Finland. Finland or Suomi. What do Finns call their country?

Finland is a small northern country with a unique flavor. The birthplace of Santa Claus, the land of a thousand lakes - such associations arise at the mention of Finland. As well as a sauna, fishing, and special Finnish humor.

However, few people know that "Finland" is not a Finnish word at all. What do Finns call their country if not Finland? Suomi is the name of the state. Let's figure out where it came from.

A bit of history. State formation

For almost seven centuries Finland was ruled by Sweden. All this time, the Russian Empire fought for the Finnish lands. Only at the beginning of the 19th century, Finland was ceded to Russia, and gained independence in 1917. Nevertheless (or maybe that's why), the Finns are very sensitive to the issue of self-determination and national identity. Reverently, but patiently, accepting the fact of a multilingual and multinational society. Swedish has the status of a second state language, and Russian, although not officially recognized, is studied in many schools and is used in Everyday life. Pointers, price tags in shops, announcements in Russian are the norm, especially in border areas.

Why Suomi?

The way Finns call their country has several interpretations. According to one version, the name comes from the word "suomaa" - swamp, swampy land. On the other - from the word "suomu" - fish scales.

In modern Russian there is also a consonant word "Saami", the name of a small people living in Lapland, as well as in the northern part of Norway. The Saami are a nomadic tribe of reindeer herders who have retained their language (in Norway it is the second state language), traditions and customs.

If you dig deeper, the root of the word "suomi" echoes the Baltic "zeme", which simply means "land".

Finland vs Suomi. What do Finns think?

There is no clear explanation of where the word Finland comes from. Historians agree only that it is rooted in the days of Swedish rule. The Scandinavian word "finnland" literally means "beautiful land". This is how the Swedes called part of the territory of modern southwestern Finland back in the 12th century.

The Finns themselves, with their characteristic equanimity, accept both names. Loving your country is a national trait. Moreover, this love is deep, not subject to a sense of false patriotism. What is the Finnish country? Homeland for Finns is thousands of lakes, endless forests, northern lights and self-esteem. What word it is called outside the country is a secondary thing.

The national idea is not a political system or territorial integrity. For Finns, this is, first of all, silence, peace and respect for nature.

Republic of Finland, state on the WITH. Europe. Fin. country name Suomi (Suomi) - "land of swamps" (from suo "swamp", maa "Earth") . Swede, name Finland - "country of hunters" (from fin dr. scand. "hunter", land Swede, "land, country") . This name is used in all foreign countries, including Russia, where traditional the form .

Geographical names of the world: Toponymic dictionary. - M: AST. Pospelov E.M. 2001 .

Finland

(Finnish Suomi, Swedish Finland), Republic of Finland , state in the North. Europe. Washed with Yu. Finnish, and with Z. Botanical Hall. the Baltic Sea; F. belong Aland Islands. Pl. 338.1 thousand km²; capital - Helsinki . The head of state is the president, elected for 6 years, the legislature is a unicameral parliament. Located within Fennoscandia. The shores are low, indented in the west, and there are many islands - skerries. The hilly-morainic plain prevails (the Suomenselkä and Salpausselka ) with rock outcrops smoothed by an ancient glacier - the so-called. "lamb foreheads" and "curly rocks". In the east and north, there are low mountains and elevated ridges 300–400 m high. In the extreme northwest. - spur Scandinavian mountains with the highest point of Halti (1328 m).
The climate is temperate, transition from maritime to continental. Avg. temperatures in July from 17 °С in the south to 14 °С in the north, in January, respectively, from -3 to -14 °С. Precipitation varies from 400 mm per year in the north to 700 mm in the southwest. In winter, there is a stable snow cover everywhere. A dense network of short and full-flowing rivers with numerous rapids and waterfalls is characteristic (for example, Imatra on the river Vuoksa ). OK. 60 thousand lakes occupy 8% of the country's territory. They are shallow (average depth 7 m), often elongated from the northwest. to SE. (in the direction of movement of ancient glaciers), are interconnected by channels and form large water systems - saima , Päijanne , Inari and others. B.ch. territory (76%) is covered with forests, in the main. taiga (pine, spruce, birch); only in the south and southwest. countries there are mixed forests with an admixture of linden, ash, oak, maple. Up to 1/3 sq. swampy, in the extreme north of the country there is a forest-tundra with low-growing birches and willows. There are many fish in the rivers and lakes. The largest nat. parks: Lemmenjoki, Pallas-Ounastunturi, Urho Kekkonen, Oulanka; many nature reserves: Sompio, Kevo, Maltio, etc.
In the middle of the first millennium A.D. e. to the Centre. F. lived a tribe em (hyame), and in the southwest. countries - sum (suomi). By the 9th century Finnish tribes reached the lake. Saima. In the middle of the XII century. The conquest of Finland by Swedish feudal lords begins: as a result of three crusades in 1157, 1249, and 1293. the Swedes took over the entire South. F. to the Karelian Isthmus. Defeated in Sev. war, Sweden ceded to Russia in 1721 southwest. Karelia and Vyborg, and in 1743 - and the southeast. F. After Russian-Swedish war 1808–09 the rest of the territory of F. was annexed to Russia. The provisional government of Russia in March 1917 restored the autonomy of F., and on December 6 (national holiday), 1917, the Seim adopted a declaration declaring independence. A month later, a revolution took place in F. and a civil war began, suppressed with the help of German troops, which tried to establish a monarchy in F.. However, in 1919 a republic was proclaimed in the country, and in 1920 F. signed a peace treaty with the RSFSR. On November 30, 1939, the Soviet-Finnish war began, which ended in March 1940 with the defeat of F., as a result of which the lands of the Karelian Isthmus and the southwest. h. Karelia were included in the USSR.
Population 5.2 million people (2001), 93% Finns, 6% Swedes; in addition, several thousand Saami live in the extreme north. Official languages ​​are Finnish and Swedish. Among believers, more than 87% are Lutherans. 62% of citizens, large cities: Helsinki , Espoo , Tampere , Turku .
Yellow is obtained. ore, copper pyrite, zinc, chromium. Ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy; machine; cell-boom and woodworking. (lumber, pulp, paper and cardboard, plywood, furniture); chem., text., sewing, food. prom. All L. x-ve is dominated by mol.-meat livestock, crops of fodder grasses and cereals: oats, barley, to a lesser extent wheat and rye. South hours of the country has a good network of road and rail. roads, ships on lakes and the Saimaa Canal. Developed maritime trade. fleet. Main ports: Helsinki, Turku, Kotka. Cash unit - Euro.

Dictionary of modern geographical names. - Yekaterinburg: U-Factoria. Under the general editorship of Acad. V. M. Kotlyakova. 2006 .

The Republic of Finland, a state in northern Europe. Its northern part is located beyond the Arctic Circle. In the west, Finland borders on Sweden, in the north - on Norway, in the east - on Russia. The country's maritime borders run along the Gulf of Finland in the south and Bothnia in the west. The area of ​​the country is 338,145 sq. km. Population 5.1 million (1998). The greatest length of the country from north to south is 1160 km, the maximum width is 540 km. total length coastline 1070 km. Off the coast of Finland are approx. 180 thousand small islands.
Finland is a country of vast forests and numerous lakes, ultra-modern buildings and ancient castles. Forests are its main wealth, they are called the "green gold of Finland". Finland is famous for its achievements in architecture and industrial design. Being one of the youngest countries in Europe, Finland has nevertheless accumulated rich cultural traditions.
Finland is often referred to as a group of Scandinavian countries with which it maintains close ties. After 700 years of Swedish domination, it went to Russia in 1809, having received the status of the Grand Duchy of Finland. In December 1917 Finland declared independence. From the end of World War II until 1991, it was connected with the USSR by strong economic ties. After the collapse of the USSR in 1991, Finland reoriented itself towards establishing closer ties with Western Europe. Finland has been a member of the European Union since 1995.
NATURE
Terrain relief. Finland is a hilly and flat country. Absolute heights usually do not exceed 300 m. The highest point in the country, Mount Haltia (1328 m), is located in the extreme northwest, on the border with Norway. Geologically, Finland is located within the Baltic Crystalline Shield. During the ice age, it was subjected to a cover glaciation. Glaciers have flattened the hills and filled most of the basins with their deposits. Under the weight of the ice, the territory sagged, and after the degradation of glaciation, the Yoldian Sea, the predecessor of the modern Baltic, was formed. Despite the rise of land, many basins are still occupied by lakes and marshes. Hence the name of the country Suomi (suo - "swamp"). From the heritage of the ice age, chains of eskers are clearly distinguished - narrow elongated ridges composed of water-glacial sands and pebbles. They were used to build roads through the swampy lowlands that occupied most of the country. Ridges of glacial deposits (moraines) block many valleys and impound rivers, contributing to the dissociation of the flow and the formation of many rapids and waterfalls. Finland has significant reserves of water energy.
Climate. As the whole country lies north of 60°N, the days are long and cool in summer and short and cold in winter. In the summer in southern Finland, the day length is 19 hours, and in the far north the sun does not set beyond the horizon for 73 days, which is why Finland is called the “land of the midnight sun”. Average July temperatures are 17–18°C in the south and 14–15°C in the north. The average temperatures of the coldest month, February, are -13-14°C in the north and from -8°C to -4°C in the south. Proximity to the sea has a moderate effect on temperatures. Frosts occur at any time of the year, even in the south of the country. The average annual rainfall is 450 mm in the north and 700 mm in the south.
Water resources. Finland has approx. 190 thousand lakes occupying 9% of its area. The most famous lake Saimaa in the southeast, which is important for timber rafting and transportation of goods in inland areas that are not provided with railways and roads. Lakes Päijänne in the south, Näsijärvi in ​​the southwest and Oulujärvi in ​​central Finland, along with rivers, also play an important role in water communication. Numerous small canals connect the country's rivers and lakes, sometimes bypassing waterfalls. The most important is the Saimaa Canal, which connects Lake Saimaa with the Gulf of Finland near Vyborg (part of the canal passes through the territory of the Leningrad Region).
Flora and fauna. Almost 2/3 of the territory of Finland is covered with forests, which supply valuable raw materials for the timber and pulp and paper industries. North and south taiga forests grow in the country, and mixed coniferous-broad-leaved forests grow in the extreme southwest. Maple, elm, ash and hazel penetrate to 62°N, apple trees occur at 64°N. Coniferous species are distributed up to 68 ° N.L. To the north, forest-tundra and tundra stretch.
A third of the territory of Finland is occupied by swamps (including swamp forests). Peat is widely used as bedding for livestock and much less frequently for fuel. In a number of areas, reclamation of swamps has been carried out.
The fauna of Finland is very poor. Usually elk, squirrel, hare, fox, otter live in the forests, less often - muskrat. Bear, wolf and lynx are found only in the eastern regions of the country. The world of birds is diverse (up to 250 species, including black grouse, capercaillie, hazel grouse, partridge). Salmon, trout, whitefish, perch, zander, pike, vendace are found in rivers and lakes, and herring in the Baltic Sea.
POPULATION
Ethnic composition and language. There are two different peoples living in Finland - Finns and Swedes. Their languages ​​- Finnish and Swedish - are officially recognized as state languages. The main part of the population is made up of Finns - a people of Finno-Ugric origin. In 1997, only 5.8% of the country's population considered Swedish as their mother tongue (versus 6.3% in 1980). The Swedish-speaking population is mainly concentrated in the coastal areas in the west and south of the country and on the Åland Islands. The national minorities include the Saami (about 1.7 thousand people) living in Lapland. Some of them still lead a nomadic lifestyle in areas located north of the Arctic Circle.
Religion. The Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church has the status of a state religion. Almost 87% of the country's inhabitants belong to it. In 1993, adherents of other faiths made up only 2% of the population, among them about half, including many Saami, were Orthodox. The Orthodox Church is also recognized as a state church and receives subsidies. There are small communities of Jehovah's Witnesses, the Finnish Free Church and Seventh-day Adventists in the country. 10% of the population find it difficult to indicate their religious affiliation.
The number and distribution of the population. In July 2004, 5,214 thousand people lived in Finland. Since the mid-1960s, population growth has been very slow due to low birth rates and significant emigration of Finnish workers (mainly to Sweden). In the post-war years, the birth rate continuously decreased until 12.2 per 1 thousand people in 1973, then it slightly increased and in 1990 reached 13.1 per 1 thousand people, but in 2004 fell again to 10.56. Mortality in the post-war period ranged from 9 to 10 per 1,000 people, in 2004 it was 9.69 per 1,000 people. From 1970 to 1980, population growth averaged 0.4% per year, and in 2004 - 0.18%, as immigration increased slightly, and emigration remained at the same level. The average life expectancy in Finland for men is 78.24 years, and for women - 81.89.
The population is mainly concentrated in the coastal and southern regions of Finland. The coast of the Gulf of Finland, the southwestern coast near Turku and some areas located immediately north and east of Helsinki - around Tampere, Hämeenlinna, Lahti and other cities that are connected by canals and rivers with the coast are distinguished by the highest population density. The latest changes in the distribution of the population are closely connected with the industrial development of the hinterland. Many central regions and almost the entire North remain sparsely populated.
Cities. In most cities in Finland, the population does not exceed 70 thousand people. The exceptions are the capital city of Helsinki (539.4 thousand inhabitants in 1997), Espoo (200.8 thousand), Tampere (188.7 thousand), Vantaa (171.3 thousand), Turku (168.8 thousand). ), Oulu (113.6 thousand), Lahti (95.8 thousand), Kuopio (85.8 thousand), Pori (76.6 thousand), Jyväskylä, Kotka, Lappeenranta, Vaasa and Joensuu (from 76 .2 thousand to 45.4 thousand). Many cities are surrounded by extensive forests. In south-central Finland, the cities of Tampere, Lahti and Hämeenlinna form a large industrial complex. The two most big cities Finland - Helsinki and Turku - are located on the sea coast.
GOVERNMENT AND POLICY
Political system. Finland is a republic. The main document defining its state structure is the 2001 constitution, which significantly modernized the first constitution adopted in 1919. The supreme executive power belongs to the president, elected for a six-year term by direct popular vote (since 1988). Previously, he was elected by the Electoral College. The president has broad powers: he appoints and dismisses the prime minister and members of the government; in addition, approves laws and has the right of relative veto. The president is the commander-in-chief of the country's armed forces and directs its foreign policy, decides on issues of war and peace with the consent of parliament. The president appoints a person representing a party or coalition to form a government.
Executive power is vested in the State Council (Cabinet of Ministers) of 16 members headed by the Prime Minister. The government must have the support of a parliamentary majority when making decisions on matters of principle. If none of the parties is in the majority, the government is formed on a coalition basis.
Parliament is unicameral. It consists of 200 deputies elected on the basis of proportional representation for a four-year term by universal suffrage. All adult citizens have the right to vote. Parliament concentrates all legislative power and has the right to approve all appointments and ratify treaties and other international agreements.
The Finnish legal system relies on a network of district courts (for rural areas) and municipal courts (for cities) for primary judiciary. District courts consist of 5-7 jurors and a judge who leads the hearings and he alone has the right to pass sentences, sometimes contrary to the unanimous opinion of the jury. Sessions of municipal courts are chaired by the burgomaster (mayor) with two or more judicial assistants. For appeal proceedings in different parts of the country, there are six courts of appeal, consisting of several judges (three of them constitute a quorum). The Supreme Court is located in Helsinki. In some cases, it administers primary litigation, but usually hears requests for clemency, hears appeals, and decides on the constitutionality of certain laws and practices. The judicial system includes a high administrative court and several special courts, for example, for land matters, labor disputes and insurance cases. The courts are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice, which, however, does not interfere in judicial decisions. The police are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Interior. The activities of both the judiciary and the police are controlled by Parliament.
Local government. In administrative terms, since the end of 1997, Finland has been divided into 6 provinces (lyani), which are governed by governors appointed by the president. The province of Ahvenanmaa (Aland Islands), with a predominantly Swedish population, enjoys broad autonomy. It has its own parliament and flag, and is represented in the parliament of the whole country by one deputy. The lowest administrative-territorial unit - the community - is responsible for municipal services and levies its own tax. In 1997 there were 78 urban and 443 rural communities in the country. The communities are governed by councils whose members are elected for a four-year term on the principle of proportional representation.
Political parties. The Social Democratic Party of Finland (SDPF) relies on the support of industrial workers and employees. The Finnish Social Democrats, like other socialist parties in Europe, have essentially abandoned their original goal of state ownership of industry, but continue to advocate economic planning and improved welfare systems. A prominent figure in the SDPF, Mauno Koivisto, served two terms as President of Finland (1982–1994). He was replaced by Martti Ahtisaari (also a Social Democrat). The People's Democratic Union of Finland (DSNF), formerly a pro-Soviet coalition of left-wing parties, until 1990 was under the influence of the Communist Party of Finland (CPF), which since the 1960s has been divided into a moderate "majority" and a Stalinist "minority". In 1990, the DSNF merged with other left-wing groups to form the Left Union of Finland (LSF). The Finnish Center Party (PFC, until 1965 - the Agrarian Union, until 1988 - the Center Party) has been a member of almost every coalition since 1947. President Urho Kekkonen left its ranks (from 1956 to 1981). This party played a leading role in the coalition government from 1991 to 1995. The PFC represents the interests of the farmers, but is increasingly supported by the urban population. The conservative National Coalition Party (NCP) opposes government control of the economy, but advocates expanding social programs. The Swedish People's Party (SNP) reflects the interests of the Swedish-speaking population. The Rural Party of Finland (SPF) broke away from the Agrarian Union in 1959 and gained significant influence in the late 1960s, reflecting the opposition movement of small farmers. Established in the late 1970s, the Green Union of Finland (NWF), advocating environmental protection, has been permanently represented in parliament since 1983, and in 1995 joined the coalition government. This is the first time the Green movement has achieved such success in Europe.
From 1966 to 1991, the SDPF was the most influential party, receiving between 23% and 29% of the popular vote. It was followed by the DSNF, the NKP and the PFC, each with 14% to 21% of the vote. In the 1960s and 1970s, the government coalition was usually led by the SDPF or PFC. Communists participated in the work of the government in 1966-1971, 1975-1976 and 1977-1982. In the parliamentary elections of 1987, non-socialist parties received a majority of votes (for the first time since 1946), although representatives of the SDPF entered the government headed by the NCP, following the traditional Finnish policy of compromise. The anti-socialist orientation also manifested itself in the 1991 elections, when the SDPF fell into second place and the PFC formed a government with the participation of representatives of the NKP, the SPF and the Christian Union (XU). In the 1995 elections, the SDPF again took first place and formed a coalition government together with the NKP, LSF, SNP and NWF.
Military establishment. Under the terms of the peace treaty of 1947, the armed forces of Finland were not to exceed 41.9 thousand people. After the reunification of Germany in 1990, Finland itself began to regulate the size of its army. In 1997, the country's armed forces numbered 32.8 thousand people, of which 75% were conscripts. There were approx. 700 thousand people who have undergone military training. The navy has less than 60 vessels, including 2 corvettes, 11 launch vehicles, 10 patrol boats and 7 minelayers. The air force consists of three fighter squadrons and one transport squadron.
Military spending for 1998–1999 financial year amounted to $1.8 million, or 2% of RR.
Foreign policy. Under the 1947 peace treaty and the 1948 agreement on friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance between the USSR and Finland, the latter was limited in the development of external relations: it could not join organizations whose members posed a threat to the security of the USSR. Therefore, Finland did not join either the Warsaw Pact or NATO. In 1955, Finland was admitted to the UN, and in 1956 became a member of the Nordic Council, an intergovernmental body of the Scandinavian countries. Since 1961 Finland has been an associate member of the European Free Trade Association, since 1986 a full member of this organization. The main direction of foreign policy after the Second World War was for Finland to maintain good relations with the USSR, which brought large economic incomes to the country, primarily due to the capacious Soviet market. After the collapse of the USSR, Finland in 1992 applied for admission to the EEC and in 1995 became a member of the EU. In January 1992, the Agreement on the Basics of Relations between Russia and Finland was signed, which meant the termination of the 1948 agreement. The new agreement, concluded for 10 years, guarantees the inviolability of the borders of both countries.
ECONOMY
The country has limited mineral resources, and its significant hydropower resources are underused. The main wealth of the country is the forest, and its economy is traditionally connected with forest resources. From time immemorial, industries based on wood processing have dominated, and agriculture, which was the main occupation of the population before the Second World War, has always been combined with forestry. In the post-war period, the country's economy became much more diverse. Under the 1947 peace treaty, Finland ceded a large territory to the USSR and assumed the heavy burden of paying reparations. These circumstances served as an impetus for the growth and diversification of industrial production. As a result, industry has overtaken agriculture in its development and has taken a leading place in the Finnish economy. New industries emerged in the country, in particular metallurgy, engineering and shipbuilding, which proved to be more competitive than the timber processing industries.
Gross domestic product (GDP) and employment. In 2002, Finland's GDP (the value of all market goods and services) was 133.8 billion marks, or $25,800 per capita against $28,283. The share of agriculture in GDP reached 4% in 2002 (in 1990 - 3.4%). Overall, in 2003 the primary sector (agriculture and mining) accounted for 4.3% of GDP, the secondary sector (manufacturing and construction) 32.7% and the tertiary sector (services) 62.9%. Finnish citizens pay the highest taxes in the world, which together reach 48.2% of GDP. During the period 1980–1989, GDP increased by an average of 3.1% per year (adjusted for inflation). Then the contraction began: in 1991, GDP decreased by 6%, in 1992 - by 4%, in 1993 - by 3%. From 1994 to 1997, real GDP growth was 4.5%, 5.1%, 3.6% and 6.0%, respectively, and in 2003 - 1.9%.
After the Second World War there were major changes in the structure of employment. In 1997, only 7.6% of the working-age population was employed in agriculture and forestry (versus 44% in 1948), 27.8% in industry and construction (30% in 1948) and 64.2% in management and services (26% in 1948). Unemployment, which had hovered at 2% in the early 1970s, rose towards the end of that decade and again in the early 1990s, reaching 16.4% in 1994. In 2003, it dropped to 9%.
Economical geography. One third of Finland's area is located above the Arctic Circle. This is a sparsely populated area with pine and birch sparse forests and rapids rivers with large reserves of hydropower. On the contrary, in the southwest are fertile plains with mechanized farms, numerous cities and towns. This densely populated area has access to the Gulf of Bothnia and the Gulf of Finland. On the land side, it is limited by a line running from the city of Pori on the coast of the Gulf of Bothnia to the city of Kotka, Finland's largest export port at the mouth of the Kymijoki River. The main industrial center is the capital city of Helsinki. Industrial planning is the most striking feature of its development in the 20th century. Half of the country's manufacturing enterprises are concentrated in the Helsinki region. Machine-building plants produce machine tools, agricultural machinery, dynamos, electric motors and ships. In Helsinki there are also food and chemical industries, printing plants and world-famous factories producing glass and porcelain dishes. Turku, the main port in southwestern Finland, ranks third among engineering centers and first among shipbuilding centers in the country. Tampere, the largest industrial center in the interior of Finland, is known as one of the main centers of the textile industry in the Scandinavian countries. There are also various machine-building enterprises. However, in recent years in shipbuilding and the textile industry there has been a reduction in production.
Outside southwestern Finland, with its cities and prosperous farms, there is a vast transition zone that includes the Lake District. Forest-related industries predominate here. Pulp and paper mills operate in some settlements. Along the coast of the Gulf of Bothnia, an economically underdeveloped area with a compact Swedish-speaking population stands out. In the cities of Vaasa and Oulu, the ancient centers of the timber trade, there are sawmills and woodworking plants that produce pulp, paper and other goods. Today, Finland continues to be one of the world's leading producers of high quality paper.
Organization of production. In Finland, most companies and corporations are owned by private individuals. Hydroelectric power plants and railways are state property, and the state regulates business activities to a large extent. The transfer of land from one owner to another is also strictly controlled by the state. Approximately 1/3 of the retail, but the leading role in trade is played by large private marketing companies. Finnish farmers use the services of consumer, production and marketing cooperatives. In addition, cooperative banks provide loans to purchase land and upgrade farms to increase output. Through the Bank of Finland, the government sets interest and discount rates and thus effectively controls credit transactions. Finland pursues a policy of actively attracting foreign investment.
Agriculture. Before the Second World War, agriculture was the main occupation of the population. After the war, the peasants, who arrived from the regions that had gone to the USSR, received land plots, and in this way many small farms were organized. At present, the country is dominated by small peasant farms. The limited scope for expanding agricultural production and the increased mechanization of farms contributed to a significant reduction in the number of people employed in this industry, while the incomes of the remainder increased significantly. Finland had to remove traditional restrictions on imports of agricultural products, as it was prerequisite accession to the EU. The production of dairy products, meat and eggs exceeds domestic demand and these goods dominate agricultural exports. Some specific products are also exported, such as smoked venison. In general, the share of agricultural products in 1997 accounted for only 1.3% of export earnings.
Animal husbandry, especially dairy cattle, pigs and broilers, is an important specialized agricultural sector in Finland. In 1997 there were approx. 1140 thousand dairy cows - a little more than in previous years. On the contrary, the number of reindeer decreased and in 1997 amounted to 203 thousand heads. Most of the arable area is sown with forage grasses, mainly with a mixture of ryegrass, timothy grass and clover. They also grow potatoes and fodder beets.
The cultivation of commercial food crops in Finland is limited due to the short growing season and the constant danger of frost, even during the growing season. The country is located beyond the northern borders of the cultivation of major crops and removed from the Atlantic coast with its mild climate. Wheat can be grown only in the extreme southwest, rye and potatoes - up to 66 ° N, barley - up to 68 ° N, oats - up to 65 ° N. With the exception of years with unfavorable vegetation conditions, Finland is 85% self-sufficient in grain (mainly oats, barley and wheat). The development of grain farming was facilitated by the improvement of land reclamation methods, the widespread use of fertilizers and the breeding of cold-resistant varieties. Wheat and other crops, along with sugar beets, are grown on the fertile clay plains of the southwest, apples, cucumbers and onions - on the Aland Islands, tomatoes - in greenhouses in the south of the former. Governorate of Vaasa (Österbotten).
In Finland, agriculture and forestry are inextricably linked. Most of the peasants, along with arable land, own significant forest plots. Over 60% of forested land is owned by farmers. In the early 1990s, an average of approx. 1/6 of the income farmers received from logging (their share is lower in the more fertile southern regions and higher in the northern and central regions). Due to this source, the incomes of many Finnish peasants are very high, which allows them to purchase equipment and compensate for crop losses (in many areas of central and northern Finland, crop failures occur about once every four years).
Forestry. Finland's forests constitute its greatest natural wealth. The wood is used to make plywood, pulp, paper and other materials. In 1997, the value of exports of forest products (timber, pulp and paper) accounted for 30.7% of all export earnings, which was much less than in 1968 (61%). However, Finland was still the world's second largest exporter of paper and paperboard after Canada.
Forests, consisting mainly of pine, spruce and birch, are the main resource of the country. In 1987-1991, on average, 44 million cubic meters of forest were cut down per year, and in 1997 - 53 million cubic meters. m. Of the other Scandinavian countries, only Sweden has a similar figure. Deforestation was a cause for concern back in the early 1960s, as fellings exceeded natural growth. In 1995, a plan for the protection of forests and the development of forestry was developed. In order to use forest resources in the north and east of the country, logging roads were laid and the reclamation network was expanded. In the more productive southern and central regions, where 60% of all timber stocks are concentrated, fertilization was widely used and reforestation was carried out. As a result, the annual increase in timber stocks in the 1970s was 1.5%, and in the 1980s - 4%. In 1998, the natural increase exceeded the cutting volume by 20 million cubic meters.
Fishing, important for domestic consumption, supplies only a small share of products for export. The number of persons employed exclusively in this industry decreased from 2.4 thousand in 1967 to 1.2 thousand in 1990, and the total value of the catch increased from $10.3 million in 1967 to $42.1 million in 1990 In 1995, the fish catch in Finland reached 184.3 thousand tons.
Mining industry. Mineral reserves in Finland are small, and their extraction began relatively recently. In 1993, it accounted for less than 1% of the total value of industrial output. Among minerals highest value has zinc, but Finland's share in its world production is small. Copper comes next, from the Outokumpu and Pyhäsalmi mines, followed by iron ore and vanadium. Metal ores are approx. 40% of the cost of mining products. Valuable deposits of nickel ores went to the USSR in 1945, but this loss was partly compensated by deposits of copper, nickel, lead, and zinc discovered later. Several new deposits of iron ore have been explored on the seabed near Yussarö Island and near the Aland Islands. In Tornio, chromium and nickel are mined, which are used to produce alloy steel.
Energy. Finland has a large hydropower potential, but it is only half used, because in conditions of small elevation changes, the development of these resources is complicated. In 1995, the total electricity generation was 65 billion kWh (against 118 billion in Norway, with its smaller population). Over half of Finland's hydropower capacity is concentrated in hydroelectric power plants built on the Kemijoki rivers in the far north, Oulujoki with tributaries in the center and Vironkoski in the southeast. Almost all of Finland's heavy industry is based on the consumption of large amounts of electricity. The country's railways are mostly electrified. Finland ranks second in the world in terms of peat production, in 1997 it accounted for 7% of the country's energy balance. Approximately 51% of energy comes from imported oil, coal and natural gas, which until 1991 came mainly from the USSR. Nuclear power began to develop in the 1970s, when two nuclear power plants were built near Helsinki. The reactors and fuel for them were supplied by the USSR. In the 1980s, two more nuclear power plants purchased from Sweden were built. In 1997, nuclear energy accounted for 17% of the country's energy balance.
Manufacturing industry Finland is still characterized by numerous small enterprises and handicrafts, but after the Second World War the number of large enterprises increased significantly. The share of industry and construction in 1997 accounted for approx. 35.4% of all production and 27% of employees.
The manufacturing industry is dominated by "forest" industries producing pulp, paper and lumber. In 1996, their share was 18% of the country's industrial output. Approximately 2/3 of the products of these industries are exported. Softwood processing is concentrated on the coast of the northern part of the Gulf of Bothnia and in the area of ​​the Gulf of Finland, where raw materials come from the Lake District. About 30% of paper products are newsprint; in addition, cardboard, wrapping paper and high-quality paper for banknotes, shares and other valuable documents are produced. Lumber was an important export commodity as early as the mid-19th century. In the early 1970s, half as many sawmills operated in Finland as at the beginning of the 20th century, but the production of this industry remained at the level of 1913 (7.5 million cubic meters per year). In the mid-1970s, the output of sawn timber fell significantly, and then began to grow again and in 1989 reached 7.7 million cubic meters. m. The main center of lumbering is the city of Kemi on the shores of the Gulf of Bothnia. The woodworking industry in Finland originated at the very beginning of the 20th century. More than 20 plywood factories are concentrated in the east of the Lake District, in the area of ​​large birch forests.
After the Second World War, metallurgy and mechanical engineering began to develop intensively in Finland. These industries arose in connection with the need to pay reparations to the USSR in the form of ships, machine tools, electric cables and other goods. In 1996, 42% of all employed in industry were concentrated in metallurgy and mechanical engineering, and these sectors accounted for more than 1/4 of all industrial output. In 1997, these industries provided 46% of the country's export earnings (in 1950 - only 5%). A large modern metallurgical plant is located in Raahe, and there are small factories in many cities in southwestern Finland. The steel produced in Rautaruukki meets the special requirements of the Arctic regions.
Machinery and equipment for pulp and paper mills, agricultural machinery, tankers and icebreakers, cables, transformers, generators and electric motors are also produced.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Finland became a major producer cell phones(Nokia company). The leading Finnish producer in the fuel industry is the oil company Neste, which produces gasoline and diesel fuel that is resistant to extreme cold.
The chemical industry also began to develop after World War II. In 1997, it accounted for 10% of industrial output and 10% of export earnings. This industry produces synthetic fibers and plastics from wood waste, pharmaceuticals, fertilizers and cosmetics. Finland has also gained a reputation for high-quality handicrafts - decorative fabrics, furniture and glassware.
The large dairy enterprise "Valio Oy" is known far beyond the borders of the country as a manufacturer of high-quality cheeses (March "Viola"), baby food, substitutes for women's milk and artificial nutrition.
Transport and communication. The state railways of Finland are concentrated in the southern part of the country. Their total length is 5900 km, and only 1600 km are electrified. Although the system highways was expanded and the private car fleet grew strongly in the 1960s and 1970s, road traffic in Finland is still low compared to other Scandinavian countries. Bus service is maintained in summer up to the extreme northern regions. The length of motor roads reaches 80 thousand km. A network of navigable waterways with a length of 6.1 thousand km, including channels between numerous lakes, is of exceptional importance for passenger and freight traffic. In winter, navigation through the canals is carried out with the help of icebreakers.
In 1998, Finland had more mobile phones per capita (50.1 per 100 inhabitants) than any other country in the world. Nokia Corporation, based in Finland and headquartered there, is the world's largest manufacturer of mobile phones. Finland also leads in the development of the Internet system, in 1998 88 people were connected to it for every 1000 inhabitants, and there were 654 servers for every 100 thousand inhabitants. Universities have a particularly high level of use of this communication system.
International trade. Finland's economy, like neighboring Scandinavian countries, is heavily dependent on foreign trade. In 1997, imports and exports together accounted for 65% of GDP, the value of imports was 30.9 billion dollars, exports 40.9 billion dollars. Metallurgy and engineering products are the largest source of export earnings (43.3%), followed by products woodworking and chemical industries. Finland mainly imports industrial raw materials, fuel, transport equipment and chemical products.
In the decades since World War II, Finland's balance of trade has tended to run a small deficit. The huge increase in oil prices on the world market in 1973–1974 and in 1979 forced imports to be restricted and foreign trade to be rebalanced. At the same time, however, Finland's overall balance of payments, including services and financial intermediation, went into a sharp deficit, as a high standard of living was maintained by foreign loans. In 1972, the government and banks of Finland had an external debt of $700 million, but in 1997 this was reduced to $32.4 million (mainly due to the sharp rise in prices in the late 1980s). From 1980 to 1993, there was a permanent deficit in the foreign trade balance, with the largest level - 5.1 billion dollars - it reached in 1991. However, over the next few years, the value of Finland's exports increased significantly, and in 1997 the foreign trade balance became positive (+6, 6 billion dollars).
Most of Finland's foreign trade (60% of imports and 60% of exports in 1997) falls on the countries of Western Europe, especially Germany, Sweden and the UK, where pulp and paper industry products are mainly exported. Trade with the former USSR was carried out mainly on a barter basis, formalized by five-year agreements; in the early 1980s, Finland sent up to 25% of exports there, especially metallurgy and engineering products, as well as ready-made clothes in exchange for oil and natural gas. When in 1991 Finland decided to transfer foreign trade operations to convertible currency, exports to Russia fell to 5%. This had a particularly strong effect on the state of shipbuilding and the textile industry, which had long worked for the stable Soviet market.
Monetary system and banks. As of January 1, 2002, the currency is the Euro (EURO).
Currency unit until 2002 - a Finnish stamp issued by the Central Bank of Finland. Government revenues in 1997 amounted to $36.6 billion, of which 29% came from income and property taxes, 53% from sales and other indirect taxes, and 9% from social security contributions. Spending amounted to $36.6 billion, of which 30% was for social security and housing construction, 23% for servicing external debt, 14% for education, 9% for health care, and 5% for defense. In 1997, the public debt reached 80.4 billion dollars, of which 2/3 to foreign creditors. Finland's foreign exchange reserves in the same year were estimated at $8.9 billion.
SOCIETY AND CULTURE
In general, Finnish society is quite homogeneous. The presence of two main ethnic groups - Finnish and Swedish - in modern conditions does not create any serious problems. The social unity of the country has stood the test of time. The influx of immigrants from Karelia after the Second World War created social and economic difficulties, but they were quickly overcome.
Society organization. Despite the leveling effect of the income tax, in 1997 persons receiving more than 250,000 marks a year accounted for 2.9% of all taxpayers and accounted for 12.5% ​​of all income. This group paid 18.1% of all taxes. By contrast, in the same year, those earning less than 60,000 marks a year accounted for 42% of all taxpayers and accounted for 16.1% of all income. This group paid 6.6% of all taxes. Despite this apparent inequality, in 1997 the Gini index (a statistical measure of income inequality) in Finland was 25.6%, i.e. was one of the lowest in the world.
Organizations of industrialists and merchants. The economic groups of the Finnish population are highly cohesive. The Central Union of Agricultural Producers operates in agriculture, the Central Union of the Finnish Forestry Industry operates in forestry, and the Central Union of Industrialists and Employers (CSPR) operates in industry, which expanded significantly in 1993 due to the merger of a number of business associations. The country has a Federation externally trade groups and the Central Organization of Shipowners. To encourage the production of artistic textiles, ceramics and furniture, for which this country is famous, an organization for the promotion of Finnish handicrafts has been established. Most other trade groups also have their own associations.
Consumer cooperation plays a significant role in the economic life of Finland. There are two main groups of cooperatives - one for farmers (Central Union of Cooperatives), the other for workers (Central Union of Consumer Cooperatives). Together, in the mid-1990s, they united 1.4 million members and controlled almost 1/3 of the retail trade.
Trade union movement Finland is massive. At the present time there are three large associations of workers: the Central Organization of Trade Unions of Finland (COPF), founded in 1907 and numbering in 1997 almost 1.1 million members. The organization of trade unions of workers with higher education, which has been operating since 1950 and has 230,000 members; the Central Union of Technical Workers, formed in 1946 and uniting 130,000 people. The central organization of trade unions of officials and employees, founded in 1922 and numbering approx. 400 thousand members, functioned until its dissolution in 1992. Instead, more than 12 independent trade unions arose.
The TSOFP and independent trade unions enter into collective agreements with the CSPR, which unites approximately 6.3 thousand employers. Most of these contracts apply to the entire industry, and not to a single enterprise. Government bodies - the economic council and the wage council - monitor compliance with the contracts.
Religion in the life of society. The State Lutheran Church does not interfere in the activities of other religious movements. Although dissent and indifference to the state church are sometimes manifested among believers, in the western, central and northern regions it enjoys very strong influence. The Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church is active in missionary work. Finnish missionaries work in Asia and Africa. In Finland itself, the Christian Association of Young People, the Christian Youth women's association, and among adults, various organizations of the Finnish Free Church. Actually religious activity is in the competence of bishops, and in financially the church is accountable to the state. In the interwar period, the Lutheran Church provided support to conservative and right-wing circles (in particular, the Lapuan movement) in the fight against the Social Democrats and the Communists, although the clergy themselves were not members of secular organizations.
The position of women. Universal suffrage was introduced in 1906. Finland was the first European country where women gained the right to vote. It is not uncommon for women to hold ministerial positions and the highest professional positions, except in the church. In 1995, there were 67 women out of 200 members of parliament (and in 1991 - 77).
In 1996 in Finland, 61.4% of women aged 25 to 54 worked, which is a record figure even for industrialized countries, although in 1986 this figure was even higher - 65%. Over 80% of women are employed in the service sector, women make up almost half of the staff of government organizations and agencies.
Social Security. A broad legislative base underlies the system of social security and protection of citizens. There is a system of compulsory insurance for old age and disability, financed mainly by employers. To mitigate the effects of inflation, the state subsidizes old-age pensions. State social security programs pay unemployment, maternity and infant care benefits and large families, as well as fund kindergartens and after-school groups. Health insurance covers most of the costs of outpatient and inpatient care in public clinics. Under the Public Health Act of 1972, free medical centers were established in all municipalities. In 1998, Finland ranked fifth in the world in terms of quality of life (when determining this indicator, the state of health care, standard of living, life expectancy, income and the realization of women's rights were taken into account).
CULTURE
Culture of Finland up to the 20th century. experienced significant Swedish influence. A long stay in Russia had little effect on the development of Finnish culture. After gaining independence in 1917, the Finns focused on the national identity of their cultural heritage, and, accordingly, the role of Swedish culture began to decline (with the exception of areas with a predominance of the Swedish-speaking population).
Education. In 1997, Finland spent 7.2% of GDP on education and, according to this indicator, ranked first among developed countries. Education in the country is free at all levels up to university and is compulsory for all children between the ages of 7 and 16. Illiteracy has been almost completely eradicated. In 1997 ok. 400 thousand children studied in primary schools and 470 thousand in secondary schools, incl. 125 thousand in vocational schools. In 1997, there were 142.8 thousand students in the universities of the country, incl. in the following cities: Helsinki - 37 thousand, Tampere - 15 thousand, Turku - 15 thousand (university with instruction in Finnish) and 6 thousand (university with instruction in Swedish - Abo Academy), Oulu - 14 thousand. , Jyväskylä - 12 thousand. Joensuu - 9 thousand, Kuopio - 4 thousand and Rovaniemi (University of Lapland) - 2 thousand. Another 62.3 thousand students studied at technical, veterinary, agricultural, trade and pedagogical colleges. The network of educational institutions of this type is developing rapidly. In addition, adult education programs have been established, covering more than 25% of the working population.
Literature and art. At the origins of Finnish literature, music and folklore lies an outstanding national epic Kalevala, collected by Elias Lönrot in 1849. Its influence can be traced in the works of prominent Finnish writers Alexis Kivi and F.E. Sillanpää, as well as in the music of Jean Sibelius. In the 19th century the prominent poet and author of the national anthem of Finland Johan Runeberg and the master of the historical novel Tsakarias Topelius wrote in Swedish. At the end of the 19th century a galaxy of realist writers appeared: Minna Kant, Juhani Aho, Arvid Jarnefelt, Teuvo Pakkala, Ilmari Kianto. In the 20th century Mayu Lassila, Johannes Linnankoski, Joel Lehtonen joined them. At the turn of the 19th-20th centuries. poets J.H. Erkko, Eino Leino and Edith Södergran created.
After the First World War, a number of new writers appeared on the literary scene: Nobel Prize winner Frans Emil Sillanpää, author of novels about rural life in western Finland, Toivo Pekkanen, who described the life of workers in the city of Kotka, Aino Kallas, whose works were dedicated to Estonia, Unto Seppänen, life writer of the Karelian village, and Pentti Haanpää, a nugget writer, a master of artistic expression. Väine Linn's novels about World War II gained great popularity ( Unknown Soldier) and about landless peasants ( Here under the North Star). In post-war literature, the social novel experienced a new flowering (Aili Nurdgren, Martti Larni, K. Chilman, and others). In the genre of historical novel, Mika Waltari gained fame, the author of the sensational Egyptian.
Among the Finnish playwrights, the most famous are Maria Jotuni, Hella Vuolioki and Ilmari Turja, and among the poets - Eino Leino, V.A. Koskenniemi, Katri Vala and Paavo Haavikko.
The oldest architectural ensemble adjacent to the medieval cathedral has been preserved in the city of Turku. The old center of Helsinki was built mainly according to the designs of Karl Engel in the first half of the 19th century. This remarkable architectural monument of the Empire style is very similar to the ensembles of St. Petersburg. At the beginning of the 20th century national romanticism was clearly manifested in Finnish architecture, strengthening the connection between the building and its natural environment. The buildings themselves were notable for their picturesque and decorative interpretation of architectural forms, resurrecting the images of Finnish folklore; local natural stone was widely used in construction. The most famous works are the buildings of the National Museum of Finland, the National Theatre, the Scandinavian Bank and the railway station in Helsinki. The leading figures of this movement were Eliel Saarinen, Lars Sonck, Armas Lindgren and Herman Gesellius. National romanticism has firmly entered the history of world architecture.
Functionalism, introduced in Finland by Alvar Aalto and Erik Bruggmann in the interwar period, promoted the free organization of volumes and spaces, the asymmetry of compositions, and the convenience of planning. The telephone exchange building and the cathedral in Tampere, created by Lars Sonck, are considered masterpieces of this direction. Practical and comfortable houses, schools, hospitals, shops, industrial enterprises. The aesthetic value of these buildings lies in their very design, made without excessive ornamentation.
In the post-war period, the main attention was paid to the problems of mass housing and public construction. The simplicity and rigor of architectural forms, along with the widespread use of modern building structures (the development of the satellite cities of Helsinki Tapiola and Otaniemi) are characteristic of the work of many outstanding masters (Alvar Aalto, Erik Bruggman, Viljo Revell, Heikki Siren, A. Ervi). Under the influence of the ideas of structuralism, residential complexes appeared with a compact development of asymmetric, geometrically clear groups of houses (the Kortepohja district in Jyväskylä, the Hakunila district in Helsinki, etc.). Renowned contemporary architects are Reima Pietilä, Timo Penttila and Juha Leiviskää, winner of the 1995 Carlsberg Prize. Timo Sarpaneva is the winner of many international design competitions.
Fine art of Finland in the 19th century. maintained close contacts with leading European schools in Paris, Düsseldorf, St. Petersburg. The Finnish Art Society was founded in 1846. The foundations of national landscape painting were laid by V. Holmberg, J. Munsterhjelm, B. Lindholm and V. Vesterholm. Moralizing, somewhat sentimental paintings by A. von Becker and K. Janson are in the tradition of late modernism. The von Wright brothers created romantic rural landscapes.
Late 19th century considered the "golden age" of Finnish painting. At this time, the Young Finland art movement was formed, which developed the ideas of independence and service to the people. Democratic trends in Finnish painting, close to the traditions of the Wanderers in Russia, were reflected in the work of Albert Edelfelt (the first Finnish artist to become famous outside his country), Eero Jarnefelt and Pekka Halonen. The largest representative of national romanticism in painting was Akseli Gallen-Kallela, who repeatedly turned to the subjects of the Finnish epic and folklore. The original talent of Juho Rissanen was attracted by the scenes of folk life. A. Faven was an outstanding portrait painter. The women painters Maria Wiik and Helena Schjerfbeck were distinguished by a high level of skill.
Painting in the early 20th century was heavily influenced by French Impressionism. Many Finnish artists such as Jösta Diehl and Erkki Kulovesi studied in Paris. This direction was promoted by the creative association "Septem", founded by Magnus Enkell. A rival "November Group" of Expressionists then formed under the leadership of Tyuko Sallinen. Then the passion of Finnish artists for modernism, abstractionism and constructivism manifested itself.
The development of secular sculpture in Finland began only in the middle of the 19th century. The first masters, of whom Johannes Takanen was the most talented, adhered to the traditions of classicism. Later, the realist trend intensified, represented by Robert Stiegel, Emil Wikström, Alpo Sailo, Yrjö Liipola and Gunnar Finne.
After the First World War, Finnish sculpture acquired world fame thanks to the outstanding master Väinö Aaltonen. For the bronze statue of runner Paavo Nurmi, Olympic champion, Aaltonen received the Grand Prix at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1937. He created a whole gallery of sculptural images of figures of culture and art in Finland. Sculptors such as Aimo Tukiainen, Kalervo Kallio and Erkki Kannosto are widely known at home and abroad. According to the design of the female sculptor Eila Hiltunen, a monumental monument to Jean Sibelius was erected on a rock in a picturesque corner of Helsinki, imitating a majestic organ made of steel pipes of various sizes, connected in a powerful rhythmic composition. On a nearby rock there is a sculptural portrait of the great composer, also made of steel.
Finnish music is identified mainly with the work of Jean Sibelius. Other Finnish composers have successfully searched for new forms, and such masters as Selim Palmgren, Yrjö Kilpinen (songwriter), Armas Järnefelt (composer of romances, choral and symphonic music) and Uuno Klami became especially famous here. Oscar Mericanto became famous as the author of the opera Maiden of the North, and Arre Mericanto created atonal music. Opera by Aulis Sallinen Rider was a great success and influenced the formation of modern operatic art. Esa-Pekka Salonen is one of the country's most famous conductors. There are symphony orchestras in Helsinki, Turku, Tampere and Lahti, and there are choirs and song groups even in small villages. The Finnish Ballet, the Finnish National Theatre, the Finnish National Opera and the Swedish Theater hold leading positions among numerous theaters. Opera festivals are held in Savonlinna every year in July. Finland ranks first in the world in terms of subsidies for the maintenance of theaters and museums (more than $100 per year per inhabitant of the country).
The science. Scientific work is carried out at universities, and the Finnish Academy, founded in 1947, is responsible for coordinating research and distributing funds. Among the main tasks facing scientists was obtaining clear information about the nature and natural resources of the country. The work of Finnish geologists made it possible to clarify the cardinal problems of the structure of the Baltic Shield and evaluate its mineral resources. In Finland, for the first time in the world, a complete forest inventory was carried out under the leadership of Yrjö Ilvessalo in 1921–1924. A.K.Kayander conducted geobotanical expeditions in the north of the European part of Russia, in Siberia and Central Europe. He developed the theory of forest types, and the classification he proposed was successfully applied in many other countries. On his initiative, the first experimental silvicultural stations were established in Finland. In 1922, 1924 and 1937–1939 Cajander headed the Finnish government.
An outstanding scientist, Nobel Prize winner in chemistry Artturi Virtanen conducted research on the production of proteins and biochemical nitrogen fixation, and also found a way to preserve green fodder. The Finnish school of mathematics (Lars Ahlfors, Ernst Lindelöf and Rolf Nevanlinna) contributed to the development of the theory of analytic functions. There are great achievements in the field of mechanics, geodesy, astronomy. Significant research has been carried out on Finno-Ugric philology, archeology, and ethnography. The Finnish Literary Society (founded in 1831) and the Finno-Ugric Society (founded in 1883) played an important role in carrying out these works. The first of them published dozens of volumes of folklore materials in the series Ancient poetry of the Finnish people.
The largest scientific center in Finland is the University of Helsinki. Its library contains all the publications of the scientists of this country. In 1997, Finland ranked seventh in the world in terms of the number of scientific workers - 3675 per 1 million inhabitants.
Finnish people love to read. In 1997, on average, there were 19.7 books borrowed from public libraries for every inhabitant of this country. The developed library system is able to meet the needs of the inhabitants of the most remote regions of the country.
Mass media. In 1997, over 200 newspapers were published in Finland, including 56 dailies (8 in Swedish). The largest newspapers are Helsingit Sanomat (independent), Aamulehti (NKP organ) in Tampere and Turun Sanomat (in Turku). The official organ of the SDPF is Demari , and LSF - "Kangsan Uutiset" . The country produces the largest number of books per capita in the world; in 1997 it was published approx. 11 thousand items.
Until 1984, there was a state monopoly on radio broadcasting and television. There are currently four state television channels and seven state radio stations. Broadcasting is conducted in two languages ​​- Finnish (75%) and Swedish (25%). Private television companies buy airtime from the state.
Sport. At the international level, Finnish athletes have a long history in cross-country skiing and ski jumping. Many world records were also set in athletics, victories were won in wrestling and ice hockey. Mass sports are widely developed in the country, especially ice hockey, orienteering, football, skiing, rowing, motorcycling and gymnastics.
customs and holidays. Sauna has firmly entered the life of the Finns – dry steam bath. The country has approx. 1.5 million saunas (i.e. one for every three inhabitants). Regular visits to the sauna have become a tradition not only in rural areas, but also in cities.
Finland celebrates the longest day of the year on June 24th. This massive folk holiday, called "Juhannus" (Midsummer's Day, or the day of commemoration of John the Baptist), has ancient roots. On this day, people go to their dachas and to their relatives in the village. It is customary to celebrate all night long, discarding everyday worries, kindling large fires and doing fortune telling. Other secular holidays - First of May; June 4, the day of memory of Marshal Mannerheim. December 6th is Independence Day in Finland. Religious holidays - Epiphany, Good Friday (Friday in Passion Week), Easter, Ascension, Trinity, Christmas Eve and Christmas.
STORY
Ancient period. At the beginning of our era, the Finnish tribes, who came from the east, settled in the southern regions of present-day Finland, where they mixed with the local population. The Saami tribes, descendants of the earlier Finno-Ugric migrants, were pushed north.
The ancestors of modern Finns were pagans, led a nomadic lifestyle and were mainly engaged in hunting and fishing. The Suomi tribe lived in the southwest, the Häme tribe in the center, and the Karjala tribe in the east. Subsequently, the name "Suomi" was transferred to the whole country. The Finns came into contact with the Swedish tribes that inhabited the eastern regions of the Scandinavian Peninsula, and made a number of raids on their lands.
dominance of Sweden. In response to these raids, the Swedes launched the First Crusade (1157) against the pagan Finns. He culminated in the conquest of southwestern Finland and the spread of Christianity there. During the Second Crusade (1249-1250) the central regions of southern Finland were conquered, and during the Third Campaign (1293-1300) the power of the Swedes extended to the eastern regions. Forts were built on the conquered lands. Thus, the Swedish state penetrated into the eastern part of the Baltic region, however, Russia claimed the same lands, looking for a way out by sea to Europe.
In 1323, the Orekhovets (Noteburg) Treaty was concluded between Sweden and Novgorod, which marked the border between Finland and Russian lands.
Finland has received some benefits from the association with Sweden, being integrated into Sweden. Representatives of Finland from 1362 took part in the election of the kings of Sweden. The adoption of a new religion was accompanied by the spread of European customs, mores and culture. Mixed marriages between Finns and Swedes expanded the representation of Finns in local government. The accession of the Vaza dynasty in Sweden led to the establishment of a more efficient government in Finland. The formation of the Finnish literary language belongs to the same time, whose father was the priest Mikael Agricola, who began to translate the Bible into Finnish. From 1548 in Finnish began to be held church services.
In the 17th century Sweden has made some improvements to the administrative system in Finland. The Swedish governor-general Per Brahe introduced a court of appeal and founded a university in Turku, and also granted self-reliance to cities. Representatives of Finland were admitted to the Swedish Riksdag. Although these reforms primarily affected the interests of the Swedish nobility living in Finland, local peasants also benefited from them to some extent.
The development of crafts and commodity-money relations began relatively early in the country. The peasants, along with agriculture, were engaged in blacksmithing, weaving, tar smoking, and sawing wood. Mining began, landlords founded small metallurgical plants that worked on charcoal. Part of the production of landlord and state enterprises and products of peasant and guild crafts (resin, paper) was exported. In exchange, bread, salt and some other goods were imported.
The position of Finland was complicated by its geographical location as a buffer between Russia and Sweden, which made it during the 15th - early 19th centuries. theater of operations in the Russian-Swedish wars in the struggle for dominance in the Baltic. During the Great Northern War (1700–1721), Finland was occupied by Russian troops. The war was accompanied by famine and epidemics, which killed almost half of the country's population. In 1721, only 250,000 people remained in Finland. After Russia's victory in the Northern War under Peter I, the Treaty of Nystadt (1721) was concluded, according to which Livonia, Estland, Ingria, part of Karelia and the Moozund Islands were ceded to Russia. Russia returned most of Finland to Sweden and paid 2 million Efimki in compensation for the lands acquired by Russia.
In an effort to seize the lands conquered by Peter I from Russia, Sweden declared war on it in 1741, but a year later all of Finland was again in the hands of the Russians. According to the Abo peace treaty of 1743, the territory up to the r. Kymijoki with the fortified cities of Wilmanstrand (Lappeenranta) and Friedrichsgam (Hamina).
Autonomous Grand Duchy within Russia. From the 70s of the 18th century. separatist ideas began to emerge in the Finnish elite. Some prominent Finnish people dreamed of the independence of the country (Georg-Magnus Sprengtporten). These sentiments manifested themselves during the Russo-Swedish War of 1788–1790, when the Swedish king Gustav III tried to regain the lost provinces.
The hostile attitude of Sweden towards Napoleon also influenced the fate of Finland. At a meeting in Tilsit (1807), Alexander I and Napoleon agreed that if Sweden did not join the Continental blockade, Russia would declare war on it. When the Swedish king Gustav IV Adolf rejected this demand, Russian troops invaded southern Finland in 1808 and began to move west and then north. At first they were successful. The southern part of the country, where the bulk of the population lived, was occupied by Russian troops. The capture by the Russians of the fortress of Sveaborg, which was called the "Swedish Gibraltar in the North," dealt a serious blow to Sweden. Alexander I announced the accession of Finland to Russia, the population took an oath of allegiance. In the summer of 1808, the Swedes rallied their forces and for some time suspended the enemy's offensive, but they failed to turn the tide of the war. In the autumn of 1808 they were ousted from all over Finland. Russian troops raided the Aland Islands and even the territory of Sweden itself. In March 1809, King Gustav IV Adolf was overthrown. At the same time, representatives of the Finnish estates gathered in the city of Borgo (Porvoo), confirming the accession of Finland to Russia. The Sejm was opened by Alexander I, who announced that Finland had been granted the status of an autonomous Grand Duchy, preserving the previous Swedish laws. State language remained Swedish. The war ended with the defeat of Sweden and the signing of the Friedrichsham Peace Treaty, according to which Finland was ceded to Russia as a Grand Duchy, and the Aland Islands. In 1809 the Grand Duchy of Finland was formed with its own Sejm, and a special commission for Finnish affairs (later renamed the committee for Finnish affairs) was set up. In 1812, Helsingfors (Helsinki) was declared the capital of the principality.
Finland enjoyed significant benefits and privileges. She received her own postal service and justice, from the 1860s her own Finnish monetary system. The Finns were exempted from compulsory service in the Russian army. The well-being of the population grew, and its number increased from 1 million people in 1815 to 1.75 million in 1870.
The cultural life of Finland revived. This was facilitated by the transfer of the university from Turku to the capital city of Helsinki. Johan Ludwig Runeberg, author Tales of ensign Stol, and Elias Lenrot, creator of the epic Kalevala, influenced the growth of self-awareness of the Finnish people and laid the foundation for the study of its language and literature. Johan Vilhelm Snellman led the movement to develop school education and in 1863 achieved the approval of the equality of the Finnish language with Swedish.
The rights of the Grand Duchy of Finland as an autonomy until the end of the 19th century. were not violated by the tsarist government. In the period from 1809 to 1863, the Finnish Diet did not meet, and the country was governed by the Senate under the Governor-General. The first meeting of the Sejm to draft a constitution was convened in 1863 on the initiative of Alexander II. Since 1869, the Sejm began to convene regularly, its composition was updated every five years, and since 1882 - every three years. A multi-party system began to take shape. Finland has undergone profound structural reforms, primarily in the economy. The process of modernization of the country has accelerated.
During the reign of Nicholas II, under the influence of Russian military circles, a new policy began to be developed, aimed at the accelerated integration of Finland into the empire and the gradual curtailment of autonomy. First, an attempt was made to force the Finns to do military service in the Russian army. When the Senate, which had previously made concessions, rejected this demand, General Bobrikov introduced courts-martial. In response to this, in 1904 the Finns shot Bobrikov dead, and unrest began in the country. The Russian Revolution of 1905 coincided with the rise of the Finnish national liberation movement, and all of Finland joined the general strike in Russia. Political parties, especially the Social Democrats, took part in this movement and put forward their reform agenda. Nicholas II was forced to cancel the decrees that limited Finnish autonomy. In 1906, a new democratic electoral law was adopted, giving women the right to vote (for the first time in Europe). After the suppression of the revolution in 1907, the tsar once again tried to consolidate the old policy by introducing military rule, but it was swept away by the revolution of 1917.
At the beginning of the 20th century In Finland, the woodworking and pulp and paper industries mainly developed, which focused on the Western European market. The leading branch of agriculture was animal husbandry, whose products were also mainly exported to Western Europe. Finland's trade with Russia was declining. During the First World War, due to the blockade and the almost complete cessation of external maritime communications, both the main export industries and the domestic market industries that worked on imported raw materials were curtailed.
Declaration of Independence. Declaration of Independence. After the February Revolution in Russia in March 1917, the privileges of Finland, lost after the revolution of 1905, were restored. A new governor-general was appointed and the Sejm was convened. However, the law on the restoration of the autonomous rights of Finland, adopted by the Seimas on July 18, 1917, was rejected by the Provisional Government, the Seimas was dissolved, and its building was occupied by Russian troops. The "red" and "white" guards began to form. After the October Revolution and the overthrow of the Provisional Government on December 6, 1917, Finland declared its independence, which was recognized on December 18/31 by Lenin's Bolshevik government.
Radical Social Democrats, relying on the Red Guard detachments, in January 1918 carried out a coup d'état and proclaimed Finland a socialist workers' republic. The government of Finland fled to the north, where the general of the Russian army, Baron Carl Gustav Mannerheim, led the white army being formed. A civil war broke out between the Whites and the Reds, who were assisted by the Russian troops still remaining in the country. Thousands of people became victims of the red and white terror. Imperial Germany sent a division to Finland to help the Whites establish a pro-German regime. The Reds were unable to resist the well-armed Kaiser troops, who soon captured Tampere and Helsinki. The last stronghold of the Reds, Vyborg, fell in April 1918. A Sejm was convened to form a government, and Per Evind Svinhufvud was appointed acting head of state.
Creation of the republic and the interwar period. The ruin of the country's economy and the blockade by the Entente made life in the country difficult. Some time later, the parties were reborn under different names, and 80 moderate Social Democrats, also Old Finns and representatives of the progressive and agrarian parties, participated in the work of the Sejm, convened in April 1919. A new democratic constitution was adopted for the country. Kaarlo Juho Stolberg was elected President.
The Finnish "Red" emigration in August 1918 in Moscow created the Communist Party of Finland, which proclaimed the "dictatorship of the proletariat" as its goal.
Disputable issues with Russia were settled thanks to a peace treaty concluded in Dorpat (Tartu) in October 1920. In the same year, Finland was admitted to the League of Nations. The conflict with Sweden over the Åland Islands was resolved through the mediation of the League of Nations in 1921: the archipelago went to Finland, but was demilitarized.
The language issue in the country was removed by recognizing both languages ​​- Finnish and Swedish - as state languages. The land program worked out by the Social Democrats began to be implemented. In October 1927, a law was passed on the purchase of land and the payment of compensation to landowners. Long-term loans were provided to peasants who had land plots, and cooperatives were organized. Finland joined the Scandinavian Cooperative Union. Modernization and structural transformations in the economy led in the late 30s, despite the consequences of the global economic crisis to the stabilization and growth of living standards.
Finland also managed to overcome the threat to the democratic order from both the ultra-left (KPF) and fascist movements.
The Second World War. Until the outbreak of World War II, Finland's foreign policy was centered on complex relations with the USSR, where they viewed it as a potential adversary and feared its rapprochement with Germany. The leading circles of the country still tended to focus on the Scandinavian countries. The position of Finland became more complicated after the conclusion of the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact on the inclusion of Finland, the Baltic countries and the eastern regions of Poland into the Soviet sphere of influence. Negotiations with the USSR on the conclusion of new military and trade agreements were interrupted, and Stalin demanded the transfer of a number of lands in Karelia and a military base on the Khanko Peninsula.
November 30, 1939 Soviet troops invaded Finland. A puppet "government" of the so-called was immediately created. "Finland Democratic Republic" under the leadership of one of the leaders of the Comintern Otto Kuusinen. This war, which went down in history as the "winter war", was essentially unequal, although the Red Army, bled dry by Stalin's "purges", fought inefficiently and suffered much greater losses than Finland. The famous Finnish defensive line Mannerheim held back the advance of the Red Army for some time, but in January 1940 it was broken through. The hope of the Finns for the help of England and France turned out to be futile, and on March 12, 1940, a peace treaty was signed in Moscow. Finland ceded to the USSR the Rybachy Peninsula in the north, part of Karelia with Vyborg, the northern Ladoga region, and the Khanko Peninsula was leased to Russia for a period of 30 years.
The threat from the east did not disappear in the eyes of the Finns, which was facilitated by the proclamation in April 1940 of the allied Karelian-Finnish SSR as part of the USSR. Relations between the USSR and Finland continued to be tense.
The German attack on the USSR in June 1941 prompted Finland to enter the war on the side of the Germans. The German government promised to return all the territories lost under the Moscow Treaty. In December 1941, after repeated protests and notes, the British government declared war on Finland. On the next year The US demanded that the Finnish government make peace. However, this step was held back by the hope of a German victory. In 1943, President Risto Ryti was succeeded by Mannerheim, who began to look for ways out of the war, in particular, through secret negotiations in Stockholm in the spring of 1944. The summer (1944) offensive of Soviet troops on the Karelian Isthmus led to the resumption of negotiations, and in September 1944 Finland signed an agreement about a truce with the USSR, according to which Finland gave the Petsamo area, exchanged the rented peninsula of Hanko for the Porkkala-Udd area (returned to Finland in 1956).
The Finns pledged to facilitate the withdrawal of German military units from the country. Control over the fulfillment of the terms of the armistice was carried out by the control commission of the allies, headed by A.A. Zhdanov from the Soviet side. In February 1947, an agreement was signed between Finland and the USSR, confirming the terms of the armistice and providing for the payment of reparations in the amount of 300 million dollars.
military insurance agency short term established operational control over the work of industry in order to strictly comply with the deadlines for reparation deliveries to the USSR. In case of delay for each month, Finland was subject to a fine of 5% of the cost of goods (more than 200 titles). At the request of the USSR, the following quotas were established for machines, machine tools and finished products: a third were forest products, a third were transport, machine tools and machines, and a third were ships and cables. Equipment for pulp and paper enterprises, new ships, locomotives, trucks, cranes were sent to the USSR.
New foreign policy. Finland began to be enforced in the final stages of the war, when Marshal Mannerheim was elected President of the Republic and managed to bring the country out of the war. In 1946 he was replaced by Juho Kusto Paasikivi (1870–1956), who sought to stabilize relations with the Soviet Union. In 1948, an agreement on friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance was concluded with the USSR, which formed the basis for a policy that was called the Paasikivi line.
The post-war reconstruction of the economy was successful. Despite the need to pay reparations, life in the country gradually improved. The government provided assistance (with land and subsidies) to 450,000 migrants from areas transferred to the USSR.
Immediately after the war, the DSNF came to the fore in the political arena, dominated by the communists, who were planning a political coup on the Eastern European model. However, they did not receive the support of the USSR, whose leadership was not inclined to take risks. The DSNF became part of the government coalition, but suffered a heavy defeat in 1948, mainly due to voters' dissatisfaction with the communist takeover in Czechoslovakia. In the elections of 1951 and 1954, the DSNF again received significant support (partly in reaction to the government's economic policy), but it failed to achieve its former influence.
In the 1950s, Finland's international position was strengthened. In 1952, the Olympic Games were held in Helsinki. In 1955 Finland became a member of the UN and the Nordic Council. In early 1956, the USSR returned Porkkala Udd to Finland. The transformation of the then Karelian-Finnish SSR into the Karelian Autonomous SSR as part of the RSFSR also brought calm to the minds of the Finns. Urho Kaleva Kekkonen, elected President of the Republic in 1956, sought to increase Finland's freedom of action by pursuing an active policy of neutrality. This was manifested, in particular, in the Finnish initiative to hold a conference on security and cooperation in Europe in Helsinki in the summer of 1975. The course towards good neighborly relations between Finland and its eastern neighbor was called the Paasikivi-Kekkonen line.
Unemployment rose in the 1950s; the abolition of state subsidies for food products caused an increase in prices. In 1955, the government failed to support the wage agreement, which caused a general strike in 1956, which escalated into mass demonstrations and outbreaks of violence. The two parties in power, the SDPF and the Agrarian Union, failed to agree on supporting prices for agricultural products. Since 1959, the agrarians have led a series of unstable minority governments.
The 1966 elections led to a sharp turn in Finnish politics. SDPF and DSNF received an absolute majority of seats in parliament. Together with the center party of the PFC (formerly the Agrarian Union), they formed a strong coalition that introduced strict control wages and prices to slow inflation and balance the trade deficit. However, in 1971 the DSNF withdrew from the coalition and the government resigned.
In the early 1970s, Finland experienced an economic recovery due to trade agreements concluded in 1973 with the EEC and CMEA. However, in the mid-1970s, rising oil prices led to a decline in production and rising unemployment. From 1975–1977, a five-party bloc led by Martti Miettunen (PFC) replaced the ten-year rule of the Social Democrats, led by Kalevi Sorsa. From 1979 to 1982, a coalition of four parties (center and left) was led by Mauno Koivisto. In 1982, President Urho Kekkonen resigned and Mauno Koivisto was elected to take his place. Sorsa again became the head of the government. Soon representatives of the DSNF left the cabinet, and the remaining three parties, having received a majority of votes, re-formed the government in 1983.
The unprecedented recovery of the Finnish economy in the mid-late 1980s led to its reorientation towards Western countries. For the first time in the post-war period, non-socialist parties won a majority of seats in the 1987 elections, and Harri Holkeri of the conservative NCP formed a four-party coalition, joined by the Social Democrats. Taxes were reduced on individuals both companies and Finland opened its markets to foreign investment. Liberalization contributed to achieving near-full employment and sparked a boom in construction.
In the spring of 1987 there was a significant change in government policy when the Coalition Party and the Social Democrats formed a majority government that remained in power until 1991.
After the unification of Germany and the collapse of the USSR, the Finnish government began to pursue a policy of rapprochement with Western Europe, which in the past was hindered by agreements concluded with the USSR. In 1991, trade with the USSR fell by 2/3, while production in Finland itself fell by more than 6%. Industries that had guaranteed sales in the USSR were unable to consolidate their position in the Western economy, where production was reduced.
After the 1991 parliamentary elections, the Social Democrats went into opposition, and the Coalition Party and the Center Party (formerly the Agrarian Party) assumed government responsibility.
Their government, headed by Esko Aho, was in power until the spring of 1995. The radical changes that came in world politics in the late 1980s and early 1990s; The end of the division of Europe, the collapse of the communist system and the collapse of the Soviet Union affected Finland in that the spiritual atmosphere changed and the field for foreign policy maneuvers increased. In 1986 Finland became a permanent member of EFTA and in 1989 finally a member of the European Council. In September 1990, the government issued a statement arguing that the provisions of the Paris Peace Treaty (1947), concerning the size and materiel of the armed forces, which limited the sovereignty of Finland, had lost their meaning. In 1991, demands began to be heard to change the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, but this idea became irrelevant when the Soviet Union ceased to exist at the end of that year. Finland recognized the position of Russia as the legal successor of the USSR and in January 1992 concluded an agreement on good neighborliness. The treaty confirmed the stability of the borders between the countries. Both of them started implementing joint projects to combat environmental pollution with radioactive waste. The agreement did not include any military clauses, and both sides confirmed that the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance had ceased to operate.
In March 1991, 72% of voters gave their votes to the PFC and other non-socialist parties, which were in a clear majority. 36-year-old Esko Aho became the prime minister of the country.
At the same time, the integration processes in Western Europe caused the increasing activity of Finland. Finland has been a full member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) since 1985, and in 1992 applied for admission to the EEC. Became a member of the EU on January 1, 1995.
EFTA and the European Community, i.e. Common Market, signed in May 1992 an agreement on the European economic sphere. This agreement guaranteed the EFTA countries more Free access to the EU internal market. In Finland, this agreement was seen as the “final” goal, but after Sweden applied for EU membership in the summer of 1991 and after the collapse of the USSR at the end of the year, the need for full accession of Finland to the EU became increasingly evident. Finland applied to join the EU in March 1992 and the European Parliament in May 1994 approved this application. In a referendum held in Finland on October 16, 1994, 57% of Finns supported joining the EU. In November of the same year, by 152 votes to 45, the Finnish parliament approved Finland's membership in the EU from the beginning of 1995. The capital of Helsinki, the metropolitan region and mainly the developed south of the country voted in favor. "Against" were the northern regions, the province and small settlements.
Since 1994, presidential elections have been held by direct popular will. Martti Ahtisaari, a candidate from the Social Democrats, the state secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was elected president, having received approximately 54% of the vote in the second round.
In the parliamentary elections held in early 1995, the Center Party of Finland suffered a crushing defeat, and the newly elected chairman of the SDPF, Paavo Lipponen, formed a government unique in the history of Finland based on the Social Democrats and the National Coalition Party. In addition, the government included the Greens, the Left Union and the Swedish People's Party. Lipponen's "government of all colors of the rainbow" operated for the entire four-year period. The central tasks of the government were to include Finland in the structures of the European Union, to get the economy working again and to reduce high unemployment.
In the 1999 elections, the non-socialist majority in parliament strengthened, as the National Coalition Party and the Center of Finland, which remained in opposition, received stronger support. The SDPF lost votes, but still retained its position as the largest parliamentary group with its 51 mandates. The results of the elections did not affect the basis of the government, and Paavo Lipponen created his second government on the same basis as the first. The center of Finland again went into opposition. In February 2000, Tarja Halonen (SDPF) became the first woman to be elected president of Finland. The former foreign minister won in an almost equal final fight against the chairman of the Center Party, Esko Aho (51.6% against 48.4% of the vote). In 2001 Finland joined the Schengen area and in 2002 adopted the euro as the national currency instead of the mark.
Table 1. DATA OF THE LAST ELECTIONS TO THE UNI-CHAMBER PARLIAMENT(Fin. Eduskunta) (200 seats) March 16, 2003
:: FC
Kesk:: SDPF
SDP::NKP KOK::Left
VAS:: Green
VIHR:: XR
KD:: SNP
SFP:: Others
% :: 24,7% :: 24,5% :: 18,5% :: 9,9% :: 8% :: 5,3% :: 4,6% ::
Seats:: 55:: 53:: 40:: 19:: 14:: 7:: 8:: 4
LITERATURE
. M., 1953
Zhibitskaya E.D. . M., 1962
Geography of Finland. M., 1982
Bezrukova M. Art of Finland. M., 1986
Klinge M. Essays on the history of Finland. Keuruu, 1990
Rasila Willo. History of Finland. Petrozavodsk, 1996
Political history of Finland. 1809–1995. M., 1998
Yussila O., Khentilya S, Nevakivi Y. Political history of Finland 1809–1995. M., 1998
20th century. Brief historical encyclopedia in 2 vols. M., 2001

Encyclopedia Around the World. 2008 .

FINLAND

REPUBLIC OF FINNISH
State in northern Europe. In the east and south it borders on Russia, in the north - on Norway, in the west - on Sweden. The southern coast is washed by the waters of the Gulf of Finland, the western - by the waters of the Gulf of Bothnia. Almost a third of the country lies north of the Arctic Circle. The area of ​​Finland is 338145 km2. Finland is a country of lakes (there are about 60 thousand of them, the largest of which are Saimaa, Inari and Päijanne. The main rivers of the country are Tornio, Muonio, Kemi and Oulu, but only Oulu is navigable. Most of the territory is flat, mountainous terrain is located in the northwest of the country, there is also the highest point of Finland - Mount Haltia (1324 m.) Finland also owns the Aland Islands (Ahvenanmaa archipelago) - about 6.5 thousand islands.
The population of the country (estimated for 1998) is 5149200 people, the average population density is about 15 people per km2. More than two thirds of the population lives in the southern part of the country. Ethnic groups: Finns - 90%, Swedes - 9%, about 2500 Saami live in the north, other minorities make up less than 1%. Language: Finnish, Swedish (state), Sami. Religion: Evangelical Lutheran Church - 89%, Orthodox Church - 1%. The capital is Helsinki. Largest cities: Helsinki (500,000 people), Tampere (174,000 people). Turku (160,000 people), Oulu (102,000 people), Kuo-pio (81,500 people). Pori (76,500 people). The state structure is a republic. The head of state is President Martti Ahtisaari (in office since February 1994). The head of government is Prime Minister P. Lipponen. The monetary unit is the Finnish mark. Average life expectancy (for 1998): 72 years - men, 80 years - women. The birth rate (per 1,000 people) is 11.2. Mortality rate (per 1000 people) - 9.7.
The first people appeared on the territory of Finland around the 8th millennium BC. During the Viking times, the Åland Islands were a transit base for the Swedes, who at that time were actively trading with Russia. The baptism of Finland was carried out both from the east by the Russian Church and from the west by the Catholic Church and lasted more than two centuries (from 1050 to 1300). In the XII century, Finland completely came under the rule of Sweden according to the papal bull of 1172. In 1216, the Pope confirmed Sweden's right to Finland. In the 16th century, Finland received the title of duchy of the Swedish crown. In 1807, the Russian Tsar Alexander I occupied Finland and in March 1809 proclaimed it a Grand Duchy consisting of Russian Empire where the country was until 1917. On November 15, 1917, the new Finnish parliament took over the power that "formerly belonged to the tsar and the Grand Duke," and on December 6 the country was proclaimed an independent republic. Finland is a member of the UN, IMF, GATT, OSCE, EU.
Despite the fact that Finland is located in the north of Europe, the climate is not very severe due to the influence of the Baltic Sea. The average temperature in July in the south of the country is about 16° C. The average temperature in February is about -9° C. Snow lies for about 4 months a year in the south of the country and about 7 months in the north. Almost three quarters of the territory. Finland is covered with forests, mostly coniferous. There are about 1200 tree and fern species and about 1000 lichen species in Finland. Among the representatives of mammals are bears, wolves, lynxes and polar foxes. Among the birds - wild geese, swans, tundra partridges, snow bunting, golden plovers. Salmon, trout, pike, perch are found in rivers and lakes. In coastal sea waters - herring, cod, sea bass.
The main attractions of the country include more than 300 museums, the main of which are: the National Museum of Finland, the municipal museum. the Mannerheim Museum, the Sports Museum and the Ateneum Art Museum, all in Helsinki; Art Museum in Turku; Museum of Contemporary Art in Tampere; Archaeological Museum of Satankunna in Pori; Folklore Museum in Lahti. Among the architectural monuments: the Senate building, the Lutheran Cathedral and the Assumption Cathedral in Helsinki; Cathedral of 1907 in Tampere. There are also some attractions on the islands of the Baltic Sea: the zoo on the island of Korkeasaari; sea ​​fortress Suomenlinna (1748). Not far from Helsinki is the Seurasaari Leisure Park and the Museum of Wooden Architecture.

Encyclopedia: cities and countries. 2008 .

Finland is a state in the north of Europe. The Finns themselves call their country Suomi, which means "land of swamps." Finland is a democratic republic. Legislative power in the country is exercised by the parliament together with the president. The supreme executive power is in the hands of the President. Parliament consists of 200 deputies. The area of ​​Finland is 337 thousand sq. km, the population is 5.2 million people, 10% of them live in the capital - the city of Helsinki.
Finns make up 94% of the total population of the country. The Swedes also live in Finland, who predominate on the Åland Islands located in the Gulf of Bothnia. The Swedes enjoy cultural autonomy in Finland and their language is declared the state language on a par with Finnish. In the far north of the country, in Lapland, a national minority lives - the Sami. A special Sami district with local self-government has been created here. By religion, most Finns are Lutherans. The territory of Finland is divided into 12 regions (provinces) and the Aland Islands with autonomy and into five provinces: Southern Finland (the administrative center of Hämeenlinna), Western Finland (Turku), Eastern Finland (Mikkeli), Oulu (Oulu), Lapland (Rovaniemi).
Finland (or Suomi) is located in the north of Europe. In the east it borders on Russia (cm. Russia), in the north - with Norway (cm. Norway) and in the northwest - with Sweden (cm. Sweden). The southern and western shores of Finland are washed by the waters of the Baltic Sea and its gulfs - Finnish and Bothnian. About a third of the country's territory is located beyond the Arctic Circle.
Finland is a flat country dominated by hilly glacial relief. The shores of the bays of the Baltic Sea are heavily indented with numerous bays and abound in skerries. Most of the territory of Finland is covered with taiga forests. But the most salient feature nature of the country is an abundance of lakes. There are more than 60 thousand of them in Finland, and they occupy almost 1/10 of the entire territory of the country. Finland's climate is temperate, with frosty, snowy winters and fairly warm but short summers. Tundra and taiga landscapes prevail in Lapland, but thanks to the warm Gulf Stream, the climate of Lapland is mild, subarctic, with snowy winters and warm summers. Lapland is called the birthplace of Santa Claus for a reason. Snow lies here from October to May. On cold, clear nights, you can see the northern lights. The average annual temperature in Finland is 5.4 °C. Average February temperatures range from -3 °С in the south to -14 °С in the north; in July, respectively, from 17 °С to 15 °С.
Finland is a highly developed industrial and agricultural country. Leading industries: mechanical engineering, pulp and paper and woodworking industries, ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, chemical, textile, clothing, food industries. In agriculture, dairy and meat animal husbandry prevails, in plant growing - crops of fodder grasses and cereals (mainly oats and barley). Main foreign trade partners: EU countries and Russia.

Story
The indigenous people of Finland are the Sami. At the beginning of our era, the Finnish tribes, who came from the east, settled in the southern regions of present-day Finland, where they mixed with the local population. The Saami tribes, descendants of the earlier Finno-Ugric migrants, were pushed north.
The ancestors of modern Finns were pagans, led a nomadic lifestyle and were mainly engaged in hunting and fishing. The Suomi tribe lived in the southwest, the Häme tribe in the center, and the Karjala tribe in the east. Subsequently, the name "Suomi" was transferred to the whole country.
In the 8th-11th centuries. Vikings settled on the southwest coast. The Finns did not take part in their raids, but served the trade routes from Scandinavia to Russia and traded in fur. From the 12th century, Finland fell into the sphere of interests of Sweden. In 1115, the first crusade against the pagan Finns took place. He culminated in the conquest of southwestern Finland and the spread of Christianity there. During the Second Crusade (1249-1250) the central regions of southern Finland were conquered, and during the Third Campaign (1293-1300) the power of the Swedes extended to the eastern regions. Forts were built on the conquered lands. Thus, the Swedish state penetrated into the eastern part of the Baltic region.
Since 1527, the Church Reformation has been going on in Finland. The spread of Lutheranism was accompanied by active educational activities. The formation of the Finnish literary language dates back to the same time. From 1548, church services began to be held in Finnish. In the 17th century, Sweden undertook some improvements in the administrative system in Finland. The Swedish governor-general Per Brahe introduced a court of appeal and founded a university in Turku, and also granted self-reliance to cities. Representatives of Finland were admitted to the Swedish Riksdag.
Russia, looking for an outlet to the sea, has always laid claim to Finnish lands. During the Great Northern War (1700–1721), Finland became the scene of hostilities between Sweden and Russia for dominance in the Baltic. The war was accompanied by famine and epidemics, which killed almost half of the country's population. In 1721, only 250,000 people remained in Finland. After the victory in the Northern War, Russia regained the south-west of Karelia with the coast of the Gulf of Finland under the Treaty of Nystadt (1721).
In an effort to seize the lands conquered by Peter I from Russia, Sweden declared war on her in 1741, but a year later all of Finland was in the hands of the Russians. According to the Abos Peace Treaty of 1743, the territory up to the Kymijoki River with the fortified cities of Wilmanstrand (now Lappeenranta) and Friedrichsgamn (Hamina) ceded to Russia. During the Russian-Swedish war of 1808-1809. the Swedes were ousted from all over Finland, Russian troops raided the Aland Islands and even into the territory of Sweden itself. In March 1809, King Gustav IV Adolf was deposed. The war ended with the complete defeat of Sweden, and according to the Friedrichshamn peace treaty of 1809, all of Finland and the Aland Islands went to Russia. In the same year, the Grand Duchy of Finland was formed with its own Sejm, and a special commission for Finnish affairs (later renamed the committee for Finnish affairs) was created. In 1812, Helsingfors (Helsinki) was declared the capital of the principality.
With the beginning of the February Revolution in Russia in 1917, Finland received self-government and declared itself an independent state. Radical Social Democrats, along with other left-wing forces, organized Red Guard detachments and in January 1918 proclaimed Finland a socialist workers' republic. The Finnish government fled to the north, where the leader of the conservative party, Baron Carl Gustav Mannerheim, formed the White Guard detachments (shutzkor) to prevent the revolutionary movement from spreading. The last stronghold of the Reds, Vyborg, fell in April 1918. A diet was convened to form a government, and Per Evind Svinhufvud was named acting head of state. In 1919, according to the adopted Constitution, the country became a presidential republic. In accordance with the Tartu Peace Treaty of 1920, the borders of Finland were defined within the Grand Duchy within the Russian Empire.
Until the outbreak of World War II, Finland remained neutral. Relations with the USSR gradually deteriorated, especially after the conclusion of the Ribbentrop-Molotov pact on the inclusion of Finland, the Baltic countries and the eastern regions of Poland in the Soviet sphere of influence. On November 30, 1939, Soviet troops invaded Finland. The Mannerheim defensive line for some time held back the offensive of the Red Army, but in January 1940 it was broken through. On March 12, 1940, a peace treaty was signed in Moscow. Finland ceded to the USSR the Rybachy Peninsula in the north, part of Karelia with Vyborg, the northern Ladoga region, and the Hanko Peninsula was leased to Russia for a period of 30 years.
The German attack on the USSR in June 1941 prompted Finland to enter the war on the side of the Germans. The German government promised to return all the territories lost under the Moscow Treaty. In September 1944, Finland signed an armistice agreement with Great Britain and the USSR and undertook to facilitate the withdrawal of German military units from the country. Since the 1970s, Finland has pursued a policy of rapprochement with Western countries, which caused an upswing in the country's economy. For several decades, Finland has become a country with a high standard of living and social security, as well as advanced technology.

culture
For a long time, the culture of Finland was influenced by Swedish culture, but with independence, Finland began to focus on the original national art: the world-famous epic Kalevala. The Finns have made a great contribution to the development of world culture and science. The outstanding architect Aalto Alvar glorified Finland all over the world by creating such architectural masterpieces as the Finlandia Palace and Rovaniemi.
Finland is the birthplace of the famous composer Jean Sibelius (1865-1957), his works ("Finland", "Lemminkäinen", "Daughter of the North", "Karelia", "Tapiola") are known all over the world. In 1899-1924. Sibelius wrote seven symphonies. His concerto for violin and orchestra is considered one of the best in the world. Every four years, the Sibelius Violin Competition is held in Helsinki, one of the largest competitions in the world.
The Savonlinna Opera Festival is Finland's most famous cultural event. Every year at the end of July, world-famous artists perform on the stage of the ancient fortress of Olavinlinna, and the most famous operas are given. Numerous music concerts are also organized. This event is more than 90 years old, world-famous stars have performed and continue to perform here.
Holiday weeks in Helsinki take place in late August - early September and are considered a recognized international and cultural event. It is truly the only event of its kind in the Nordic countries, offering a well-crafted program every year, including orchestral and chamber music concerts, opera, dance and theater performances, jazz, pop and rock music, films and art exhibitions.
"Big Band" in Imatra is a jazz festival. It takes place in the first week of July and brings together jazz orchestras from all over the world. Performances, concerts, mass performances continue throughout the week. Quite different is Jazz Happening Tampere, founded in 1982. The program is built from a multi-faceted musical improvisation, world music and jazz with elements of rock.
On the holiday concerts At the Kaustinienė Festival, both new and well-known masters of traditional and modern folk music and dance perform daily. The festival program includes a wide range of music: from the spiritual Konsta Yulha, Vilami Niittukoski and Kreeta Haapasalo, to American gospel music, Buddhist temple music and mystical Islamic Sufi. Here is the multiculture of Great Britain and the Celts, Anglo-Indian film music and Jamaican reggae, and the music of young virtuosos from Ireland.

Cities
The largest cities in Finland are Helsinki, Tampere, Turku, Lahti, Oulu. With a population of over 100,000, Oulu is a university city as well as a vibrant research and development center. The University of Oulu has 12,000 students. The city is home to the well-known first in Finland exhibition and science center "Land of Knowledge", where annual exhibitions are held.
The oldest settlement in Finland, which received city rights in 1346, is the city of Porvoo. It was located on the "Royal Way". The reigning persons of the Romanov family have been here more than once. The well-preserved medieval wooden buildings of Porvoo, stretching along the river bank, give the city its originality: the Local Cathedral dates back to 1414. The Old Town Hall (1764) houses the historical museum and the museum of the painter Edelfeld-Valgren. The most popular among local museums is the House Museum of J. Runeberg, the national poet of Finland, who lived in Porvoo for 25 years and wrote his most famous works here.
Lappeenranta is the center of Southern Finland. The city was founded in 1649. The rich and interesting past of the city is told by its numerous museums, cathedrals, cozy green parks on the shores of Lake Saimaa and winding streets. One of the popular places among residents of the city and tourists was the Linnoitus fortress, located in the old part of the city. Here is the oldest Orthodox church in Finland - the Church of the Intercession Holy Mother of God, built by Russian soldiers in 1785.
Mikkeli is the capital of the province of Eastern Finland. The city is located on the shores of Lake Saimaa. "Mikkeli" is translated as the city of St. Michael. The area received this name in the 16th century in honor of its patron. The first settlements appeared here in the 12th century. Mikkeli received city rights in 1838 by decree of Tsar Nicholas I. Karl Engel was entrusted with developing a development plan. Here, as well as during the construction in Helsinki, the architect chose the Empire style. The market square and the house of the government of the province, completed by 1843, are the pride of the townspeople to this day. Since 1843 Mikkeli has been the center of the province.
Vuokatti - Finnish winter resort; located in the center of the country, in the Kaunuulu region, among forested hills and mirror lakes. There are excellent conditions for skiing both downhill and cross-country skiing. It was in Vuokatti that the world's first tube for skiing in the summer (200 m) appeared. Cross-country skiing trails lead from hotels and cottages, and ski slopes are located at a distance of 500 m to 3 km from the village. A bus takes tourists to the routes. A total of 13 trails are offered, and 6 of them are illuminated in the evening.
Cross-country lovers can ride on the frozen lake Nuasjärvi, and romantics can glide along its icy surface under sail. Among the sports activities of the resort: snowmobile safaris, dog sledding, snowboarding. You can also go on a hike accompanied by a guide and spend the night in a hut by the fire. The Katin Kulta sports and thermal center, which houses a tropical aqua park, is at the service of vacationers. In the center you can also practice golf, tennis, squash, badminton, visit the solarium, gym, sauna, swimming pool. Tourists are offered unusual excursions to a reindeer farm and a Siberian husky farm. Vuokatti offers 4 hotels and many cottages, 4 restaurants (including the original chum restaurant). Those who wish can go to the nearby village of Father Frost.

National cuisine
Finnish national cuisine was formed under the influence of the rather harsh natural conditions of this country. In the first place is, of course, fish cooked in a variety of ways. The most popular dishes are rainbow trout in own juice“graavi kirielohi”, salmon in its own juice “graavi lohi”, a peculiar salad-assortment of fish products “salamat”, freshwater fish caviar with onion and sour cream “meti”, dried fish soup “maimarokka”, fish soups with milk “calakeitto” and lohikeitteo, käläkääreytä sourdough pastry with raw fish, kalakukko crispy rye pies with fish and bacon, and the famous kalekukko unleavened fish pie.
Traditional meat dishes are mainly prepared from venison and game. Roast venison with mashed potatoes and lingonberry jam, cucumbers with honey and homemade cheese, Karelian meat in a pot "karjalanpaisti", roasted venison "poronpaisti", lamb "sarya" stewed in a wooden bowl, as well as a variety of elk and poultry dishes .
Finns' favorite drink is coffee. Homemade beer - "kotikalya", a kind of kvass, is also an indispensable attribute of any table. Popular vodka "Koskenkorva-vinna" and the famous "Finland". A special place is occupied by local berry liqueurs - “lakkalikeri” (cloudberry), “puolukkalikeri” (lingonberry), “karpalolikeri” (cranberry) and “mesimaryalikori” (brawberry) infused with wild berries and herbs have an unusual taste and special aroma.

Holidays
New Year - January 1
Epiphany - January 6
Good Friday - in April
Easter - in April
Spring and Student Festival Vapunpäivä - 1 May
Ascension - in May
Trinity - in May-June
Midsummer Day - June 22-24
Midsummer Day Finns traditionally spend in nature. June's "Festival of the Midnight Sun" is a day of worship for the round-the-clock light. Thousands of bonfires, large and small, are kindled outside the city. Once the pagans believed that the flame scares away evil spirits and disperses dark forces. Later, this festival was timed to coincide with the day of commemoration of John the Baptist, but the tradition of lighting fires has been preserved to this day. On the coast of the Botanical Bay and on the Aland Islands, instead of bonfires, it is customary to install festive poles - birches a little more than a meter high, and the rooms are decorated with birch branches and meadow flowers.
All Saints Day - November 1
Independence Day - December 6
Independence Day is famous for the torchlight procession of students and a huge reception at the Presidential Palace. Many concerts are held in Helsinki and the surrounding area, and residents light candles in the windows of their houses.
Christmas holidays - December 24-26

Christmas is considered a purely family holiday. Preparing for Christmas is thorough and leisurely. Already in October, St. Brigid's fairs open in all major cities, where they begin to sell Christmas tree decorations and gifts. On the Senate Square in Helsinki, a huge fir tree is set up for St. Andrew's Day (November 30), when "Antti invites Christmas." For a whole month, children can take part in the process of decorating it - they are given the lower branches of a giant beauty and they are given special excursions, during which they are given the right to attach something to their taste on the Christmas tree. Each city chooses "Christmas Street" for a particularly luxurious illumination. In Helsinki, Alexandrinkatz has been such a street for almost fifty years. A lot of lights, illuminations, candles, stars, fabulous meteors - all this creates an atmosphere of a fabulous holiday. In addition to public holidays, Finland also celebrates Father's Day and Mother's Day, when children give pink roses to all women.

- (Fin. Suomi, Swede. Finland), Republic of Finland (Fin. Suomen Tasavalta, Swede. Republiken Finland), state in North. Europe. Pl. 337 thousand km2. Hac. 4.9 million people (1987). Capital of Helsinki. B adm. relation is divided into 12 provinces (lian) ... Geological Encyclopedia

Finland. The staging of the epic Kalevala at a holiday among the Finns. Finland. The staging of the epic Kalevala at a holiday among the Finns. Finland () state in Northern Europe. Area 337 thousand square meters. km. Population 5.1 million people. Capital of Helsinki. AT… … Encyclopedic Dictionary "World History"

- (Suomi), the Republic of Finland, a state in northern Europe, in the Baltic Sea basin. The oldest cultural monuments on the territory of Finland include Mesolithic residential buildings, close to the dwellings of the Finno-Ugric peoples, pit-comb … Art Encyclopedia - (Finland), state in the North. Europe. According to the Treaty of Tilsit in 1807 between Alexander I and Napoleon, France was annexed to Russia as a Grand Duchy. Attempts to forcibly introduce Rus. language and military service in F. were not crowned ... ... The World History

Nothing is known about the Finns at all. It is not clear, no one knows where they came from - the Finns. Either from the wilderness of forests and swamps they came from somewhere, or the Transbaikalians. But even there the name of the people - the Finns, was not heard at all.

But seriously, people moved to Europe no earlier than 6000 years ago because it was under a glacier. -Finland - Finnish land (land). Suomi - Suomi - from the Omi, a river in Russia, flowing into the Irtysh River, in ancient times part of the territory of Belovodye. The name of the people - Suomi was preserved by the Finns because this word was used among the people, but over time, its meaning was forgotten. It is no coincidence that Slavic runic inscriptions are found on the territory of Scandinavia. The Finns (more correctly, the Finns) are the ancient Slavs-Russians, like the Icelanders, Danes, Norwegians, Swedes, British, Scots, etc. A single people was territorially divided into countries after the collapse of the Slavic-Aryan empire. By replacing their writing with the Latin alphabet and writing a new history, they received different languages, although earlier, the differences between peoples were only in dialect, dialect. In 1697, the Swedish court master of ceremonies Sparvenfeld, in an official speech, still called himself "a true bitter-hearted date." And he wrote in Latin in Russian. This shows how non-Slavs are made from Slavs. The example of today's Ukraine, for 2017, clearly shows this. The Greeks used to call the Finns Phoenicians, Phoenicians, because of the purple color of the sails of their ships. The Phoenicians, the Finns-Slavs, obtained purple from mollusks in sea shells, and they knew how to get different shades and colors from this dye. The Greeks (they also claim that the Greeks came from the Slavic word - sins) are an Eastern people who adopted the Jewish religion, partially taking the cultural heritage of the Slavs-Rus, after the collapse of the Slavic-Aryan empire. - the city of the Phoenicians-Slavs, which also had a Slavic name. The Greeks were not Hellenes. The Hellenes lived in Hellas. The Greek names Pallas and Hellas are a modified, Slavic name for Lada, revered by the Slavs-Rus. Finns-Phoenicians-Slavs fought with the Greeks. Therefore, the Phoenicians are both cruel and robbers and pirates and slave traders, which in fact was not. The Phoenicians-Slavs are a peaceful working people, they created a written language that is more than 4000 years old, they had developed crafts. They mined a dye - purple, made fabrics and dyed them in purple, mined and smelted metal, glass, were engaged in agriculture, gardening, cattle breeding, jewelry, perfectly built ships, houses, fortresses, had their cities throughout the Mediterranean Sea (now these are places in Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Tunisia, Spain, Italy and not only), sailed to America, Africa, India, Indonesia. Other peoples also called them: Antes (was throughout Asia Minor), Sarmatians, Huns, Polovtsy (straw-haired), Etruscans, Trojans, Pelasgians, Canaan, Scythians - these are all Slavic Rus. Scythians are a distortion of the word skits, from the word skit (enclosed place). Skete - real, ancient Russian, to the north and west of the Chinese wall. On the other side of China - Chin, called so now. Kita - in Slavic, a large, high fence (barrier). The Slavs who migrated from Skitia were called Scythians, with the loss of the original meaning of the word. The path of the Finns (Phoenicians, dates) to Europe: Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland also ran through the territory of present-day Ukraine from Asia Minor, the Middle East, Palestine (Palestine - Palyonny Stan - in Slavic - a hot country. For example, - according to -Slavonic - not hot. Syria on Miller's map from 1519 is called - Suria, which meant - Rusia. Phenicia on Miller's map of 1519, on the territory of present-day Turkey, where the city remains today - Finike.

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The name of the country Finland in Russian and in many languages ​​comes from the Swedish Finland. The origin of this name has several versions. According to the first, it comes from the word Fennit (poor hunter), was borrowed from the Germanic languages ​​​​and denoted wanderers and seekers. According to another version, from the word Fen, which means "swamp" in translation.

The Finns themselves do not call their country Finland. Finnish doesn't even have the "f" sound itself. The Finnish name for Finland is Suomi. In addition to the Finns, only Latvians, Lithuanians and Estonians recognize this name.
For the first time, it is recorded on the pages of Russian chronicles in the form of Sum (from the beginning of the 12th century). Initially, this was the name of the territory of present-day southwestern Finland (coastal areas).

One theory claims that the root of the name Suomi is the proto-Baltic word zeme, land. Over time, in Finnish dialects, zeme was transformed into säme, and from it into saame (Saami) and soome, from which the modern name of Finland, Suomi, came from.

There are other versions of the origin of the Finnish name of the country Suomi:
Some believe that the word Suomi comes from the Finnish word suomu (“scales”), because people lived there who made clothes from the beautiful and elastic fish skin of salmon breeds.
According to another theory, the word Suomi was originally a proper name. Indeed, the name Suomi was worn by a certain Danish nobleman who made peace with Charlemagne. The name of the nobleman was preserved in the papers of the king.
According to another version, the word Suomi is of Estonian origin. It is assumed that the area that once existed was named Sooma (Est. soo - "swamp", maa - "land"; literally: "land of swamps"). Settlers from this area transferred the name of their homeland to southwestern Finland, which also became known as Suomi.
From the analysis of hydronyms, a version appeared that Suomi is a singing country, like the Lithuanian Dainava (“singing land”). As Perm - Per-maa - the Country of husbands, so Suu-maa - the Singing country. This version is confirmed not only by Indo-European vocabulary, but also by Finnish: so-i-da - sound, ring; play"; so-i-nti - “sound; tone"; su-hina - “noise of leaves”

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Finland is a country in the northern part of Europe. It bears the title of the best and most stable country in the world. What are the characteristics and features of Finland? The form of government, and a description of the population, see later in the article.

Geography

Finland borders on Norway, Russia, Sweden. By sea, it shares (along the Gulf of Finland) and with Sweden (the Gulf of Bothnia). The area of ​​Finland is 338,430,053 square kilometers. More than 20% of the country's territory is located beyond the Arctic Circle.

The coastline of the continental part stretches for 46 thousand kilometers. In addition, Finland owns more than 80 thousand islands and archipelagos. The most famous are the Turku archipelago and the Aland Islands.

In the area between the Gulf of Finland and the Gulf of Bothnia is the Archipelago Sea. This is a site in which many small islands, uninhabited rocks and skerries are concentrated. Their total number reaches 50,000, which makes the archipelago the largest in the country.

The territory of the state is elongated in the meridian direction. The length from north to south is 1030 kilometers, the distance from west to east is 515 kilometers. The highest point - Mount Halti - the country shares with Norway. In Finland, its height is 1324 meters.

Finland: form of government and political structure

Finland is a unitary state, where the Åland Islands have partial autonomy. The special status of the islands determines the release of the inhabitants of this territory from military service (unlike the rest of Finland), allows you to have your own parliament and much more.

Finland is a parliamentary-presidential republic. The head of state is the president, whose term of office lasts six years. The main ruling structures of the country are located in the capital - the city of Helsinki. The judicial system has several branches and is divided into civil, criminal and administrative courts.

The laws in the country are based on Swedish or civil law. Considering that the country is a parliamentary-presidential republic, the parliament and the president are responsible for the legislative power. Executive power is vested in the President and the Council of State.

What territorial units is Finland divided into? The form of government of the country involves a slightly complicated division. The whole territory is divided into regions, they are divided into cities, which, in turn, are divided into communes. Each unit has its own governing bodies. In total, there are 19 regions in the country.

Population of the country

Approximately 5.5 million people live in the country. The majority of the population of Finland lives on only five percent of the country's territory. The overall population growth is negative, the birth rate is below the death rate. Nevertheless, the total number of inhabitants is increasing.

In recent years, citizens of other countries accounted for approximately 4%. The population of Finland is 89% represented by Finns. The largest national minority are the Finnish Swedes. Russians represent 1.3%, almost 1% belongs to Estonians. The Saami and Gypsies are the least numerous.

The first most spoken language is Finnish, spoken by more than 90% of the population. Together with Swedish, it is official. Only 5.5% of the inhabitants speak Swedish, mainly on the Åland Islands, in the western and southern regions of the state. Russian, Somali, Arabic and English are common among immigrants.

Economy

The share of Finland in the world economy is modest, in trade it is 0.8%, in production - about 5%. This is a small, highly developed GDP per capita of about $45,000. The national currency of Finland is the euro, until 2002 the Finnish mark was in effect.

The industry accounts for the largest share of the country's economy (33%). The main industries are mechanical engineering, metallurgy, woodworking, light and food industries. Agriculture is focused on the cultivation of grain crops and meat and dairy farming. It accounts for 6%, forestry - 5%.

In Finland, the sphere of Internet technologies is rapidly developing, and investment attractiveness is increasing. The negative factors of the economy are the large and undeveloped domestic market.

Almost half of the population is employed in the service sector, industry and trade, 28% work in forestry, 12% in fisheries. In Finland, there is a trend towards an aging population, which also negatively affects the development of the country's economy.

Nature

Finland is often called them here more than 180 thousand. Most of them, together with swamps and swamps, are located in the central part of the country. The largest are Oulujärvi, Saimaa, Päianne. All lakes are connected by small rivers, in which waterfalls, rapids and rapids are often formed.

The area of ​​Finland is 60% covered with forests. The relief is represented by hilly plains, in the east - by plateaus. The highest point is in the north; in the rest of the country, elevations do not exceed three hundred meters. The formation of the relief was significantly affected by glaciation.

The country has a temperate climate, continental in the northern part, in the rest of the territory - transitional from continental to maritime. Active precipitation is observed throughout the year. Summer days are especially long and cool, reaching up to 19 hours. In the remote northern areas, sunset does not occur for 73 days. Winters, on the other hand, are short and cold.

Animal and plant world

Finland is characterized by a variety of flora and fauna. Forests cover more than 20 million hectares of the country. These are mainly pine forests located in the central part. They grow a large number of berries (blueberries, cranberries, raspberries, etc.) and mushrooms. Beech forests predominate in the southern regions.

Vegetation is low in the northern part of the country. There are no forests here, but cloudberry grass grows actively, forming whole thickets. Spring vegetation is represented by various herbs, such as liverwort, coltsfoot.

The animal world is widely represented by birds. Whooper swans live in Finland, which have become a symbol of the country. Here you can meet finches, lapwings, blackbirds, starlings, herons, cranes. The list of mammals includes wolverines, lynxes, flying squirrels, beavers, brown bears, bats, wolves, ferrets and, of course, reindeer.

• On the territory of Finland there are 38 national parks, which, according to the law, are allowed to walk freely. Within them there are many parking lots for the night.
• Tap water in this country is considered the cleanest in the world.
• You don't have to travel far to see the Northern Lights. It can be observed even in the southern part of the country.

• The local sport is Nordic walking. It is an ordinary race walking with ski poles for weighting. They do it even in the summer.
• On average, every Finn consumes more than two thousand cups of coffee a year. For this, they have earned the title of world coffee lovers.
• In a small town in Finland, it is quite possible to meet a deer or a bear right on the street.

Conclusion

The land of a thousand lakes and the "midnight sun" is Finland. The form of government of the state is a republic. This is a unitary country, which includes a territory with a special status. The main city of the country is Helsinki.

The ecological situation in Finland is considered one of the best in the world. Even from the taps, clean water flows here. The hilly terrain of the country is covered with pine and beech forests, berry bushes and numerous lakes. And the state carefully guards its unique landscapes.