Portal:Finland

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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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Hilja Elisabet Riipinen (30 October 1883 – 18 January 1966, née Miklin, later Metsäpolku) was a Finnish politician involved with the nationalist and anti-communist Lapua Movement and Patriotic People's Movement (IKL). She was a member of parliament between 1930 and 1939, first elected from the electoral list of the National Coalition Party, but she defected to the Patriotic People's Movement after it was formed as a political party in 1933.

Being uncompromising in her general address, one of the most vehemently anti-communist IKL parliamentarians and her support for radical elements in the movement proved troublesome for her relations outside of the party. This earned her the nickname Hurja-Hilja, or "Wild Hilja". (Full article...)

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Photo credit: fi:User:Neofelis Nebulosa
The Central Park of Helsinki during the summer

Did you know (auto-generated)

... that Turku remained the largest city in Finland after three quarters of it burned down?
... that Charlotte Haining was an International Jury Member for the selection of Finland's 2020 Eurovision Song Contest entry?
... 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 the Finnish 7th Division was formed in 1940 by renumbering another unit to make it appear to the Soviets that it had been replaced with fresh troops?
... 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 records of transgender people in Finland stretch back to the 19th century?

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

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...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?

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Jean Sibelius (/sɪˈbeɪliəs/; Finland Swedish: [siˈbeːliʉs] ^ⓘ; born Johan Julius Christian Sibelius; 8 December 1865 – 20 September 1957) was a Finnish composer of the late Romantic and early modern periods. He is widely regarded as his country's greatest composer, and his music is often credited with having helped Finland develop a stronger national identity when the country was struggling from several attempts at Russification in the late 19th century.

The core of his oeuvre is his set of seven symphonies, which, like his other major works, are regularly performed and recorded in Finland and countries around the world. His other best-known compositions are Finlandia, the Karelia Suite, Valse triste, the Violin Concerto, the choral symphony Kullervo, and The Swan of Tuonela (from the Lemminkäinen Suite). His other works include pieces inspired by nature, Nordic mythology, and the Finnish national epic, the Kalevala; over a hundred songs for voice and piano; incidental music for numerous plays; the one-act opera The Maiden in the Tower; chamber music, piano music, Masonic ritual music, and 21 publications of choral music. (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 2In the sauna, by Pekka Halonen, 1925 (from Culture of Finland)
Image 3Painting of Lalli killing Henry. Painting by C. A. Ekman. (from History of Finland)
Image 4Women dressed in Finnish folk costumes (from Culture of Finland)
Image 5A summer cottage (mökki) on a lake island (from Culture of Finland)
Image 6Stone Age stone axe engraved with human face found from Kiuruvesi. (from History of Finland)
Image 7Three Finnish Romani women in Helsinki, Finland, in 1930s (from Culture of Finland)
Image 8Battle of Valkeala was part of the Russo-Swedish War (1788–1790). (from History of Finland)
Image 9Finnish folk dancers in a 1907 postcard sent from Mustamäki, Finland (from Culture of Finland)
Image 10The 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 11An old drawing of the city of Turku in the 18th century (from History of Finland)
Image 12Lapua 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 13The Finno-Soviet Treaty (from History of Finland)
Image 14(1809 Diet of Porvoo) The sovereign's pledge, printed in Finnish (from History of Finland)
Image 15Midsummer bonfire (kokko) in Mäntsälä (from Culture of Finland)
Image 16Identification document and tag of a Finnish war child (from History of Finland)
Image 17Memorial of the Mannerheim Cross Knights of Parikkala, Finland (from History of Finland)
Image 18The area controlled by Finland at its largest, in 1942 (from History of Finland)
Image 19A reconstruction of a 12th-century Perniö costume (from History of Finland)
Image 20Karjalanpiirakka, a traditional Finnish pastry (from Culture of Finland)
Image 21Eero Järnefelt, Burning the Brushwood, 1893 (from History of Finland)
Image 22Portrait of Finnish poet Elias Lönnrot who wrote "the Kalevala" (1802 - 1884) (from History of Finland)
Image 23Erkki Karu, one of the pioneers of the Finnish cinema, with cinematographer Eino Kari in 1927 (from Culture of Finland)
Image 24Map of Finnish areas ceded to the Soviet Union in 1944, after the Continuation War (from History of Finland)
Image 25Northern Europe in 814 (from History of Finland)
Image 26A group of Finnish soldiers operating a Bofors gun during the Continuation War in 1943 (from History of Finland)
Image 27Captain Aarne Juutilainen at the front at Kollaa during the Winter War (from History of Finland)
Image 28Janne Ahonen is considered one of the best and most successful currently active ski jumpers. (from Culture of Finland)
Image 29A view of Pohjoisesplanadi in the center of Helsinki in 1891 (from History of Finland)
Image 30The part of Finland controlled by the Reds at its largest in February–March 1918 (from History of Finland)
Image 31The ruins of Vammala burned by the Reds, during the Civil war (from History of Finland)
Image 32Kreeta Haapasalo Playing the Kantele in a Peasant Cottage (1868), by Robert Wilhelm Ekman (from History of Finland)
Image 33President K. J. Ståhlberg in his office in 1919 (from History of Finland)
Image 34Paavo Nurmi at the 1920 Summer Olympics (from Culture of Finland)
Image 35Stone Age dwelling named Kierikki 5000–3000 BC (from History of Finland)
Image 36Turku Cathedral and its surroundings from 1814 (from History of Finland)
Image 37Finland Ostrobothnia regiment uniforms in 1705 (from History of Finland)
Image 38Helsinki Accords Treaty (from History of Finland)
Image 39This 1825 map of the Grand Duchy of Finland is from a larger work, geographical atlas of the Russian Empire. (from History of Finland)
Image 40The 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 41Mikael Agricola hands over the Finnish Translation of the New Testament to King Gustav Wasa. (from History of Finland)
Image 42Wehrmacht soldiers with a local Sámi reindeer herder, Lappland, Sodankylä, Finland 1942 (from History of Finland)
Image 43President Urho Kekkonen's funeral procession in 1986 (from History of Finland)
Image 44Imagery collage of Birger Jarl conquering Häme and the construction of Häme Castle (from History of Finland)
Image 45In 2011 figure skater Kiira Korpi was ranked 4th in the world. (from Culture of Finland)
Image 46Kastelli Giant's Church in Pattijoki by Pöljä culture [fi] (from History of Finland)
Image 47Grand Duchy of Finland, 75 kopek assignat (1824) (from History of Finland)
Image 48Pekka Halonen's painting "against persecutors" from 1896 depicts the warfare of the ancient Finns. (from History of Finland)
Image 49A peasant girl and a woman in traditional dress from Ruokolahti, eastern Finland, as depicted by Severin Falkman in 1882 (from Culture of Finland)
Image 50A triptych by Akseli Gallen-Kallela, depicting the Aino Story of Kalevala on three panes (from Culture of Finland)
Image 51A smoke sauna (savusauna) in Enonkoski (from Culture of Finland)
Image 52Prehistoric red ochre painted rock art of moose, human figures, and boats in Astuvansalmi, Finland, from ca. 3800–2200 BC (from Culture of Finland)
Image 53Badge of the Finnish White/Civil Guard (from History of Finland)
Image 54The 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 55The Finnish composer Jean Sibelius (1865–1957), a significant figure in the history of classical music (from Culture of Finland)
Image 56Finnish Guards' Rifle Battalion, 1850s (from History of Finland)
Image 57The area of Finland in the years 1920–1940. The 1935 county and municipality division on the map. (from History of Finland)
Image 58Battle of Gangut (Hanko) was part of the Great Northern War during 1700–1721. (from History of Finland)
Image 59Apocalyptica's Perttu Kivilaakso playing metal music live (from Culture of Finland)
Image 60Marshal of Finland Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim visit in Germany, 1942 (from History of Finland)
Image 61Sámi / Laplander family in traditional costumes from Finland. (from Culture of Finland)
Image 62Signing 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 63In 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 64The 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 65Women in sauna with Vihtas
Image 66People gathered in the Senate Square for a demonstration against the February Manifesto in March 1899. (from History of Finland)
Image 672007 Formula One World Champion Kimi Räikkönen celebrating victory at the 2007 Brazilian Grand Prix (from Culture of Finland)
Image 68S/S Urania in Hanko harbor in 1893, with 509 emigrants on board on their way to America (from History of Finland)
Image 69Homann'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 70Pieces of the Antrea Net (8,300 BC), the oldest-known fishing net in the world. (from History of Finland)
Image 71Kalmar Union in 1400s (from History of Finland)
Image 72Linus Torvalds, a famous Fennoswede software engineer, best known for initiating the development of the Linux kernel (from Culture of Finland)
Image 73Jean Sibelius at work in his study (from History of Finland)
Image 74Winter War Monument in Suomussalmi, Kainuu, Finland (from History of Finland)
Image 75Ancylus Lake covered major part of Finland (7,500–6,000 BC) (from History of Finland)
Image 76Alvar Aalto, Viipuri Library (1927–35) (from Culture of Finland)
Image 77Students on Helsinki's Esplanadi wearing their caps on Vappu (from Culture of Finland)