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: Christopher Batt
Juuso Pykälistö in his Peugeot 206 WRC during the 2003 Swedish Rally.

Did you know (auto-generated)

... that the 1992 documentary film Daddy and the Muscle Academy, which focuses on the life of gay erotic artist Tom of Finland, has been broadcast on Finnish television multiple times?
... that Finnish-American model Selene Mahri married three millionaires and is credited with inventing the saying "Marriage is a question of give and take. You give. I take"?
... that the United States severed diplomatic ties with Finland in 1944 because of a personal letter sent to Hitler?
... that Kimmo Leinonen helped establish both the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame and the IIHF Hall of Fame?
... that records of transgender people in Finland stretch back to the 19th century?
... that Joe Wirkkunen coached the Finland men's national ice hockey team after receiving a recommendation from Canada?

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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 the prototypes for the WW II German U-boat fleet (Type II pictured) were designed by a Dutch company and built in Finland at the Crichton-Vulcan shipyard?
...that while repelling Soviet advances across the frozen Lake Suvanto, Finland managed to capture 12 anti-tank guns, 140 machine guns, 200 light machine guns and 1500 rifles in the Battle of Kelja in 1939?
...that Major Carl Mothander, the leader of Swedish volunteers in the Estonian War of Independence, later wrote books on Estonian politics that were banned in Finland?
...that the Korpela movement was a short-lived cult during the 1930s in Northern Sweden and Finland whose controversial sexual rituals eventually led to the arrest of 60 followers?
...that in 1745, Daniel Juslenius, a Finnish Fennoman, finished the first formal Finnish dictionary?

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A scene of the Kauhajoki vocational college campus a few hours after the shooting

The Kauhajoki school shooting occurred on 23 September 2008 at the Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences (SeAMK) in Kauhajoki, Finland. The gunman, 22-year-old student Matti Juhani Saari, shot and killed ten people with a Walther P22 Target semi-automatic pistol, before shooting himself in the head. He died a few hours later at Tampere University Hospital. One woman was injured but remained in stable condition.

The shooting took place at the Kauhajoki School of Hospitality, owned by the Seinäjoki Municipal Federation of Education. The facilities and campus were shared between SeAMK and the Seinäjoki Vocational Education Centre – Sedu. Saari was a second-year student in a Hospitality Management undergraduate degree programme. The incident was the second school shooting in less than a year in Finland, the other being the Jokela school shooting in November 2007, in which nine people including the gunman died. The first similar incident in the country's history was the Raumanmeri school shooting in Rauma in 1989, leaving two people dead. (Full article...)

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General images

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

Image 1Prehistoric red ochre painted rock art of moose, human figures, and boats in Astuvansalmi, Finland, from ca. 3800–2200 BC (from Culture of Finland)
Image 2In 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 3Portrait of Finnish poet Elias Lönnrot who wrote "the Kalevala" (1802 - 1884) (from History of Finland)
Image 4Helsinki Accords Treaty (from History of Finland)
Image 5Signing 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 6Linus Torvalds, a famous Fennoswede software engineer, best known for initiating the development of the Linux kernel (from Culture of Finland)
Image 7Marshal of Finland Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim visit in Germany, 1942 (from History of Finland)
Image 8Apocalyptica's Perttu Kivilaakso playing metal music live (from Culture of Finland)
Image 9Memorial of the Mannerheim Cross Knights of Parikkala, Finland (from History of Finland)
Image 10Women dressed in Finnish folk costumes (from Culture of Finland)
Image 11The area controlled by Finland at its largest, in 1942 (from History of Finland)
Image 12People gathered in the Senate Square for a demonstration against the February Manifesto in March 1899. (from History of Finland)
Image 13This 1825 map of the Grand Duchy of Finland is from a larger work, geographical atlas of the Russian Empire. (from History of Finland)
Image 14(1809 Diet of Porvoo) The sovereign's pledge, printed in Finnish (from History of Finland)
Image 15Wehrmacht soldiers with a local Sámi reindeer herder, Lappland, Sodankylä, Finland 1942 (from History of Finland)
Image 16Finnish Guards' Rifle Battalion, 1850s (from History of Finland)
Image 17Northern Europe in 814 (from History of Finland)
Image 18President Urho Kekkonen's funeral procession in 1986 (from History of Finland)
Image 19Pieces of the Antrea Net (8,300 BC), the oldest-known fishing net in the world. (from History of Finland)
Image 202007 Formula One World Champion Kimi Räikkönen celebrating victory at the 2007 Brazilian Grand Prix (from Culture of Finland)
Image 21Midsummer bonfire (kokko) in Mäntsälä (from Culture of Finland)
Image 22In 2011 figure skater Kiira Korpi was ranked 4th in the world. (from Culture of Finland)
Image 23A group of Finnish soldiers operating a Bofors gun during the Continuation War in 1943 (from History of Finland)
Image 24The ruins of Vammala burned by the Reds, during the Civil war (from History of Finland)
Image 25Eero Järnefelt, Burning the Brushwood, 1893 (from History of Finland)
Image 26An old drawing of the city of Turku in the 18th century (from History of Finland)
Image 27Pekka Halonen's painting "against persecutors" from 1896 depicts the warfare of the ancient Finns. (from History of Finland)
Image 28Turku Cathedral and its surroundings from 1814 (from History of Finland)
Image 29Map of Finnish areas ceded to the Soviet Union in 1944, after the Continuation War (from History of Finland)
Image 30In the sauna, by Pekka Halonen, 1925 (from Culture of Finland)
Image 31A peasant girl and a woman in traditional dress from Ruokolahti, eastern Finland, as depicted by Severin Falkman in 1882 (from Culture of Finland)
Image 32The part of Finland controlled by the Reds at its largest in February–March 1918 (from History of Finland)
Image 33Kalmar Union in 1400s (from History of Finland)
Image 34Kreeta Haapasalo Playing the Kantele in a Peasant Cottage (1868), by Robert Wilhelm Ekman (from History of Finland)
Image 35S/S Urania in Hanko harbor in 1893, with 509 emigrants on board on their way to America (from History of Finland)
Image 36Captain Aarne Juutilainen at the front at Kollaa during the Winter War (from History of Finland)
Image 37Women in sauna with Vihtas
Image 38Homann'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 39Mikael Agricola hands over the Finnish Translation of the New Testament to King Gustav Wasa. (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 41Lapua 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 42The area of Finland in the years 1920–1940. The 1935 county and municipality division on the map. (from History of Finland)
Image 43Paavo Nurmi at the 1920 Summer Olympics (from Culture of Finland)
Image 44The 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 45Finnish folk dancers in a 1907 postcard sent from Mustamäki, Finland (from Culture of Finland)
Image 46The Finnish composer Jean Sibelius (1865–1957), a significant figure in the history of classical music (from Culture of Finland)
Image 47The 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 48Battle of Valkeala was part of the Russo-Swedish War (1788–1790). (from History of Finland)
Image 49A smoke sauna (savusauna) in Enonkoski (from Culture of Finland)
Image 50The 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 51Karjalanpiirakka, a traditional Finnish pastry (from Culture of Finland)
Image 52A view of Pohjoisesplanadi in the center of Helsinki in 1891 (from History of Finland)
Image 53Grand Duchy of Finland, 75 kopek assignat (1824) (from History of Finland)
Image 54Kastelli Giant's Church in Pattijoki by Pöljä culture [fi] (from History of Finland)
Image 55Stone Age dwelling named Kierikki 5000–3000 BC (from History of Finland)
Image 56President K. J. Ståhlberg in his office in 1919 (from History of Finland)
Image 57Sámi / Laplander family in traditional costumes from Finland. (from Culture of Finland)
Image 58Jean Sibelius at work in his study (from History of Finland)
Image 59Jussipaita (transl. Jussi sweater); a traditional sweater from the Finnish region of Southern Ostrobothnia (from Culture of Finland)
Image 60Painting of Lalli killing Henry. Painting by C. A. Ekman. (from History of Finland)
Image 61Battle of Gangut (Hanko) was part of the Great Northern War during 1700–1721. (from History of Finland)
Image 62A summer cottage (mökki) on a lake island (from Culture of Finland)
Image 63Erkki Karu, one of the pioneers of the Finnish cinema, with cinematographer Eino Kari in 1927 (from Culture of Finland)
Image 64Students on Helsinki's Esplanadi wearing their caps on Vappu (from Culture of Finland)
Image 65Ancylus Lake covered major part of Finland (7,500–6,000 BC) (from History of Finland)
Image 66A reconstruction of a 12th-century Perniö costume (from History of Finland)
Image 67Identification document and tag of a Finnish war child (from History of Finland)
Image 68Winter War Monument in Suomussalmi, Kainuu, Finland (from History of Finland)
Image 69Imagery collage of Birger Jarl conquering Häme and the construction of Häme Castle (from History of Finland)
Image 70The Finno-Soviet Treaty (from History of Finland)
Image 71Finland Ostrobothnia regiment uniforms in 1705 (from History of Finland)
Image 72Alvar Aalto, Viipuri Library (1927–35) (from Culture of Finland)
Image 73A triptych by Akseli Gallen-Kallela, depicting the Aino Story of Kalevala on three panes (from Culture of Finland)
Image 74Badge of the Finnish White/Civil Guard (from History of Finland)
Image 75Janne Ahonen is considered one of the best and most successful currently active ski jumpers. (from Culture of Finland)
Image 76Three Finnish Romani women in Helsinki, Finland, in 1930s (from Culture of Finland)
Image 77Stone Age stone axe engraved with human face found from Kiuruvesi. (from History of Finland)

In the news

18 November 2024 – 2024 Baltic Sea submarine cable disruptions: The C-Lion1 submarine communications cable across the Baltic Sea between Finland and Germany is damaged in what German officials suspect is sabotage. (The Guardian)
9 September 2024 –: Finnish-Canadian sportswear mogul Peter Nygård is sentenced to 11 years in prison for sexual assault. (CBC News)
14 August 2024 – Organized crime in Sweden: Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland form an international police hub in Stockholm to prevent escalating Swedish gang activity and criminal networks from spreading to other Nordic countries. (Reuters)
26 July 2024 – Finland–Russia relations: Finland reports that a Russian Navy Baltic Sea fleet vessel trespassed on Finnish territorial waters in the eastern Gulf of Finland. (Reuters)
12 July 2024 – Finland–Russia relations, Russian emigration during the Russian invasion of Ukraine: The Parliament of Finland passes a law allowing border guards to restrict trafficked asylum seekers from crossing the Finland–Russia border. (CNN)

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

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