Where…
The Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden to the west, Norway to the north, Russia to the east, and Estonia to the south across the Gulf of Finland.
Population…
At the end of year 2019, 5.5 million people called Finland home, with the majority concentrated in its southern regions. About one million residents live in the Greater Helsinki area (consisting of Helsinki, Espoo, Kauniainen, and Vantaa) and a third of the country’s GDP is produced there. Other larger cities include Tampere, Turku, Oulu, Jyväskylä, Lahti, and Kuopio.
Size / Area…
On the map compared to Australia, Finland seems to be quite small country but actually it is the eighth largest country in Europe and the most sparsely populated country in the European Union. Finland has an area of 338,424 km2.
Climate…
Seasons in Finland are completely opposite to what we have here in Australia. When Australia is sweltering on hot summer days, Finland is experiencing the coldest time of the year.
Winters of southern Finland (when mean daily temperature remains below 0 °C) are usually about 100 days long, and the snow typically covers the land from about late November to mid-April. Even in the most temperate regions of the south, the harshest winter nights can see the temperatures fall to −30 °C. Climatic summers (when mean daily temperature remains above 10 °C) in southern Finland last from about late May to mid-September, and in the inland, the warmest days of July can reach 38 °C.
In northern Finland, particularly in Lapland, the winters are long and cold, while the summers are relatively warm but short. The most severe winter days in Lapland can see the temperature fall down to −45 °C. The winter of the north lasts for about 200 days with permanent snow cover from about mid-October to early May. Summers in the north are quite short, only two to three months, but can still see maximum daily temperatures above 25 °C during heat waves.
A quarter of Finland’s territory lies within the Arctic Circle and the midnight sun can be experienced for more days the farther north one travels. At Finland’s northernmost point, the sun does not set for 73 consecutive days during summer, and does not rise at all for 51 days during winter.
Quick Facts…
| ITEM | DESCRIPTION |
| Capital | Helsinki |
| Official Languages | Finnish (87% of population) and Swedish (5% of population) |
| Religion | Lutheranism (69% of population) |
| Government | Parliamentary Republic |
| President | Sauli Niinistö (2012-) |
| Prime Minister | Sanna Marin (2019-) |
| Area | 338,424 km2 of which 10% is water |
| Population | 5.5 million people |
| Currency | Euro |
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