Each country is unique. And the matter is not only in a peculiar climate and geographical location. Its features are determined by people - their traditions, culture and habits, which are often very different in different places. Usually, at the mention of a state to educated people, several bright facts characterizing it come to mind. For foreigners, they are like a visiting card of the country. And if we talk about Finland, this, of course, will be a sauna, Santa Claus and the shortest metro in the world. But this northern country is so interesting and original that it will be useful for everyone to find out how people live there. Indeed, according to the results of research, Finland is the most comfortable state for living in Europe, where a high quality of life and social guarantees are combined with a favorable environmental situation.
Homeland of Santa Claus
Perhaps the only country in Europe that almost every child knows about is Finland. Interesting facts for children: its northern region - Lapland - is the birthplace of Santa Claus. But not everyone knows that he has a passport that says that he was born a long time ago, and his name is in Finnish Yoloupuki, which means "Christmas goat." Santa Claus has a wife, Yoloumarri, which translates as "old Christmas", and his own residence. And what other interesting facts about Finland can you find out?
The geographical position of the country
It is located in northern Europe and partially in the east of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The map of Finland is very unusual, as the country is a narrow and long strip: it stretches from north to south for more than a thousand kilometers, and from west to east - for 540 kilometers. It occupies 64th place in the world in size and is one of the most sparsely populated - a little over 5 million people live there, and almost all of them are in the southern part of the country. About a quarter of the territory is located north of the Arctic Circle. This is where the residence of Santa Claus is located. In this part of the country, in Lapland, it is very cold, and the climate of the rest of the territory resembles the Russian one. And this is not surprising: for more than 1000 kilometers, the Finnish border runs along the territory of Russia. She also neighbors Sweden and Norway. This state is often called the Land of the Midnight Sun, because the sun does not set all summer - this is the time of white nights.
Nature of Finland
Finns are very respectful and careful about their nature: there are more than 30 national parks in the country, access to which is open to all comers. Right on the streets of small cities you can find hares and even bears. On the territory of the country there are about 200 resort areas where not only local residents, but also visitors like to relax from the bustle of cities.
Finland is the greenest country in Europe, almost 80% of its territory is forest. But not only they are a landmark of the state. In Finnish, the country is called Suomi, which translates as "swamp country." And this is no coincidence: about a third of the territory is occupied by them, and they are not drained. The Finns try not to interfere in the affairs of nature and even use renewable energy sources to do as little harm as possible. Therefore, the
country has the cleanest water
in the world . It can be drunk directly from the tap, even to infants. Lakes of Finland - this is another of its attractions. In total there are more than 180 thousand. There is the fourth largest lake in Europe - Saimaa. The purest reservoirs are full of many islands. This is also one of the attractions that Finland is rich in. A bird's-eye view of the country is an amazing picture: a fancifully rugged coastline, and among a continuous carpet of forest - spots of blue lakes and streams of rivers. Finland does not mine minerals, but it is still one of the first in the world in terms of living standards.
Interesting facts about Finland and state policy
- People lived in the country 9,000 years ago. But Finland became an independent state only in 1919. And now it is a democratic country itself. There is no corruption in it, and the press is given freedom of speech.
- There are no homeless and poor people in Finland, all children receive education free of charge. Moreover, in a higher educational institution you can also enter for free.
- The capital of Finland is Helsinki, the cleanest and safest city in the world. There, even snow is snow-white in winter, and some pavements are heated from below.
- Interesting facts about the country include the fact that it was the first, at the beginning of the last century, that granted women the right to hold parliamentary posts. And now the president of Finland is a woman.
- Finns have the opportunity to get the largest paid vacation in the world - 39 days.
- In addition to democratic freedoms, the country's inhabitants also receive a guarantee of security from the state. There are almost no crimes. Maybe that's why Finland receives more and more immigrants every year. People from different countries live there.
- Finns speak two languages, and both are state-owned: Swedish and Finnish. In addition, the Russian language is quite common, almost all people know English.
- If we recall some more interesting facts about Finland, we can mention that this is the first country in the world in which the right of every person to the Internet is fixed at the legislative level. Therefore, he is even in a lonely forest house. For this, the country fell into the Guinness Book of Records.
How do Finns relate to food?
In Finland, the influence of Sweden and Russia is very noticeable. After all, for a long time she was part of the first one, then another country. This is reflected in the attitude of the Finns to food. For them, the main thing is that the food is simple, but of high quality. The most popular dish in the country is rye round bread with a hole in the middle. Fish dishes are also very common: crayfish, trout and salmon in their own juice. Finns also like pancakes, berries and coffee. They consume the most of this drink in the world. In Finland, livestock is well developed, so there is very tasty milk. Finnish dairy products are known in many countries. For example, Viola cheese was very popular among Russian consumers. But they drink little alcohol in this country, perhaps because it is very expensive there.
Sports in Finland
The Finns take sport seriously, it is for them a means of raising their national identity. Auto racing, hockey and football are popular with them. The country has been one of the leaders of the Summer Olympic Games for many years. And even ordinary people are fond of sports. Walking with ski poles is very common.
The inhabitants of the country also love funny competitions, for example, throwing cell phones or carrying women weighing more than 50 kilograms. But the Finnish favorite thing is visiting the sauna. They are considered its creators and even came up with an extreme competition: who will stay longer in the sauna at a temperature of 110 degrees. Almost 2 million of these establishments account for 5 million inhabitants in the country. The best rest they consider is outdoor recreation, in a country cottage, where there is also a sauna.
Transport in Finland
In this country, probably the most law-abiding drivers: do not get drunk behind the wheel, do not violate the rules of the road. The fines there are not fixed, but are calculated in accordance with the level of income. Finland has very expensive gasoline, but tickets for public transport cost a bit, especially if you buy a single monthly pass. An adult accompanying a young child generally travels for free. Transport in Finland is also something amazing. Buses and trams run like clockwork, they never have a crush, and the Helsinki metro is probably the shortest in the world - only 10 stations that can be reached in 20 minutes. But most of all, Finns love to ride bicycles. They ride children to school and adults on business. In cities, special bike paths are provided for this.
Interesting facts about Finland and its inhabitants
Finns are very reserved and shy people, they are slow and prefer simplicity in everything, especially in clothes. Residents of small towns love sports style and soft colors, most often dressed in trousers and a T-shirt, even women. About 20% of Finns are unbelievers, most of the rest are Protestants. In a relationship, they value calm and correctness; violation of the rules, which they themselves strictly observe, can cause them discontent.
Finland is an amazing country. If you do not like to fry on the beach during your vacation, be sure to go there - you will not be disappointed.