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. Its capital and largest city is Helsinki. The majority of the population are ethnic Finns. The official languages are Finnish and Swedish; 84.1 percent of the population speak the first as their mother tongue and 5.1 percent the latter. Finland's climate varies from humid continental in the south to boreal in the north. The land cover is predominantly boreal forest biome, with more than 180,000 recorded lakes.

Finland was first settled around 9000 BC after the last Ice Age. During the Stone Age, various cultures emerged, distinguished by different styles of ceramics. The Bronze Age and Iron Ages were marked by contacts with other cultures in Fennoscandia and the Baltic region. From the late 13th century, Finland became part of Sweden as a result of 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 the independence movement began to take hold. 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. Following the Russian Revolution of 1917, Finland declared its independence. A civil war was fought in Finland the following year, with the Whites emerging victorious. Finland's status as a republic was confirmed in 1919. During World War II, Finland fought against the Soviet Union in the Winter War and the Continuation War, and later against Nazi Germany in the Lapland War. As a result, it lost parts of its territory to the Soviet Union but retained its independence and democracy. (Full article...)

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The Lahti L-35 is a semi-automatic pistol designed by Aimo Lahti that was produced between 1935 and 1952. Designed to be manufactured autonomously in Finland, the pistol was used by Finland throughout the Winter War and Continuation War. Considered to be of high quality, the Lahti was well manufactured and worked reliably in cold conditions or when fouled. The use of a bolt accelerator, an uncommon feature in a pistol, helped make the Lahti reliable.

A Swedish copy of the L-35 Lahti, the Husqvarna m/40, saw extensive service with the Swedish military until the 1980s. The m/40s had similar design and firing mechanisms to the Finnish L-35s but suffered lower reliability from the lower quality steel used in manufacturing. (Full article...)

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Photo credit: Christopher Batt
Juuso Pykälistö in his Peugeot 206 WRC during the 2003 Swedish Rally.

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 the filmmakers of 100 Litres of Gold brewed 20 litres of sahti at the Finnish embassy in Rome for its premiere?
... that Kuappi in Iisalmi, Finland, holds the Guinness world record for the smallest restaurant?
... that Charlotte Haining was an International Jury Member for the selection of Finland's 2020 Eurovision Song Contest entry?
... that Matti Lehtinen, a baritone of the Finnish National Opera and professor of singing at the Sibelius Academy, was the voice of God at age 93?

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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 the Finnish Communist leader Arvo Tuominen broke with the Soviet Union during the Winter War and ordered the Finnish Communists not to assist the Red Army?
...that mobile phone throwing is an international sport in which thrown mobile phones are judged by the distance and choreographics of the throw?
...that the self-taught weapon designer Aimo Lahti designed over 50 weapons of all types prior to and during World War II, including the successful Suomi M-31?
...that Norse sagas record some Finnish campaigns against Sweden in the mid-8th century?
...that Larin Paraske, a Finnish oral poet, could recite over 32,000 verses of poetry?

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Finnish soldiers at the VT-line of fortifications during the Soviet Vyborg–Petrozavodsk offensive in June 1944

The Continuation War, also known as the Second Soviet–Finnish War, was a conflict fought by Finland and Nazi Germany against the Soviet Union during World War II. It began with a Finnish declaration of war on 25 June 1941 and ended on 19 September 1944 with the Moscow Armistice. The Soviet Union and Finland had previously fought the Winter War from 1939 to 1940, which ended with the Soviet failure to conquer Finland and the Moscow Peace Treaty. Numerous reasons have been proposed for the Finnish decision to invade, with regaining territory lost during the Winter War regarded as the most common. Other justifications for the conflict include Finnish President Risto Ryti's vision of a Greater Finland and Commander-in-Chief Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim's desire to annex East Karelia.

On 22 June 1941, the Axis invaded the Soviet Union. Three days later, the Soviet Union conducted an air raid on Finnish cities which prompted Finland to declare war and allow German troops in Finland to begin offensive warfare. By September 1941, Finland had regained its post–Winter War concessions to the Soviet Union in Karelia. The Finnish Army continued its offensive past the 1939 border during the invasion of East Karelia and halted it only around 30–32 km (19–20 mi) from the centre of Leningrad. It participated in besieging the city by cutting the northern supply routes and by digging in until 1944. In Lapland, joint German–Finnish forces failed to capture Murmansk or cut the Kirov (Murmansk) Railway. The Soviet Vyborg–Petrozavodsk offensive in June and August 1944 drove the Finns from most of the territories that they had gained during the war, but the Finnish Army halted the offensive in August 1944. (Full article...)

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General images

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

Image 1Identification document and tag of a Finnish war child (from History of Finland)
Image 2People gathered in the Senate Square for a demonstration against the February Manifesto in March 1899. (from History of Finland)
Image 3Helsinki Accords Treaty (from History of Finland)
Image 4The Finno-Soviet Treaty (from History of Finland)
Image 5President K. J. Ståhlberg in his office in 1919 (from History of Finland)
Image 6A triptych by Akseli Gallen-Kallela, depicting the Aino Story of Kalevala on three panes (from Culture of Finland)
Image 7Portrait of Finnish poet Elias Lönnrot who wrote "the Kalevala" (1802 - 1884) (from History of Finland)
Image 8In 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 9A smoke sauna (savusauna) in Enonkoski (from Culture of Finland)
Image 10Three Finnish Romani women in Helsinki, Finland, in 1930s (from Culture of Finland)
Image 11Erkki Karu, one of the pioneers of the Finnish cinema, with cinematographer Eino Kari in 1927 (from Culture of Finland)
Image 12President Urho Kekkonen's funeral procession in 1986 (from History of Finland)
Image 13Northern Europe in 814 (from History of Finland)
Image 14Pieces of the Antrea Net (8,300 BC), the oldest-known fishing net in the world. (from History of Finland)
Image 15Imagery collage of Birger Jarl conquering Häme and the construction of Häme Castle (from History of Finland)
Image 16Grand Duchy of Finland, 75 kopek assignat (1824) (from History of Finland)
Image 17Turku Cathedral and its surroundings from 1814 (from History of Finland)
Image 18Battle of Gangut (Hanko) was part of the Great Northern War during 1700–1721. (from History of Finland)
Image 19In 2011 figure skater Kiira Korpi was ranked 4th in the world. (from Culture of Finland)
Image 20Kalmar Union in 1400s (from History of Finland)
Image 21Marshal of Finland Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim visit in Germany, 1942 (from History of Finland)
Image 22Mikael Agricola hands over the Finnish Translation of the New Testament to King Gustav Wasa. (from History of Finland)
Image 23Sámi family in traditional costumes from Finland. (from Culture of Finland)
Image 24In the sauna, by Pekka Halonen, 1925 (from Culture of Finland)
Image 25Badge of the Finnish White/Civil Guard (from History of Finland)
Image 26S/S Urania in Hanko harbor in 1893, with 509 emigrants on board on their way to America (from History of Finland)
Image 27Ancylus Lake covered major part of Finland (7,500–6,000 BC) (from History of Finland)
Image 28The ruins of Vammala burned by the Reds, during the Civil war (from History of Finland)
Image 29Apocalyptica's Perttu Kivilaakso playing metal music live (from Culture of Finland)
Image 30Finnish folk dancers in a 1907 postcard sent from Mustamäki, Finland (from Culture of Finland)
Image 31The 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 32Wehrmacht soldiers with a local Sámi reindeer herder, Lappland, Sodankylä, Finland 1942 (from History of Finland)
Image 33A reconstruction of a 12th-century Perniö costume (from History of Finland)
Image 34A peasant girl and a woman in traditional dress from Ruokolahti, eastern Finland, as depicted by Severin Falkman in 1882 (from Culture of Finland)
Image 35Homann'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 36Captain Aarne Juutilainen at the front at Kollaa during the Winter War (from History of Finland)
Image 37Midsummer bonfire (kokko) in Mäntsälä (from Culture of Finland)
Image 38Kastelli Giant's Church in Pattijoki by Pöljä culture [fi] (from History of Finland)
Image 39Stone Age dwelling named Kierikki 5000–3000 BC (from History of Finland)
Image 402007 Formula One World Champion Kimi Räikkönen celebrating victory at the 2007 Brazilian Grand Prix (from Culture of Finland)
Image 41An old drawing of the city of Turku in the 18th century (from History of Finland)
Image 42Lapua 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 43Finnish Guards' Rifle Battalion, 1850s (from History of Finland)
Image 44The 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 45Linus Torvalds, a famous Fennoswede software engineer, best known for initiating the development of the Linux kernel (from Culture of Finland)
Image 46A summer cottage (mökki) on a lake island (from Culture of Finland)
Image 47A view of Pohjoisesplanadi in the center of Helsinki in 1891 (from History of Finland)
Image 48The Finnish composer Jean Sibelius (1865–1957), a significant figure in the history of classical music (from Culture of Finland)
Image 49Eero Järnefelt, Burning the Brushwood, 1893 (from History of Finland)
Image 50Memorial of the Mannerheim Cross Knights of Parikkala, Finland (from History of Finland)
Image 51The part of Finland controlled by the Reds at its largest in February–March 1918 (from History of Finland)
Image 52Kreeta Haapasalo Playing the Kantele in a Peasant Cottage (1868), by Robert Wilhelm Ekman (from History of Finland)
Image 53Alvar Aalto, Viipuri Library (1927–35) (from Culture of Finland)
Image 54Prehistoric red ochre painted rock art of moose, human figures, and boats in Astuvansalmi, Finland, from ca. 3800–2200 BC (from Culture of Finland)
Image 55Finland Ostrobothnia regiment uniforms in 1705 (from History of Finland)
Image 56Painting of Lalli killing Henry. Painting by C. A. Ekman. (from History of Finland)
Image 57Jean Sibelius at work in his study (from History of Finland)
Image 58Winter War Monument in Suomussalmi, Kainuu, Finland (from History of Finland)
Image 59The area of Finland in the years 1920–1940. The 1935 county and municipality division on the map. (from History of Finland)
Image 60Karjalanpiirakka, a traditional Finnish pastry (from Culture of Finland)
Image 61Women dressed in Finnish folk costumes (from Culture of Finland)
Image 62Janne Ahonen is considered one of the best and most successful currently active ski jumpers. (from Culture of Finland)
Image 63(1809 Diet of Porvoo) The sovereign's pledge, printed in Finnish (from History of Finland)
Image 64The 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 65Women in sauna with Vihtas
Image 66The 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 67Paavo Nurmi at the 1920 Summer Olympics (from Culture of Finland)
Image 68This 1825 map of the Grand Duchy of Finland is from a larger work, geographical atlas of the Russian Empire. (from History of Finland)
Image 69Battle of Valkeala was part of the Russo-Swedish War (1788–1790). (from History of Finland)
Image 70Pekka Halonen's painting "against persecutors" from 1896 depicts the warfare of the ancient Finns. (from History of Finland)
Image 71Signing 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 72Jussipaita (transl. Jussi sweater); a traditional sweater from the Finnish region of Southern Ostrobothnia (from Culture of Finland)
Image 73A group of Finnish soldiers operating a Bofors gun during the Continuation War in 1943 (from History of Finland)
Image 74Map of Finnish areas ceded to the Soviet Union in 1944, after the Continuation War (from History of Finland)
Image 75Stone Age stone axe engraved with human face found from Kiuruvesi. (from History of Finland)
Image 76The area controlled by Finland at its largest, in 1942 (from History of Finland)
Image 77Students on Helsinki's Esplanadi wearing their caps on Vappu (from Culture of Finland)

In the news

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 – 2025 Eura mid-air collision: 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)
26 December 2024 – 2024 Baltic Sea submarine cable disruptions, Finland–Russia relations: 2024 Estlink 2 incident

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