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Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, opposite Estonia. Finland covers a total area of 338,145 square kilometres (130,559 sq mi), including a land area of 303,815 square kilometres (117,304 sq mi), and has a population of 5.6 million. Helsinki is the capital and largest city. The vast majority of the population are ethnic Finns. The official languages are Finnish and Swedish; 84.9 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 but retained its independence and democracy. (Full article...)

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Hilja Elisabet Riipinen (30 October 1883 – 18 January 1966, née Miklin, later Metsäpolku) was a Finnish politician involved with the nationalist and anti-communist Lapua Movement and Patriotic People's Movement (IKL). She was a member of parliament between 1930 and 1939, first elected from the electoral list of the National Coalition Party, but she defected to the Patriotic People's Movement after it was formed as a political party in 1933.

Being uncompromising in her general address, one of the most vehemently anti-communist IKL parliamentarians and her support for radical elements in the movement proved troublesome for her relations outside of the party. This earned her the nickname Hurja-Hilja, or "Wild Hilja". (Full article...)

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Photo credit: Petteri Sulonen
The VR warehouses in Helsinki on fire on May 5th 2006.

Did you know (auto-generated)

... that Turku remained the largest city in Finland after three quarters of it burned down?
... that the 1992 documentary film Daddy and the Muscle Academy, which focuses on the life of gay erotic artist Tom of Finland, has been broadcast on Finnish television multiple times?
... that Kaija Saariaho's 2021 opera Innocence includes traditional Finnish cow-herding calls?
... that Sodankylä Old Church is one of the oldest preserved wooden churches in Finland?
... that Kuappi in Iisalmi, Finland, holds the Guinness world record for the smallest restaurant?
... that Finnish linguist Eeva Leinonen was one of four women to be inaugurated as heads of Irish universities in 2021, the others being Maggie Cusack, Linda Doyle and Kerstin Mey?

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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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...the Finnish Air Force selected the Saab 91 Safir as its primary trainer aircraft over the domestic Valmet Tuuli III?
...that the Kaleva, a Finnish passenger plane carrying diplomatic post, was shot down by Soviet bombers in an act of aggression?
...that the majority of Assyrians in Finland live in Oulu, the sixth largest city in the country?
...that Finland was close to becoming an independent kingdom in 1742?
...that the Saint Petersburg–Hiitola railroad was completed by 1917, but a year later the Finnish Civil War caused traffic to stop, with a mile of track removed?

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Henri Pauli Toivonen (25 August 1956 – 2 May 1986) was a Finnish rally driver born in Jyväskylä, the home of Rally Finland. His father, Pauli, was the 1968 European Rally Champion for Porsche and his brother, Harri, became a professional circuit racer.

Toivonen's first World Rally Championship victory came with a Talbot Sunbeam Lotus at the 1980 Lombard RAC Rally in Great Britain, just after his 24th birthday. He had the record of being the youngest driver ever to win a world rally until his countryman Jari-Matti Latvala won the 2008 Swedish Rally at the age of 22. After driving for Opel and Porsche, Toivonen was signed by Lancia. Despite nearly ending up paralysed at the Rally Costa Smeralda early in 1985, he returned to rallying later that year. He won the last event of the season, the RAC Rally, as well as the 1986 season opener, the Monte Carlo Rally, which his father had won exactly 20 years earlier. (Full article...)

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General images

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

Image 1Kreeta Haapasalo Playing the Kantele in a Peasant Cottage (1868), by Robert Wilhelm Ekman (from History of Finland)
Image 2Finnish Guards' Rifle Battalion, 1850s (from History of Finland)
Image 3Grand Duchy of Finland, 75 kopek assignat (1824) (from History of Finland)
Image 4Turku Cathedral and its surroundings from 1814 (from History of Finland)
Image 5A triptych by Akseli Gallen-Kallela, depicting the Aino Story of Kalevala on three panes (from Culture of Finland)
Image 6Women dressed in Finnish folk costumes (from Culture of Finland)
Image 7Identification document and tag of a Finnish war child (from History of Finland)
Image 8Erkki Karu, one of the pioneers of the Finnish cinema, with cinematographer Eino Kari in 1927 (from Culture of Finland)
Image 9Kalmar Union in 1400s (from History of Finland)
Image 10The area of Finland in the years 1920–1940. The 1935 county and municipality division on the map. (from History of Finland)
Image 11Alvar Aalto, Viipuri Library (1927–35) (from Culture 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 13S/S Urania in Hanko harbor in 1893, with 509 emigrants on board on their way to America (from History of Finland)
Image 14In 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 15President Urho Kekkonen's funeral procession in 1986 (from History of Finland)
Image 16A peasant girl and a woman in traditional dress from Ruokolahti, eastern Finland, as depicted by Severin Falkman in 1882 (from Culture of Finland)
Image 17Helsinki Accords Treaty (from History of Finland)
Image 18(1809 Diet of Porvoo) The sovereign's pledge, printed in Finnish (from History of Finland)
Image 19A view of Pohjoisesplanadi in the center of Helsinki in 1891 (from History of Finland)
Image 20Janne Ahonen is considered one of the best and most successful currently active ski jumpers. (from Culture of Finland)
Image 21Prehistoric red ochre painted rock art of moose, human figures, and boats in Astuvansalmi, Finland, from ca. 3800–2200 BC (from Culture of Finland)
Image 22Badge of the Finnish White/Civil Guard (from History of Finland)
Image 23Stone Age dwelling named Kierikki 5000–3000 BC (from History of Finland)
Image 24Karjalanpiirakka, a traditional Finnish pastry (from Culture of Finland)
Image 25An old drawing of the city of Turku in the 18th century (from History of Finland)
Image 26Battle of Valkeala was part of the Russo-Swedish War (1788–1790). (from History of Finland)
Image 27Signing 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 28Women in sauna with Vihtas
Image 29Stone Age stone axe engraved with human face found from Kiuruvesi. (from History of Finland)
Image 30Apocalyptica's Perttu Kivilaakso playing metal music live (from Culture of Finland)
Image 31A smoke sauna (savusauna) in Enonkoski (from Culture of Finland)
Image 32The Finnish composer Jean Sibelius (1865–1957), a significant figure in the history of classical music (from Culture of Finland)
Image 33Wehrmacht soldiers with a local Sámi reindeer herder, Lappland, Sodankylä, Finland 1942 (from History of Finland)
Image 34Battle of Gangut (Hanko) was part of the Great Northern War during 1700–1721. (from History of Finland)
Image 35Portrait of Finnish poet Elias Lönnrot who wrote "the Kalevala" (1802 - 1884) (from History of Finland)
Image 36Three Finnish Romani women in Helsinki, Finland, in 1930s (from Culture of Finland)
Image 37Ancylus Lake covered major part of Finland (7,500–6,000 BC) (from History of Finland)
Image 38Jean Sibelius at work in his study (from History of Finland)
Image 39The 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 40Jussipaita (transl. Jussi sweater); a traditional sweater from the Finnish region of Southern Ostrobothnia (from Culture of Finland)
Image 41Painting of Lalli killing Henry. Painting by C. A. Ekman. (from History of Finland)
Image 42The Finno-Soviet Treaty (from History of Finland)
Image 432007 Formula One World Champion Kimi Räikkönen celebrating victory at the 2007 Brazilian Grand Prix (from Culture of Finland)
Image 44Pekka Halonen's painting "against persecutors" from 1896 depicts the warfare of the ancient Finns. (from History of Finland)
Image 45Memorial of the Mannerheim Cross Knights of Parikkala, Finland (from History of Finland)
Image 46The part of Finland controlled by the Reds at its largest in February–March 1918 (from History of Finland)
Image 47The 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 48A summer cottage (mökki) on a lake island (from Culture of Finland)
Image 49Kastelli Giant's Church in Pattijoki by Pöljä culture [fi] (from History of Finland)
Image 50Finland Ostrobothnia regiment uniforms in 1705 (from History of Finland)
Image 51Captain Aarne Juutilainen at the front at Kollaa during the Winter War (from History of Finland)
Image 52Finnish folk dancers in a 1907 postcard sent from Mustamäki, Finland (from Culture of Finland)
Image 53A group of Finnish soldiers operating a Bofors gun during the Continuation War in 1943 (from History of Finland)
Image 54Paavo Nurmi at the 1920 Summer Olympics (from Culture of Finland)
Image 55President K. J. Ståhlberg in his office in 1919 (from History of Finland)
Image 56This 1825 map of the Grand Duchy of Finland is from a larger work, geographical atlas of the Russian Empire. (from History of Finland)
Image 57Imagery collage of Birger Jarl conquering Häme and the construction of Häme Castle (from History of Finland)
Image 58Eero Järnefelt, Burning the Brushwood, 1893 (from History of Finland)
Image 59Winter War Monument in Suomussalmi, Kainuu, Finland (from History of Finland)
Image 60Northern Europe in 814 (from History of Finland)
Image 61Midsummer bonfire (kokko) in Mäntsälä (from Culture of Finland)
Image 62Map of Finnish areas ceded to the Soviet Union in 1944, after the Continuation War (from History of Finland)
Image 63The 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 64Linus Torvalds, a famous Fennoswede software engineer, best known for initiating the development of the Linux kernel (from Culture of Finland)
Image 65In 2011 figure skater Kiira Korpi was ranked 4th in the world. (from Culture of Finland)
Image 66The area controlled by Finland at its largest, in 1942 (from History of Finland)
Image 67Marshal of Finland Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim visit in Germany, 1942 (from History of Finland)
Image 68Sámi / Laplander family in traditional costumes from Finland. (from Culture of Finland)
Image 69People gathered in the Senate Square for a demonstration against the February Manifesto in March 1899. (from History of Finland)
Image 70In the sauna, by Pekka Halonen, 1925 (from Culture of Finland)
Image 71Mikael Agricola hands over the Finnish Translation of the New Testament to King Gustav Wasa. (from History of Finland)
Image 72Lapua Movement supporters beating the "red officer" Eino Nieminen in front of the Vaasa courthouse during the 4 June 1930 riot. (from History of Finland)
Image 73The ruins of Vammala burned by the Reds, during the Civil war (from History of Finland)
Image 74Pieces of the Antrea Net (8,300 BC), the oldest-known fishing net in the world. (from History of Finland)
Image 75Students on Helsinki's Esplanadi wearing their caps on Vappu (from Culture of Finland)
Image 76A reconstruction of a 12th-century Perniö costume (from History of Finland)
Image 77Homann'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)

In the news

18 November 2024 – 2024 Baltic Sea submarine cable disruptions: The C-Lion1 submarine communications cable across the Baltic Sea between Finland and Germany is damaged in what German officials suspect is sabotage. (The Guardian)
9 September 2024 –: Finnish-Canadian sportswear mogul Peter Nygård is sentenced to 11 years in prison for sexual assault. (CBC News)
14 August 2024 – Organized crime in Sweden: Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland form an international police hub in Stockholm to prevent escalating Swedish gang activity and criminal networks from spreading to other Nordic countries. (Reuters)
26 July 2024 – Finland–Russia relations: Finland reports that a Russian Navy Baltic Sea fleet vessel trespassed on Finnish territorial waters in the eastern Gulf of Finland. (Reuters)
12 July 2024 – Finland–Russia relations, Russian emigration during the Russian invasion of Ukraine: The Parliament of Finland passes a law allowing border guards to restrict trafficked asylum seekers from crossing the Finland–Russia border. (CNN)

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Panoramic photo shot of Helsinki, Finland

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