Top 10 Most Interesting Facts About Finland
Here is the collection of Top 10 Most Amazing Facts About Finland :-
1. 74% of the country is forested
Finland has the highest percentage of forest cover of any country in Europe. Around 75% of the country is covered in forest and there are 30 indigenous tree species. The forests are almost completely indigenous and unchanged since ancient times. It’s made up of a combination of forests, lakes, sea, tundra and bogs. Barely any non-native trees grow wild in Finland. Finnish flora is made up of more than 1,000 species of flowering plants. Pine is the most common tree to be found, with other common species being spruce and birch. Finland has 40 national parks. These parks are scattered throughout the country. In the north, plants, flowers, fungi, and berries grow in abundance.
2. There Are More Than 3 Million Saunas In Finland
There are around 3 million saunas in Finland. These numbers become especially impressive in a country with only 5.6 million inhabitants. Sauna is a central characteristic of Finnish culture and one third of the world saunas can be found in Finland. Sauna is a source of Finnish wellbeing on an everyday basis. Sit on a bench in the Sauna Showroom and enjoy. Saunas have existed in other cultures, but in Finland they have become entwined in the national culture. According to Karppinen's calculations, "one third of the world saunas can be found in Finland". In ancient times, sauna was a place for washing laundry and treating illnesses. It was even the place where babies were born. They were the most practical place to wash during the long winters when there was no hot running water. But today, it is primarily a place for relaxation.
Traditional saunas are heated by wood, burned either in a stove with a chimney, or by a stove with no chimney. The door is closed after the wood has burned down, leaving the embers to heat the sauna to the proper temperature, yielding a soft heat and an aroma of wood smoke. It can be found as often in the city as in the countryside, in an apartment building or in the yard of a detached house. Big companies and state institutions have their own saunas. The president has an official sauna, as does the prime minister.
3. The Finns Drink More Coffee Than Any One Else
According to the International Coffee Association, each Finn consumes 12 kilograms of coffee per year. This makes Finland the second-largest country in the world for per capita coffee consumption. Eight or nine cups a day is the norm in this Nordic country, with some locals consuming as many as 30. Climate and culture play key roles in high consumption of coffee. People live in a cold country, so they need to drink warm, sustaining beverages. During extreme cold, temperatures dip as low as -40C in Finland. Meanwhile, during the short but hot summers, they consume iced coffee.
Drinking coffee is considered more of a social activity here. It also plays a role in celebrations. Coffee is always served in any celebration or special occasions. Coffee shops make ideal meeting spots. There is a even labor agreement stating that people must take two 15-minute coffee breaks a day. Coffee is almost always served during a visit to someone else’s home. There are words for different situations, such as saunakahvi for sauna coffee, matkakahvi for traveling coffee and vaalikahvit for election coffee, drank after voting in an election.
4. Angry Birds originated in Finland
The Finnish game developer Rovio conquered the world in 2009 with their first mobile game, Angry Birds. The Rovio headquarters are in Espoo's Keilaranta, 20 minutes from Helsinki city centre by public transport. The game was inspired by a sketch of stylized wingless birds. The first release was on the Apple iOS platform in December 2009. The game was developed for other smartphones including those on the Android, Symbian and Windows Systems. The game has also expanded to video game consoles and PCs. The game has seen phenomenal success in all its platforms for its addictive gameplay, comical style and low price to play. The company sold around 6.5 million units in the first six months, which was the beginning of a magical business story. The success of the games has led to the production of toys, other consumer products and movies. There are also multiple spin-off games and a TV series with longer terms plan for a feature film. A second Hollywood feature film, Angry Birds Movie 2, is now being made by Sony Pictures.
5. The Finns Absolutely Love To Drink Milk
Finland is a country of milk and milk products. Milk consumption per person is the largest in the world. An average Finn drinks 3,4 dl of milk every day. Milk is a typical drink for anything: breakfast, lunch, snacks, dinner, salty and sweet. The prevalence of milk in the Finnish food culture is partly due to a very prominent and decades-long advertising campaign by the milk industry
The Finns love milk. In fact, Finland’s passion for dairy can be traced back to 2500 BC. Finland imported much of its grain, it exported milk, butter, and other milk products. In fact, milk production is still the most important source of livelihood in rural areas. Practically all milk sold in Finland is domestic. Dairy products are a huge part of Finnish food culture and agriculture. Finns get used to drinking and eating dairy products during childhood. Moreover, Finland has a long historical tradition of encouraging the younger generation to drink milk. All schools in Finland serve a warm meal free of charge daily. The meals include milk or fermented milk.
6. Finland was the first country in Europe to give all women the right to vote
In 1906, the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland was the first country in the world and Europe to give all women and all men both the right to vote and the right to run for office. The world's first female members of parliament were elected in Finland the following year. From 1809 on Finland was part of the Russian Empire and was granted extensive autonomy. After Russia’s defeat in the war against Japan, internal political opposition against the imperial tsarist regime increased. Over the course of the 19th century there emerged both a nationalist movement which sought independence from Russia and a workers’ movement. The women’s movement developed at the same time: it consisted of middle class women who were committed to equality.
This unrest spread to Finland, where a general strike began at the end of October 1905. As a result of the unrest, the tsar issued a manifesto which decreed that a Parliament based on universal suffrage would be established in Finland with powers to ensure the legality of the measures taken by the country’s Government. Preparations for parliamentary reform started right away and the principle that the right to vote and to stand for election would be granted to both men and women was approved right from the start of the process. This reform had been approved by the Russian Tsar and Grand Duke of Finland, Nicholas II. The first elections for the new Finnish parliament took place in spring 1907. 19 women entered parliament as deputies on May 25th 1907, along with 181 men. One of them, Miina Sillanpäa, became the first woman in Finland to hold ministerial office when she was made Minister of Social Affairs in 1926.
7. The Wife-Carrying Race Originated In Finland
The sport was first introduced at Sonkajärvi, Finland. Wife carrying is a contest in which male competitors race while each carrying a female teammate mostly, their wives. The objective is for the male to carry the female through a special obstacle track in the fastest time. Several types of carrying may be practised: either a classic piggyback, a fireman's carry or Estonian-style. The first modern day wife carrying event was held in Finland in 1992 with foreign contestants entering in 1995. This event is now held annually in Sonkajärvi, Finland as the World Championship.
Wife Carrying sport is based on the 19th-century legend of Herkko Rosvo-Ronkainen, or Ronkainen the Robber. There are three stories as to how the sport was developed. In the first version of the tales, Ronkainen and his thieves were accused of stealing food and women from villages in the area he lived in; then carried these women on their backs as they ran away. In the second version of the tales, the men would go to surrounding villages to steal the wives of other men and later become their wives. In the third version of the tales, Ronkainen trained his thieves to become successful and skilful for their missions by requiring them to practice carrying large heavy sacks on their backs.
8. Tolkien
Tolkien took his inspiration from many different sources, including Norse mythology, Arthurian legends, and Wagner operas. One country which played a major role in Tolkien’s early development as an author was Finland, especially its national epic, The Kalevala. Among Tolkien’s earliest influences was The Tale of Kullervo, one of the main stories of The Kalevala, which has also inspired many other writers including Shakespeare.
One of the main similarities between the two books is the appearance of Nature as a great force in the story. In ‘Kalevala’, Nature is carefully described, and is always present in the characters’ journeys in the same way that Nature is present in the Fellowship’s journey. Another important similarity among these works is the presence of an immensely powerful object. An object forged to give prosperity and richness to its master. These two pieces of literature share a common ‘message’, emphasising loyalty, friendship, sacrifice and the eternal fight of good against evil.
Around a dozen languages are mentioned in the Lord of the Rings but Tolkien only properly developed two of them Qenya and Sindarin, the languages used by the elves. Qenya is based on the grammatical principles of Finnish and, on paper, has similar dots and umlauts to indicate any changes in sound of the various characters. Also, words in Finnish and Qenya have a high number of possible word endings depending on the context of the sentence.
9. The Finnish language is totally different from the Scandinavian languages
Scandinavia is a term that refers to countries that are situated on the Scandinavian peninsula. Even though Finland is part of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Finnish is not a Scandinavian language. The Finnish language originates from a family of Fennoscandia-Ugric language, related to Estonian, Karelian and Hungarian. Scandinavian languages belong to Germanic languages.
10. There are 187,888 lakes in Finland
Finland is called ''the land of a thousand lakes. It has more lakes in relation to a country's size than any other.
There are 187,888 lakes in Finland larger than 5 ares. Most are small, but there are 309 lakes or reservoirs larger than 10 km². Indeed, with a population of about five million, Finland has one lake for every 26 people. Most of the lakes are in a region that stretches from above Kuopio in the north to Lahti in the south, and from Tampere in the west to Punkaharju and the Russian border in the east. Public access to lakes, forests and other outdoor areas is granted every Finn by law and custom and it's known as everyman's rights.
Finland has the highest percentage of forest cover of any country in Europe. Around 75% of the country is covered in forest and there are 30 indigenous tree species. The forests are almost completely indigenous and unchanged since ancient times. It’s made up of a combination of forests, lakes, sea, tundra and bogs. Barely any non-native trees grow wild in Finland. Finnish flora is made up of more than 1,000 species of flowering plants. Pine is the most common tree to be found, with other common species being spruce and birch. Finland has 40 national parks. These parks are scattered throughout the country. In the north, plants, flowers, fungi, and berries grow in abundance.
2. There Are More Than 3 Million Saunas In Finland
There are around 3 million saunas in Finland. These numbers become especially impressive in a country with only 5.6 million inhabitants. Sauna is a central characteristic of Finnish culture and one third of the world saunas can be found in Finland. Sauna is a source of Finnish wellbeing on an everyday basis. Sit on a bench in the Sauna Showroom and enjoy. Saunas have existed in other cultures, but in Finland they have become entwined in the national culture. According to Karppinen's calculations, "one third of the world saunas can be found in Finland". In ancient times, sauna was a place for washing laundry and treating illnesses. It was even the place where babies were born. They were the most practical place to wash during the long winters when there was no hot running water. But today, it is primarily a place for relaxation.
Traditional saunas are heated by wood, burned either in a stove with a chimney, or by a stove with no chimney. The door is closed after the wood has burned down, leaving the embers to heat the sauna to the proper temperature, yielding a soft heat and an aroma of wood smoke. It can be found as often in the city as in the countryside, in an apartment building or in the yard of a detached house. Big companies and state institutions have their own saunas. The president has an official sauna, as does the prime minister.
3. The Finns Drink More Coffee Than Any One Else
According to the International Coffee Association, each Finn consumes 12 kilograms of coffee per year. This makes Finland the second-largest country in the world for per capita coffee consumption. Eight or nine cups a day is the norm in this Nordic country, with some locals consuming as many as 30. Climate and culture play key roles in high consumption of coffee. People live in a cold country, so they need to drink warm, sustaining beverages. During extreme cold, temperatures dip as low as -40C in Finland. Meanwhile, during the short but hot summers, they consume iced coffee.
Drinking coffee is considered more of a social activity here. It also plays a role in celebrations. Coffee is always served in any celebration or special occasions. Coffee shops make ideal meeting spots. There is a even labor agreement stating that people must take two 15-minute coffee breaks a day. Coffee is almost always served during a visit to someone else’s home. There are words for different situations, such as saunakahvi for sauna coffee, matkakahvi for traveling coffee and vaalikahvit for election coffee, drank after voting in an election.
4. Angry Birds originated in Finland
The Finnish game developer Rovio conquered the world in 2009 with their first mobile game, Angry Birds. The Rovio headquarters are in Espoo's Keilaranta, 20 minutes from Helsinki city centre by public transport. The game was inspired by a sketch of stylized wingless birds. The first release was on the Apple iOS platform in December 2009. The game was developed for other smartphones including those on the Android, Symbian and Windows Systems. The game has also expanded to video game consoles and PCs. The game has seen phenomenal success in all its platforms for its addictive gameplay, comical style and low price to play. The company sold around 6.5 million units in the first six months, which was the beginning of a magical business story. The success of the games has led to the production of toys, other consumer products and movies. There are also multiple spin-off games and a TV series with longer terms plan for a feature film. A second Hollywood feature film, Angry Birds Movie 2, is now being made by Sony Pictures.
5. The Finns Absolutely Love To Drink Milk
Finland is a country of milk and milk products. Milk consumption per person is the largest in the world. An average Finn drinks 3,4 dl of milk every day. Milk is a typical drink for anything: breakfast, lunch, snacks, dinner, salty and sweet. The prevalence of milk in the Finnish food culture is partly due to a very prominent and decades-long advertising campaign by the milk industry
The Finns love milk. In fact, Finland’s passion for dairy can be traced back to 2500 BC. Finland imported much of its grain, it exported milk, butter, and other milk products. In fact, milk production is still the most important source of livelihood in rural areas. Practically all milk sold in Finland is domestic. Dairy products are a huge part of Finnish food culture and agriculture. Finns get used to drinking and eating dairy products during childhood. Moreover, Finland has a long historical tradition of encouraging the younger generation to drink milk. All schools in Finland serve a warm meal free of charge daily. The meals include milk or fermented milk.
6. Finland was the first country in Europe to give all women the right to vote
In 1906, the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland was the first country in the world and Europe to give all women and all men both the right to vote and the right to run for office. The world's first female members of parliament were elected in Finland the following year. From 1809 on Finland was part of the Russian Empire and was granted extensive autonomy. After Russia’s defeat in the war against Japan, internal political opposition against the imperial tsarist regime increased. Over the course of the 19th century there emerged both a nationalist movement which sought independence from Russia and a workers’ movement. The women’s movement developed at the same time: it consisted of middle class women who were committed to equality.
This unrest spread to Finland, where a general strike began at the end of October 1905. As a result of the unrest, the tsar issued a manifesto which decreed that a Parliament based on universal suffrage would be established in Finland with powers to ensure the legality of the measures taken by the country’s Government. Preparations for parliamentary reform started right away and the principle that the right to vote and to stand for election would be granted to both men and women was approved right from the start of the process. This reform had been approved by the Russian Tsar and Grand Duke of Finland, Nicholas II. The first elections for the new Finnish parliament took place in spring 1907. 19 women entered parliament as deputies on May 25th 1907, along with 181 men. One of them, Miina Sillanpäa, became the first woman in Finland to hold ministerial office when she was made Minister of Social Affairs in 1926.
7. The Wife-Carrying Race Originated In Finland
The sport was first introduced at Sonkajärvi, Finland. Wife carrying is a contest in which male competitors race while each carrying a female teammate mostly, their wives. The objective is for the male to carry the female through a special obstacle track in the fastest time. Several types of carrying may be practised: either a classic piggyback, a fireman's carry or Estonian-style. The first modern day wife carrying event was held in Finland in 1992 with foreign contestants entering in 1995. This event is now held annually in Sonkajärvi, Finland as the World Championship.
Wife Carrying sport is based on the 19th-century legend of Herkko Rosvo-Ronkainen, or Ronkainen the Robber. There are three stories as to how the sport was developed. In the first version of the tales, Ronkainen and his thieves were accused of stealing food and women from villages in the area he lived in; then carried these women on their backs as they ran away. In the second version of the tales, the men would go to surrounding villages to steal the wives of other men and later become their wives. In the third version of the tales, Ronkainen trained his thieves to become successful and skilful for their missions by requiring them to practice carrying large heavy sacks on their backs.
8. Tolkien
Tolkien took his inspiration from many different sources, including Norse mythology, Arthurian legends, and Wagner operas. One country which played a major role in Tolkien’s early development as an author was Finland, especially its national epic, The Kalevala. Among Tolkien’s earliest influences was The Tale of Kullervo, one of the main stories of The Kalevala, which has also inspired many other writers including Shakespeare.
One of the main similarities between the two books is the appearance of Nature as a great force in the story. In ‘Kalevala’, Nature is carefully described, and is always present in the characters’ journeys in the same way that Nature is present in the Fellowship’s journey. Another important similarity among these works is the presence of an immensely powerful object. An object forged to give prosperity and richness to its master. These two pieces of literature share a common ‘message’, emphasising loyalty, friendship, sacrifice and the eternal fight of good against evil.
Around a dozen languages are mentioned in the Lord of the Rings but Tolkien only properly developed two of them Qenya and Sindarin, the languages used by the elves. Qenya is based on the grammatical principles of Finnish and, on paper, has similar dots and umlauts to indicate any changes in sound of the various characters. Also, words in Finnish and Qenya have a high number of possible word endings depending on the context of the sentence.
9. The Finnish language is totally different from the Scandinavian languages
Scandinavia is a term that refers to countries that are situated on the Scandinavian peninsula. Even though Finland is part of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Finnish is not a Scandinavian language. The Finnish language originates from a family of Fennoscandia-Ugric language, related to Estonian, Karelian and Hungarian. Scandinavian languages belong to Germanic languages.
10. There are 187,888 lakes in Finland
Finland is called ''the land of a thousand lakes. It has more lakes in relation to a country's size than any other.
There are 187,888 lakes in Finland larger than 5 ares. Most are small, but there are 309 lakes or reservoirs larger than 10 km². Indeed, with a population of about five million, Finland has one lake for every 26 people. Most of the lakes are in a region that stretches from above Kuopio in the north to Lahti in the south, and from Tampere in the west to Punkaharju and the Russian border in the east. Public access to lakes, forests and other outdoor areas is granted every Finn by law and custom and it's known as everyman's rights.
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