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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. (Full article...)

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The composer (c. 1915)

The Oceanides (in Finnish: Aallottaret; literal English translation: Nymphs of the Waves or Spirits of the Waves; original working title: Rondeau der Wellen; in English: Rondo of the Waves), Op. 73, is a single-movement tone poem for orchestra written from 1913 to 1914 by the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. The piece, which refers to the nymphs in Greek mythology who inhabited the Mediterranean Sea, premiered on 4 June 1914 at the Norfolk Music Festival in Connecticut with Sibelius conducting. Praised upon its premiere as "the finest evocation of the sea ... ever ... produced in music", the tone poem, in D major, consists of two subjects, said to represent the playful activity of the nymphs and the majesty of the ocean, respectively. Sibelius gradually develops this material over three informal stages: first, a placid ocean; second, a gathering storm; and third, a thunderous wave-crash climax. As the tempest subsides, a final chord sounds, symbolizing the mighty power and limitless expanse of the sea.

Stylistically, many commentators have described The Oceanides as an example of Impressionism. Others have countered that Sibelius's active development of the two subjects, his sparing use of scales favored by Impressionists, and his prioritization of action and structure over ephemeral, atmospheric background distinguish the piece from quintessential examples, such as Debussy's La mer. (Full article...)

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Photo credit: Johannes Jansson/norden.org
Prime Minister of Finland Matti Vanhanen

Did you know (auto-generated)

... 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 Turku remained the largest city in Finland after three quarters of it burned down?
... that Kimmo Leinonen helped establish both the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame and the IIHF Hall of Fame?
... that politician Kalervo Kummola introduced karaoke to Finland?
... that Sodankylä Old Church is one of the oldest preserved wooden churches in Finland?
... 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?

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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 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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This is a Good article, an article that meets a core set of high editorial standards.

Juha Harri "Junnu" Vainio, also known as Juha "Watt" Vainio (10 May 1938 in Kotka, Finland – 29 October 1990, Gryon, Switzerland) was a Finnish lyricist, singer, composer and teacher. With the lyrics or music to over 2,400 songs to his name, Vainio is one of Finland's most prolific lyricists along with Sauvo Puhtila, Reino Helismaa and Vexi Salmi. Vainio enjoyed a short professional career as a teacher at Kymenranta Primary School.

Vainio began writing songs in the early 1960s and continued until his death. Apart from his home town Kotka, he lived for several years in Helsinki and Espoo. In his last years Vainio lived in Gryon, Switzerland, where he died of a heart attack in October 1990. He is buried in the family grave in Helsinki. (Full article...)

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General images

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

Image 1Students on Helsinki's Esplanadi wearing their caps on Vappu (from Culture of Finland)
Image 2President Urho Kekkonen's funeral procession in 1986 (from History of Finland)
Image 3Kastelli Giant's Church in Pattijoki by Pöljä culture [fi] (from History of Finland)
Image 4Linus Torvalds, a famous Fennoswede software engineer, best known for initiating the development of the Linux kernel (from Culture of Finland)
Image 5President K. J. Ståhlberg in his office in 1919 (from History of Finland)
Image 6Battle of Gangut (Hanko) was part of the Great Northern War during 1700–1721. (from History of Finland)
Image 7Alvar Aalto, Viipuri Library (1927–35) (from Culture of Finland)
Image 8In 2011 figure skater Kiira Korpi was ranked 4th in the world. (from Culture of Finland)
Image 9Grand Duchy of Finland, 75 kopek assignat (1824) (from History of Finland)
Image 10Erkki Karu, one of the pioneers of the Finnish cinema, with cinematographer Eino Kari in 1927 (from Culture of Finland)
Image 11Winter War Monument in Suomussalmi, Kainuu, Finland (from History of Finland)
Image 12A smoke sauna (savusauna) in Enonkoski (from Culture of Finland)
Image 13The Finnish composer Jean Sibelius (1865–1957), a significant figure in the history of classical music (from Culture of Finland)
Image 14Captain Aarne Juutilainen at the front at Kollaa during the Winter War (from History of Finland)
Image 15Finland Ostrobothnia regiment uniforms in 1705 (from History of Finland)
Image 16The part of Finland controlled by the Reds at its largest in February–March 1918 (from History of Finland)
Image 17A peasant girl and a woman in traditional dress from Ruokolahti, eastern Finland, as depicted by Severin Falkman in 1882 (from Culture of Finland)
Image 18Pieces of the Antrea Net (8,300 BC), the oldest-known fishing net in the world. (from History of Finland)
Image 19Imagery collage of Birger Jarl conquering Häme and the construction of Häme Castle (from History of Finland)
Image 20Badge of the Finnish White/Civil Guard (from History of Finland)
Image 21Identification document and tag of a Finnish war child (from History of Finland)
Image 22A summer cottage (mökki) on a lake island (from Culture of Finland)
Image 23Midsummer bonfire (kokko) in Mäntsälä (from Culture of Finland)
Image 24Mikael Agricola hands over the Finnish Translation of the New Testament to King Gustav Wasa. (from History of Finland)
Image 25Portrait of Finnish poet Elias Lönnrot who wrote "the Kalevala" (1802 - 1884) (from History of Finland)
Image 26Women dressed in Finnish folk costumes (from Culture of Finland)
Image 27Marshal of Finland Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim visit in Germany, 1942 (from History of Finland)
Image 28Wehrmacht soldiers with a local Sámi reindeer herder, Lappland, Sodankylä, Finland 1942 (from History of Finland)
Image 29A group of Finnish soldiers operating a Bofors gun during the Continuation War in 1943 (from History of Finland)
Image 30Signing 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 31The area of Finland in the years 1920–1940. The 1935 county and municipality division on the map. (from History of Finland)
Image 32The Finno-Soviet Treaty (from History of Finland)
Image 33Paavo Nurmi at the 1920 Summer Olympics (from Culture of Finland)
Image 34Kreeta Haapasalo Playing the Kantele in a Peasant Cottage (1868), by Robert Wilhelm Ekman (from History of Finland)
Image 352007 Formula One World Champion Kimi Räikkönen celebrating victory at the 2007 Brazilian Grand Prix (from Culture of Finland)
Image 36Painting of Lalli killing Henry. Painting by C. A. Ekman. (from History of Finland)
Image 37In 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 38(1809 Diet of Porvoo) The sovereign's pledge, printed in Finnish (from History of Finland)
Image 39People gathered in the Senate Square for a demonstration against the February Manifesto in March 1899. (from History of Finland)
Image 40Janne Ahonen is considered one of the best and most successful currently active ski jumpers. (from Culture of Finland)
Image 41The 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 42Sámi / Laplander family in traditional costumes from Finland. (from Culture of Finland)
Image 43Apocalyptica's Perttu Kivilaakso playing metal music live (from Culture of Finland)
Image 44The 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 45Helsinki Accords Treaty (from History of Finland)
Image 46Prehistoric red ochre painted rock art of moose, human figures, and boats in Astuvansalmi, Finland, from ca. 3800–2200 BC (from Culture of Finland)
Image 47A reconstruction of a 12th-century Perniö costume (from History of Finland)
Image 48This 1825 map of the Grand Duchy of Finland is from a larger work, geographical atlas of the Russian Empire. (from History of Finland)
Image 49The ruins of Vammala burned by the Reds, during the Civil war (from History of Finland)
Image 50Memorial of the Mannerheim Cross Knights of Parikkala, Finland (from History of Finland)
Image 51Kalmar Union in 1400s (from History of Finland)
Image 52An old drawing of the city of Turku in the 18th century (from History of Finland)
Image 53Map of Finnish areas ceded to the Soviet Union in 1944, after the Continuation War (from History 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 55Jean Sibelius at work in his study (from History of Finland)
Image 56S/S Urania in Hanko harbor in 1893, with 509 emigrants on board on their way to America (from History of Finland)
Image 57Battle of Valkeala was part of the Russo-Swedish War (1788–1790). (from History of Finland)
Image 58A view of Pohjoisesplanadi in the center of Helsinki in 1891 (from History of Finland)
Image 59Finnish folk dancers in a 1907 postcard sent from Mustamäki, Finland (from Culture of Finland)
Image 60The 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 61Eero Järnefelt, Burning the Brushwood, 1893 (from History of Finland)
Image 62Finnish Guards' Rifle Battalion, 1850s (from History of Finland)
Image 63Homann'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 64Karjalanpiirakka, a traditional Finnish pastry (from Culture of Finland)
Image 65In the sauna, by Pekka Halonen, 1925 (from Culture of Finland)
Image 66Three Finnish Romani women in Helsinki, Finland, in 1930s (from Culture of Finland)
Image 67Women in sauna with Vihtas
Image 68Lapua 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 69Pekka Halonen's painting "against persecutors" from 1896 depicts the warfare of the ancient Finns. (from History of Finland)
Image 70Ancylus Lake covered major part of Finland (7,500–6,000 BC) (from History of Finland)
Image 71Jussipaita (transl. Jussi sweater); a traditional sweater from the Finnish region of Southern Ostrobothnia (from Culture of Finland)
Image 72Stone Age stone axe engraved with human face found from Kiuruvesi. (from History of Finland)
Image 73Northern Europe in 814 (from History of Finland)
Image 74Turku Cathedral and its surroundings from 1814 (from History of Finland)
Image 75Stone Age dwelling named Kierikki 5000–3000 BC (from History of Finland)
Image 76The area controlled by Finland at its largest, in 1942 (from History of Finland)
Image 77A triptych by Akseli Gallen-Kallela, depicting the Aino Story of Kalevala on three panes (from Culture of Finland)

In the news

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)
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)

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