Introduction
After reading the above book I was able to learn a lot about Finland. The author discusses in detail every topic in the book. The author also uses layman’s language to put across facts about Finland. The following were some of the things I was able to learn from the book about Finland.
Geography and climate
Finland is the seventh-largest country in Europe. Finland shares a border with Norway to the east and Sweden to the west. The geographical position of Finland has influenced its climate greatly. Due to Finland’s geographical position, the winter is normally very cold and long. People of the Arctic Circle usually experience polar nights, where the nights are longer than the days. People around the same region also experience polar days, where the days are longer than the nights. The heavy forestation in Finland is also believed to affect the climate experienced in the country. It is estimated that about three-quarters of the land in Finland is covered by trees.
Language and population
Finland has a population of about 5.2 million people with the most populous city is Helsinki which also happens to be Finland’s capital city. This makes Finland the 3rd least-populous country in Europe. Finnish is the language used by the majority of Finland’s population. English, Swedish, Danish, and German are some of the other languages that are spoken in Finland.
Finns value the importance of education. As such, huge parts of the population have gone through institutions of higher learning and have degrees in various fields.
Religions practiced in Finland
There are two major religions in Finland. They include the Lutheran church and the Orthodox Church. The other smaller religions practiced in Finland are the Roman Catholic and the Jewish religions.
History of Finland
Finland has a rich history. Finland was colonized by the Soviet Union and gained independence on 6th December 1917. Finland became a member of the United Nations in the year 1955. The Finnish-Soviet war was fought from the year 1939 to the year 1940. The capital city of Finland was privileged to have hosted the 1952 Olympic Games. Finland joined the European Union in the year 1995.
Finland’s economy
Finland relies mainly on forest products for export. However, due to the massive investment in education Finland also boasts of having developed machinery that it exports to the rest of the world. Finns pay the highest taxes in Europe. This has helped reduce the gap between the rich and the poor. This has also made the cost of living in Finland to be very high. The Finnish government has invested heavily in industries. This has made Finland an industrialized country. Finland boasts of having one of the largest companies that manufacture mobile phones. Nokia has helped reduce the unemployment rates in Finland.
The book has no doubt changed my views about Finland and its culture. Finland has a rich culture and values the importance of education. This has made the country develop into an industrialized country. Finns know how to conserve their environment. Despite the fact that Finland’s main export comprises of forest products, the country remains one of the most heavily forested countries in Europe. Finns believe in gender equality, this has helped reduce gender inequality in the country. There is little need for affirmative action programs. It is also interesting to note that the official languages used in Finland are Swedish and Finnish language.