Finland is located in Northern Europe, with a population of around 5.5 million people. Helsinki is the capital city. Finland has a long history of being ruled by Sweden and Russia, and gained independence in 1917. Some key aspects of Finnish culture include celebrating Independence Day, Midsummer, and Christmas traditions, as well as enjoying the outdoors through activities like skiing and hiking. The sauna is also an important part of Finnish cultural and social life.

1. Finland
in
pictures
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2. General
Location:
Northern Europe, Scandinavia
Capital:
Helsinki
Area:
Total: 338424 km2
Water: 10%
Forest: 69%
Population:
2015 estimate: 5 477 359
Density: 18/km2
Official languages:
Finnish 89,33%
Swedish 5,34%
Sami 0,03%
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3. Swedish period
Between 1250 and 1809 Finlad was
ruled by Sweden.
During this period, Turku was the cen-
tre of Finland.
The Swedesh language was more used,
due to the fact that the Swedes used to
be appointed to the Finnish high of-
fices.
The long period of the Swedish domi-
nation had a strong influence on the
Finnish culture and society.
Turku Castle is Finland’s oldest medieval castle. Construction began in the 13th century and was completed in the late 16th
century.
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4. Russian period
1809 - 1917
Sweden lost Finland in the 1808-1809
war with Russia.
In 1809 Finland joined Russia, becom-
ing an autonomous Grand Duchy.
In 1812 the new capital of Finland was
moved to Helsinki.
The Russian architecture style can be
easily recognised all around the coun-
try.
Tampere, Russian Orthodox Church
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5. Independence
6 December 1917 is the day when Fin-
land was declared independent from the
Russian Republic.
The TV attraction of the day is the In-
dependence Day Reception, a VIP gala
event hosted by the President and aired
by the national TV channel.
One of the Independence day tradition
is to light up two (blue and white) can-
dles and pace them in the windows.
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6. The Kalevala
The Finnish national epic is a collec-
tion of folk poems collected across Fin-
land and Karelia in the 19th century.
This is considered one of the most rele-
vant work of the Finnish literature with
major impact on the national culture
and society development.
Two poems in illustrtations from
The Kalevala.
The top picture represents Aino’s
story on three panels.
The picture from the left side repre-
sents The Defense of the Sampo.
Both paintings are made by the
Finnish artist Akseli Gallen-Kallela.
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7. Society
Equality and liberalism are encouraged,
leading to an open and accesible soci-
ety.
The free education system encourages
more and more people to study and ob-
tain university degrees.
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8. Vappu – May Day
First of May is the day when Finland
celebrates its workers and students.
The streets are full of people and all
students and graduates are wearing
white student caps.
Afeter the parade the good time contin-
ues with privat and / or outdoor parties.
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9. Juhannus - The Mid-
summer celebration
It is one of the most important pulic
holidays in Finland.
All shops are closed and the local trans-
portation companies have also special
working hours.
The celebration culminates with build-
ing the “kokko”, a big bonfire near the
water.
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10. Christmas
In Finland, Christmas Eve is the most
important part of the Christmas cel-
ebration.
An old tradition from the 13th century
is the “Christmas Peace” proclamation,
which takes place every Christmas Eve
at noon in Turku, the oldest city of Fin-
land.
The Christmas tree is also decorated on
the Eve and after the dinner, the Santa
brings presents to every children.
The Christmas day is for enjoying the
Santa’s presents and to relax.
The relatives and friends are visited on
Saint Stephen’s Day (26th).
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11. Aurora Borealis
One of the Sami legend describig the
Northern Lights phenomenon says:
“A Fox runs across the Arctic, falls and
lights up the sky with sparks flying
from its tail, whirling up the snow cre-
ating the Northern Lights”.
The best time of the year to see Aurora
Borealis is from September to March,
when the sky is dark enough.
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12. Sauna
The most common cultural activity in
Finland is the Sauna.
Sauna is a place for spiritual and physi-
cal cleansing for the Finnish society.
This is the place where major decisions
are made, not at the round tables.
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13. Outdoor actiwvities
The Finns are very active people, they
engage in various outdoor activities
such as:
♦♦ Outdoor sauna
♦♦ Cross country skiing
♦♦ Ice skating
♦♦ Hiking
♦♦ Nordic walking
♦♦ Cycling
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14. Business Insider
about Finland
Top of the world education
The Finnish education is ranked as one
of the best in the world.
Easy to communicate
Official international business language
is English and most Finns speak Eng-
lish.
Advanced financial infrastructure
There is one of the most developed
electronic banking system in the World.
Uses the Euro
Finland’s currency is Euro – one of the
world’s four hard currencies.
Safety
There is a safe and risk-free environ-
ment with a very low rate of criminality
(1.6 in 2012).
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15. http://www.green-acres.com/en/
http://www.deluxebattery.com
http://www.eattampere.com/
http://www.santapark.com/
http://www.visitfinland.com
http://www.visitrovaniemi.fi
http://finland.fi/Public/default.aspx?
https://en.wikipedia.org/?title=Kalevala
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
http://yle.fi/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turku_Castle
http://uk.businessinsider.com/?r=US
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