Interesting Facts About Finland - Fun Facts About Finland

Finland is a European country, situated in the northern part of the continent. Spread over an area of approximately 338,144 sq km (130,558 sq miles), it boasts the distinction of being the seventh largest country in Europe. Whether you are looking for some sightseeing wonder or are thirsty for some action, Finland is just the place for you. The numerous lakes in the country provide you with serene beauty, while its large number of islands presents the opportunities of strolling around in the sand, soaking the rays of the sun. Winter sports, cycling, boating, fishing and hiking options will woo the adventure lovers too. In short, it is just the place to spend your holidays - looking around, playing & relaxing! Finland is known to have the best educational system in Europe. It is has also been rated as one of the most peaceful countries of the world. Finland also ranks high in terms of the quality of living and in the human development index.

Image: By Photograph by Mikko Paananen Modified by -Majestic- and Ilmari Karonen (Self-published work by Mikko Paananen) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC-BY-SA-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Fast Facts

Continent: Europe

Area: 338,424 km²

Capital: Helsinki

Population: 5,421,827

Official Languages: Finnish & Swedish

Independence Day: 6 December 1917

Calling Code: 358

Type Of Government: Parliamentary r epublic

Fun & Interesting Facts about Finland

Finland is situated in northern Europe and shares its borders with Sweden, Norway and Russia.
Finland is a constitutional republic and became a member of the European Union in the year 1995.
The capital of Finland is Helsinki. A quarter of the country’s total area lies north of the Arctic Circle.
Forest covers about 75 per cent of Finland and water bodies, around 188,000 lakes, make about 10 percent of the country.
The principal archipelago and the self-governing province of the Åland Islands lie off the south-west coast, while the main lake district of Finland is in the east.
Finland is the seventh largest country in Europe, in terms of area, but has a very low population density.
Finland has two official languages, Finnish and Swedish. However, majority of the people in the country have Finnish as their native language.
The majority of people in Finland belong to the Evangelical Lutheran Church and a fraction of them follow Finnish Orthodoxy.
Initially a part of Sweden, Finland became an autonomous Grand Duchy within the Russian Empire, in 1809. The country declared independence from Russia in 1917 and became a republic in 1919.
Finland joined the United Nations in 1955 and the Nordic Council in 1956.
There are as many as 180,000 islands in Finland.
The Finnish currency is euro (EUR), divided into 100 cents (sentti).
Finland is the home of the Santa Claus. He also has an office in the North of Finland, on the Arctic Circle.
Finland was one of the last regions in Europe to adopt Christianity.
According to the World Audit study of 2006, Finland is the least corrupt and most democratic country in the world.
Finland ranked 1st at the World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report Index Ranking in 2006 and 2nd in terms of Growth Competitiveness Index.
Nokia Corporation, a Finnish company, is amongst the largest mobile manufacturers of the world.
Finland is the only country in the world, which broadcasts news in Latin.
Halti, 1,327 m high Artic hill in Northern Finland, forms the highest point in the country.
There are 1.8 million saunas in Finland, of which approximately 500 are traditional smoke saunas.
The famous wife-carrying competition originated in Finland.
Finland was the first country to enforce the right to vote act to all the adult citizens, including women.
According to the UN, Finland is the second most stable country in the world.
Karaoke in Finland is very popular. One can find karaoke bars almost everywhere in this country.
In Finland children do not go to school until they are seven.
Known as a land of thousand lakes, Finland is home to more than 180,000 lakes.
Finland is also called the land of midnight sun, because in the months of June and July the sun shines all day and all night.
Surprisingly, there are no public payphones in Finland! More than 5 million mobile phones are used by a population of 5.4 million.
Keeping the headlights on all the time while driving, is a law here.

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