Portal:Finland

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The Finland Portal

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 an area of 338,145 square kilometres (130,559 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, of which 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 the Swedish Empire as a result of the Northern Crusades. In 1809, as a result of the Finnish War, Finland was captured from Sweden and became a Grand Duchy of Finland, an autonomous state ruled by the Russian Empire. During this period, Finnish art flourished and the idea of full 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. Following the Russian Revolution of 1917, Finland declared its full independence. In 1918 the young nation was divided by the Finnish Civil War. 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. (Full article...)

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The Turku tramway network was the first tram system to be operated in Finland, and was the second-to-last first generation tram system in Finland. It was operated as horse tramway from 1890 until 1892, and as an electrified tramway from 1908 until 1972. Prior to 1919 the tram system was owned by private interests, and from that year onwards by the City of Turku until closure of the system.

The possible recreation of the tram network and/or a creation of a light rail network have been discussed since the (second) closure of the tram system in 1972. In December 2009 the Turku City Council made the decision that a light rail system (Finnish: pikaraitiotie, "fast tramway") system would be realised in the city after an intermediate phase of bus rapid transit. (Full article...)

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Photo credit: commons:User:Tanger
A lakeside smoke sauna ("savusauna") in Kannonkoski.

Did you know (auto-generated)

... that Kimmo Leinonen helped establish both the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame and the IIHF Hall of Fame?
... that Theodolinda Hahnsson is the first known Finnish-language female author?
... that Venla Luukkonen is the first Finnish person to win the World IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship at black belt level?
... that Kaija Saariaho's 2021 opera Innocence includes traditional Finnish cow-herding calls?
... that Plevna in Tampere, Finland, was the first building in the Nordic countries and the Russian Empire (of which Finland was part at the time) to be lit by electric lights?
... that records of transgender people in Finland stretch back to the 19th century?

WikiProjects

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

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...the Finnish Air Force selected the Saab 91 Safir as its primary trainer aircraft over the domestic Valmet Tuuli III?
...that the Kaleva, a Finnish passenger plane carrying diplomatic post, was shot down by Soviet bombers in an act of aggression?
...that the majority of Assyrians in Finland live in Oulu, the sixth largest city in the country?
...that Finland was close to becoming an independent kingdom in 1742?
...that the Saint Petersburg–Hiitola railroad was completed by 1917, but a year later the Finnish Civil War caused traffic to stop, with a mile of track removed?

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Finnish soldiers at the VT-line of fortifications during the Soviet Vyborg–Petrozavodsk Offensive in June 1944

The Continuation War, also known as the Second Soviet-Finnish War, was a conflict fought by Finland and Nazi Germany against the Soviet Union during World War II. It began with a Finnish declaration of war and invasion on 25 June 1941 and ended on 19 September 1944 with the Moscow Armistice. The Soviet Union and Finland had previously fought the Winter War from 1939 to 1940, which ended with the Soviet failure to conquer Finland and the Moscow Peace Treaty. Numerous reasons have been proposed for the Finnish decision to invade, with regaining territory lost during the Winter War regarded as the most common. Other justifications for the conflict include Finnish President Risto Ryti's vision of a Greater Finland and Commander-in-Chief Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim's desire to annex East Karelia.

On 22 June 1941, the Axis invaded the Soviet Union. Three days later, the Soviet Union conducted an air raid on Finnish cities which prompted Finland to declare war and allow German troops in Finland to begin offensive warfare. By September 1941, Finland had regained its post–Winter War concessions to the Soviet Union in Karelia. The Finnish Army continued its offensive past the 1939 border during the invasion of East Karelia and halted it only around 30–32 km (19–20 mi) from the centre of Leningrad. It participated in besieging the city by cutting the northern supply routes and by digging in until 1944. In Lapland, joint German-Finnish forces failed to capture Murmansk or to cut the Kirov (Murmansk) Railway. The Soviet Vyborg–Petrozavodsk Offensive in June and August 1944 drove the Finns from most of the territories that they had gained during the war, but the Finnish Army halted the offensive in August 1944. (Full article...)

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General images

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

Image 1The public education system founded during earlier Swedish rule turned Finland and Estonia into the two most literate areas of Russian Empire (map of 1897 census literacy data) (from History of Finland)
Image 2The area of Finland in the years 1920–1940. The 1935 county and municipality division on the map. (from History of Finland)
Image 3A peasant girl and a woman in traditional dress from Ruokolahti, eastern Finland, as depicted by Severin Falkman in 1882 (from Culture of Finland)
Image 4An old drawing of the city of Turku in the 18th century (from History of Finland)
Image 5Badge of the Finnish White/Civil Guard (from History of Finland)
Image 6Kreeta Haapasalo Playing the Kantele in a Peasant Cottage (1868), by Robert Wilhelm Ekman (from History of Finland)
Image 7A view of Pohjoisesplanadi in the center of Helsinki in 1891 (from History of Finland)
Image 8Portrait of Finnish poet Elias Lönnrot who wrote "the Kalevala" (1802 - 1884) (from History of Finland)
Image 9The Finnish composer Jean Sibelius (1865–1957), a significant figure in the history of classical music (from Culture of Finland)
Image 10Northern Europe in 814 (from History of Finland)
Image 11Paavo Nurmi at the 1920 Summer Olympics (from Culture of Finland)
Image 12Karjalanpiirakka, a traditional Finnish pastry (from Culture of Finland)
Image 13Apocalyptica's Perttu Kivilaakso playing metal music live (from Culture of Finland)
Image 14Lapua 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 15Identification document and tag of a Finnish war child (from History of Finland)
Image 16Linus Torvalds, a famous Fennoswede software engineer, best known for initiating the development of the Linux kernel (from Culture of Finland)
Image 17Battle of Gangut (Hanko) was part of the Great Northern War during 1700–1721. (from History of Finland)
Image 18Sámi / Laplander family in traditional costumes from Finland. (from Culture of Finland)
Image 19The Finno-Soviet Treaty (from History of Finland)
Image 20The 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 21Erkki Karu, one of the pioneers of the Finnish cinema, with cinematographer Eino Kari in 1927 (from Culture of Finland)
Image 22Wehrmacht soldiers with a local Sámi reindeer herder, Lappland, Sodankylä, Finland 1942 (from History of Finland)
Image 23Memorial of the Mannerheim Cross Knights of Parikkala, Finland (from History of Finland)
Image 24Jean Sibelius at work in his study (from History of Finland)
Image 25President Urho Kekkonen's funeral procession in 1986 (from History of Finland)
Image 26Uspenski Cathedral in Helsinki (from Culture of Finland)
Image 27Women in sauna with Vihtas
Image 28Kastelli Giant's Church in Pattijoki by Pöljä culture [fi] (from History of Finland)
Image 29President K. J. Ståhlberg in his office in 1919 (from History of Finland)
Image 30Battle of Valkeala was part of the Russo-Swedish War (1788–1790). (from History of Finland)
Image 31Captain Aarne Juutilainen at the front at Kollaa during the Winter War (from History of Finland)
Image 32Signing 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 33Pekka Halonen's painting "against persecutors" from 1896 depicts the warfare of the ancient Finns. (from History of Finland)
Image 34In 2011 figure skater Kiira Korpi was ranked 4th in the world. (from Culture of Finland)
Image 35Eero Järnefelt, Burning the Brushwood, 1893 (from History of Finland)
Image 36Prehistoric red ochre painted rock art of moose, human figures, and boats in Astuvansalmi, Finland, from ca. 3800–2200 BC (from Culture of Finland)
Image 37Grand Duchy of Finland, 75 kopek assignat (1824) (from History of Finland)
Image 38The part of Finland controlled by the Reds at its largest in February–March 1918 (from History of Finland)
Image 39The ruins of Vammala burned by the Reds, during the Civil war (from History of Finland)
Image 40Stone Age stone axe engraved with human face found from Kiuruvesi. (from History of Finland)
Image 41Finnish folk dancers in a 1907 postcard sent from Mustamäki, Finland (from Culture of Finland)
Image 42A summer cottage (mökki) on a lake island (from Culture of Finland)
Image 43Finland Ostrobothnia regiment uniforms in 1705 (from History of Finland)
Image 44Stone Age dwelling named Kierikki 5000–3000 BC (from History of Finland)
Image 45Ancylus Lake covered major part of Finland (7,500–6,000 BC) (from History of Finland)
Image 46Alvar Aalto, Viipuri Library (1927–35) (from Culture of Finland)
Image 47Women dressed in Finnish folk costumes (from Culture of Finland)
Image 48Helsinki Accords Treaty (from History of Finland)
Image 49(1809 Diet of Porvoo) The sovereign's pledge, printed in Finnish (from History of Finland)
Image 50Finnish Guards' Rifle Battalion, 1850s (from History of Finland)
Image 51Turku Cathedral and its surroundings from 1814 (from History of Finland)
Image 52In 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 53A triptych by Akseli Gallen-Kallela, depicting the Aino Story of Kalevala on three panes (from Culture 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 55Imagery collage of Birger Jarl conquering Häme and the construction of Häme Castle (from History of Finland)
Image 56Three Finnish Romani women in Helsinki, Finland, in 1930s (from Culture of Finland)
Image 57Pieces of the Antrea Net (8,300 BC), the oldest-known fishing net in the world. (from History of Finland)
Image 58S/S Urania in Hanko harbor in 1893, with 509 emigrants on board on their way to America (from History of Finland)
Image 59The 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 60The area controlled by Finland at its largest, in 1942 (from History of Finland)
Image 61Homann'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 62Mikael Agricola hands over the Finnish Translation of the New Testament to King Gustav Wasa. (from History of Finland)
Image 63Marshal of Finland Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim visit in Germany, 1942 (from History of Finland)
Image 642007 Formula One World Champion Kimi Räikkönen celebrating victory at the 2007 Brazilian Grand Prix (from Culture of Finland)
Image 65Janne Ahonen is considered one of the best and most successful currently active ski jumpers. (from Culture of Finland)
Image 66A reconstruction of a 12th-century Perniö costume (from History of Finland)
Image 67A group of Finnish soldiers operating a Bofors gun during the Continuation War in 1943 (from History of Finland)
Image 68A smoke sauna (savusauna) in Enonkoski (from Culture of Finland)
Image 69People gathered in the Senate Square for a demonstration against the February Manifesto in March 1899. (from History of Finland)
Image 70Map of Finnish areas ceded to the Soviet Union in 1944, after the Continuation War (from History of Finland)
Image 71Winter War Monument in Suomussalmi, Kainuu, Finland (from History of Finland)
Image 72In the sauna, by Pekka Halonen, 1925 (from Culture of Finland)
Image 73Jussipaita (transl. Jussi sweater); a traditional sweater from the Finnish region of Southern Ostrobothnia (from Culture of Finland)
Image 74Students on Helsinki's Esplanadi wearing their caps on Vappu (from Culture of Finland)
Image 75Midsummer bonfire (kokko) in Mäntsälä (from Culture of Finland)
Image 76This 1825 map of the Grand Duchy of Finland is from a larger work, geographical atlas of the Russian Empire. (from History of Finland)
Image 77Painting of Lalli killing Henry. Painting by C. A. Ekman. (from History of Finland)
Image 78Kalmar Union in 1400s (from History of Finland)

In the news

22 May 2024 – Russia–NATO relations: The Russian Ministry of Defence proposes to unilaterally adjust Russia's maritime border in the Baltic Sea, prompting comments of concern made by Baltic members of NATO, including Finland and Lithuania. The Ministry of Defense later retracts the proposal. (Reuters) (BBC News)
2 April 2024 – Viertola school shooting: A student is killed and two others are injured in a shooting at a school in Vantaa, Uusimaa, Finland. A 12-year-old student is detained. (AP) (Yle)
1 March 2024 – 2024 Finnish presidential election: Alexander Stubb is sworn in as the 13th President of Finland. (Reuters)
11 February 2024 – 2024 Finnish presidential election: Alexander Stubb is elected President of Finland with 51.6% of the vote.(Yle)
27 January 2024 – Israel–Hamas war: The United Kingdom, United States, Australia, Italy, Canada, Finland, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Germany suspend humanitarian aid to UNRWA over allegations that some UNRWA staff members were involved in the Hamas-led attack on Israel. (BBC News) (CBS News)

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View from the water tower in Hanko, Finland

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Panoramic photo shot from the water tower in Hanko, Finland

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