Portal:Finland

The Finland Portal

Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, opposite Estonia. Finland has a population of 5.6 million, the majority being ethnic Finns. Its capital and largest city is Helsinki. The official languages are Finnish and Swedish, the mother tongues of 84.1 percent and 5.1 percent of the population, respectively. Finland's climate varies from humid continental in the south to boreal in the north. Its land is predominantly covered by boreal forest, with over 180,000 recorded lakes.

Finland was first settled around 9000 BC after the last Ice Age. During the Stone Age, various cultures emerged, distinguished by different styles of ceramics. The Bronze Age and Iron Ages were marked by contacts with other cultures in Fennoscandia and the Baltic region. From the late 13th century, Finland became part of Sweden following the Northern Crusades. In 1809, as a result of the Finnish War, Finland was captured from Sweden and became an autonomous grand duchy within the Russian Empire. During this period, Finnish art flourished and an independence movement gradually developed. Finland became the first territory in Europe to grant universal suffrage in 1906, and the first in the world to give all adult citizens the right to run for public office. (Full article...)

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The Laiho Trio was formed by three brothers, Altti Uolevi Laiho (8 April 1939 Pori – 20 January 2017 Ulvila), Veikko Olavi Laiho (31 December 1942 Pori) and Pentti Kalevi Laiho (21 July 1944 Pori). According to many experts, the trio was extremely unusual in its composition, repertoire, and virtuosity.

 The repertoire of the trio consisted of big symphony orchestral compositions arranged for three accordions. The brothers grew up in the city of Pori, in southwestern Finland, but they made their main career in the United States where they lived for years. (Full article...)

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Photo credit: Johannes Jansson/norden.org
Prime Minister of Finland Matti Vanhanen

Did you know (auto-generated)

... that Finland won its first Olympic ice hockey medal under the leadership of Kai Hietarinta?
... that Kimmo Leinonen helped establish both the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame and the IIHF Hall of Fame?
... that politician Kalervo Kummola introduced karaoke to Finland?
... that the filmmakers of 100 Litres of Gold brewed 20 litres of sahti at the Finnish embassy in Rome for its premiere?
... that records of transgender people in Finland stretch back to the 19th century?
... that Kaija Saariaho's 2021 opera Innocence includes traditional Finnish cow-herding calls?

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You are invited to participate in Finland WikiProject, a WikiProject dedicated to developing and improving articles about Finland.

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...that when completed in 1967, MS Finlandia was the largest ferry in the world?
...that the Pysähdy ajoissa - Stanna i tid ("Stop in time") traffic campaign was the result of the public response to a road death of a nine-year-old girl in Finland?
...that the Finnish Association of Graduate Engineers has been in charge of publishing Finland's ethical guidelines on engineering for over 40 years?
...that Penedo, a small town in Brazil was colonized by immigrants from Finland?
...that the Wärtsilä Turku shipyard in Finland built five state-of-the-art cruiseferries for the Black Sea Shipping Company, Soviet Union, in 1975-1976?

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Kiprusoff with the Calgary Flames in December 2007

Miikka Sakari Kiprusoff (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈmiːkːɑ ˈsɑkɑri ˈkiprusofː]; born October 26, 1976), nicknamed "Kipper", is a Finnish former professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League for the San Jose Sharks and Calgary Flames between 2000 and 2013. He was selected in the fifth round, 116th overall, by the Sharks in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft, and has also played professionally for TPS of the Finnish SM-liiga, as well as for both AIK IF and Timrå IK of the Swedish Elitserien.

Kiprusoff represented Finland several times on the international stage, earning silver medals at the Ice Hockey World Championships in 1999 and 2001, as well as leading the Finns to a surprise second-place finish at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. He also helped the Finnish national team win the bronze medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics. (Full article...)

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General images

The following are images from various Finland-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Three Finnish Romani women in Helsinki, Finland, in 1930s (from Culture of Finland)
Image 2Janne Ahonen is considered one of the best and most successful currently active ski jumpers. (from Culture of Finland)
Image 3The ruins of Vammala burned by the Reds, during the Civil war (from History of Finland)
Image 42007 Formula One World Champion Kimi Räikkönen celebrating victory at the 2007 Brazilian Grand Prix (from Culture of Finland)
Image 5An old drawing of the city of Turku in the 18th century (from History of Finland)
Image 6Painting of Lalli killing Henry. Painting by C. A. Ekman. (from History of Finland)
Image 7Finland Ostrobothnia regiment uniforms in 1705 (from History of Finland)
Image 8Homann's map of the Scandinavian Peninsula and Fennoscandia with their surrounding territories: northern Germany, northern Poland, the Baltic region, Livonia, Belarus, and parts of Northwest Russia. Johann Baptist Homann (1664–1724) was a German geographer and cartographer; map dated around 1730. (from History of Finland)
Image 9In the sauna, by Pekka Halonen, 1925 (from Culture of Finland)
Image 10Map of Finnish areas ceded to the Soviet Union in 1944, after the Continuation War (from History of Finland)
Image 11Identification document and tag of a Finnish war child (from History of Finland)
Image 12The Swedish empire at its largest. Most of present-day Finland was part of Sweden proper, rike, shown in dark green. (from History of Finland)
Image 13Wehrmacht soldiers with a local Sámi reindeer herder, Lappland, Sodankylä, Finland 1942 (from History of Finland)
Image 14Prehistoric red ochre painted rock art of moose, human figures, and boats in Astuvansalmi, Finland, from ca. 3800–2200 BC (from Culture of Finland)
Image 15Turku Cathedral and its surroundings from 1814 (from History of Finland)
Image 16Linus Torvalds, a famous Fennoswede software engineer, best known for initiating the development of the Linux kernel (from Culture of Finland)
Image 17Battle of Valkeala was part of the Russo-Swedish War (1788–1790). (from History of Finland)
Image 18Pieces of the Antrea Net (8,300 BC), the oldest-known fishing net in the world. (from History of Finland)
Image 19Northern Europe in 814 (from History of Finland)
Image 20Signing the Helsinki Accords are the West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt, East Germany's leader Erich Honecker, US president Gerald Ford and the Austrian chancellor Bruno Kreisky (from History of Finland)
Image 21Jean Sibelius at work in his study (from History of Finland)
Image 22Eero Järnefelt, Burning the Brushwood, 1893 (from History of Finland)
Image 23Badge of the Finnish White/Civil Guard (from History of Finland)
Image 24In the middle is the patron saint of Finland, Saint Henry, on the right side of him is Bishop Konrad Bitz and on the left is Dean Magnus Stjernkors; from Missale Aboense (1488) (from History of Finland)
Image 25Memorial of the Mannerheim Cross Knights of Parikkala, Finland (from History of Finland)
Image 26The first government of independent Finland. P. E. Svinhufvud, the first Prime Minister of Finland, sitting at the head of the table. (from History of Finland)
Image 27Portrait of Finnish poet Elias Lönnrot who wrote "the Kalevala" (1802 - 1884) (from History of Finland)
Image 28A group of Finnish soldiers operating a Bofors gun during the Continuation War in 1943 (from History of Finland)
Image 29Erkki Karu, one of the pioneers of the Finnish cinema, with cinematographer Eino Kari in 1927 (from Culture of Finland)
Image 30This 1825 map of the Grand Duchy of Finland is from a larger work, geographical atlas of the Russian Empire. (from History of Finland)
Image 31Winter War Monument in Suomussalmi, Kainuu, Finland (from History of Finland)
Image 32Paavo Nurmi at the 1920 Summer Olympics (from Culture of Finland)
Image 33The area controlled by Finland at its largest, in 1942 (from History of Finland)
Image 34Sámi family in traditional costumes from Finland. (from Culture of Finland)
Image 35The area of Finland in the years 1920–1940. The 1935 county and municipality division on the map. (from History of Finland)
Image 36A summer cottage (mökki) on a lake island (from Culture of Finland)
Image 37S/S Urania in Hanko harbor in 1893, with 509 emigrants on board on their way to America (from History of Finland)
Image 38President Urho Kekkonen's funeral procession in 1986 (from History of Finland)
Image 39(1809 Diet of Porvoo) The sovereign's pledge, printed in Finnish (from History of Finland)
Image 40A triptych by Akseli Gallen-Kallela, depicting the Aino Story of Kalevala on three panes (from Culture of Finland)
Image 41President K. J. Ståhlberg in his office in 1919 (from History of Finland)
Image 42Captain Aarne Juutilainen at the front at Kollaa during the Winter War (from History of Finland)
Image 43Ancylus Lake covered major part of Finland (7,500–6,000 BC) (from History of Finland)
Image 44The public education system founded during earlier Swedish rule resulted the literacy of Grand Duchy of Finland being higher than its host country Russian Empire (map of 1897 census literacy data) (from History of Finland)
Image 45Imagery collage of Birger Jarl conquering Häme and the construction of Häme Castle (from History of Finland)
Image 46The Finno-Soviet Treaty (from History of Finland)
Image 47The Finnish composer Jean Sibelius (1865–1957), a significant figure in the history of classical music (from Culture of Finland)
Image 48Apocalyptica's Perttu Kivilaakso playing metal music live (from Culture of Finland)
Image 49A reconstruction of a 12th-century Perniö costume (from History of Finland)
Image 50Finnish folk dancers in a 1907 postcard sent from Mustamäki, Finland (from Culture of Finland)
Image 51Helsinki Accords Treaty (from History of Finland)
Image 52Grand Duchy of Finland, 75 kopek assignat (1824) (from History of Finland)
Image 53Kreeta Haapasalo Playing the Kantele in a Peasant Cottage (1868), by Robert Wilhelm Ekman (from History of Finland)
Image 54A peasant girl and a woman in traditional dress from Ruokolahti, eastern Finland, as depicted by Severin Falkman in 1882 (from Culture of Finland)
Image 55People gathered in the Senate Square for a demonstration against the February Manifesto in March 1899. (from History of Finland)
Image 56Marshal of Finland Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim visit in Germany, 1942 (from History of Finland)
Image 57The decision of the Soviet of the People's Comissars' to recognise Finnish independence, signed by Vladimir Lenin, Leon Trotsky, Grigory Petrovsky, Joseph Stalin, Isaac Steinberg, Vladimir Karelin, and Alexander Schlichter (from History of Finland)
Image 58Kalmar Union in 1400s (from History of Finland)
Image 59A smoke sauna (savusauna) in Enonkoski (from Culture of Finland)
Image 60Finnish Guards' Rifle Battalion, 1850s (from History of Finland)
Image 61In 2011 figure skater Kiira Korpi was ranked 4th in the world. (from Culture of Finland)
Image 62Lapua Movement supporters beating the "red officer" Eino Nieminen [fi] in front of the Vaasa courthouse during the 4 June 1930 riot. (from History of Finland)
Image 63The part of Finland controlled by the Reds at its largest in February–March 1918 (from History of Finland)
Image 64Women in sauna with Vihtas
Image 65Karjalanpiirakka, a traditional Finnish pastry (from Culture of Finland)
Image 66Battle of Gangut (Hanko) was part of the Great Northern War during 1700–1721. (from History of Finland)
Image 67Kastelli Giant's Church in Pattijoki by Pöljä culture [fi] (from History of Finland)
Image 68Students on Helsinki's Esplanadi wearing their caps on Vappu (from Culture of Finland)
Image 69Mikael Agricola hands over the Finnish Translation of the New Testament to King Gustav Wasa. (from History of Finland)
Image 70Alvar Aalto, Viipuri Library (1927–35) (from Culture of Finland)
Image 71A view of Pohjoisesplanadi in the center of Helsinki in 1891 (from History of Finland)
Image 72Jussipaita (transl. Jussi sweater); a traditional sweater from the Finnish region of Southern Ostrobothnia (from Culture of Finland)
Image 73Stone Age stone axe engraved with human face found from Kiuruvesi. (from History of Finland)
Image 74Pekka Halonen's painting "against persecutors" from 1896 depicts the warfare of the ancient Finns. (from History of Finland)
Image 75Midsummer bonfire (kokko) in Mäntsälä (from Culture of Finland)
Image 76Stone Age dwelling named Kierikki 5000–3000 BC (from History of Finland)
Image 77Women dressed in Finnish folk costumes (from Culture of Finland)

In the news

19 June 2025 –: The Finnish Parliament votes 155–18 to withdraw from the Ottawa Treaty, which bans the use of anti-personnel mines, citing the threat Russia poses to its national security. (Reuters) (Helsingin Sanomat)
21 May 2025 – Foreign relations of Israel: More than a dozen governments condemn the Israeli military firing in the direction of a diplomatic delegation with representatives from 31 countries including Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, Egypt, the European Union, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, the Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and Uruguay. (The Guardian) (Al Jazeera)
20 May 2025 –: Three students are injured in a mass stabbing attack at a school in Pirkkala, Pirkanmaa, Finland. The suspect, a 16-year-old, released a manifesto saying his target was women. (Yle)
17 May 2025 –: Five people, including Estonian businessmen Oleg Sõnajalg and Priit Jaagant, are killed when two Robinson R44 civilian helicopters en route to Piikajärvi Airfield collide mid-air and crash into the ground in a forested area near Eura, Satakunta, Finland. (Eesti Rahvusringhääling)
14 January 2025 – 2024 Baltic Sea submarine cable disruptions, NATO operations: At the Summit of Baltic Sea Allies in Helsinki, Finland, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announces the establishment of the Baltic Sentry military mission, which will strengthen the protection of critical infrastructure in the region, such as energy and communication cables, from "destabilizing acts". (NATO News)
3 January 2025 – 2024 Estlink 2 incident: A district court in Helsinki, Finland, denies a request to release the impounded oil tanker Eagle S, suspected of damaging the Estlink 2 submarine power cable and carrying sanctioned Russian oil. (Al Jazeera)

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