 Finland is mostly flat and punctuated by huge forests and lakes, but has wide regional variations. The South contains the
least dramatic scenery, but Helsinki, more than compensates, with its brilliant architecture and superb collections of
national history and art. Stretching from the Russian border in the east to the industrial city of Tampere, the vast waters of the
Lake Region provide a natural means of transport for the timber industry - indeed, water here is a more common sight than land. Towns
lie on narrow ridges between lakes, giving even major manufacturing centres green and easily accessible surrounds. North of here,
Finland ranges from the flat western coast of Ostrobothnia to the thickly forested heartland of Kainuu and gradually rising fells
of Lapland, Finland's most alluring terrain and home to the Sami, the semi-nomadic reindeer herders found all over northern
Scandinavia .
Finland is a northern European country of four seasons for the discerning traveler, not a land of mass tourism. Summer
season in Helsinki, winter at the skiing centers in Lapland and few happenings all year round temp enough people to make it a crowd,
otherwise you can enjoy the space and silence in the pure northern nature. During the winter months you can have a skiing holiday or
visit the Santa Claus and take a reindeer tour. Summer offers you a wide variety of activity from trekking to urban holidays, or you
can simply relax at a hidden summer cottage with a sauna near a lake. Besides the mainland with vast forests and thousands of lakes
separated by few agricultural and urban areas, the Baltic Sea with widespread archipelagos offers plenty of possibilities for sailing
and fishing. Helsinki and few other places are worth of visiting throughout the year. Finland has a high standard of living, comparable
to Scandinavian countries, facilities are good and especially the telecommunications are next to none in the world.
With an area of 338,000 square kilometers, Finland is the seventh largest country in Europe, located between Sweden and Russia.
The Gulf of Finland separates southern Finland from Estonia and in the north Norway isolates Finland from the Barents Sea. Boreal forest
cover two-thirds of Finland, one third of the country lies north of the Arctic Circle. Post-glacial lakes are a dominant feature, if
marshes and bogs are also counted water covers about 10% of the country. Most of the country is relatively flat with few hills, the
highest point of Finland, Halti in Lapland, rises 1328m above sea level.
Mainland Scandinavia's most culturally isolated and least understood country, Finland has been independent only since 1917, having
been ruled for hundreds of years by first the Swedes and then the Tsarist Russians. Much of its history involves a struggle for
recognition and survival, and it's not surprising that modern-day Finns have a well-developed sense of their own culture, manifest
in the widely popular Golden Age paintings of Gallen-Kallela and others, the music of Sibelius, the National Romantic style of
architecture, and the deeply ingrained values of rural life.
Finnish flora is rich and varied during the warm period
between late May and September. The most common mammals in the forests include elks, foxes, lynxes, lemmings and hedgehogs, but also
brown bear exists. Reindeer is a very common sight in the northern Finland, Lapland. There are over 300 species of birds including
black grouse, whooper cranes and birds of prey, such as ospreys. With climate, Finland is more favored than most areas in the same
latitudes, like Alaska. The average temperature in Helsinki is -3.1 °C (26.4 °F)
in January and +20.5 °C (68.9 °F) in July. The summer months from July to August are generally warm, the midnight sun does its thing,
but the nights can be chilly, and during the winter you should always take warm clothing with you.
Finnish language is different from the Indo-European languages; it belongs to the Finno-Ugric group of languages together with
Estonian and Hungarian. Language is not much of a problem in Finland, however, because most Finns know some foreign language and many
of them speak several. English is the most widespread foreign language and Swedish has the special status of being the country's second
official language, German, French and Russian are not uncommon at the bigger towns and tourist centers. The five million Finns
themselves may appear reserved at first, but they'll show the friendly face soon after first contact, especially if you show interest
in the local culture like sauna.
There's so much more to learn... Check out our Facts For The Visitor or read up on our reviews of everything about Finland:
 | Helsinki |
| Tampere |
Other Territories |
| | Aland |
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