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. Finnish and Swedish are the official languages, with Swedish being the native language of 5.2% of the population. 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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Finnic languages at the beginning of the 20th century

The Baltic Finnic peoples, often simply referred to as the Finnic peoples, are the peoples inhabiting the Baltic Sea region in Northern and Eastern Europe who speak Finnic languages. They include the Finns, Estonians (including Võros and Setos), Karelians (including Ludes and Livvi), Veps, Izhorians, Votes, and Livonians. In some cases the Kvens, Ingrians, Tornedalians and speakers of Meänkieli are considered separate from the Finns.

The bulk of the Finnic peoples (more than 98%) are ethnic Finns and Estonians, who reside in the two independent Finnic nation states—Finland and Estonia. (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 Orvokki Kangas authored six books, including a novel, memoirs, and religious devotionals, after she left the Finnish parliament at the age of 61?
... that Finnish politician Margit Eskman did not attend secondary school because she had to work in a shoe factory?
... that Theodolinda Hahnsson is the first known Finnish-language female author?
... that Sinikka Luja-Penttilä published a novel in the same year that she retired from the Finnish parliament?
... that the United States severed diplomatic ties with Finland in 1944 because of a personal letter sent to Hitler?
... 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?

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

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

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 1Karjalanpiirakka, a traditional Finnish pastry (from Culture of Finland)
Image 2Eero Järnefelt, Burning the Brushwood, 1893 (from History of Finland)
Image 3Stone Age dwelling named Kierikki 5000–3000 BC (from History of Finland)
Image 4Badge of the Finnish White/Civil Guard (from History of Finland)
Image 5A summer cottage (mökki) on a lake island (from Culture of Finland)
Image 6Erkki Karu, one of the pioneers of the Finnish cinema, with cinematographer Eino Kari in 1927 (from Culture of Finland)
Image 7Alvar Aalto, Viipuri Library (1927–35) (from Culture of Finland)
Image 8Kastelli Giant's Church in Pattijoki by Pöljä culture [fi] (from History of Finland)
Image 9A view of Pohjoisesplanadi in the center of Helsinki in 1891 (from History of Finland)
Image 102007 Formula One World Champion Kimi Räikkönen celebrating victory at the 2007 Brazilian Grand Prix (from Culture of Finland)
Image 11People gathered in the Senate Square for a demonstration against the February Manifesto in March 1899. (from History of Finland)
Image 12Memorial of the Mannerheim Cross Knights of Parikkala, Finland (from History of Finland)
Image 13Battle of Valkeala was part of the Russo-Swedish War (1788–1790). (from History of Finland)
Image 14Pieces of the Antrea Net (8,300 BC), the oldest-known fishing net in the world. (from History of Finland)
Image 15Uspenski Cathedral in Helsinki (from Culture of Finland)
Image 16A reconstruction of a 12th-century Perniö costume (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 18In 2011 figure skater Kiira Korpi was ranked 4th in the world. (from Culture of Finland)
Image 19Battle of Gangut (Hanko) was part of the Great Northern War during 1700–1721. (from History of Finland)
Image 20Imagery collage of Birger Jarl conquering Häme and the construction of Häme Castle (from History of Finland)
Image 21Jean Sibelius at work in his study (from History of Finland)
Image 22The 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 23Janne Ahonen is considered one of the best and most successful currently active ski jumpers. (from Culture of Finland)
Image 24Winter War Monument in Suomussalmi, Kainuu, Finland (from History of Finland)
Image 25Midsummer bonfire (kokko) in Mäntsälä (from Culture of Finland)
Image 26Helsinki Accords Treaty (from History of Finland)
Image 27Turku Cathedral and its surroundings from 1814 (from History of Finland)
Image 28Prehistoric red ochre painted rock art of moose, human figures, and boats in Astuvansalmi, Finland, from ca. 3800–2200 BC (from Culture of Finland)
Image 29Homann'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 30Wehrmacht soldiers with a local Sámi reindeer herder, Lappland, Sodankylä, Finland 1942 (from History of Finland)
Image 31(1809 Diet of Porvoo) The sovereign's pledge, printed in Finnish (from History of Finland)
Image 32A triptych by Akseli Gallen-Kallela, depicting the Aino Story of Kalevala on three panes (from Culture of Finland)
Image 33Three Finnish Romani women in Helsinki, Finland, in 1930s (from Culture of Finland)
Image 34The area controlled by Finland at its largest, in 1942 (from History of Finland)
Image 35Signing 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 36S/S Urania in Hanko harbor in 1893, with 509 emigrants on board on their way to America (from History of Finland)
Image 37Painting of Lalli killing Henry. Painting by C. A. Ekman. (from History of Finland)
Image 38This 1825 map of the Grand Duchy of Finland is from a larger work, geographical atlas of the Russian Empire. (from History of Finland)
Image 39The Finnish composer Jean Sibelius (1865–1957), a significant figure in the history of classical music (from Culture of Finland)
Image 40Women in sauna with Vihtas
Image 41The 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 42Captain Aarne Juutilainen at the front at Kollaa during the Winter War (from History of Finland)
Image 43Students on Helsinki's Esplanadi wearing their caps on Vappu (from Culture of Finland)
Image 44Kalmar Union in 1400s (from History of Finland)
Image 45The 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 46Grand Duchy of Finland, 75 kopek assignat (1824) (from History of Finland)
Image 47Mikael Agricola hands over the Finnish Translation of the New Testament to King Gustav Wasa. (from History of Finland)
Image 48Ancylus Lake covered major part of Finland (7,500–6,000 BC) (from History of Finland)
Image 49Linus Torvalds, a famous Fennoswede software engineer, best known for initiating the development of the Linux kernel (from Culture of Finland)
Image 50Stone Age stone axe engraved with human face found from Kiuruvesi. (from History of Finland)
Image 51Identification document and tag of a Finnish war child (from History of Finland)
Image 52An old drawing of the city of Turku in the 18th century (from History of Finland)
Image 53Finland Ostrobothnia regiment uniforms in 1705 (from History of Finland)
Image 54Kreeta Haapasalo Playing the Kantele in a Peasant Cottage (1868), by Robert Wilhelm Ekman (from History of Finland)
Image 55A group of Finnish soldiers operating a Bofors gun during the Continuation War in 1943 (from History of Finland)
Image 56The Finno-Soviet Treaty (from History of Finland)
Image 57The area of Finland in the years 1920–1940. The 1935 county and municipality division on the map. (from History of Finland)
Image 58Finnish Guards' Rifle Battalion, 1850s (from History of Finland)
Image 59President K. J. Ståhlberg in his office in 1919 (from History of Finland)
Image 60President Urho Kekkonen's funeral procession in 1986 (from History of Finland)
Image 61In the sauna, by Pekka Halonen, 1925 (from Culture of Finland)
Image 62Jussipaita (transl. Jussi sweater); a traditional sweater from the Finnish region of Southern Ostrobothnia (from Culture of Finland)
Image 63Pekka Halonen's painting "against persecutors" from 1896 depicts the warfare of the ancient Finns. (from History of Finland)
Image 64Finnish folk dancers in a 1907 postcard sent from Mustamäki, Finland (from Culture of Finland)
Image 65The ruins of Vammala burned by the Reds, during the Civil war (from History of Finland)
Image 66Map of Finnish areas ceded to the Soviet Union in 1944, after the Continuation War (from History of Finland)
Image 67Paavo Nurmi at the 1920 Summer Olympics (from Culture of Finland)
Image 68In 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 69Marshal of Finland Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim visit in Germany, 1942 (from History of Finland)
Image 70Apocalyptica's Perttu Kivilaakso playing metal music live (from Culture of Finland)
Image 71Sámi / Laplander family in traditional costumes from Finland. (from Culture of Finland)
Image 72The part of Finland controlled by the Reds at its largest in February–March 1918 (from History of Finland)
Image 73Northern Europe in 814 (from History of Finland)
Image 74Women dressed in Finnish folk costumes (from Culture of Finland)
Image 75A smoke sauna (savusauna) in Enonkoski (from Culture of Finland)

In the 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)
14 December 2023 – Finland–United States relations: Finland announces the creation of a defense cooperation agreement with the United States. The agreement will grant Finland access to American military resources for use in defensive operations, while the US will gain military access to Finland in the event of conflict. (Reuters)
29 November 2023 – Finland–Poland relations, Finland–Russia relations: National Security Bureau chief Jacek Siewiera announces that Poland will send "a team of military advisors" to the Finland–Russia border in response to an official request for allied support. Finland says it was unaware of the Polish offer. Russia warns against the move, viewing the concentration of troops on the border as a threat. (Reuters)

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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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Albert Edelfelt - Louis Pasteur - 1885
Anefo 932-2378 Keke Rosberg, Zandvoort, 03-07-1982 - Restoration
Eero-Saarinen (cropped)
FIN-A36b-Finlands Bank-20 Markkaa (1862)
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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
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Rally Finland 2010 - shakedown - Nasser Al-Attiyah 1
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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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