~*~ Welcome To
Finland ~*~
My name is
Dreamer(Angel)
at WOSIB, but my
real name is
Sirpa *S*
I will be be
your Host Of
Finland.
~*~ Tervetuloa
Suomeen ~*~
"Breath with the
Lion, and live
with his
courage"
I live in the
SouthWestern
Finland so we
can say I am a
"cowgal" Lmao,
well no but I
live in a small
town called
PORI,
in Swedish we
call it
Björneborg what
means
BearCastle,
it is the
animal of my
town, as the
Lion is the one
for Finland.
We have
76 200
habitantes in
this moment
here.
It's a very
sympatethic,
small and
idyllic town.
Founded year
1558. Music is
very importante
to us here and
we have an
annual
International
Jazz-Festival
here or
Jazz Mardi Grass,
as you wish to
call it. We have
a New huge
Stadium
*S* We have
artist's coming
to perform from
the whole world
and we have had
really great and
famous artists
throught the
years. It is
usually in
June-July and
last's almost 2
weeks. Mostly it
is located in an
isle "Kirjurinluoto"
in the middle of
our town where
we have a river
flooding through
Kokemäen Joki
it's the name.
On that island
we have 2
bridges going,
the second one
has only been
there now for a
couple of years.
We have also a
huge park for
the kids there
and some animals
and mostly
birds, lots of
Swans. The
weekends that
island is filled
with people
specially
enjoying the
Spring now and
the coming of
the summer.
There is also a
Mini-golf
and a restaurant
where we have
orchestras
performing at
the summers
outside and the
people are
dancing. Dancing
is also a very
importante way
of social
communication
between people,
most of the
people dance and
learn it quite
young. we dance
Vals, Humppaa,
Samba, Cha-cha,
Rumba, Foxtrot,
Jive, well just
name it and that
we dance lol.
Tango has become
a very
importante music
here in my
country, we have
an annual Tango
Mardi grass or
festival in 2
towns of Finland
at the summer,
the first one is
in Raisio and
the other one is
in Seinäjoki, it
is a very big
happening.
Throughout the
winter, we have
a Tangosinger
contest going
around in the
whole Finland
and parcially in
Sweden too, the
winners of those
are priviledged
to first compete
at Raisio, and
if the go
through the
semifinals there
they are allowed
to compete in
Seinäjoki. There
they are only 20
singers. I am
sorry to say I
have never even
reach the
semi-finals =((.
Another form of
music what the
people loves
here is Karaoke,
and we have find
lots of good
artist's with
competitions and
without. That
has been my area
where I have
kept on to
sing.We have
also the largest
beach in the
whole Finland
here, in our
area what we
call
Meri Pori,
what means Sea
Pori. My
backgrounds goes
to a town named
Tampere,
the second
largest town in
Finland, there I
was born, and it
is the town I
love most in my
country.
Click on these
thumbnail to see
larger *S*
Finland (Finnish
name Suomi) is a
republic which
became a member
of the European
Union in 1995.
Its population
is 5.2 million.
The capital
Helsinki has 560
000 residents.
Finland is an
advanced
industrial
economy: the
metal,
engineering and
electronics
industries
account for 50 %
of export
revenues, the
forest products
industry for 30
%. Finland is
one of the
leading
countries in
Internet use.
Today, there are
more mobile
phone than fixed
network
subscriptions.
Forests cover
three quarters
of the country's
surface area of
338 000 sq. km.
Other
outstanding
features of
Finland's
scenery are some
190 000 lakes
and
approximately as
many islands.
The principal
archipelago
and the
self-governing
province of the
Åland Islands
lie off the
south-west coast
while the main
lake district,
centred on Lake
Saimaa,
is in the east.
Geography
Finland is
situated in
northern Europe
between the 60th
and 70th
parallels of
latitude. A
quarter of its
total area lies
north of the
Arctic Circle.
Finland's
neighbouring
countries are
Sweden, Norway
and Russia,
which have land
borders with
Finland, and
Estonia across
the Gulf of
Finland. Much of
the country is a
gently
undulating
plateau of worn
bedrock and
boreal forests,
presenting a
striking mixture
of wooded hills
and waters. High
rounded fells
form the
landscape in
Finnish Lapland,
the most
northerly part
of the country.
|
Total
area:
|
338,000
square
kilometres,
of
which
10%
is
water
and
69%
forest;
|
| |
187,888
lakes,
5,100
rapids
and
179,584
islands;
|
| |
Europe's
largest
archipelago,
including
the
semi-autonomous
province
of
Åland
|
|
Distances: |
1,160
km north
to
south,
540 km
west to
east
Finland's
land
border
with
Russia
(1,269
km) is
the
eastern
border
of the
European
Union.
|
|
Climate: |
The
climate
of
Finland
is
marked
by cold
winters
and
fairly
warm
summers.
In the
far
north of
the
country
the sun
does not
set for
about 73
days,
producing
the
white
nights
of
summer.
In
winter
the sun
remains
below
the
horizon
for 51
days in
the far
north.
In
summer
the
temperature
quite
often
rises to
+20
Celsius
or more
and
occasionally
goes
close to
+30 in
southern
and
eastern
parts of
the
country.
In
winter,
temperatures
of -20
Celsius
are not
uncommon
in many
areas.
Finnish
Lapland
invariably
has the
lowest
winter
temperatures.
The mean
temperature
in
Helsinki
in July
is +17
Celsius
and in
February
-5.7
Celsius.
|
The People
|
Population: |
5.2
million,
17
inhabitants
per
square
kilometre
67%
live
in
towns
or
urban
areas,
33%
in
rural
areas
Principal
cities:
Helsinki
(560,000),
Espoo
(221,000),
Tampere
(199,000),
Vantaa
(182,000),
Turku
(174,000)
and
Oulu
(124,000)
About
one
million
people
live
in
the
Helsinki
metropolitan
area.
Finland
has
a
Sami
(Lapp)
population
of
6,500. |
|
Languages: |
Finland
has
two
official
languages:
Finnish
and
Swedish.
Finnish,
a
Finno-Ugric
language,
is
spoken
by
91,3%
and
Swedish
by
5,4
% of
the
population.
Sami
(Lappish)
is
the
mother
tongue
of
about
1,700
people.
The
Finnish
language
is a
member
of
the
Finno-Ugric
linguistic
family
that
includes,
in
one
branch,
Finnish,
Estonian
and
a
number
of
other
Finnic
tongues,
and
in
the
other,
Hungarian,
by
far
the
biggest
language
of
the
Ugric
group.
The
official
languages
of
Finland
are
Finnish
and
Swedish,
the
latter
spoken
as a
mother
tongue
by
about
6 %
of
the
people.
Another
indigenous
minority
language
is
Saami,
spoken
by
the
Saami
people
(also
known
as
Lapps)
of
Lapland.
The
official
status
of
Swedish
has
historical
roots
in
the
period
when
Finland
was
a
part
of
the
Swedish
realm,
a
period
that
lasted
from
the
beginning
of
the
13th
century
until
1809.
The
number
of
foreign
citizens
living
permanently
in
Finland
was
about
91
000
in
2000.
The
biggest
groups
were
from
the
neighbouring
countries
Russia,
Estonia
and
Sweden.
|
|
Religion: |
85,6%
Lutheran
and
about
1%
Orthodox
There
has
been
complete
freedom
of
worship
in
Finland
since
1923.
The
Evangelical
Lutherian
Church
is
the
country's
biggest
denomination
: 89
% of
the
people
are
baptised
as
Lutherians
while
1 %
belong
to
the
Finnish
Orthodox
Church.
Christianity,
represented
by
the
Roman
Catholic
Church,
reached
Finland
before
the
end
of
the
first
millennium
but
the
Church
was
not
firmly
established
in
the
country
until
the
12th
century.
This
followed
a
missionary
expedition
to
south-west
Finland
led
by
King
Erik
of
Sweden
accompanied
by
the
English-born
bishop
Henry.
The
influence
of
the
Orthodox
faith
spread
into
the
country
from
the
east.
|
| |
|
History And
Governance
Some
important
dates in the
history of
Finland:
|
1155 |
The
first
missionaries
arrive
in
Finland
from
Sweden.
Finland
becomes
part
of
the
Swedish
realm.
|
|
1809 |
Sweden
surrenders
Finland
to
Russia.
The
Czar
declares
Finland
a
semi-autonomous
Grand
Duchy
with
himself
as
constitutional
monarch
represented
by a
governor
general.
|
|
1917 |
Finland
declares
independence
from
Russia
on
December
6.
|
|
1919 |
The
constitution
is
adopted
and
Finland
becomes
a
republic
with
a
president
as
head
of
state. |
|
1939
- 40 |
The
Soviet
Union
attacks
Finland
and
the
Winter
War
is
fought. |
|
1941
- 44 |
Fighting
between
Finnish
and
Soviet
forces
resumes
in
the
Continuation
War.
Some
territory
is
ceded
to
the
Soviet
Union
but
Finland
is
never
occupied
and
preserves
its
independence
and
sovereignty. |
|
1955 |
Finland
joins
the
United
Nations
and
in
1956
the
Nordic
Council.
|
|
1995 |
Finland
becomes
a
member
of
the
European
Union.
|
| |
|
| |
The
head
of
state
is
the
President
of
the
Republic.
The
President
is
elected
for
a
six-year
term
by
direct
popular
vote.
The
incumbent,
Halonen,
was
in
2000.
|
| |
|
| |
Parliament: |
| |
Parliament
consists
of
one
chamber
with
200
members.
The
members
are
elected
for
a
four-year
term
by
direct
popular
vote
under
a
system
of
proportional
representation. |
| |
After
the
parliamentary
elections
on
16,
March
2003,
the
seats
were
divided
among
eight
parties
as
follows |
| |
|
| |
The
Government:
|
| |
The
new
coalition
government
formed
in
June,
2003,
is
headed
by
Prime
Minister
Matti
Vanhanen
(Centre
Party).
The
government
consists
of
the
Centre
Party,
the
Social
Democratic
Party
and
the
Swedish
People's
Party.
In
2002,
Finland's
GNP
per
capita
was
around
26
800
euros.
Value
of
exports
and
imports
in
2002 |
The Economy
In 2002,
Finland's GNP
per capita was
around 26 800
euros.
|
Exports: |
There
are
three
almost
equally
important
exports
sectors
in
the
Finnish
economy:
electronics
and
electrotechnical
goods
account
for
about
27.5%
of
exports,
metal
and
engineering
products
account
for
about
27.1%
and
forest
industry
products
account
for
about
26.5%.
The
fourth
biggest
export
sector
is
the
chemical
industry.
The
volume
of
exported
goods
grew
by
6%.
Trade
with
developing
countries
accounted
for
13.2%
of
total
exports. |
| |
|
|
Imports: |
Finnish
industry
is
particularly
dependent
on
imports
of
raw
materials,
machinery
and
components
that
it
needs
for
manufacturing
products
for
both
domestic
and
export
markets.
Consumer
goods,
including
textiles,
clothing
and
cars,
make
up
almost
25%
of
total
imports.
During
the
period
1997-2001,
the
electronics
industry
experienced
rapid
growth,
which
required
a
significant
increases
in
production.
In
2002,
imports
decreased
by
1%.
The
main
reason
was
the
big
11%
drop
in
imports
of
investment
goods.
Trade
with
developing
countries
accounted
for
10.4%
of
imports.
|
|
Currency:
|
The
Finnish
currency
unit
is
the
euro.
Finland
was
one
of
the
12
EU
countries
that
started
using
euro
cash
in
2002. |
More info here:
[svenska]
[dansk]
[deutsch]
[français]
[español]
[italiano]
[português][english]
See also:
http://titanix.net/~uniolento/FinlandInd.htm
Main outlines in
Finnish History
by dr. Seppo
Zetterberg
|
