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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A sod roof, or turf roof, is a traditional Scandinavian type of green roof covered with sod on top of several layers of birch bark on gently sloping wooden roof boards. Until the late 19th century, it was the most common roof on rural log houses in Norway and large parts of the rest of Scandinavia. Its distribution roughly corresponds to the distribution of the log building technique in the vernacular architecture of Finland and the Scandinavian peninsula. The load of approximately 250 kg per m² of a sod roof is an advantage because it helps to compress the logs and make the walls more draught-proof. In winter the total load may well increase to 400 or 500 kg per m² because of snow. Sod is also a reasonably efficient insulator in a cold climate. The birch bark underneath ensures that the roof will be waterproof.

The term ‘sod roof’ is somewhat misleading, as the active, water-tight element of the roof is birch bark. The main purpose of the sod is to hold the birch bark in place. The roof might just as well have been called a "birch bark roof", but its grassy outward appearance is the reason for its name in Scandinavian languages: Norwegian and Swedish torvtak, Danish tørvetag, Icelandic torfþak. (Full article...)

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Photo credit: Petteri Sulonen
The VR warehouses in Helsinki on fire on May 5th 2006.

Did you know (auto-generated)

... that Sodankylä Old Church is one of the oldest preserved wooden churches in Finland?
... that a song about an esports team went viral in Finland?
... that Turku remained the largest city in Finland after three quarters of it burned down?
... that Finnish linguist Eeva Leinonen was one of four women to be inaugurated as heads of Irish universities in 2021, the others being Maggie Cusack, Linda Doyle and Kerstin Mey?
... that the 1972 Finnish film The Sheep Eaters gathered more than a million viewers opposite the 1975 Ice Hockey World Championships match between Finland and the Soviet Union?
... 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.

More did you know - show different entries

...that the career of Tiia Piili, four-time FISAF World Champion in sport aerobics, was threatened when she got food poisoning attending a competition in Morocco?
...that Erkki Karu founded both Suomi-Filmi and Suomen Filmiteollisuus, the two largest film production companies during the 'Golden Age' of Finnish cinema?
...that "Blooddrunk", a track by Finnish band Children of Bodom about self-destructive behaviour, debuted at number one in Finland?
...that Taisto Mäki, one of the so-called Flying Finns, was the first man to run 10,000 metres in under half an hour?
...that when called by the opposition to quit after the Kauhajoki school shooting, Finnish politician Anne Holmlund refused and compared resigning her post as Interior Minister to "desertion"?

... that the asteroid 1536 Pielinen is named after Pielinen Lake (pictured) in Finland?

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A column from Panzerabteilung 40 during the advance on the Murmansk railway, 1941.

Operation Arctic Fox (German: Unternehmen Polarfuchs; Finnish: operaatio Napakettu; Russian: Кандалакшская операция)^[a] was the codename given to a World War II campaign by German and Finnish forces against Soviet Northern Front defenses at Salla, Finland in July 1941. The operation was part of the larger Operation Silver Fox (Silberfuchs; Hopeakettu) which aimed to capture the vital port of Murmansk. Arctic Fox was conducted in parallel to Operation Platinum Fox (Platinfuchs; Platinakettu) in the far north of Lappland. The principal goal of Operation Arctic Fox was to capture the town of Salla and then to advance in the direction of Kandalaksha (Finnish: Kantalahti) to block the railway route to Murmansk.

As a joint operation by German and Finnish forces, it combined experienced Finnish arctic troops with relatively unsuitable German forces from Norway. They managed to capture Salla after fierce fighting, but the German troops were unable to overcome the old, pre-war Soviet border fortifications further east. The Finnish units were able to make better progress, and came to within 30 km (19 mi) of the Murmansk railway. Strong Soviet reinforcements prevented any further advance. Because of the escalating situation further south in Central Russia, the Germans were unwilling to assign more units to this theatre, calling an end to their offensive. With the Finns unwilling to continue the attack on their own, Arctic Fox ended in November 1941, when both sides dug in at their current positions. (Full article...)

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General images

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

Image 1Paavo Nurmi at the 1920 Summer Olympics (from Culture of Finland)
Image 2The 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 3The area controlled by Finland at its largest, in 1942 (from History of Finland)
Image 4A smoke sauna (savusauna) in Enonkoski (from Culture of Finland)
Image 5Wehrmacht soldiers with a local Sámi reindeer herder, Lappland, Sodankylä, Finland 1942 (from History of Finland)
Image 6Jussipaita (transl. Jussi sweater); a traditional sweater from the Finnish region of Southern Ostrobothnia (from Culture of Finland)
Image 7The ruins of Vammala burned by the Reds, during the Civil war (from History of Finland)
Image 8(1809 Diet of Porvoo) The sovereign's pledge, printed in Finnish (from History of Finland)
Image 9This 1825 map of the Grand Duchy of Finland is from a larger work, geographical atlas of the Russian Empire. (from History of Finland)
Image 10Women in sauna with Vihtas
Image 11The 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 12Memorial of the Mannerheim Cross Knights of Parikkala, Finland (from History of Finland)
Image 13People gathered in the Senate Square for a demonstration against the February Manifesto in March 1899. (from History of Finland)
Image 14Grand Duchy of Finland, 75 kopek assignat (1824) (from History of Finland)
Image 15Stone Age dwelling named Kierikki 5000–3000 BC (from History of Finland)
Image 16Jean Sibelius at work in his study (from History of Finland)
Image 17Pekka Halonen's painting "against persecutors" from 1896 depicts the warfare of the ancient Finns. (from History of Finland)
Image 18The 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 19Finnish Guards' Rifle Battalion, 1850s (from History of Finland)
Image 20Janne Ahonen is considered one of the best and most successful currently active ski jumpers. (from Culture of Finland)
Image 21Winter War Monument in Suomussalmi, Kainuu, Finland (from History of Finland)
Image 22Students on Helsinki's Esplanadi wearing their caps on Vappu (from Culture of Finland)
Image 23Turku Cathedral and its surroundings from 1814 (from History of Finland)
Image 24Uspenski Cathedral in Helsinki (from Culture of Finland)
Image 25In 2011 figure skater Kiira Korpi was ranked 4th in the world. (from Culture of Finland)
Image 26A summer cottage (mökki) on a lake island (from Culture of Finland)
Image 27A group of Finnish soldiers operating a Bofors gun during the Continuation War in 1943 (from History of Finland)
Image 28The Finno-Soviet Treaty (from History of Finland)
Image 29Northern Europe in 814 (from History of Finland)
Image 30Homann'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 31Women dressed in Finnish folk costumes (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 33Karjalanpiirakka, a traditional Finnish pastry (from Culture of Finland)
Image 34Ancylus Lake covered major part of Finland (7,500–6,000 BC) (from History of Finland)
Image 35An old drawing of the city of Turku in the 18th century (from History of Finland)
Image 36Eero Järnefelt, Burning the Brushwood, 1893 (from History of Finland)
Image 37A triptych by Akseli Gallen-Kallela, depicting the Aino Story of Kalevala on three panes (from Culture of Finland)
Image 38Captain Aarne Juutilainen at the front at Kollaa during the Winter War (from History of Finland)
Image 39Helsinki Accords Treaty (from History of Finland)
Image 40Lapua 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 41Erkki Karu, one of the pioneers of the Finnish cinema, with cinematographer Eino Kari in 1927 (from Culture of Finland)
Image 42A view of Pohjoisesplanadi in the center of Helsinki in 1891 (from History of Finland)
Image 43Imagery collage of Birger Jarl conquering Häme and the construction of Häme Castle (from History of Finland)
Image 44S/S Urania in Hanko harbor in 1893, with 509 emigrants on board on their way to America (from History of Finland)
Image 45A reconstruction of a 12th-century Perniö costume (from History of Finland)
Image 46Signing 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 47Battle of Valkeala was part of the Russo-Swedish War (1788–1790). (from History of Finland)
Image 48Finland Ostrobothnia regiment uniforms in 1705 (from History of Finland)
Image 49President K. J. Ståhlberg in his office in 1919 (from History of Finland)
Image 50In the sauna, by Pekka Halonen, 1925 (from Culture of Finland)
Image 51Sámi / Laplander family in traditional costumes from Finland. (from Culture of Finland)
Image 52A peasant girl and a woman in traditional dress from Ruokolahti, eastern Finland, as depicted by Severin Falkman in 1882 (from Culture of Finland)
Image 53Map of Finnish areas ceded to the Soviet Union in 1944, after the Continuation War (from History of Finland)
Image 54Apocalyptica's Perttu Kivilaakso playing metal music live (from Culture of Finland)
Image 55Kastelli Giant's Church in Pattijoki by Pöljä culture [fi] (from History of Finland)
Image 56Kreeta Haapasalo Playing the Kantele in a Peasant Cottage (1868), by Robert Wilhelm Ekman (from History of Finland)
Image 57President Urho Kekkonen's funeral procession in 1986 (from History of Finland)
Image 582007 Formula One World Champion Kimi Räikkönen celebrating victory at the 2007 Brazilian Grand Prix (from Culture of Finland)
Image 59Battle of Gangut (Hanko) was part of the Great Northern War during 1700–1721. (from History of Finland)
Image 60The Finnish composer Jean Sibelius (1865–1957), a significant figure in the history of classical music (from Culture of Finland)
Image 61Pieces of the Antrea Net (8,300 BC), the oldest-known fishing net in the world. (from History of Finland)
Image 62Badge of the Finnish White/Civil Guard (from History of Finland)
Image 63Midsummer bonfire (kokko) in Mäntsälä (from Culture of Finland)
Image 64Finnish folk dancers in a 1907 postcard sent from Mustamäki, Finland (from Culture of Finland)
Image 65Alvar Aalto, Viipuri Library (1927–35) (from Culture of Finland)
Image 66Three Finnish Romani women in Helsinki, Finland, in 1930s (from Culture of Finland)
Image 67Kalmar Union in 1400s (from History of Finland)
Image 68Prehistoric red ochre painted rock art of moose, human figures, and boats in Astuvansalmi, Finland, from ca. 3800–2200 BC (from Culture of Finland)
Image 69Identification document and tag of a Finnish war child (from History of Finland)
Image 70The area of Finland in the years 1920–1940. The 1935 county and municipality division on the map. (from History of Finland)
Image 71Stone Age stone axe engraved with human face found from Kiuruvesi. (from History of Finland)
Image 72Linus Torvalds, a famous Fennoswede software engineer, best known for initiating the development of the Linux kernel (from Culture of Finland)
Image 73Marshal of Finland Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim visit in Germany, 1942 (from History of Finland)
Image 74Painting of Lalli killing Henry. Painting by C. A. Ekman. (from History of Finland)
Image 75In 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 76Mikael Agricola hands over the Finnish Translation of the New Testament to King Gustav Wasa. (from History of Finland)

In the news

9 June 2024 – 2024 European Parliament election: The last day of the European elections is taking place with votes in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. (AP)
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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Panorama of Lake Pielinen from a hill in Koli National Park, Finland

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Albert Edelfelt - Louis Pasteur - 1885
Anefo 932-2378 Keke Rosberg, Zandvoort, 03-07-1982 - Restoration
FIN-A36b-Finlands Bank-20 Markkaa (1862)
Hankopan
Helsinki July 2013-14
Helsinki July 2013-27a
Kaleva Church 4
Kolmen valtakunnan rajapyykki 27.4.1945
Lutheran Cathedral Helsinki edit
Makasiinit tulessa
Neste Oil Rally 2010 - Jari-Matti Latvala in shakedown
Nils Torvalds MEP, Strasbourg - Diliff
Peugeot 206 WRC
Rally Finland 2010 - shakedown - Nasser Al-Attiyah 1
Scandinavia.TMO2003050
Silja Serenade in Stockholm
VR Sr1 3015 Kuopio Drawbridge
Vexi Salmi

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