Finland - overview
The Republic of Finland borders on Sweden
in the west, on Norway in the north, on Russia
in the east, and on the Gulf of Finland and
the Baltic Sea in the south. A quarter of
its total area lies north of the Arctic Circle.
Finland is rightly known as a land of forests:
they cover roughly three quarters of the
country's surface area. Other outstanding
features of Finland's scenery are its numerous
lakes and islands. The main archipelago lies
off the southwest coast while the main lake
district, centred on Lake Saimaa, is in the
east. Much of the country is made up of a
gently undulating plateau of worn bedrock
and boreal forests, presenting a remarkable
mixture of wooded hills and waters. High
rounded fells form the landscape in the most
northerly part of the country, Finnish Lapland.
Finland is one of Europe’s most culturally
isolated and least understood countries.
It's rich, sometimes tumultuous, history
is clear in its buildings: onion-domed Orthodox
churches tell of the days when it was part
of Russia, while fortresses like Suomenlinna
Castle bring to mind centuries of Swedish
rule. Helsinki, the country’s capital city,
is the centre of cultural, financial and
economic activity, and is a western city
with a modern Nordic way of life. With many
parks and waterways, the city is pleasant
with many fine examples of 19th century architecture
and some of the best art galleries in the
country. Through the twentieth century, the
city has become a platform for independent
Finland, much of its impressive architecture
drawing inspiration from the beginning of
Finnish nationalism and the rise of the republic.
Land of the Midnight Sun and the Northern
Lights, the Finnish province of Lapland is
one of the world’s most untamed and unspoiled
regions, lightly populated with truly friendly
and hospitable people. Blessed with wide
open fells and hills, uninhabited forests,
pristine lakes, quietly babbling brooks and
foaming rapids, this region offers it’s
visitors the holiday of a lifetime. |
