Finland

Finland (Finnish: Suomi [ˈsuo̯mi] ^ⓘ; Swedish: Finland [ˈfɪ̌nland] ^ⓘ), officially the Republic of Finland (Finnish: Suomen tasavalta; Swedish: Republiken Finland; listen to all^ⓘ),[note 2] 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 an area of 338,145 square kilometres (130,559 sq mi)[5] and has a population of 5.6 million. Helsinki is the capital and largest city. The vast majority of the population are ethnic Finns. Finnish and Swedish are the official languages, with Swedish being the native language of 5.2% of the population.[12] 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.[13]

Quick facts: Republic of Finland.mw-parser-output .plainli... ▼

Republic of Finland Suomen tasavalta (Finnish) Republiken Finland (Swedish)
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem:  Maamme (Finnish) Vårt land (Swedish) (English: "Our Land")
Show globe Show map of Europe Location of Finland (dark green) – in Europe (green & dark grey) – in the European Union (green)  –  [Legend]
Capital and largest city	Helsinki 60°10′15″N 24°56′15″E
Official languages	Finnish Swedish
Recognized national languages	Sami Karelian Finnish Kalo Finnish Sign Language Finland-Swedish Sign Language
Ethnic groups (2021)[1][2]	91.5% Finns[note 1] 8.5% others
Religion (2021)[3]	68.6% Christianity 66.6% Lutheranism 1.1% Orthodoxy 0.9% other Christian 30.6% no religion 0.8% other
Demonym(s)	Finnish Finn
Government	Unitary parliamentary republic[4]
• President	Sauli Niinistö
• Prime Minister	Petteri Orpo
• Speaker of the Parliament	Jussi Halla-aho
Legislature	Parliament
Independence  from Russia
• Integration and autonomy in the Russian Empire	29 March 1809
• Declaration of Independence	6 December 1917
• Finnish Civil War	January – May 1918
• Constitution established	17 July 1919
• Winter War	30 November 1939 – 13 March 1940
• Continuation War	25 June 1941 – 19 September 1944
• Joined the EU	1 January 1995
• Joined NATO	4 April 2023
Area
• Total	338,145[5] km2 (130,559 sq mi) (65th)
• Water (%)	9.71 (2015)[6]
Population
• 2023 estimate	5,614,571[7] (114th)
• Density	16.4/km2 (42.5/sq mi) (213th)
GDP (PPP)	2022 estimate
• Total	$321.2 billion[8] (60th)
• Per capita	$58,010[8] (21st)
GDP (nominal)	2022 estimate
• Total	$267.61 billion[8] (46th)
• Per capita	$53,745[8] (16th)
Gini (2021)	25.7[9] low
HDI (2021)	0.940[10] very high · 11th
Currency	Euro (€) (EUR)
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)
Date format	dd.mm.yyyy[11]
Driving side	right
Calling code	+358
ISO 3166 code	FI
Internet TLD	.fi, .axa, .eub
The .ax domain is used in Åland. The .eu domain is also used, as it is shared with other European Union member states.

Finland was first settled around 9000 BC after the last Ice Age.[14] 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.[15] 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 became part of the Russian Empire as the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland. During this period, Finnish art flourished and the idea of independence began to take hold. In 1906, Finland became the first European state to grant universal suffrage, and the first in the world to give all adult citizens the right to run for public office.[16][note 3] Following the Russian Revolution of 1917, Finland declared its independence from Russia. In 1918 the young nation was divided by the Finnish Civil War. During the 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.

Finland remained a largely agricultural country until the 1950s. After World War II, it industrialised quickly and established an advanced economy, with a welfare state built on the Nordic model. This allowed the country to experience overall prosperity and high per capita income.[17] During the Cold War, Finland officially embraced a policy of neutrality. Since then, it has become a member of the European Union in 1995, the Eurozone in 1999, and NATO in 2023. Finland is a member of various international organisations, such as the United Nations, the Nordic Council, the Schengen Area, the Council of Europe, the World Trade Organization, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The nation performs exceedingly well in national performance metrics, including education, economic competitiveness, civil liberties, quality of life, and human development.[18][19][20][21]