Finland

Table of Contents

Introduction & Quick Facts
Land
- Relief
- Drainage and soils
- Climate
- Plant and animal life
People
- Ethnic groups
- Languages
- Religion
- Settlement patterns
- Traditional regions
- Demographic trends
Economy
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing
- Resources and power
- Manufacturing
- Finance
- Trade
- Services
- Labour and taxation
- Transportation and telecommunications
Government and society
- Constitutional framework
- Local government
- Justice
- Political process
- Security
- Health and welfare
- Housing
- Education
Cultural life
- Cultural milieu
- Daily life and social customs
- The arts
  - Theatre, opera, and music
  - Literature
  - Art, architecture, and design
- Cultural institutions
- Sports and recreation
- Media and publishing
History
- Earliest peoples
- Competition for trade and converts
- Finland under Swedish rule
  - Union with Sweden
  - The 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries
  - The 18th century
- Autonomous grand duchy
  - The era of bureaucracy
  - Reforms of the Russian period
    - The language problem
    - Reform of the Diet and other reforms
- The struggle for independence
  - Resistance and reform
  - Return to autonomy
- Early independence
  - Political change
  - Agrarian reform
  - Political parties
  - The language question
  - Foreign policy
- Finland during World War II
  - The Winter War
  - Cooperation with Germany
- The postwar period
  - Foreign policy
  - Nordic cooperation
  - Domestic affairs

References & Edit History Facts & Stats

Images, Videos & Interactives

Physical features of Finland

lakes and forests in Finland

marshland in Finland

Helsinki archipelago

For Students

Finland summary

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Finland: Facts & Stats

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

News •

1,647-year-old common juniper in Finland identified as Europe's oldest woody plant • Feb. 20, 2025, 4:04 PM ET (Jerusalem Post)

Finland president urges Europe to firm up Ukraine's hand for US-sought talks with Russia to end war • Feb. 16, 2025, 10:13 AM ET (AP)

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Facts

Also Known As	Republic of Finland • Suomen Tasavalta • Republiken Finland • Suomi
Head Of Government	Prime Minister: Petteri Orpo
Capital	Helsinki
Population	(2025 est.) 5,642,000
Currency Exchange Rate	1 USD equals 0.937 euro
Head Of State	President: Alexander Stubb
Form Of Government	multiparty republic with one legislative house (Parliament [200])
Official Languages	none¹
Official Religion	none
Official Names¹	Suomen Tasavalta (Finnish); Republiken Finland (Swedish) (Republic of Finland)
Total Area (Sq Km)	338,485
Total Area (Sq Mi)	130,689
Monetary Unit	euro (€)
Population Rank	(2025) 120
Population Projection 2030	5,732,000
Density: Persons Per Sq Mi	(2025) 43.2
Density: Persons Per Sq Km	(2025) 16.7
Urban-Rural Population	Urban: (2023) 86.9% • Rural: (2021) 13.1%
Life Expectancy At Birth	Male: (2022) 78.6 years • Female: (2022) 83.8 years
Literacy: Percentage Of Population Age 15 And Over Literate	Male: 100% • Female: 100%
Gni (U.S.$ ’000,000)	(2023) 298,118
Gni Per Capita (U.S.$)	(2023) 53,390
¹Finnish and Swedish are national (not official) languages.

Photos and Videos

Physical features of Finland

lakes and forests in Finland

marshland in Finland

Helsinki archipelago

Inside Finland's embrace of nuclear power

Wolverines and ravens: Finland's winter survival duo

National anthem of Finland

See All Videos, Images, Audio and Interactives →

Topics

League of Nations European Union North Atlantic Treaty Organization European Community Council of Europe Helsinki Accords Russo-Finnish War Siege of Leningrad European Free Trade Association Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development United States India United Kingdom China Canada Russia Germany Australia Japan France

G.M. Sprengtporten

soldier and politician

Sibelius, photograph by Yousuf Karsh, 1949

Jean Sibelius

Finnish composer

Sanna Marin

Sanna Marin

prime minister of Finland

Juho Kusti Paasikivi

president of Finland

Sauli Niinistö

president of Finland

Martti Ahtisaari

Martti Ahtisaari

president of Finland

Carl Gustaf Mannerheim

Carl Gustaf Mannerheim

president of Finland

Finland's first female president

Tarja Halonen

president of Finland

Uno Cygnaeus

Finnish educator

Johan Ludvig Runeberg, detail of an engraving by Émile Lassalle.

Johan Ludvig Runeberg

Finnish-Swedish poet

Konni Zilliacus

Finnish patriot

Per Brahe the Younger, detail from an oil painting by an unknown artist; in Gripsholm Castle, Sweden

Per, Count Brahe, the Younger

Swedish statesman

Johan Vilhelm Snellman

Finnish philosopher

Sakari Yrjö-Koskinen

Finnish politician

Otto V. Kuusinen

Finnish politician

Urho Kaleva Kekkonen

Urho Kaleva Kekkonen

president of Finland

Elias Lönnrot

Finnish folklorist

August Sohlman

Swedish journalist

Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg

Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg

president of Finland

Svinhufvud, detail from an oil painting by Antti Faven, 1923; in the Art Gallery of Ateneum, Helsinki

Pehr Evind Svinhufvud

president of Finland

Map showing the countries of Europe with national capitals and surrounding bodies of water, including the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and Black Sea.

Europe

continent

Helsinki

Helsinki

national capital, Finland

Mariehamn

Åland Islands

islands, Finland

Turku

Turku

Finland

Oulu

Oulu

Finland

Tampere

Tampere

Finland

Lappeenranta

Finland

Rauma

Rauma

Finland

Rovaniemi: Artikum

Rovaniemi

Finland

Porvoo

Porvoo

Finland

Lahti: Sibelius Hall

Lahti

Finland

Kotka

Kotka

Finland

Pori

Pori

Finland

Vaasa: Court of Appeal building

Vaasa

Finland

Hämeenlinna: birthplace of Jean Sibelius

Hämeenlinna

Finland

Quiz

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Guess the Country by Its Neighbors Quiz

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The Country Quiz

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Countries & Their Features

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A Visit to Europe

Flags of the world against blue sky. Countries, International. Globalization, global relations, Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, Poland, Palestine, Japan. Homepage 2010, arts and entertainment, history and society

Which Country Is Larger By Population? Quiz

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Match the Country with Its Hemisphere Quiz

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Which Country Is Larger By Area? Quiz

10:087 Ocean: The World of Water, two globes showing eastern and western hemispheres

You Name It!

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Countries of the World

Actual continental drift of plates. Thematic map.

Geography Fun Facts

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Which Country Is Larger? Quiz