General Facts About Finland

Finland is a northern European country. It is one of the world’s most northern and geographically remote countries and is subject to a severe climate. Nearly two-thirds of Finland is blanketed by thick woodlands, making it the most densely forested country in Europe. (1) It became part of the European Union in 1995.

Finland is bordered to the north by Norway, to the east by Russia, to the south by the Gulf of Finland, to the southwest by the Gulf of Bothnia, and to the northwest by Sweden. Its area includes the autonomous territory of Åland, an archipelago at the entrance to the Gulf of Bothnia. About one-third of the territory of Finland—most of the maakunta (region) of Lappi—lies north of the Arctic Circle.

Sometimes, it is considered a Scandinavian country by its broader definition.

Finland covers an area of 338,455 square kilometres (130,678 Sq mi) (2)

It has a population of aproximately 5.5 million people.

Its capital city is Helsinki.

It has a few mountainous regions in the extreme northwest, adjacent to Finland’s borders with Sweden and Norway. There its highest point is located and it is called Mount Halti, which is, at 4,357 feet (1,328 metres). Even though this mountain mostly sits in Finland, the peak of the mountain is in Norway.

Finland is heavily forested and contains some 56,000 lakes, numerous rivers, and extensive areas of marshland; viewed from the air, Finland looks like an intricate blue and green jigsaw puzzle. (2)

Its lowest point is the Baltic Sea at 0 meters.

Finland has two national languages, Finnish and Swedish, and is officially bilingual. Nearly nine-tenths of the population speak Finnish; the language is an important nationalist feature, although it is spoken in strong regional dialects. The Swedish-speaking population is found mainly in the coastal area in the south, southwest, and west and in the Åland Islands (where Swedish is the sole official language).(2)

Christianity had entered Finland from both the west and the east by the 13th century. Finland is now one of the most homogeneous countries in Europe in terms of Christianity and has the highest percentage of church membership in Scandinavia. The great majority of the people belong to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, whose status gradually changed from an official state church to a national church beginning in the 19th century. (2)