Ancient Finland developed in line with other European areas outside Ancient Rome. Regional rulers and administrative organisations were typical of the era. Key sources of livelihood included hunting and fishing, as well as international trade, even with faraway countries. Christianity reached Finland from the east and the west. Perhaps as early as in 900, Christianity prevailed in a significant portion of southern Finland, influenced not by Rome, but by Constantinople. Beginning in the 12th century, crusades from Sweden sealed the faith of Finns. The force of the cross and the sword integrated Finland into western, Catholic Europe. It became part of Sweden and Western Europe for more than 600 years. The Reformation began in Sweden and Finland in the early 16th century. It was followed by religious wars in the 17th century that involved Sweden, including Finns. Sweden and Russia had battled over the location of their border for centuries. The wars with Russia did not end until Sweden lost the Finnish War in 1808–1809. Finland became a Grand Duchy under Russian rule, but retained its earlier legislation and administration. Finland was part of the Russian Empire for more than 100 years. Finland established a parliament and adopted its own currency under Russian rule. Its business and industry developed, particularly the wood processing industry. The World War I ended with the collapse of the Russian Empire and the independence of Finland in 1917. As a result of the two wars during 1939-1944, Finland lost a significant portion of its total area, including Vyborg, its second largest city. The population of the areas ceded to the Soviet Union was moved to Finland, meaning that the country needed to resettle more than 400,000 people. It was an extensive undertaking. Modern Finland After the war, Finland began to develop into an industrial nation. The country remained a democracy. Its heavy war reparations turned out to be a blessing in disguise: Finland had to create many industries, particularly the metal industry, practically from scratch. At the same time, a significant proportion of the population gradually moved from the countryside to towns, to work in industry instead of agriculture, with better pay. Population growth gained pace after the war, and Finns born in 1947 continue to be the largest age group in the country. With population growth and urbanisation came migration. Around 200,000 people left Finland in the 1960s, particularly for Sweden, where industrial growth called for new labour. Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland founded the Nordic Council in 1952 to facilitate cooperation. Finland joined the Nordic Council in 1955. Finland joined the United Nations in 1955 and became an associate member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) in 1961 and a full member in 1986. Finland entered into a free trade agreement with the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1973. This trend culminated in Finland joining the European Union at the beginning of 1995.
In terms of area, Finland is among the largest countries in Europe. With its 5.5 million people, however, it is the most sparsely populated country in the European Union. Its population is concentrated in the southern parts of the country and in a few cities. In the wilderness in northern Finland, you can wander for days without seeing anyone, if you so wish. The cities, however, are modern and continental. From top to bottom, Finland is more than 1,000 kilometres long. It is a multifaceted country: in early summer, when people are enjoying a swim in the sea in the south, you can still go skiing in the north. In the west, you can feel the nearness of the Baltic Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The Gulf Stream makes the climate in Finland more temperate than the northern location might suggest — different from that of Canada and Russia, which are located along the same latitude. Nearly a third of all people living north of the 60th parallel are Finns. In eastern Finland, the climate is continental in many respects as a result of the Eurasian landmass. Throughout the country, Finland has four seasons. Summer is lush, a season of light, with relatively little rain. Autumn is often rainy, and winter is cold, with heavy snowfall. In the south, snow typically covers the ground in December. In the north, this happens a month or even two months earlier. In the south, snow melts by April, while cross-country skiing competitions are sometimes held as late as Midsummer in the northernmost parts of the country. In some years, southern Finland has only a little snow, while it may snow in late spring in other years. The northern location also affects the amount of light. In summer, the sun stays above the horizon for around two months in the northernmost parts of the country. In winter, the sun stays below the horizon for an equal period of time around Christmas. During this time, the winter scenery reflects a magical blue light for a few hours a day. The population of Finland is around 5.5 million. Women slightly outnumber men. The largest age groups are 50 and over. The average age of Finns is around 42 years. The population is strongly concentrated in southern Finland, where the largest cities are located. In terms of population, the central point of Finland is located around 100 kilometres north of Helsinki. The total length of the country is more than 1,000 kilometres. Around 60% of Finns own their homes. Around 70% of Finns live in or near cities or towns. Only 6% of Finns live in the countryside, which constitutes 70% of the total area of Finland. Nearly 90% of Finns speak Finnish as their first language, and more than 5% speak Swedish. More than 2,000 Finns speak Sámi as their first language. Other languages spoken in Finland Around 70,000 people speak Russian, nearly 50,000 speak Estonian, around 17,000 speak English, around 17,000 speak Somali, around 15,000 speak Arabic, around 10,000 speak Kurdish and around 10,000 speak Chinese as their first language. Most of the people who speak Russian as their first language moved to Finland after 1990, but the country also has a small Russian-speaking population that originates from the era of Russian rule in Finland (1809–1917). Most of the Estonians living in Finland moved to the country after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Nearly 75% of Finns are members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, and around 1% belong to the Orthodox Church of Finland. Around 1.5% of Finns are members of other faiths, and more than 20% do not belong to any church. A small proportion of those who are not members of any church belong to independent religious communities. A significant proportion of the members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church are cultural Christians, meaning that they do not actively participate in religious practice.
Best Human Capital in the World Human Capital Report 2015 World Economic Forum, 2nd Best Gender
Equality in the World Global Gender Gap Report 2014 World Economic Forum. 3rd Least Corrupt
Country in the World Corruption Perceptions Index 2014 Transparency. The most stable country in the world The Fragile States Index 2014, Fund for Peace. Finland is the most stable and least vulnerable to collapse of the 178 nations listed on this index. Finland makes the best use of its human capital, Human Capital Report 2015. World Economic Forum Finland ranks as number one in human capital based on indicators such as education, well-being and employment. Finland — doing good for the world. The Good Country Index measures what each country on earth contributes to the common good of humanity, and what it takes away. Finland ranked second after Ireland. The cleanest air in Europe, Environmental Performance Index 2014. Finland has the cleanest air in Europe together with Ireland and Iceland, and it is also rated among the top countries worldwide for clean air. Second in gender equality: Global Gender Gap Report 2014, World Economic Forum Finland ranked second in the World Economic Forum’s annual Global Gender Gap report. Best quality of life in the EU, Eurostat 2015. According to Eurostat, Finland ranks as number one in quality of life in the EU. A good place for mothers: State of the World’s Mothers 2015. Save the Children Finland ranks second in the annual State of the World’s Mothers report.
Equality and fairness are important values for Finns. In Finnish society, everyone is equal and must be treated fairly. It is common for Finns to trust other people and the authorities. Democracy and freedom of speech are also held in high regard in Finland. Everyone has the right to participate in the activities of society. There is freedom of speech in Finland. Finnish culture places more value on individualism than many other cultures. Freedom of the individual is strongly present in the Finnish legislation. Finns also value their privacy and own space. For example, young people are encouraged to become independent and move into their own homes. Honesty is appreciated in Finland. It is important to keep your promises and tell the truth. Also punctuality is important to Finns. When you have a meeting, arrive at the agreed time. If you have made an appointment with an official or doctor, for example, it is especially important to be there on time. For example, if you have made an appointment for 12 o’clock, make sure you arrive a little before 12. If you arrive at 12.10, you are late. Many Finns esteem modesty highly. People tend not to distinguish themselves in a group; they avoid talking in a loud voice and bragging. In Finland, it is good manners to take others into account and listen to them. Working and diligence are also held in high regard. Nature is very important to Finns. Many Finns enjoy spending time in nature, for example by camping or picking berries. Everyman’s rights (jokamiehenoikeudet) are observed in Finland. According to them, people have free access rights in nature, and do not need the landowner’s permission for all outdoor activities. Handshaking is a common way of greeting in formal situations. Men and women also shake hands with each other. Friends or relatives may also greet each other by hugging. However, cheek kissing is not common.When you talk to others, look them in the eye. In Finland, looking someone in the eye communicates that you are being frank and honest towards that person. When speaking Finnish, it is common to be on first-name terms with other people. First-name terms are also used among strangers and colleagues. Addressing others formally is reserved only for highly formal occasions. It is, however, a good idea to address elderly people more formally.