The official name of the country is the Republic of Finland (Finnish: Suomen tasavalta). The residents themselves call their country Suomi. Finland is located in the north of Europe and neighbors Russia in the east, Norway in the north, and Sweden in the northwest. The northwestern part of Finland lies on the Scandinavian Peninsula, sharing it with Sweden and Norway. Finland is washed by the waters of the Baltic Sea, as well as its two gulfs - the Gulf of Finland, forming a maritime border with Estonia in the south, and the Gulf of Bothnia in the west. 1/3 of the country lies beyond the Arctic Circle.
The country's territory is 338,430.53 km², providing seventh place in Europe for this indicator. Time zone – UTC + 2 (in summer + 3). In summer, Moscow and Finnish time coincide; in winter, Finnish time lags behind Moscow by one hour.
Landscape
Perhaps the most recognizable Finnish landscape is associated with lakes. Their number is 187,888, with most lakes in the central part. Saimaa is the largest lake in Suomi (1800 km 2, depth - 82 m). Another component of the picturesque landscapes is the islands, 179,584.
In Finland there is an island city - Pargas. This is the only city in the country surrounded on all sides by water.
71.6% of Finland's territory is covered with forests, giving the country first place in Europe in terms of forest resources.
Climate
The country's climate is temperate and varies from maritime to continental, with a predominance of the continental type in northern Finland. Thanks to the influence of the North Atlantic Current, the country can experience a balance of cold winters and warm summers. The average annual temperature, calculated in the capital Helsinki, is 5.3 degrees.
Nature
More than 70% of Finland's territory is covered with forests, which gives the country first place in Europe in terms of forest resources. Finnish forests are rich in blueberries, raspberries, lingonberries, cranberries, and, of course, mushrooms - porcini, boletus, boletus, and chanterelles.
The pristine nature of Finland is a natural habitat for numerous wild animals and birds: bears, wolves, lynxes, eagles, cranes and swans, as well as for the rarest species of seal - the Saimaa seal. This seal lives only in Lake Saimaa.
The ideal way to experience Suomi's amazing fauna and flora is to visit one of the country's 37 national parks, which are open to tourists all year round.
The forests of Suomi are home to about 250 species of birds, such as partridge, black grouse, hazel grouse, black grouse, and capercaillie. The rivers and lakes are home to salmon, perch, whitefish, pike perch, pike, and vendace.
The snow-white whooper swan is the national bird of Finland.
Population
The population of Finland is 5,577,917 people. The overwhelming majority of the inhabitants of Finland are Christians, belonging mainly to the Evangelical Lutheran (84.2 to 88%) or Orthodox churches (1%). The gender composition of residents is 49% men and 51% women.
Cities
Music
There are also enough festivals dedicated to opera and choral performances. The city of Vaasa, located in western Finland, hosts an international choral music festival at the end of May. In Espoo, every two years, at the beginning of June, the VocalEspoo vocal festival takes place, and the Urkuyö&Aaria festival lasts throughout the summer. From July to August, the international Opera Festival in Savonlinna gathers opera fans, and the Chamber Music Festival takes place in Kuhmo in July.
Events dedicated to jazz can be included in a separate category. At the end of April, the April Jazz festival takes place in Espoo; in July, the oldest jazz festival in Finland, Pori Jazz, opens in Pori; in August, residents and guests of Turku gather at the Turku Jazz festival. And in Tampere, famous jazzmen and rising stars perform at the annual Tampere Jazz Happening festival in November.
With a variety of festival events, there is something for everyone. Folk lovers can check out the Helsinki Etno-Espa festival in August, while pop and dance lovers flock to the Suomipop festival in Jyväskylä in July. Theater fans come to Tampere every summer for the Theater Arts Festival. There are also mixed events: the Jyväskylä Arts Festival, the Turku Music Festival, the Kotka Maritime Festival, the international Flow Festival in Helsinki, which combines music and visual art.
Movie
cellular
The three main companies in the cellular market in Finland are Saunalahti, DNA and Sonera. If you visit Finland frequently and actively use mobile communications, consider purchasing a prepaid card from one of the local operators. These are prepaid SIM cards, the purchase of which does not require filling out an agreement and registering, and does not require a subscription fee. Their validity period is usually limited and lasts several months, but when you top up your account with a certain amount, the validity is automatically extended. SIM cards are sold at R-Kioski, in shopping centers or in specialized communication stores; the cost is quite affordable, despite the crisis. The most economical option is not to buy additional call and internet packages, since the basic package provides excellent communication in terms of price and quality. Read more about the offers of Finnish operators in our article.
Prices in Finland
Finland is one of the most expensive countries in the eurozone, according to the statistical service Eurostat. In recent years, prices for food, services and clothing in Suomi have grown faster than the European average, and now the country consistently ranks among the four EU countries with the highest level of consumer prices.
What prices should you look for when traveling to Finland in 2017?
The average price of a liter of gasoline is 1.5 euros, diesel fuel is 1.4 euros. Travel on public transport in Helsinki costs from 2.9 euros. For a ticket to the museum you will have to pay from 5 to 10 euros.
To drink a cup of cappuccino in a cafe, you need to pay 2.5-3 euros. An inexpensive lunch for one person will cost 10-15 euros, dinner for two with alcohol - from 60 euros.
A Big Mac, which is sometimes used to determine the price level in a particular country, costs 4.1 euros in Finland.
Hotel room rates start from 70 euros. You can spend the night in a common room in a hostel for a fee of 20 euros.
To estimate the cost of a food basket, below are the average prices for basic products in supermarkets:
- Milk, 1 liter – 0.8-1.2 euros
- White bread, 750 g – 1.9 euros
- Eggs, 10 pieces – 1.5-2 euros
- Salmon, 1 kg – 15-20 euros
- Potatoes, 1 kg – 1 euro
- Apples, 1 kg – 1.5 euros
- Juice, 1 liter – 0.8-1.8 euros.
For many goods and services, prices are reduced during sales and promotions held by trading companies, hotels, museums, etc. Also, when going to Finland for shopping, do not forget about the opportunity to return part of the VAT. Read more about issuing an invoice, tax free and electronic tax free in our articles.
What to buy in Finland
Products
First of all, you should pay attention to Finnish food products, which are distinguished by a wide range, consistent quality, freshness, and sometimes a unique local taste.
In Finland, it is worth buying salted or smoked red fish, herring and red caviar. This can be done in any hypermarket or fish stores located near the Russian-Finnish border - Disa’s Fish and Laplandia Market.
Almost as popular as fish, a Finnish product is coffee. The most recognizable and purchased types of coffee are Juhla Mokka, Presidentti and Kulta Katriina.
As for dairy products, you should choose traditional Finnish fermented milk products - Lappish (another name is bread) cheese and salted butter.
One of the most popular edible souvenirs from Suomi is Fazer chocolate. First of all, these are candies with nut crumbs Geisha, with mint filling Fazermint, mint caramel with chocolate filling Marianne, toffee in chocolate glaze Dumle. You can also buy bars with more original flavors, such as salted cashew, pear and cranberry.
A signature Finnish treat is unusual black candies with licorice or salmiakki. The sweet-salty taste of licorice candies is reminiscent of cough syrup, and the aroma of ammonia is added to it in salmiyakki.
If you find yourself at any city holiday or festival in Finland, you should definitely buy Finnish “meter candy”. The licorice cord is cut into pieces and each is packaged in a bag. You won’t find such a souvenir in regular supermarkets; it will make an excellent gift.
It is worth bringing jam from northern forest berries from Suomi, primarily cloudberries and sea buckthorn. Cooking lovers should pay attention to the varied range of Finnish sugar, flour and spices.
As a gift for a man, you can buy Finnish flavored vodka Koskenkorva, Saimaa or Finlandia. Connoisseurs of good beer will be pleased with Lapin Kulta, and lovers of sweet alcoholic drinks will enjoy liqueurs made from cloudberries, cranberries, lingonberries or sea buckthorn. Do not forget that alcohol above 4.7% alcohol can only be purchased in specialized Alko stores.
From November to the end of January, you can add the symbol of Finnish Christmas to your shopping list - Gloggi, a non-alcoholic drink made from juice and spices, intended for making mulled wine.
Popular Finnish snacks will also make excellent gastronomic souvenirs: Porkkanalaatikko carrot casserole, Lihapullat meatballs, Mustamakkara blood sausage, Perunalastuja natural potato chips, as well as Karelian pies (aka Finnish pies, kalitki).
For those who are forced to follow a gluten-free, lactose-free or other diet, it is worth choosing suitable products in any supermarket. Gluten-free products are marked with the symbol of a crossed out ear of wheat in a circle and the word gluteiiniton; lactose-free products are marked with the word laktoositon.
Cloth
From September 14, 2015, it is mandatory to submit biometric data, which includes 10 fingerprints and a photograph (in addition to the photograph for the application form). Children under 12 years of age are exempt from submitting biometric data.
The number of trips to Finland should be greater than to other Schengen countries. The fact in which country you issued a visa is not so significant. The maximum period of stay on a visa is up to 90 days in a six-month period. Schengen gives you the right to visit other countries participating in the agreement.
Everything about applying for a visa, including the addresses of the Finnish Embassy and its representative offices in the Russian Federation, can be found here.
- Install apps to help you travel. For example, an application with free offline maps from around the world Maps.me and a currency converter XE Currency.
- Free housing in Finland can be found using couchsurfing. Read our article on how to do this.
- If you come to Finland for a couple of days, then choose a hostel and a hotel. For a long period of time (a week or more) it makes sense to rent an apartment. This option is also great for traveling with children or a large group. The apartment is a regular apartment with a kitchen, so you can cook for yourself. The downside is that when you check in, you will have to adapt to the owner of the apartment, and, for example, checking into the apartment at night or early in the morning will be problematic. You can rent an apartment either through Booking or using the Airbnb service.
- In Finland, the lowest prices for food are in the stores of the German chain Lidl and Prisma supermarkets.
- Many Finnish museums have days when entry is free for all visitors.
- Public toilets operate daily and all year round in parks and on city streets. They are marked on a map that is distributed at tourist information points.
The language barrier
Finns speak English very well, especially young people, so with knowledge of this language you will feel quite comfortable here. In large shopping centers, tourist information offices and museums you can be served in Russian.
The majority of the population speaks Finnish as their native language; only 6% speak Swedish.
To feel more confident, you can use our
The main attraction of Finland is its amazing nature, for which national parks are the best place to relax. Travelers with children and anyone looking for a colorful Nordic backdrop for a photo shoot usually flock to Urho Kekkonen, overlooked by the Korvatunturi hill, where the Finnish brother of the Russian Father Frost is rumored to live. You can take part in a husky safari, go skiing and snowboarding, go down into a real mine and organize a social competition to pick lingonberries in Pyhä-Luosto. People usually come to Linnansaari to kayak through the narrow straits and skate a free program on lakes bound by a dense layer of ice. Oulanka Park, located almost on the border with Russia, is worth a look if you are interested in the nature of North Karelia, and it is recommended to look for fabulous hills and inspiring panoramas of Lake Pielinen in Koli Park.
In terms of cultural program, Helsinki is ahead of everyone else. The Finnish capital is quiet and pleasant, unlike other European cities, which makes it even more conducive to leisurely excursions. Of the iconic places of the “daughter of the Baltic,” it is worth highlighting Senaatintori Square, Sveaborg Citadel, Temppeliaukio Mountain Church and Tuomiokirkko Cathedral. The islet of Seurasaari makes an indelible impression, attracting travelers with its ethnographic open-air museum and winding forest routes.
The surroundings of the port city of Kotka have been well advertised by numerous parks and ancient forts. Be sure to find the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker here, whose exteriors in the style of Russian classicism copy the architecture of St. Petersburg churches to the smallest detail. The oldest city in the country, Turku, also has something to catch your eye. The short list of attractions of the ancient port is headed by Abo Castle, which was built as a military fort, but later became famous not for its heroic defense, but for its knightly revelries. By the way, if you have a few hundred euros lying around in your pocket, the palace halls can be rented for a cheerful banquet or a pompous wedding ceremony.
A visit to local museums will also bring a lot of impressions. Those who know a lot about avant-garde trends and ordinary lovers of criticizing the creations of contemporary artists have a direct route to the Kiasma Museum. To look at the paintings of Shishkin, Repin and Van Gogh, buy a ticket to the Athenaeum Museum. A visit to the open-air exhibition “Karelian House” is usually recommended for everyone interested in ancient life. The “Tsar’s House” museum also has an interesting fate, whose building was built specifically for Alexander III: it was here that the Russian autocrat fished while European ambassadors languished in anticipation of his audience.
You can also travel from city to city by bus. There are several large carriers operating in Finland, united to form the ExpressBus company. Ticket prices are quite reasonable; in addition, there is a pleasant system of discounts for children, pensioners and students. Those who want to travel around the province to their heart's content and save a little money can purchase a Bus Pass (150 EUR - weekly option, 250 EUR - two-week option). It is recommended to look for more complete information about bus routes, tickets and discounts on the company website expressbus.fi.
A fairly common method of communication between port cities is ferry crossings. The same transport is also convenient for getting to the Åland Islands. You can find out about ferry routes and schedules on the website finferries.fi.
It is convenient to travel within the Finnish capital by buses, trams, metro and taxi. Tickets here are universal and valid for any type of public transport: you can limit yourself to a one-time option (about 2-2.7 EUR), or you can take a daily (8 EUR), three-day (16 EUR) or five-day (24 EUR) pass.
An available taxi in Helsinki is identified by a yellow light on the roof of the car. Payment is made by meter, through a cash register installed in the salon. On average, landing costs from 5.3 to 8.3 EUR, and a kilometer of travel costs from 1.4 to 2 EUR.
The most active and tireless people will be able to rent a bicycle without any problems: for just 2 EUR, the capital’s CityBike parking lots will provide you with a working “two-wheeled horse.” In other cities, tariffs are higher: 10-15 EUR per day of vehicle operation.
Car rental in Finland
The roads in Finland are excellent, and the most interesting sights are scattered throughout the country, so renting a car here is definitely worth it. The only thing that can slightly spoil the impressions of the trip is the local gasoline prices. For a liter of diesel fuel at Finnish gas stations they demand from 1.13 EUR, the 95th goes for 1.34 EUR, and a liter of the 98th will cost 1.41 EUR.
Any driver over the age of 18 who has an international license, his own credit card and at least 1 year of driving experience can rent a car in Finland. Tariffs of rental companies usually depend on the period for which the car is rented. For example, renting an economy class car for a day will lighten your wallet by as much as 70 EUR. For those who rent a vehicle for a longer period, the prices are more favorable - about 120 EUR for 3 days of rental. Payment is made on the day you receive the car, however, if you plan to book the car in advance, be prepared to make a partial prepayment. As for fines for traffic violations, information about them is usually sent to the rental office, which automatically debits the required amount from the deposit blocked on your card.
Connection
The big three Finnish telecom operators are DNA, Elisa and Sonera. To connect to any of them, just look into a company salon, supermarket or R-kioski stores, where for 6-18 EUR you will be quickly accepted into the ranks of subscribers. The most economical tariff plans are offered by Elisa and DNA: SMS and calls for 0.07 EUR, Internet - 0.99 EUR/day, while purchasing a DNA SIM card costs a couple of euros more. Sonera rates are slightly higher: 0.08 EUR for local calls and 0.16 EUR per minute of communication with foreign countries.
Such an endangered form of communication as the payphone is still popular in Finland. You can find the treasured booth with a retro device on the street, in the subway, hotels and post offices. Conversations there are paid for with cards sold in R-kioski stores; the minimum cost of a call within the country is 0.5 EUR.
Everything is more than fine with the Internet in the homeland of the Moomins. Guests of most hotels receive free and unlimited access to the World Wide Web, while others can experience similar benefits of civilization in restaurants and cafes. In Helsinki, you can find a Wi-Fi hotspot right in the city center: the main post office, city hall, shopping centers, and libraries generously distribute traffic to everyone.
Finland for children
The Finns adore children no less than their Swedish neighbors, so the range of entertainment for young travelers here is simply fabulous. The village of Joulupukki and Santa Park (Rovaniemi) continue to hold the crown among the most desirable attractions in Finland. Here your little one will be greeted by the Finnish Santa Claus (the same Joulupukki), elf helpers, reindeer sleighs and merry carousels sparkling with Christmas garlands. Kids and adults, nostalgic for the wonderful fairy tales of Tove Jansson, can take a ride to the city of Naatali, in the vicinity of which live the Moomins, Snufkin and other incredible inhabitants of Moomidol. It’s better to take young experimenters to the Eureka Popular Science Center, or even “forget” them there for a couple of days (there is a camp for teenagers at the museum) in order to have fun in some adult establishment.
Beach holiday
The number of well-groomed and top-quality beaches in the Land of a Thousand Lakes is difficult to count, so tourists always have the opportunity to be capricious, choosing the best one from them. The most cozy and attractive areas of the coast usually belong to hotels or are attached as an additional bonus to tourist houses, but there is no shortage of public places for swimming. In Helsinki, too, there are about 30 beaches, where you can lie on for free.
Among the most developed and visited resorts in Finland is Yyteri (the city of Pori): as many as 6 kilometers of pristine sandy shore with campsites, spa complexes, extreme entertainment and excellent beach infrastructure. Families with children and those who like to splash around in shallow waters are usually recommended to visit Oulu and Tampere, as well as take a closer look at the beaches of lakes Pyhäjärvi and Näsijärvi. You can also swim in the Åland Islands, but you will have to look for a suitable place with a convenient descent: the shores here are rocky.
Skiing
The mountains, or rather the hills, of Finland are not aimed at ski gurus, but rather at beginners and those who have just learned the basics of this sport. With the same success, you can slide down their gentle slopes on a sled or cheesecake: the risk is minimal, but the pleasure and adrenaline are the opposite. By the way, local tracks are equipped with the latest technology.
Resorts of a more advanced level are worth looking for in Lapland. In particular, if you want to mingle among the Finnish business elite, save up your money for a ski pass to Saariselkä. In Levi the people are simpler: the complex is famous for its variety of trails and its cable car, the only one in all of Finland. Vuokatti is popular with families with children, snowboarders and cross-country skiers, for whom there are first-class trails. But skiers from the Northern capital prefer not to go too deep into the Finnish wilds, mastering the slopes of border resorts like Friski, Myllymäki and Uuperinrinteet.
You can fish in Finnish waters only with a license. Fishing with a regular fishing rod without a reel and spoon is possible without obtaining a documentary permit. To obtain a license, a tourist must obtain, firstly, a certificate of payment of the state fishing fee (can be purchased at a bank, post office, R-kioski network and on the official website), and secondly, a receipt for payment of a local license (purchased at gas stations, in stores). Each of the documents is valid only in the territory of one province, that is, if you are planning to organize a fishing tour on all the lakes of Finland, you will have to acquire a new license in each region.
As for the catch, it will be equally rich everywhere, differing only in species diversity. For example, for salmon and grayling it is better to go to the Lapland rivers Näätämejoki, Simojoki, Tenojoki and Tornionjoki. Pike are most often caught in lakes Kemijärvi and Porttipahta, and for brown trout you will have to ride to Inari and Vätäri. The coolest place in eastern Finland is the Kuusamo region, in particular the Tornio River. You should come here for salmon, as well as pike and perch, which flood the surrounding lakes.
In the west of the country you can get hold of trout, grayling and the same salmon (the rivers Kiiminkijoki, Simojoki, Iijoki), but for whitefish it is worth looking at the lakes and rapids of the Savo region, which has gained fame as the most ecologically clean corner of Finland.
Where to stay
Traditional Finnish hotels do not have stars, which does not affect the level of their service. For those who are used to traveling on a grand scale and prefer apartments in the “expensive-rich” style, we can recommend such options as, Hilton Helsinki Kalastajatorppa (Helsinki), Arctic Light (Rovaniemi).
Incorrigible misanthropes, ultimate romantics and couples seeking solitude will find wooden cottages scattered throughout the most secluded and picturesque corners of Finland: , . Almost all houses are built from environmentally friendly materials and equipped with fireplaces and saunas. By the way, such apartments are in demand at ski resorts.
You can relax your body and soul in the spa complexes that have recently filled the shores of Finnish lakes and rivers (, Cumulus Rukahovi, Ruissalo, Santa's Resort & Spa Hotel Sani). If the tourist budget is bursting at the seams and there is not enough money for a decent hotel , it's worth checking out the local hostels and campsites.
Despite the fact that Finland is considered to be an expensive country, housing prices here are very varied. If in pretentious hotels the most modest room will cost 75 EUR, then in hotels of a lower rank there will always be a room for 50 EUR. In hostels the situation is even more positive - up to 45 EUR per room. The most ridiculous (by European standards) prices for campsites: from 3 to 20 EUR per night. The owners of eco-cottages have not yet decided on prices, so you can rent a nice house for a week for either 250 or 800 euros.
Shopping
Global shopping in Finland can cost a pretty penny, so travelers planning to buy branded items should better time their trip around Christmas or Juhannus (the Finnish equivalent of Midsummer Day), when large-scale sales start in all the country's malls. You can tell that the store has started liquidating the collection by looking at the “Alennusmyynt” and “Ale” signs.
The most suitable places to get a stylish European outfit in Finland are showrooms and outlets in Helsinki, Turku and Tampere. Do not neglect locally produced textile products, which will cost an order of magnitude cheaper than their French or English counterparts. In particular, the youth brand Jack & Jones, sports equipment manufacturer Luhta and exclusive designer clothing Halonen have gained a good reputation. The best place to look for original children's clothes, toys and vintage accessories is at kirputoriya flea markets. If second-hand shopping does not cause negative associations, you can save a lot of money in such places.
Those who like to buy memorable souvenirs should save up a certain amount in their account in advance: the range of funny little things and gift products in Finland is luxurious. Here you will find national dolls, reindeer skins, Moomin figurines, elite Lapponia Jewelry, skillfully stylized as handicrafts, locally produced porcelain and ceramics, Scandinavian puukko knives, as well as a bunch of other things that will warm you up. soul, becoming a tangible reminder of the trip. Gourmets usually bring smoked fish, berry liqueur, cheeses, Fazer chocolate, Salmiakki licorice candies, Piparkakkuja cookies and Mintu mint liqueur from Finland.
Tax free
VAT on most goods in Finland is as much as 22%, so searching for a store that supports the Tax free system is not a whim, but a real way to save on purchases. As practice shows, you can return from 12 to 16% of the cost of the goods, but only if the amount of your purchases exceeded 40 EUR. And one more thing: go on a shopping tour with a passport, since store employees will definitely require you to show it before filling out the receipt.
You can get part of your money back at Helsinki Airport, as well as at return points located on the Finnish-Russian border: border crossings Valimaa-Torfyanovka, Imatra-Svetogorsk, Nuijamaa-Brusnichnoe, Niirala-Värtsilä and others. To apply for Tax free, you must first “stamp” the goods from customs officers (under no circumstances open the packaging), after which you can safely go to any of the nearest offices that handle refunds.
Store opening hours
Small shops and boutiques are open on weekdays from 9:00 to 18:00, while large shopping centers serve visitors until 20:00-21:00. On Saturday, all retail outlets are open with reduced hours, until 15:00. On a holiday, you won’t be able to buy anything, since except for the R-kioski chain pavilions, all stores in the country are closed.
Holidays and Events
In Finland, you can celebrate both classic religious holidays like Christmas and Easter, and take part in all kinds of festivals, which are an endless series in this country. Of the winter holidays, the New Year, the Day of the Sami People and the Day of “Kalevala” - the Karelian-Finnish poetic epic - are considered especially significant. In the spring, crispy brushwood is baked throughout the country for May Day (Vappu) and stocked with bouquets and gifts for Mother's Day, which is celebrated on the second Sunday in May.
Summer in Finland is the holiday of Ivan Kupala (Juhannus), a military parade for the Day of Defense Forces, a daring Flow Festival and gay pride, which is unchanged for all European countries. The heavy rock festival Tuska Open Air in Helsinki also falls in the summer months: a stunning and equally deafening event is held in the industrial zone of the capital and attracts up to 30,000 spectators at its venues. In October, all tourists and metropolitan gourmets flock to Helsinki Market Square to celebrate Herring Day and at the same time try all varieties of this truly Scandinavian delicacy.
Visa information
To obtain permission to enter Finland, tourists from Russia and the CIS will have to apply for a visa. The procedure for obtaining a pass can be completed at consulates or visa centers. A standard Schengen package of documents will be required: an international passport valid for at least three months after the end of the trip, a color photo 36×47 mm, a completed online application form, confirmation of a hotel reservation, copies of round-trip air tickets and medical insurance covering expenses from 30,000 EUR.
In some cases, the consulate may require the tourist to provide proof of financial solvency and a certificate of employment. When traveling with children under the age of 14, you must provide a copy of the birth certificate, as well as a notarized copy of the travel permit from the mother/father if the child is traveling with only one of the parents.
Customs
Without having to fill out a declaration, you can bring only 1,500 USD to Finland. As for hand luggage, its cost should not exceed 430 EUR. Age restrictions apply for the import of alcohol:
- for persons under 18 years of age and tourists whose stay in the country is less than 3 days - a complete ban;
- for tourists aged 18 to 20 years – drinks no stronger than 22°.
In total, you can carry 16 liters of beer, 4 liters of wine and up to 1 liter of strong alcohol (over 22°), or 2 liters of other drinks with a strength of less than 22°, without paying a duty. Restrictions on tobacco products are the same as in other European countries: 200 cigarettes/50 cigars/250 g of tobacco. A more detailed list of limits applicable to the import and export of certain categories of goods can be found on the official website of the Finnish Customs Administration: tulli.fi.
How to get there
Airplane. You can fly from Moscow to Helsinki without transfers with Aeroflot and Finnair. Travel time – 1 hour 50 minutes. Direct flights from the Northern capital are offered by Norra (air time - 1 hour 10 minutes), and it is better to look for options with transfers from Rossiya, Aeroflot and AirBaltic (flight duration from 3 hours 30 minutes).
Train. Every day the branded train “Lev Tolstoy” departs from the Leningradsky station in Moscow to Helsinki, which residents of St. Petersburg can also get on. The entire journey of the locomotive takes no more than 14 hours. A more efficient option is the Allegro high-speed train from the Northern capital, which will take a tourist to Finland in just 3 hours 40 minutes.
Bus from St. Petersburg. Bus services towards Helsinki depart from Vosstaniya Square. The trip usually takes about 6 hours.
Ferry. Fans of sea cruises can sail to Finland on the Princess Maria and Princess Anastasia ferries departing from the St. Petersburg Marine Station. The duration of such a trip is 14 hours.
Finland is a country in the northern part of Europe. It holds the title of the best and most stable country in the world. What characteristics and features does Finland have? For the form of government and description of the population, see later in the article.
Geography
Finland borders Norway, Russia, and Sweden. It shares sea waters (the Gulf of Finland) and Sweden (the Gulf of Bothnia). The area of Finland is 338,430,053 square kilometers. More than 20% of the country's territory is located beyond the Arctic Circle.
The coastline of the continental part stretches for 46 thousand kilometers. In addition, Finland owns more than 80 thousand islands and archipelagos. The most famous are the Turku archipelago and the Åland Islands.
In the area between the Gulf of Finland and the Gulf of Bothnia is the Archipelago Sea. This is an area in which many small islands, uninhabited rocks and skerries are concentrated. Their total number reaches 50,000, making the archipelago the largest in the country.
The territory of the state is elongated in the meridian direction. The length from north to south is 1030 kilometers, the distance from west to east is 515 kilometers. The country shares its highest point, Mount Halti, with Norway. In Finland its height is 1324 meters.
Finland: form of government and political structure
Finland is a unitary state where the Åland Islands have partial autonomy. The special status of the islands exempts the inhabitants of this territory from military service (unlike the rest of Finland), allows them to have their own parliament and much more.
Finland is a parliamentary-presidential republic. The head of state is the president, whose term of office lasts six years. The main ruling structures of the country are located in the capital - the city of Helsinki. The judicial system has several branches and is divided into civil, criminal and administrative courts.
Laws in the country are based on Swedish or civil law. Considering that the country is a parliamentary-presidential republic, the parliament and the president are responsible for the legislative branch. Executive power belongs to the President and the State Council.
What territorial units is Finland divided into? The country's form of government involves a slightly complicated division. The entire territory is divided into regions, they are divided into cities, which, in turn, are divided into communes. Each unit has its own controls. There are 19 regions in the country.
Population of the country
The country has a population of approximately 5.5 million people. The majority of Finland's population lives on just five percent of the country's territory. Overall population growth is negative, the birth rate is lower than the death rate. However, the total number of inhabitants is increasing.
In recent years, citizens of other countries have made up approximately 4%. The population of Finland is 89% Finnish. The largest national minority is the Finnish Swedes. Russians represent 1.3%, almost 1% belongs to Estonians. The Sami and Gypsies have the smallest numbers.
The first most common language is Finnish, spoken by more than 90% of the population. Together with Swedish, it is official. Swedish is spoken by only 5.5% of residents, mainly on the Åland Islands, in the western and southern regions of the state. Russian, Somali, Arabic and English are spoken among immigrants.
Economy
Finland's share in the world economy is modest, in trade it is 0.8%, in manufacturing - about 5%. This small highly developed GDP per capita is about 45 thousand dollars. The national currency of Finland is the euro; until 2002, the Finnish mark was in force.
The industry accounts for the largest share of the country's economy (33%). The main industries are mechanical engineering, metallurgy, woodworking, light and food industries. Agriculture is focused on growing grain crops and meat and dairy farming. It accounts for 6%, forestry - 5%.
In Finland, the Internet technology sector is rapidly developing, and investment attractiveness is increasing. Negative factors of the economy are the large and undeveloped domestic market.
Almost half of the residents are employed in the service sector, industrial sector and trade, 28% work in forestry, 12% in fishing. In Finland, there is a trend towards an aging population, which also negatively affects the development of the country's economy.
Nature
Finland is often called there are more than 180 thousand here. Most of them, along with swamps and swamps, are located in the central part of the country. The largest are Oulujärvi, Saimaa, and Päijänne. All lakes are connected by small rivers, in which waterfalls, rapids and rapids often form.
Finland's area is 60% covered by forests. The relief is represented by hilly plains and plateaus in the east. The highest point is in the north; in the rest of the country, elevations do not exceed three hundred meters. The formation of the relief was significantly influenced by glaciation.
The country has a temperate climate, continental in the northern part, in the rest of the territory it is transitional from continental to maritime. Active precipitation occurs throughout the year. Summer days are especially long and cool, lasting until 19:00. In remote northern areas, sunset does not occur for 73 days. Winters, on the contrary, are short and cold.
Animal and plant life
Finland is characterized by a variety of flora and fauna. Forests cover more than 20 million hectares of the country. These are mainly pine forests located in the central part. They grow a large number of berries (blueberries, cranberries, raspberries, etc.) and mushrooms. Beech forests predominate in the southern regions.
In the northern part of the country, vegetation is low. There are no forests here, but cloudberry grass is actively growing, forming entire thickets. Spring vegetation is represented by various grasses, such as liverwort and coltsfoot.
The fauna is widely represented by birds. Finland is home to whooper swans, which have become a symbol of the country. Here you can meet finches, lapwings, thrushes, starlings, herons, and cranes. The list of mammals includes wolverines, lynxes, flying squirrels, beavers, brown bears, bats, wolves, ferrets and, of course, reindeer.
- There are 38 national parks in Finland, where walking is legally permitted freely. Within their boundaries there are many overnight stops.
- Tap water in this country is considered the cleanest in the world.
- You don't have to travel far to see the Northern Lights. It can be observed even in the southern part of the country.
- The local sport is Nordic walking. It is a regular race walk with ski poles for weighting. They do it even in the summer.
- On average, each Finn drinks more than two thousand cups of coffee per year. For this, they have earned the title of world coffee lovers.
- In a small town in Finland, it is quite possible to meet a deer or a bear right on the street.
Conclusion
The land of a thousand lakes and the “midnight sun” is Finland. The form of government of the state is a republic. This is a unitary country, which includes a territory with a special status. The main city of the country is Helsinki.
The ecological situation in Finland is considered one of the best in the world. Even the taps here flow clean water. The country's hilly terrain is covered with pine and beech forests, berry bushes and numerous lakes. And the state carefully protects its unique landscapes.
Finland was under Swedish rule for 600 years. From 1809 to 1917 it was an autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland, part of the Russian Empire. In 1917, Finland gained independence.
Since the 12th century, Finland has been part of Western culture.
Since the 18th century, the country has had a special relationship with Russia, and its history has been influenced by the changing balance of power in Europe and the Baltic region.
Part of Western Europe
Despite the country's eastern location, culturally Finland developed as part of Western Europe. Since the expansion of the Roman Empire never reached the northern borders of Europe, Christianity, in the forms of the Roman Catholic Church, took root in Finland and Scandinavia only in the 9th and 10th centuries.
Simultaneously with the spread of Christianity, Finland became increasingly part of the Kingdom of Sweden. The rapprochement proceeded in stages, and at the beginning of the 16th century, the southwestern part of the territory of modern Finland became an integral part of Sweden.
Overall, this had a significant impact on the further development of Finland. The Western social system, Western values and the practices of everyday life based on them have taken root in the country. In parallel with this, a Swedish-speaking minority settled on the southern and western coasts of Finland, which still exists in the country.
In 1527, finding that the state treasury was empty, King Gustav Vasa of Sweden followed the example of the principalities of Northern Germany. The property of the Roman Catholic Church was seized with reference to the teaching of Martin Luther, according to which the church is a community of believers, therefore its property should belong to the people.
The break with the Pope grew deeper in the following decades, and thus the eastern part of the Kingdom of Sweden - Finland - became the furthest territory of Protestant Europe in the northeast. As a result of the Reformation movement, Finnish writing gradually, step by step, began to be created.
In 1584, a translation of the New Testament into Finnish was published by church reformer Mikael Agricola. The modern Finnish language is based on a combination of dialects, primarily from Western Finland.
Russia and Finland 1500–1700 centuries
At the end of the 16th century, about 300,000 inhabitants lived in Finland. Half of them settled along the coast of the southwestern part of the country and lived by farming and fishing. The second half of the inhabitants were primarily engaged in burning agriculture, deer breeding and hunting in the vast and dense forests of the interior.
Of the country's seven cities, mention should be made of the episcopate center of Turku, the gateway to eastern Finland, Vyborg, and Helsinki, founded by Gustav Vasa in 1550 as a rival to Tallinn. Helsinki turned out to be a sad failure and really meant nothing - its importance began to increase only in the second half of the 18th century thanks to the large sea fortress Sveaborg (from 1918 Suomenlinna) built on the approaches to the city from the sea.
Finland's geographical location as an outpost in eastern Sweden led to negative consequences. Since the 15th century, Russia has developed as a single state, and since then has fought repeated wars with its western neighbors for several centuries. One of the opponents was Sweden, which rose during the 16th century to become a dominant power in the Baltic Sea region and then, in the 17th century, to become a strong player on the larger European stage.
During the Great Northern War (1700–1712), this role passed from Sweden to Russia, which was crucial for Finland, because in 1703 the Russian Emperor Peter the Great founded a new capital, St. Petersburg, in the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland at the mouth of the Neva, quickly becoming a northern European metropolis.
The more St. Petersburg grew, the more important Finland's geopolitical security position became for both Sweden and Russia. The large defensive fortress of Sveaborg (“Swedish fortress”) on the approaches to Helsinki from the sea was built with the help of the French specifically to repel Russian expansion and the threat from the huge Russian naval base in Kronstadt.
Grand Duchy of Finland 1809–1917
As a result of the Treaty of Friedrichsham in September 1809, all of Finland was annexed to the expanding Russian Empire. The long period of peace and especially the major social reforms carried out since the 1860s contributed to the gradual emergence of industry and trade.
However, when, as a result of the diplomatic chain reaction caused by the Napoleonic Wars, Russia and Sweden clashed again in 1808–1809, the Russians surrounded and bombarded the fortress, forcing a premature surrender, and as a result of the Treaty of Friedrichsham in September 1809, all of Finland was annexed the expanding Russian Empire.
At the beginning of the 19th century, Russia was not a unitary state in the administrative sense, but rather resembled a patchwork quilt consisting of several states. Therefore, Finland, which was granted the status of an autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland, retained the Lutheran church and the administrative culture of Sweden, and, in addition, even its government - the Senate - and the Secretary of State, who represented the affairs of Finland directly to the emperor. In addition, Emperor Alexander the First annexed the Karelian Isthmus, which Russia had conquered from Sweden at the beginning of the 18th century, to the Grand Duchy.
To strengthen the new union of states, Alexander the First decided in 1812 to move the capital of the Principality of Finland from Turku to Helsinki and at the same time ordered the city to be completely rebuilt.
A majestic center in the Empire style, familiar from St. Petersburg and Berlin, but new to Finland, was erected around Senate Square. Over the following decades, a busy administrative center with a regular layout rose up around it. The role and importance of Helsinki was enhanced by the transfer in 1827 to Helsinki of the university founded in 1640 in Turku.
Based on Swedish management culture
The Russian authorities saw Finland primarily as an outpost of the Russian Empire in the north-west. In Finland, many also believed that the country would gradually merge with the ever-expanding Russian empire. But that did not happen. The Swedish government system, which differs from the Russian culture of state administration, and ongoing trade ties with Sweden contributed to the preservation of Finland's special features.
Growing national self-awareness
When national ideas became widespread in Finland in the 1840s, a strong ideological basis for independent development was created. The pioneers were, first of all, the creator of the epic “Kalevala” (1835) Elias Lönnrut, the poet J. L. Runeberg, the philosopher, senator J. V. Snellman, who fought for Finnish to become the first state language instead of Swedish in both government and culture .
At the end of the 19th century, nationalist ideas were strong among the people of Finland, many participated in various public organizations in which Finland was seen as independent in the future.
Economic development 1800 century
The development of ideas of independence was also facilitated by a favorably developing economy. The long period of peace and especially the major social reforms carried out since the 1860s contributed to the gradual emergence of industry and trade. The sales market was located in both Russia and Western Europe. The main engines of the economy were the food and paper industries. The standard of living rose rapidly, the population increased - in a hundred years the population tripled. At the beginning of the First World War, the population of Finland was about three million people.
The proximity to St. Petersburg contributed to economic development, but at the same time, however, posed a threat from a security policy point of view. As tensions arose between the great powers, Russia tried to tie Finland more closely to the empire, leading to long-term political tensions.
After Russia lost the war with Japan in 1905, the emperor had to agree to a number of reforms. In Finland, liberalization led to the creation in 1906 of a democratically elected parliament based on universal and equal suffrage. Finnish women were the first in Europe to gain political rights.
Independence and Finnish Civil War
On December 6, 1917, the Finnish Parliament, at the proposal of the Senate, declared the country an independent republic. There was no government in the country capable of maintaining order, and within two months a civil war began. The annexation of Finland to Russia in 1809 was one of the results of a geopolitical chain reaction. Similar historical processes led to the country's complete independence at the last stage of the First World War. Tired of three years of war, Russia was experiencing a period of devastation and chaos, and, after the Bolsheviks seized power in Russia, the Finnish Parliament, at the proposal of the Senate, declared the country an independent republic on December 6, 1917.
There was no government in the country capable of maintaining order, and within two months a civil war began, which was practically part of the chaos raging in Russia. In May 1918, the Finnish White Army, with decisive support from German units, completely defeated the socialist rebels, who in turn received weapons from Russia.
After Germany was defeated in the World War, the original plan to turn Finland into a constitutional monarchy was changed and a republican form of government was introduced in the summer of 1919. It existed unchanged until 2000, until the moment when the internal political rights of the president were limited.
The first three decades of independence became a test of the young country's strength.
The first decades of an independent state
The first three decades of independence became a test of the young country's strength. The country was doing well economically. Western Europe has largely replaced the Russian sales market, the culture has gone through a number of changes and received international recognition. The country's political development was, however, complicated by the legacy of the civil war. Old wounds were not healed, and the domestic political field was split for a long time. In the early 1930s, the anti-communist tendencies of the radical right were so strong that the parliamentary system was under threat.
In the spring of 1937, however, a parliament was formed on a broad platform. He united the political forces of the peasantry and working class and created the basis for a national consensus and the modern Finnish welfare state.
Winter War and Continuation War
However, in the fall of 1939, the stable, peaceful period of social development abruptly ended. The Second World War began. The Soviet Union demanded territorial concessions from Finland. Again Finland's proximity to St. Petersburg or Leningrad played a decisive role.
Finland did not make territorial concessions, and the Red Army launched a large-scale offensive against Finland on November 30, 1939. The Finnish army, however, managed to stop the offensive. The Red Army was many times superior in numbers and in terms of armament to the Finnish troops, but the Finns had strong motivation, knew the terrain better and were much better equipped and prepared for combat operations in extreme conditions - the winter of 1939–1940 was exceptionally cold.
In the vast forests to the north, the Finnish army surrounded and destroyed two Soviet divisions. The Winter War lasted 105 days. In March 1940, a peace treaty was signed. The Soviet Union feared that the Western allies would intervene in the war on Finland's side, and Moscow at this stage limited itself to territorial demands on Finland and the creation of a military base on leased lands on the Hanko Peninsula (Gangut), on the southwestern coast of the country.
Continuation War
Independence was preserved, but the Winter War left a deep imprint on the Finnish consciousness. The Western press treated Finland with sympathy, Sweden helped financially in many ways, but militarily the Finns found themselves completely alone. It was a harsh lesson. Since then, the leadership of the Finnish state and most of the people have realized that neither the Western allies nor the northern neighbors will come to the rescue if only the independence and sovereignty of Finland is at stake.
Realizing this, President Risto Ryti and the commander-in-chief of the Finnish army Gustav Mannerheim in the winter of 1940–1941 secretly accepted the German offer of military assistance. Neither one nor the other were adherents of Nazism, but both believed that military cooperation with Nazi Germany was the only salvation against the new aggression of the Red Army.
In June 1941, when the Germans launched Operation Barbarossa, the Finns were absolutely ready to attack. The Red Army subjected many Finnish cities to aerial bombardment, so the Finnish government was able to call the offensive of the Finnish army, which began two weeks later, defensive battles.
Finland never entered into a political alliance with Germany; in the so-called Continuation War (1941–1944) it pursued its own national goals. However, militarily it was clearly a joint war against the Soviet Union. Germany re-equipped the Finnish army, fought on the country's northern fronts and supplied a significant part of the weapons and raw materials the country needed throughout the joint war.
In June 1944, when the Soviet Union launched a heavy artillery bombardment and a massive offensive on the Karelian Isthmus to force Finland into a separate peace, the support of German troops helped the Finns stop the Red Army advance at a crucial moment.
Soon after, the German army came under increasing pressure from two directions as a result of the Allied landings in Normandy, and this opened the possibility of concluding an armistice agreement between Finland, the USSR and the Allied states in September 1944. The agreement was then formalized by the Paris Peace Treaty of 1947.
Finland again had to make major territorial concessions and agree to the creation of a large Soviet military base west of Helsinki. In addition, the country was forced to pay large reparations to the USSR and put on trial the government that was in power during the war.
Finland's position in Europe during the Cold War was in many ways exceptional. Unlike the countries of Eastern Europe, Finland was never occupied by Soviet troops. Finland's position in Europe during the Cold War was in many ways exceptional. Unlike the countries of Eastern Europe, Finland was never occupied by Soviet troops. The country remained a Western democracy, and thanks to extremely rapid industrialization in the 1970s, it achieved the same standard of living as Western European countries. This made possible the creation of the Nordic model of the welfare state. However, throughout the Cold War, Finland had to take into account the security interests of the Soviet Union.
In April 1948, Finland concluded a “Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance” with the Soviet Union. Under the terms of the treaty, Finland pledged to resist any attack directed against Finland or against the USSR through Finnish territory. The agreement was valid until 1991. Thanks to him, relations between the two countries were stabilized and the foundation was laid for broad economic cooperation, which naturally contributed to the favorable social development of Finland.
The negative side of the treaty was that it did not strengthen the confidence of Western countries in the policy of non-alignment, which was actively pursued by the Finnish government. However, President Urho Kekkonen, who led the country for a quarter of a century (1956 -1981), gradually managed to gain international respect in this balancing act between East and West. The 1,300-kilometer-long common border with the USSR was an insurmountable geographical reality. To ensure that Finland did not have to suffer too much from this, export-oriented industry was allowed to enter into favorable trade agreements with the EFTA (1961) and the EEC (1973).
Thus, Finland managed not to come into conflict with its strong eastern neighbor and at the same time have increasingly close economic ties with Western Europe. In early August 1975, the leaders of 35 countries in Europe and North America gathered in Helsinki to sign the final document of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe. The document recognized the political division of Europe. In Helsinki, general rules of the game on human rights issues were agreed upon, which political dissidents in the countries of the socialist bloc passionately seized on. The process begun in Helsinki eventually led to the final collapse of the Soviet empire in 1991.
Neither Finland nor many other countries could have foreseen such a sharp turn. Although growth rates were not as rapid as in the 1960s and 1970s, Finland continued to prosper into the 1980s.
During the presidency of Mauno Koivisto (1982–1994), the country's governments remained in power for the entire period of office, which gave stability to the internal politics of the country, whose population reached five million.
New technologies began to flourish. The dismantling of the state television and radio monopoly has begun. Telephone networks underwent the same liberalization, which generally created strong market conditions for the technological revolution of the 1990s in the field of both wired and wireless information communications.
As in many other countries, the release of transnational capital in the late 1980s led to the overheating of the Finnish economy. This was followed by the collapse of the Soviet Union, a sharp decline in exports to the east and west, and incompetent financial policies.
Economic crisis of the early 1990s
All this led to a deep economic crisis in 1991–1994. During the worst period, unemployment reached about 20 percent of the total working population. Entire industries collapsed and national debt rose to dangerous levels, but the structures of the welfare state held out and a strong economic recovery began in 1995 that would continue into the next century. Coincidentally or not, the Nokia concern experienced the same growth curve and has now become a leading concern in the global market. In the early 1990s, this flagship of the Finnish industry was on the verge of bankruptcy.
Finland and the European Union
During the deepest economic crisis in the spring of 1992, the Finnish government decided to apply to join the European Union. The decision was based both on the Finnish economic situation and on security policy aspects. In the union of Western countries, the vision of a common market, with a common foreign and security policy, was just maturing. For a country like Finland, this seemed like a reasonable solution.
Finland, not without reason, watched Russia’s internal political developments with concern. Two years later, an agreement was concluded on the terms of entry. In October 1994, a consultative referendum was held and about 58 percent of Finns supported joining the European Union. Finland joined the EU on January 1, 1995.
At the first stage, EU membership was perceived as extremely important for the Finnish identity - it has always been important for Finns to maintain relations with the West and with Western civilization in general. This became clear in 1998, when Parliament decided on Finland's participation in the EU's single economic and monetary union with the introduction of the euro.
In the autumn of 1999, when Finland held its first EU presidency, the country was enthusiastic about the EU. Enthusiasm later waned, despite the fact that Finland is among those EU countries that have benefited most from membership, both economically and in terms of security policy.
The cooling towards the EU and its structures is due to many reasons. First of all, in the early 2000s, the EU economy was not in the best shape, and the EU's eastward enlargement in the spring of 2004 brought new problems to the surface. An even more important reason why Finns have become more casual about the EU is the rapid changes in the global economy, as well as in the field of information technology.
The European Union exists. Let's hope it remains a common home for the people of Europe. And now it is much easier to travel with words, sounds, images and, of course, simply physically, for example, by plane to other continents and perceive the “big world” outside European shores.
For a country like Finland, where there is often a childlike excitement about computer technology, this trend may be particularly strong. Regardless, as we approach the second decade of the new century, Finland is doing well in this rapid cycle of change.
Text: Henrik Meinander, Ph.D., Professor of History, Head of the Department of History at the University of Helsinki.
Translation: Galina Pronina
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