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, the majority being ethnic Finns. Its capital and largest city is Helsinki. The official languages are Finnish and Swedish, the mother tongues of 84.1 percent and 5.1 percent of the population, respectively. Finland's climate varies from humid continental in the south to boreal in the north. Its land is predominantly covered by boreal forest, with over 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 following 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 an independence movement gradually developed. 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. (Full article...)

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Ilkka “Emu” Lehtinen at his store in 2016.

Ilkka Raimo Olavi “Emu” Lehtinen (3 March 1947 – 22 October 2017) was a record dealer in Helsinki, Finland, a founder and the chief executive officer of the record store Digelius Music. According to Helsingin Sanomat, Lehtinen was “a local guru for people who would be curious to listen to music irrespective of genres, and a person with whose help customers would find wonderful new experiences starting from clean slate.” According to another Helsinki newspaper, Hufvudstadsbladet, Lehtinen was “a living legend in Finnish music circles”. (Full article...)

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A lakeside smoke sauna ("savusauna") in Kannonkoski.

Did you know (auto-generated)

... that Finland won its first Olympic ice hockey medal under the leadership of Kai Hietarinta?
... that the 1972 Finnish film The Sheep Eaters gathered more than a million viewers opposite the 1975 Ice Hockey World Championships match between Finland and the Soviet Union?
... 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?
... that politician Kalervo Kummola introduced karaoke to Finland?
... that Kaija Saariaho's 2021 opera Innocence includes traditional Finnish cow-herding calls?
... that records of transgender people in Finland stretch back to the 19th century?

WikiProjects

You are invited to participate in Finland WikiProject, a WikiProject dedicated to developing and improving articles about Finland.

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...that according to Lapsiporno.info, a blacklist of websites compiled by the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation included those containing legal pornography?
...that Ismo Alanko Säätiö's accordionist Kimmo Pohjonen has been dubbed the "Jimi Hendrix of the accordion" by the Finnish music press?
...that the Christmas carol Personent hodie, first published in the 1582 Finnish song book Piae Cantiones, is thought to be a parody of a 12th-century carol?
...that Anssi Koivuranta is leading the 2008–09 Nordic Combined World Cup right now?
...that the Finnish tango is an established variation of the Argentine tango and one of the most enduring and popular music forms in Finland?

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This is a Good article, an article that meets a core set of high editorial standards.

Mikkeli (Finnish: [ˈmikːeli]; Swedish: S:t Michel; Latin: Michaelia; Russian: Миккели) is a city in, and the regional capital of, South Savo, Finland, located in the Finnish Lakeland. The population is approximately Expression error: Unrecognized punctuation character ""., while the Mikkeli sub-region of Southern Savonia has a population of approximately 68,000. Mikkeli is the th most-populous municipality of Finland and the 19th most-populous urban area in the country.

Mikkeli is located on the shores of Lake Saimaa, the largest lake in the country, and Europe's fourth largest. Prior to being located within South Savonia, the city was in Mikkeli Province (until 1997), before becoming part of Eastern Finland Province (1997-2009). The city covers an area of 3,229.57 square kilometres (1,246.94 sq mi), of which 424.7 km² (164.0 sq mi) is water. Mikkeli is one of the largest towns in the South Savo region, and one of the main hubs in the region's hospital districts, along with Savonlinna. (Full article...)

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General images

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

Image 1Mikael Agricola hands over the Finnish Translation of the New Testament to King Gustav Wasa. (from History of Finland)
Image 2Stone Age stone axe engraved with human face found from Kiuruvesi. (from History of Finland)
Image 3Women in sauna with Vihtas
Image 4Linus Torvalds, a famous Fennoswede software engineer, best known for initiating the development of the Linux kernel (from Culture of Finland)
Image 5A triptych by Akseli Gallen-Kallela, depicting the Aino Story of Kalevala on three panes (from Culture of Finland)
Image 6Paavo Nurmi at the 1920 Summer Olympics (from Culture of Finland)
Image 7Finnish folk dancers in a 1907 postcard sent from Mustamäki, Finland (from Culture of Finland)
Image 8A view of Pohjoisesplanadi in the center of Helsinki in 1891 (from History of Finland)
Image 9Jussipaita (transl. Jussi sweater); a traditional sweater from the Finnish region of Southern Ostrobothnia (from Culture of Finland)
Image 10(1809 Diet of Porvoo) The sovereign's pledge, printed in Finnish (from History of Finland)
Image 11A reconstruction of a 12th-century Perniö costume (from History of Finland)
Image 12Jean Sibelius at work in his study (from History of Finland)
Image 132007 Formula One World Champion Kimi Räikkönen celebrating victory at the 2007 Brazilian Grand Prix (from Culture of Finland)
Image 14The part of Finland controlled by the Reds at its largest in February–March 1918 (from History of Finland)
Image 15Winter War Monument in Suomussalmi, Kainuu, Finland (from History of Finland)
Image 16Homann'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 17Students on Helsinki's Esplanadi wearing their caps on Vappu (from Culture of Finland)
Image 18Map of Finnish areas ceded to the Soviet Union in 1944, after the Continuation War (from History of Finland)
Image 19Captain Aarne Juutilainen at the front at Kollaa during the Winter War (from History of Finland)
Image 20A group of Finnish soldiers operating a Bofors gun during the Continuation War in 1943 (from History of Finland)
Image 21Northern Europe in 814 (from History of Finland)
Image 22Lapua 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 23A smoke sauna (savusauna) in Enonkoski (from Culture of Finland)
Image 24Kastelli Giant's Church in Pattijoki by Pöljä culture [fi] (from History of Finland)
Image 25Pekka Halonen's painting "against persecutors" from 1896 depicts the warfare of the ancient Finns. (from History of Finland)
Image 26Grand Duchy of Finland, 75 kopek assignat (1824) (from History of Finland)
Image 27In the sauna, by Pekka Halonen, 1925 (from Culture of Finland)
Image 28Signing 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 29Kalmar Union in 1400s (from History of Finland)
Image 30Eero Järnefelt, Burning the Brushwood, 1893 (from History of Finland)
Image 31The area controlled by Finland at its largest, in 1942 (from History of Finland)
Image 32The Finno-Soviet Treaty (from History of Finland)
Image 33A peasant girl and a woman in traditional dress from Ruokolahti, eastern Finland, as depicted by Severin Falkman in 1882 (from Culture of Finland)
Image 34The area of Finland in the years 1920–1940. The 1935 county and municipality division on the map. (from History of Finland)
Image 35An old drawing of the city of Turku in the 18th century (from History of Finland)
Image 36Alvar Aalto, Viipuri Library (1927–35) (from Culture of Finland)
Image 37Janne Ahonen is considered one of the best and most successful currently active ski jumpers. (from Culture of Finland)
Image 38Apocalyptica's Perttu Kivilaakso playing metal music live (from Culture of Finland)
Image 39Turku Cathedral and its surroundings from 1814 (from History of Finland)
Image 40Midsummer bonfire (kokko) in Mäntsälä (from Culture of Finland)
Image 41People gathered in the Senate Square for a demonstration against the February Manifesto in March 1899. (from History of Finland)
Image 42Three Finnish Romani women in Helsinki, Finland, in 1930s (from Culture of Finland)
Image 43Women dressed in Finnish folk costumes (from Culture of Finland)
Image 44Finland Ostrobothnia regiment uniforms in 1705 (from History of Finland)
Image 45Wehrmacht soldiers with a local Sámi reindeer herder, Lappland, Sodankylä, Finland 1942 (from History of Finland)
Image 46Pieces of the Antrea Net (8,300 BC), the oldest-known fishing net in the world. (from History of Finland)
Image 47The ruins of Vammala burned by the Reds, during the Civil war (from History of Finland)
Image 48President K. J. Ståhlberg in his office in 1919 (from History of Finland)
Image 49Karjalanpiirakka, a traditional Finnish pastry (from Culture of Finland)
Image 50In 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 51Prehistoric red ochre painted rock art of moose, human figures, and boats in Astuvansalmi, Finland, from ca. 3800–2200 BC (from Culture of Finland)
Image 52Memorial of the Mannerheim Cross Knights of Parikkala, Finland (from History of Finland)
Image 53Painting of Lalli killing Henry. Painting by C. A. Ekman. (from History of Finland)
Image 54Ancylus Lake covered major part of Finland (7,500–6,000 BC) (from History of Finland)
Image 55Kreeta Haapasalo Playing the Kantele in a Peasant Cottage (1868), by Robert Wilhelm Ekman (from History of Finland)
Image 56A summer cottage (mökki) on a lake island (from Culture of Finland)
Image 57Portrait of Finnish poet Elias Lönnrot who wrote "the Kalevala" (1802 - 1884) (from History of Finland)
Image 58Stone Age dwelling named Kierikki 5000–3000 BC (from History of Finland)
Image 59The 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 60The 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 61S/S Urania in Hanko harbor in 1893, with 509 emigrants on board on their way to America (from History of Finland)
Image 62This 1825 map of the Grand Duchy of Finland is from a larger work, geographical atlas of the Russian Empire. (from History of Finland)
Image 63The 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 64Identification document and tag of a Finnish war child (from History of Finland)
Image 65President Urho Kekkonen's funeral procession in 1986 (from History of Finland)
Image 66The Finnish composer Jean Sibelius (1865–1957), a significant figure in the history of classical music (from Culture of Finland)
Image 67The 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 68Battle of Gangut (Hanko) was part of the Great Northern War during 1700–1721. (from History of Finland)
Image 69Marshal of Finland Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim visit in Germany, 1942 (from History of Finland)
Image 70In 2011 figure skater Kiira Korpi was ranked 4th in the world. (from Culture of Finland)
Image 71Erkki Karu, one of the pioneers of the Finnish cinema, with cinematographer Eino Kari in 1927 (from Culture of Finland)
Image 72Badge of the Finnish White/Civil Guard (from History of Finland)
Image 73Helsinki Accords Treaty (from History of Finland)
Image 74Imagery collage of Birger Jarl conquering Häme and the construction of Häme Castle (from History of Finland)
Image 75Sámi family in traditional costumes from Finland. (from Culture of Finland)
Image 76Finnish Guards' Rifle Battalion, 1850s (from History of Finland)
Image 77Battle of Valkeala was part of the Russo-Swedish War (1788–1790). (from History of Finland)

In the news

19 June 2025 –: The Finnish Parliament votes 155–18 to withdraw from the Ottawa Treaty, which bans the use of anti-personnel mines, citing the threat Russia poses to its national security. (Reuters) (Helsingin Sanomat)
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 –: 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)

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