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 covers an area of 338,145 square kilometres (130,559 sq mi) and has a population of 5.6 million. Helsinki is the capital and largest city. The vast majority of the population are ethnic Finns. The official languages are Finnish and Swedish, of which 84.9 percent of the population speak the first as their mother tongue and 5.1 percent the latter. 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.

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 the Swedish Empire as a result of the Northern Crusades. In 1809, as a result of the Finnish War, Finland was captured from Sweden and became a Grand Duchy of Finland, an autonomous state ruled by the Russian Empire. During this period, Finnish art flourished and the idea of full 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. Following the Russian Revolution of 1917, Finland declared its full independence. In 1918 the young nation was divided by the Finnish Civil War. During 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. (Full article...)

Selected article -

The composer (c. 1940–1945)

The Symphony No. 8, JS 190, was the final major compositional project of the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius, occupying him intermittently from the mid-1920s until around 1938, though he never published it. During this time Sibelius was at the peak of his fame, a national figure in his native Finland and a composer of international stature. A fair copy of at least the first movement was made, but how much of the Eighth Symphony was completed is unknown. Sibelius repeatedly refused to release it for performance, though he continued to assert that he was working on it even after he had, according to later reports from his family, burned the score and associated material, probably in 1945.

Much of Sibelius's reputation, during his lifetime and subsequently, derived from his work as a symphonist. His Seventh Symphony of 1924 has been widely recognised as a landmark in the development of symphonic form, and at the time there was no reason to suppose that the flow of innovative orchestral works would not continue. However, after the symphonic poem Tapiola, completed in 1926, his output was confined to relatively minor pieces and revisions to earlier works. During the 1930s the Eighth Symphony's premiere was promised to Serge Koussevitzky and the Boston Symphony Orchestra on several occasions, but as each scheduled date approached Sibelius demurred, claiming that the work was not ready for performance. Similar promises made to the British conductor Basil Cameron and to the Finnish Georg Schnéevoigt likewise proved illusory. It is thought that Sibelius's perfectionism and exalted reputation prevented him ever completing the symphony to his satisfaction; he wanted it to be even better than his Seventh. (Full article...)

List of selected articles

Selected image -

Photo credit: fi:User:Neofelis Nebulosa
The Central Park of Helsinki during the summer

Did you know (auto-generated)

... that Sodankylä Old Church is one of the oldest preserved wooden churches in Finland?
... that the United States severed diplomatic ties with Finland in 1944 because of a personal letter sent to Hitler?
... that Mika Kares returned to Finland to perform the title role of Boito's opera Mefistofele at the Savonlinna Opera Festival?
... that Charlotte Haining was an International Jury Member for the selection of Finland's 2020 Eurovision Song Contest entry?
... that Plevna in Tampere, Finland, was the first building in the Nordic countries and the Russian Empire (of which Finland was part at the time) to be lit by electric lights?
... that Finnish-American model Selene Mahri married three millionaires and is credited with inventing the saying "Marriage is a question of give and take. You give. I take"?

WikiProjects

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

More did you know -

...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?

Good article -

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

A sign which the Germans left in Muonio, Lapland, written on it: 'As thanks for not demonstrating brotherhood in arms!'

During World War II, the Lapland War (Finnish: Lapin sota; Swedish: Lapplandskriget; German: Lapplandkrieg) saw fighting between Finland and Nazi Germany – effectively from September to November 1944 – in Finland's northernmost region, Lapland. Though the Finns and the Germans had been fighting together against the Soviet Union since 1941 during the Continuation War (1941–1944), peace negotiations between the Finnish government and the Allies of World War II had been conducted intermittently during 1943–1944, but no agreement had been reached. The Moscow Armistice, signed on 19 September 1944, demanded that Finland break diplomatic ties with Germany and expel or disarm any German soldiers remaining in Finland.

The Wehrmacht had anticipated this turn of events and planned an organised withdrawal to Nazi-occupied Norway, as part of Operation Birke (Birch). Despite a failed offensive landing operation by Germany in the Gulf of Finland, the evacuation proceeded peacefully at first. The Finns escalated the situation into warfare on 28 September after Soviet pressure to adhere to the terms of the armistice. The Finnish Army was required by the Soviet Union to push Wehrmacht troops out of Finnish territory. After a series of minor battles, the war came to an effective end in November 1944, when all of the Wehrmacht troops had reached Norway or the border area and took fortified positions. The last Wehrmacht soldiers left Finland on 27 April 1945, shortly before the end of World War II in Europe. (Full article...)

List of Good articles

General images

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

Image 1Lapua Movement supporters beating the "red officer" Eino Nieminen in front of the Vaasa courthouse during the 4 June 1930 riot. (from History of Finland)
Image 2A smoke sauna (savusauna) in Enonkoski (from Culture of Finland)
Image 3Women dressed in Finnish folk costumes (from Culture of Finland)
Image 4Kalmar Union in 1400s (from History of Finland)
Image 5Portrait of Finnish poet Elias Lönnrot who wrote "the Kalevala" (1802 - 1884) (from History of Finland)
Image 6The public education system founded during earlier Swedish rule turned Finland and Estonia into the two most literate areas of Russian Empire (map of 1897 census literacy data) (from History of Finland)
Image 7Wehrmacht soldiers with a local Sámi reindeer herder, Lappland, Sodankylä, Finland 1942 (from History of Finland)
Image 8People gathered in the Senate Square for a demonstration against the February Manifesto in March 1899. (from History of Finland)
Image 9A reconstruction of a 12th-century Perniö costume (from History of Finland)
Image 10The 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 11The Finnish composer Jean Sibelius (1865–1957), a significant figure in the history of classical music (from Culture of Finland)
Image 12Stone Age stone axe engraved with human face found from Kiuruvesi. (from History of Finland)
Image 13Marshal of Finland Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim visit in Germany, 1942 (from History of Finland)
Image 14Jussipaita (transl. Jussi sweater); a traditional sweater from the Finnish region of Southern Ostrobothnia (from Culture of Finland)
Image 15A peasant girl and a woman in traditional dress from Ruokolahti, eastern Finland, as depicted by Severin Falkman in 1882 (from Culture of Finland)
Image 16Signing 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 17S/S Urania in Hanko harbor in 1893, with 509 emigrants on board on their way to America (from History of Finland)
Image 18Imagery collage of Birger Jarl conquering Häme and the construction of Häme Castle (from History of Finland)
Image 19Winter War Monument in Suomussalmi, Kainuu, Finland (from History of Finland)
Image 20Pieces of the Antrea Net (8,300 BC), the oldest-known fishing net in the world. (from History of Finland)
Image 21Map of Finnish areas ceded to the Soviet Union in 1944, after the Continuation War (from History of Finland)
Image 22President K. J. Ståhlberg in his office in 1919 (from History of Finland)
Image 23Battle of Valkeala was part of the Russo-Swedish War (1788–1790). (from History of Finland)
Image 24Janne Ahonen is considered one of the best and most successful currently active ski jumpers. (from Culture of Finland)
Image 25Northern Europe in 814 (from History of Finland)
Image 26The 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 27Eero Järnefelt, Burning the Brushwood, 1893 (from History of Finland)
Image 28The area controlled by Finland at its largest, in 1942 (from History of Finland)
Image 29Three Finnish Romani women in Helsinki, Finland, in 1930s (from Culture of Finland)
Image 30President Urho Kekkonen's funeral procession in 1986 (from History of Finland)
Image 31Grand Duchy of Finland, 75 kopek assignat (1824) (from History of Finland)
Image 32The area of Finland in the years 1920–1940. The 1935 county and municipality division on the map. (from History of Finland)
Image 33Finnish Guards' Rifle Battalion, 1850s (from History of Finland)
Image 34The part of Finland controlled by the Reds at its largest in February–March 1918 (from History of Finland)
Image 35Finland Ostrobothnia regiment uniforms in 1705 (from History of Finland)
Image 36Erkki Karu, one of the pioneers of the Finnish cinema, with cinematographer Eino Kari in 1927 (from Culture of Finland)
Image 372007 Formula One World Champion Kimi Räikkönen celebrating victory at the 2007 Brazilian Grand Prix (from Culture of Finland)
Image 38Alvar Aalto, Viipuri Library (1927–35) (from Culture of Finland)
Image 39The 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 40Helsinki Accords Treaty (from History of Finland)
Image 41Painting of Lalli killing Henry. Painting by C. A. Ekman. (from History of Finland)
Image 42Women in sauna with Vihtas
Image 43Battle of Gangut (Hanko) was part of the Great Northern War during 1700–1721. (from History of Finland)
Image 44Ancylus Lake covered major part of Finland (7,500–6,000 BC) (from History of Finland)
Image 45Students on Helsinki's Esplanadi wearing their caps on Vappu (from Culture of Finland)
Image 46The ruins of Vammala burned by the Reds, during the Civil war (from History of Finland)
Image 47Stone Age dwelling named Kierikki 5000–3000 BC (from History of Finland)
Image 48This 1825 map of the Grand Duchy of Finland is from a larger work, geographical atlas of the Russian Empire. (from History of Finland)
Image 49Kreeta Haapasalo Playing the Kantele in a Peasant Cottage (1868), by Robert Wilhelm Ekman (from History 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 51Pekka Halonen's painting "against persecutors" from 1896 depicts the warfare of the ancient Finns. (from History of Finland)
Image 52Linus Torvalds, a famous Fennoswede software engineer, best known for initiating the development of the Linux kernel (from Culture of Finland)
Image 53A group of Finnish soldiers operating a Bofors gun during the Continuation War in 1943 (from History of Finland)
Image 54The Finno-Soviet Treaty (from History of Finland)
Image 55A triptych by Akseli Gallen-Kallela, depicting the Aino Story of Kalevala on three panes (from Culture of Finland)
Image 56Prehistoric red ochre painted rock art of moose, human figures, and boats in Astuvansalmi, Finland, from ca. 3800–2200 BC (from Culture of Finland)
Image 57Homann'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 58Kastelli Giant's Church in Pattijoki by Pöljä culture (from History of Finland)
Image 59In the sauna, by Pekka Halonen, 1925 (from Culture of Finland)
Image 60Jean Sibelius at work in his study (from History of Finland)
Image 61Apocalyptica's Perttu Kivilaakso playing metal music live (from Culture of Finland)
Image 62A summer cottage (mökki) on a lake island (from Culture of Finland)
Image 63Mikael Agricola hands over the Finnish Translation of the New Testament to King Gustav Wasa. (from History of Finland)
Image 64Karjalanpiirakka, a traditional Finnish pastry (from Culture of Finland)
Image 65In 2011 figure skater Kiira Korpi was ranked 4th in the world. (from Culture of Finland)
Image 66An old drawing of the city of Turku in the 18th century (from History of Finland)
Image 67Captain Aarne Juutilainen at the front at Kollaa during the Winter War (from History of Finland)
Image 68Sámi / Laplander family in traditional costumes from Finland. (from Culture of Finland)
Image 69A view of Pohjoisesplanadi in the center of Helsinki in 1891 (from History of Finland)
Image 70Midsummer bonfire (kokko) in Mäntsälä (from Culture of Finland)
Image 71Identification document and tag of a Finnish war child (from History of Finland)
Image 72Uspenski Cathedral in Helsinki (from Culture of Finland)
Image 73Turku Cathedral and its surroundings from 1814 (from History of Finland)
Image 74Paavo Nurmi at the 1920 Summer Olympics (from Culture of Finland)
Image 75Memorial of the Mannerheim Cross Knights of Parikkala, Finland (from History of Finland)
Image 76Badge of the Finnish White/Civil Guard (from History of Finland)
Image 77(1809 Diet of Porvoo) The sovereign's pledge, printed in Finnish (from History of Finland)
Image 78Finnish folk dancers in a 1907 postcard sent from Mustamäki, Finland (from Culture of Finland)

In the news

22 May 2024 – Russia–NATO relations: The Russian Ministry of Defence proposes to unilaterally adjust Russia's maritime border in the Baltic Sea, prompting comments of concern made by Baltic members of NATO, including Finland and Lithuania. The Ministry of Defense later retracts the proposal. (Reuters) (BBC News)
2 April 2024 – Viertola school shooting: A student is killed and two others are injured in a shooting at a school in Vantaa, Uusimaa, Finland. A 12-year-old student is detained. (AP) (Yle)
1 March 2024 – 2024 Finnish presidential election: Alexander Stubb is sworn in as the 13th President of Finland. (Reuters)
11 February 2024 – 2024 Finnish presidential election: Alexander Stubb is elected President of Finland with 51.6% of the vote.(Yle)
27 January 2024 – Israel–Hamas war: The United Kingdom, United States, Australia, Italy, Canada, Finland, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Germany suspend humanitarian aid to UNRWA over allegations that some UNRWA staff members were involved in the Hamas-led attack on Israel. (BBC News) (CBS News)

Related portals

Northern Europe

Other countries

Selected panorama -

Panoramic photo shot of Helsinki, Finland

Topics

Recognized content

Extended content

This is a list of recognized content, updated weekly by JL-Bot (talk · contribs) (typically on Saturdays). There is no need to edit the list yourself. If an article is missing from the list, make sure it is tagged (e.g. {{WikiProject Finland}}) or categorized correctly and wait for the next update. See WP:RECOG for configuration options.

Featured articles

Featured lists

Good articles

Did you know? articles

Featured pictures

Albert Edelfelt - Louis Pasteur - 1885
Anefo 932-2378 Keke Rosberg, Zandvoort, 03-07-1982 - Restoration
Eero-Saarinen (cropped)
FIN-A36b-Finlands Bank-20 Markkaa (1862)
Hankopan
Helsinki July 2013-14
Helsinki July 2013-27a
Kaleva Church 4
Kolmen valtakunnan rajapyykki 27.4.1945
Lutheran Cathedral Helsinki edit
Makasiinit tulessa
Neste Oil Rally 2010 - Jari-Matti Latvala in shakedown
Nils Torvalds MEP, Strasbourg - Diliff
Peugeot 206 WRC
Rally Finland 2010 - shakedown - Nasser Al-Attiyah 1
Scandinavia.TMO2003050
Silja Serenade in Stockholm
VR Sr1 3015 Kuopio Drawbridge
Vexi Salmi

In the News articles

Main page featured articles

Main page featured lists

Picture of the day pictures

Albert Edelfelt - Louis Pasteur - 1885
Anefo 932-2378 Keke Rosberg, Zandvoort, 03-07-1982 - Restoration
FIN-A36b-Finlands Bank-20 Markkaa (1862)
Hankopan
Helsinki July 2013-14
Helsinki July 2013-27a
Kaleva Church 4
Kolmen valtakunnan rajapyykki 27.4.1945
Lutheran Cathedral Helsinki edit
Makasiinit tulessa
Neste Oil Rally 2010 - Jari-Matti Latvala in shakedown
Nils Torvalds MEP, Strasbourg - Diliff
Peugeot 206 WRC
Rally Finland 2010 - shakedown - Nasser Al-Attiyah 1
Scandinavia.TMO2003050
Silja Serenade in Stockholm
VR Sr1 3015 Kuopio Drawbridge
Vexi Salmi

Things you can do

Add the {{Porta|:Finland}} template to existing See also sections of Finland-related articles.
Tag the talk pages of Finland-related articles with the {{WikiProject Finland}} template. (Tip: Use PetScan to find articles not tagged yet by replacing the category "Finnish films" with another category and adjust "Depth" if needed. This tool is helpful for tagging. See also the list of pages not tagged yet.)
Rate unassessed and unknown-importance articles according to the guidelines. (This tool is helpful for doing these.)
Translate a Finnish-language article into English.
Expand a stub into a full article.
Help with the articles needing attention (watch) and cleanup.
Create a requested article (watch).
Support fresh articles (watch).
Patrol the recent changes.
Add the following pages to your watchlist:
- The project's talk page (watch)
- Article alerts (watch)
- List of new pages (watch)

Associated Wikimedia

The following Wikimedia Foundation sister projects provide more on this subject:

Commons
Free media repository
Wikibooks
Free textbooks and manuals
Wikidata
Free knowledge base
Wikinews
Free-content news
Wikiquote
Collection of quotations
Wikisource
Free-content library
Wikiversity
Free learning tools
Wikivoyage
Free travel guide
Wiktionary
Dictionary and thesaurus

Discover Wikipedia using portals

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.