of Internet connections per capita in Finland are among the highest in the world. According to the Ministry of Transport and Communications, Finnish mobile phone penetration exceeded fifty percent of the population as far back as August 1998 – first in the world – and by December 1998 the number of cell phone subscriptions outnumbered fixed-line phone connections. By the end of June 2007 there were 5.78 million cellular phone subscriptions, or 109 percent of the population.

Another fast-growing sector is the use of the Internet. Finland had more than 1.52 million broadband Internet connections by the end of June 2007, i.e., about 287 per 1,000 inhabitants. The Finns are not only connected; they are heavy users of Internet services. All Finnish schools and public libraries have for years been connected to the Internet.

Cuisine

Karjalanpiirakka, a traditional Finnish pastry.

Main article: Cuisine of Finland

Traditional Finnish cuisine is a combination of European, Fennoscandian and Western Russian elements; table manners are European. The food is generally simple, fresh and healthy. Fish, meat, berries and ground vegetables are typical ingredients whereas spices are not common due to their historical unavailability. In years past, Finnish food often varied from region to region, most notably between the west and east. In coastal and lakeside villages, fish was a main feature of cooking, whereas in the eastern and also northern regions, vegetables and reindeer were more common. The prototypical breakfast is oatmeal or other continental-style foods such as bread. Lunch is usually a full warm meal, served by a canteen at workplaces. Dinner is eaten at around 17.00 to 18.00 at home.

Modern Finnish cuisine combines country fare and haute cuisine with contemporary continental cooking style. Today, spices are a prominent ingredient in many modern Finnish recipes, having been adopted from the east and west in recent decades.

Public holidays

Main article: Public holidays in Finland

See also: Flag days in Finland

All official holidays in Finland are established by acts of Parliament. The official holidays can be divided into Christian and secular holidays, although some of the Christian holidays have replaced holidays of pagan origin. The main Christian holidays are Christmas, Epiphany, Easter, Ascension Day, Pentecost, and All Saints Day. The secular holidays are New Year's Day, May Day, Midsummer Day, and the Independence Day. Christmas is the most extensively celebrated holiday: usually at least 23rd to 26th of December are holidays.

In addition to this, all Sundays are official holidays, but they are not as important as the special holidays. The names of the Sundays follow the liturgical calendar and they can be categorised as Christian holidays. When the standard working week in Finland was reduced to 40 hours by an act of Parliament, it also meant that all Saturdays became a sort of de facto public holidays, though not official ones. Easter Sunday and Pentecost are Sundays that form part of a main holiday and they are preceded by a kind of special Saturdays. Retail stores are prohibited by law from doing business on Sundays, except during the summer months (May through August) and in the pre-Christmas season (November and December). Business locations that have less than 400 square metres of floor space are allowed Sunday business throughout the year, with the exception of official holidays and certain Sundays, such as Mother's Day and Father's Day.

Sports

Paavo Nurmi at the 1920 Summer Olympics.

Main article: Sport in Finland

2007 Formula One World Champion Kimi Räikkönen celebrating victory at the 2007 Brazilian Grand Prix.

Various sporting events are popular in Finland. Pesäpallo (reminiscent of baseball) is the national sport of Finland, although the most popular sports in Finland in terms of media coverage are Formula One, ice hockey and football. The Finnish national ice hockey team is considered one of the best in the world. During the past century there has been a rivalry in sporting between Finland and Sweden, mostly in ice hockey and athletics (Finland-Sweden athletics international). Jari Kurri and Teemu Selänne are the two Finnish-born ice hockey players to have scored 500 goals in their NHL careers. Football is also popular in Finland, though the national football team has never qualified for a finals tournament of the World Cup or the European Championships. Jari Litmanen and Sami Hyypiä are the most internationally renowned of the Finnish football players.

Relative to its population, Finland has been a top country in the world in automobile racing, measured by international success. Finland has produced three Formula One World Champions – Keke Rosberg (Williams, 1982), Mika Häkkinen (McLaren, 1998 and 1999) and Kimi Räikkönen (Ferrari, 2007). Along with Räikkönen, the other Finnish Formula One driver currently active is Heikki Kovalainen (McLaren). Rosberg's son, Nico Rosberg (Williams), is also currently driving, but under his mother's German nationality. Other notable Finnish Grand Prix drivers include Leo Kinnunen, JJ Lehto and Mika Salo. Finland has also produced most of the world's best rally drivers, including the ex-WRC World Champion drivers Marcus Grönholm, Juha Kankkunen, Hannu Mikkola, Tommi Mäkinen, Timo Salonen and Ari Vatanen. The only Finn to have won a road racing World Championship, Jarno Saarinen, was killed in 1973 while racing.

Among winter sports, Finland has been the most successful country in ski jumping, with former ski jumper Matti Nykänen being arguably the best ever in that sport. Most notably, he won five Olympic medals (four gold) and nine World Championships medals (five gold). Among currently active Finnish ski jumpers, Janne Ahonen has been the most successful. Kalle Palander is a well-known alpine skiing winner, who won the World Championship and Crystal Ball (twice, in Kitzbühel). Tanja Poutiainen has won an Olympic silver medal for alpine skiing, as well as multiple FIS World Cup races.

Some of the most outstanding athletes from the past include Hannes Kolehmainen (1890–1966), Paavo Nurmi (1897–1973) and Ville Ritola (1896–1982) who won eighteen gold and seven silver Olympic medals in the 1910s and 1920s. They are also considered to be the first of a generation of great Finnish middle and long-distance runners (and subsequently, other great Finnish sportsmen) often named the "Flying Finns". Another long-distance runner, Lasse Virén (born 1949), won a total of four gold medals during the 1972 and 1976 Summer Olympics.

Also, in the past, Riku Kiri, Jouko Ahola and Janne Virtanen have been the greatest strength athletes in the country, participating in the World's Strongest Man competition between 1993 and 2000.

The 1952 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad, were held in 1952 in Helsinki, Finland. Other notable sporting events held in Finland include the 1983 and 2005 World Championships in Athletics, among others.

Some of the most popular recreational sports and activities include floorball, Nordic walking, running, cycling and skiing.

Finnishness

• List of Finns
• Suuret suomalaiset – a list of the "100 Greatest Finns" of all time as voted by the Finnish people in 2004.

Below are listed some of the characteristics of Finnishness. The term "Finnishness" is often referred to as the national identity of the Finnish people and its culture.

A triptych by Akseli Gallen-Kallela, depicting the Aino Story of Kalevala on three panes.

Finnish Maiden	a figure of national personification symbolising Finland
Kalevala	the national epic of Finland, and Finnish mythology in general
Kantele	traditional musical instrument
Mämmi	traditional Easter food
Kalakukko	traditional Savonian food
Mustamakkara	traditional blood sausage from Tampere
Karelian pasties	traditional pasties from the region of Karelia
Joulupukki	Father Christmas/Santa Claus
Jean Sibelius	one of the most popular national figures (composer of the symphonic poem Finlandia)
Sauna	a Finnish national institution (see also Finnish sauna)
Sisu	will, determination, perseverance, mental fortitude
Perkele	swear word (see Finnish profanity)
Puukko	traditional Finnish style woodcraft belt-knife
Talkoot	community work
Ice swimming	swimming in a body of water with a frozen crust of ice
Nordic walking	a recreational sport first popularized in Finland
Salmiakki	salty liquorice
Sahti	traditional beer
Koskenkorva	Finnish vodka
Reilu meininki	fair dealing
Flying Finn	a nickname given to notable Finnish sportsmen (originated with Olympic medalist Hannes Kolehmainen)

See also

Main article: List of Finland-related topics

• Lists
  • List of cities and towns in Finland
  • List of Finns
  • List of Finnish companies
  • List of Finnish television stations
  • List of newspapers in Finland
  • List of universities in Finland
  • List of bands from Finland
  • List of Finnish wars

• History
  • History of Finland
  • Finlandization
  • Finnish Railway Museum

• Politics
  • Foreign relations of Finland
  • Military of Finland
  • Gun politics in Finland

Runeberg's tart is a Finnish pastry available on the poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg's birthday on February 5.

• Infrastructure
  • Education in Finland
  • Communications in Finland
  • Crime in Finland
  • Transport in Finland
  • Fire fighting in Finland
  • VR Group (Finnish State Railways)

• Culture and sports
  • Cuisine of Finland
  • Music of Finland
  • Football in Finland
  • Ethnic issues in Finland

• Miscellaneous
  • Protected areas of Finland
  • Tourism in Finland

International rankings

The following list contains a maximum of three years per survey. For a more complete list, see International rankings of Finland.

Further reading

• Jason Lavery – The History of Finland (The Greenwood Histories of the Modern Nations), Greenwood Press 2006 (ISBN 0-313-32837-4) (ISSN 1096-2905)
• Deborah Swallow – Culture Shock! Finland: A Guide to Customs and Etiquette (ISBN 1-55868-592-8)
• Richard D. Lewis – Finland: Cultural Lone Wolf (ISBN 1-931930-18-X)
• Max Jakobson – Finland in the New Europe (ISBN 0-275-96372-1)
• William R. Trotter – A Frozen Hell: The Russo-Finnish Winter War of 1939-1940 (ISBN 1-56512-249-6)
• Eino Jutikkala, Kauko Pirinen – A History of Finland (ISBN 0-88029-260-1)
• Chris Mann – Hitler's Arctic War: The German Campaigns in Norway, Finland, and the USSR 1940-1945 (ISBN 0-312-31100-1)
• Insight Guide: Finland (ISBN 981-4120-39-1)
• Matti Klinge – Let Us Be Finns: Essays on History (ISBN 951-1-11180-9)
• Lonely Planet: Finland (ISBN 1-74059-791-5)
• Jaakko Rusama, Ecumenical Growth in Finland. (ISBN 951-693-239-8)
• Fred Singleton – A Short History of Finland (ISBN 0-521-64701-0)
• Allen F. Chew – The White Death: The Epic of the Soviet-Finnish Winter War (ISBN 0-87013-167-2)
• Eloise Engle and Lauri Paananen – The Winter War: The Soviet Attack on Finland 1939-1940 (ISBN 0-8117-2433-6)
• Jean-Jacques Subrenat – Listen, there's music from the forest; a brief presentation of the Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival (ISBN 952-92-0564-3)

External links

• The Finnish Government – Official governmental site
• The President of Finland – Official site of the President of the Republic of Finland
• Parliament of Finland – Official Parliamentary site
• Virtual Finland – Main portal to Finland (administered by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland)
• Visit Finland – The official travel and tourism guide by the Finnish Tourist Board
• Helsinki.fi – Capital of Finland's city portal
• Today's weather by the Finnish Meteorological Institute
• Template:Wikitravel
• WikiMapia [6] and Google Maps [7] satellite view of Finland

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