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Location of Finland

Finland (Finnish: Suomi [ˈsuo̯mi] (listen); Swedish: Finland [ˈfɪ̌nland] (listen)), officially the Republic of Finland (Finnish: Suomen tasavalta; Swedish: Republiken Finland (listen to all)), 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, across from Estonia. Finland covers an area of 338,455 square kilometres (130,678 sq mi) with a population of 5.6 million. Helsinki is the capital and largest city. The vast majority of the population are ethnic Finns. Finnish and Swedish are the official languages, Swedish is the native language of 5.2% of the population. Finland's climate varies from humid continental in the south to the boreal in the north. The land cover is primarily a boreal forest biome, with more than 180,000 recorded lakes.

Finland was first inhabited around 9000 BC after the Last Glacial Period. The Stone Age introduced several different ceramic styles and cultures. The Bronze Age and Iron Age were characterized by contacts with other cultures in Fennoscandia and the Baltic region. From the late 13th century, Finland became a part of Sweden as a consequence of the Northern Crusades. In 1809, as a result of the Finnish War, Finland became part of the Russian Empire as the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland, during which Finnish art flourished and the idea of 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. After the 1917 Russian Revolution, Finland declared independence from Russia. In 1918, the fledgling state was divided by the Finnish Civil War. During World War II, Finland fought the Soviet Union in the Winter War and the Continuation War, and Nazi Germany in the Lapland War. It subsequently lost parts of its territory, but maintained its independence. (Full article...)

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

Halonen was an extremely popular president, with her approval ratings reaching a peak of 88 percent in December 2003. She was re-elected in 2006, defeating National Coalition Party candidate Sauli Niinistö in the second round by 51% to 48%. Ineligible to run in the 2012 presidential elections because of term limits, Halonen left office on 1 March 2012 and was succeeded by Niinistö. (Full article...)

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Photo credit: commons:User:Joonasl
Sun setting over Lake Päijänne at Sysmä, Finland. On the right is Päijätsalo island which is part of the Päijätsalo nature park.

Did you know (auto-generated)

... that Kuappi in Iisalmi, Finland, holds the Guinness world record for the smallest restaurant?
... 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 Finnish minister Kyllikki Pohjala learned English while working in New York hospitals to pay for her education at Columbia University?
... that records of transgender people in Finland stretch back to the 19th century?
... that Finnish politician Maija Perho encouraged future president Sauli Niinistö to join the National Coalition Party in the 1960s?
... that a song about an esports team went viral in Finland?

Wikiprojects

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

More did you know - show different entries

...that the cruiseferry M/S Nordlandia (originally M/S Olau Hollandia) was built to be NATO-compatible, so that she could easily be converted to a troopship?
...that Thomas, the first known Bishop of Finland, resigned after confessing to torture and forgery?
...that the Finnish-Novgorodian wars only ended with the Swedish conquest of Finland in 1249, resulting in the Swedish–Novgorodian Wars?
...the crash of Aero Flight 311, which claimed the lives of all 25 people on board, was the worst aviation accident ever to occur in Finland?
...that some areas of the Finnish Lakeland have up to 1,000 lakes per 100 km²?

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

Love Metal is the fourth studio album by Finnish gothic rock band HIM. Released on 11 April 2003, HIM began recording demos for the album in northern spring 2002, after an exhausting touring cycle for their previous album, which nearly broke the band up. Excited and invigorated by the new material, HIM entered Finnvox Studios in September 2002 with producer Hiili Hiilesmaa, who had previously helmed the group's 1997 debut album. Musically Love Metal featured a more raw and organic sound, inspired by the band's early influences, which was also seen as a reaction to the difficulties they faced while recording their previous album. Vocalist Ville Valo has since described Love Metal as the album where HIM found their sound. Love Metal was also the band's first album to predominantly feature their logo, the Heartagram, on the cover, while the album's title was coined in the mid-nineties as a description for HIM's musical genre.

Love Metal received positive reviews from critics, with many praising the songwriting and calling the album a return to form after Deep Shadows and Brilliant Highlights. The album charted in eleven countries, reaching number one in Finland and Germany, later going platinum and gold respectively. Love Metal was also the band's first album to chart in the UK and France at number 55 and 141 respectively. Three singles were released, with "The Funeral of Hearts" reaching number one on the Finnish Singles Chart. Music videos were produced for all three singles, with professional skateboarder and Jackass member Bam Margera directing two. Following the album's release, HIM toured the US for the first time, with all of the shows being sold-out. (Full article...)

List of Good articles

General images

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

Image 1Stone Age dwelling named Kierikki 5000–3000 BC (from History of Finland)
Image 2Pekka Halonen's painting "against persecutors" from 1896 depicts the warfare of the ancient Finns. (from History of Finland)
Image 3Turku Cathedral and its surroundings from 1814 (from History of Finland)
Image 4The 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 5Women in sauna with Vihtas
Image 6Mikael Agricola hands over the Finnish Translation of the New Testament to King Gustav Wasa. (from History of Finland)
Image 7A group of Finnish soldiers operating a Bofors gun during the Continuation War in 1943 (from History of Finland)
Image 8Midsummer bonfire (kokko) in Mäntsälä (from Culture of Finland)
Image 9People gathered in the Senate Square for a demonstration against the February Manifesto in March 1899. (from History of Finland)
Image 10Kreeta Haapasalo Playing the Kantele in a Peasant Cottage (1868), by Robert Wilhelm Ekman (from History of Finland)
Image 11Identification document and tag of a Finnish war child (from History of Finland)
Image 12The Finno-Soviet Treaty (from History of Finland)
Image 13A reconstruction of a 12th-century Perniö costume (from History of Finland)
Image 14Three Finnish Romani women in Helsinki, Finland, in 1930s (from Culture of Finland)
Image 15A smoke sauna (savusauna) in Enonkoski (from Culture of Finland)
Image 16A view of Pohjoisesplanadi in the center of Helsinki in 1891 (from History of Finland)
Image 17Homann'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 18A peasant girl and a woman in traditional dress from Ruokolahti, eastern Finland, as depicted by Severin Falkman in 1882 (from Culture of Finland)
Image 19Pieces of the Antrea Net (8,300 BC), the oldest-known fishing net in the world. (from History of Finland)
Image 20Battle of Gangut (Hanko) was part of the Great Northern War during 1700–1721. (from History of Finland)
Image 21Northern Europe in 814 (from History of Finland)
Image 22Winter War Monument in Suomussalmi, Kainuu, Finland (from History of Finland)
Image 23Battle of Valkeala was part of the Russo-Swedish War (1788–1790). (from History of Finland)
Image 24Prehistoric red ochre painted rock art of moose, human figures, and boats in Astuvansalmi, Finland, from ca. 3800–2200 BC (from Culture of Finland)
Image 25Marshal of Finland Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim visit in Germany, 1942 (from History of Finland)
Image 26Helsinki Accords Treaty (from History of Finland)
Image 272007 Formula One World Champion Kimi Räikkönen celebrating victory at the 2007 Brazilian Grand Prix (from Culture of Finland)
Image 28Eero Järnefelt, Burning the Brushwood, 1893 (from History of Finland)
Image 29In the sauna, by Pekka Halonen, 1925 (from Culture of Finland)
Image 30Wehrmacht soldiers with a local Sámi reindeer herder, Lappland, Sodankylä, Finland 1942 (from History of Finland)
Image 31In 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 32A summer cottage (mökki) on a lake island (from Culture of Finland)
Image 33Imagery collage of Birger Jarl conquering Häme and the construction of Häme Castle (from History of Finland)
Image 34The 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 35Apocalyptica's Perttu Kivilaakso playing metal music live (from Culture of Finland)
Image 36Erkki Karu, one of the pioneers of the Finnish cinema, with cinematographer Eino Kari in 1927 (from Culture of Finland)
Image 37Finnish folk dancers in a 1907 postcard sent from Mustamäki, Finland (from Culture of Finland)
Image 38Students on Helsinki's Esplanadi wearing their caps on Vappu (from Culture of Finland)
Image 39The area controlled by Finland at its largest, in 1942 (from History of Finland)
Image 40Captain Aarne Juutilainen at the front at Kollaa during the Winter War (from History of Finland)
Image 41Kastelli Giant's Church in Pattijoki by Pöljä culture [fi] (from History of Finland)
Image 42Finland Ostrobothnia regiment uniforms in 1705 (from History of Finland)
Image 43Ancylus Lake covered major part of Finland (7,500–6,000 BC) (from History of Finland)
Image 44Finnish Guards' Rifle Battalion, 1850s (from History of Finland)
Image 45The Finnish composer Jean Sibelius (1865–1957), a significant figure in the history of classical music (from Culture of Finland)
Image 46Memorial of the Mannerheim Cross Knights of Parikkala, Finland (from History of Finland)
Image 47S/S Urania in Hanko harbor in 1893, with 509 emigrants on board on their way to America (from History of Finland)
Image 48Badge of the Finnish White/Civil Guard (from History of Finland)
Image 49The area of Finland in the years 1920–1940. The 1935 county and municipality division on the map. (from History of Finland)
Image 50President K. J. Ståhlberg in his office in 1919 (from History of Finland)
Image 51Alvar Aalto, Viipuri Library (1927–35) (from Culture of Finland)
Image 52A triptych by Akseli Gallen-Kallela, depicting the Aino Story of Kalevala on three panes (from Culture of Finland)
Image 53Karjalanpiirakka, a traditional Finnish pastry (from Culture of Finland)
Image 54Janne Ahonen is considered one of the best and most successful currently active ski jumpers. (from Culture of Finland)
Image 55President Urho Kekkonen's funeral procession in 1986 (from History of Finland)
Image 56The 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 57Jean Sibelius at work in his study (from History of Finland)
Image 58Map of Finnish areas ceded to the Soviet Union in 1944, after the Continuation War (from History of Finland)
Image 59The ruins of Vammala burned by the Reds, during the Civil war (from History of Finland)
Image 60This 1825 map of the Grand Duchy of Finland is from a larger work, geographical atlas of the Russian Empire. (from History of Finland)
Image 61Paavo Nurmi at the 1920 Summer Olympics (from Culture of Finland)
Image 62Grand Duchy of Finland, 75 kopek assignat (1824) (from History of Finland)
Image 63The part of Finland controlled by the Reds at its largest in February–March 1918 (from History of Finland)
Image 64Kalmar Union in 1400s (from History of Finland)
Image 65Linus Torvalds, a famous Fennoswede software engineer, best known for initiating the development of the Linux kernel (from Culture of Finland)
Image 66Painting of Lalli killing Henry. Painting by C. A. Ekman. (from History of Finland)
Image 67An old drawing of the city of Turku in the 18th century (from History of Finland)
Image 68In 2011 figure skater Kiira Korpi was ranked 4th in the world. (from Culture of Finland)
Image 69Stone Age stone axe engraved with human face found from Kiuruvesi. (from History of Finland)
Image 70Signing 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 71(1809 Diet of Porvoo) The sovereign's pledge, printed in Finnish (from History of Finland)

In the news

11 May 2023 –: Twenty-four people are injured when a temporary pedestrian bridge collapses in Espoo, Finland. (AP) (Yle)
16 April 2023 – Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant: After 18 years under construction, the Olkiluoto 3 reactor in Finland, Europe's most powerful nuclear power plant unit at 1.6 GW, begins delivering regular electrical output. (Reuters) (Bloomberg)
4 April 2023 – Enlargement of NATO: Finland–NATO relations; Finland officially joins NATO, becoming the 31st member of the military alliance and expanding NATO's border with Russia by 1,300 kilometres (810 mi). (Time) (BBC News)
2 April 2023 – 2023 Finnish parliamentary election: Finns head to the polls to elect the 200 members of the parliament. Centre-right National Coalition Party wins the most votes at 20.7%, while the ruling Social Democratic Party places third with 19.9%. (Euronews 1) (Euronews 2)
30 March 2023 – Enlargement of NATO, Finland–NATO relations: Finland–Turkey relations

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Photo credit: commons:User:KFP

Panorama of Lake Pielinen from a hill in Koli National Park, Finland

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Albert Edelfelt - Louis Pasteur - 1885
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Albert Edelfelt - Louis Pasteur - 1885
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FIN-A36b-Finlands Bank-20 Markkaa (1862)
Hankopan
Helsinki July 2013-27a
Kaleva Church 4
Lutheran Cathedral Helsinki edit
Neste Oil Rally 2010 - Jari-Matti Latvala in shakedown
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