Portal:Finland

The Finland Portal

The flag of Finland

Location of Finland

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 an area of 338,145 square kilometres (130,559 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, of which 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 the Swedish Empire as a result of the Northern Crusades. In 1809, as a result of the Finnish War, Finland was captured from Sweden and became a Grand Duchy of Finland, an autonomous state ruled by the Russian Empire. During this period, Finnish art flourished and the idea of full independence began to take hold. In 1906, Finland became the first European state to grant universal suffrage, 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 full independence. In 1918 the young nation was divided by the Finnish Civil War. During World War II, Finland fought against the Soviet Union in the Winter War and the Continuation War, and later against Nazi Germany in the Lapland War. As a result, it lost parts of its territory but retained its independence. (Full article...)

Selected article -

A Finnish Maxim M/09-21 machine gun crew during the Winter War

The Winter War was a war between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet invasion of Finland on 30 November 1939, three months after the outbreak of World War II, and ended three and a half months later with the Moscow Peace Treaty on 13 March 1940. Despite superior military strength, especially in tanks and aircraft, the Soviet Union suffered severe losses and initially made little headway. The League of Nations deemed the attack illegal and expelled the Soviet Union from its organization.

The Soviets made several demands, including that Finland cede substantial border territories in exchange for land elsewhere, claiming security reasons – primarily the protection of Leningrad, 32 km (20 mi) from the Finnish border. When Finland refused, the Soviets invaded. Most sources conclude that the Soviet Union had intended to conquer all of Finland, and cite the establishment of the puppet Finnish Communist government and the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact's secret protocols as evidence of this, while other sources argue against the idea of a full Soviet conquest. Finland repelled Soviet attacks for more than two months and inflicted substantial losses on the invaders in temperatures as low as −43 °C (−45 °F). The battles focused mainly on Taipale along the Karelian Isthmus, on Kollaa in Ladoga Karelia and on Raate Road in Kainuu, but there were also battles in Salla and Petsamo in Lapland. (Full article...)

Selected image -

Photo credit: commons:User:AngMoKio
Mika Häkkinen driving a Mercedes-Benz DTM racing car at Stars and Cars in Stuttgart, Germany.

Did you know (auto-generated)

• ... that Charlotte Haining was an International Jury Member for the selection of Finland's 2020 Eurovision Song Contest entry?
• ... that Kimmo Leinonen helped establish both the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame and the IIHF Hall of Fame?
• ... 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?
• ... that records of transgender people in Finland stretch back to the 19th century?
• ... that the 1972 Finnish film The Sheep Eaters gathered more than a million viewers opposite the 1975 Ice Hockey World Championships match between Finland and the Soviet Union?
• ... 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?

WikiProjects

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

More did you know -

• ...that when completed in 1967, MS Finlandia was the largest ferry in the world?
• ...that the Pysähdy ajoissa - Stanna i tid ("Stop in time") traffic campaign was the result of the public response to a road death of a nine-year-old girl in Finland?
• ...that the Finnish Association of Graduate Engineers has been in charge of publishing Finland's ethical guidelines on engineering for over 40 years?
• ...that Penedo, a small town in Brazil was colonized by immigrants from Finland?
• ...that the Wärtsilä Turku shipyard in Finland built five state-of-the-art cruiseferries for the Black Sea Shipping Company, Soviet Union, in 1975-1976?

Good article -

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

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A sign which the Germans left in Muonio, Lapland, written on it: 'As thanks for not demonstrating brotherhood in arms!'

During World War II, the Lapland War (Finnish: Lapin sota; Swedish: Lapplandskriget; German: Lapplandkrieg) saw fighting between Finland and Nazi Germany – effectively from September to November 1944 – in Finland's northernmost region, Lapland. Though the Finns and the Germans had been fighting together against the Soviet Union since 1941 during the Continuation War (1941–1944), peace negotiations between the Finnish government and the Allies of World War II had been conducted intermittently during 1943–1944, but no agreement had been reached. The Moscow Armistice, signed on 19 September 1944, demanded that Finland break diplomatic ties with Germany and expel or disarm any German soldiers remaining in Finland.

The Wehrmacht had anticipated this turn of events and planned an organised withdrawal to Nazi-occupied Norway, as part of Operation Birke (Birch). Despite a failed offensive landing operation by Germany in the Gulf of Finland, the evacuation proceeded peacefully at first. The Finns escalated the situation into warfare on 28 September after Soviet pressure to adhere to the terms of the armistice. The Finnish Army was required by the Soviet Union to push Wehrmacht troops out of Finnish territory. After a series of minor battles, the war came to an effective end in November 1944, when all of the Wehrmacht troops had reached Norway or the border area and took fortified positions. The last Wehrmacht soldiers left Finland on 27 April 1945, shortly before the end of World War II in Europe. (Full article...)

General images

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

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

In the news

9 June 2024 – 2024 European Parliament election

The last day of the European elections is taking place with votes in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and for the second day in Italy. (AP)

22 May 2024 – Russia–NATO relations

The Russian Ministry of Defence proposes to unilaterally adjust Russia's maritime border in the Baltic Sea, prompting comments of concern made by Baltic members of NATO, including Finland and Lithuania. The Ministry of Defense later retracts the proposal. (Reuters) (BBC News)

2 April 2024 – Viertola school shooting

A student is killed and two others are injured in a shooting at a school in Vantaa, Uusimaa, Finland. A 12-year-old student is detained. (AP) (Yle)

1 March 2024 – 2024 Finnish presidential election

Alexander Stubb is sworn in as the 13th President of Finland. (Reuters)

11 February 2024 – 2024 Finnish presidential election

Alexander Stubb is elected President of Finland with 51.6% of the vote.(Yle)

27 January 2024 – Israel–Hamas war

The United Kingdom, United States, Australia, Italy, Canada, Finland, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Germany suspend humanitarian aid to UNRWA over allegations that some UNRWA staff members were involved in the Hamas-led attack on Israel. (BBC News) (CBS News)

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Selected panorama -

View of Helsinki

Panoramic photo shot of Helsinki, Finland

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