Life in Finland
What about Finland ?
COUNTRY
Name: Finland ( Suomi in finnish )
Capital city: Helsinki
Superficies: 338 000 km2 ( forest 69% / lake & river 9,4% )
President: Sauli Niinistö (since March 2012)
Currency: €uro
Religion: protestantism
POPULATION
Inhabitants: 5,3 millions
population density: 17,4 / km2
Urban population: 70%
Helsinki: 600 000 inhabitants
Capital region: 1,35 millions inhabitants
Other important cities: Espoo, Tampere, Vantaa, Turku
Language:
finnish (92%), Swedish (6%), Sami (< 1%)
But almost everybody speaks a good English
CLIMATE
This is not a legend, the weather is cold and snowy in Finland !
LEARN BASIC FINNISH
Finnish way of life
Sauna is an “institution“ in Finland. This is the only one Finnish word in the international vocabulary. There are actually around 2 millions Saunas in Finland for 5,3 millions inhabitants...so almost 1 Sauna for 2,5 person ! Amazing !
And the best thing is probably to take a bath in a frozen lake after a smoked sauna.
Kuusijärvi is one of the best place around Helsinki to experience that !
SAUNA
SISU
Sisu is a Finnish term loosely translated into English as strength of will, determination, perseverance, and acting rationally in the face of adversity. However, the word is widely considered to lack a proper translation into any other language. Sisu has been described as being integral to understanding Finnish culture.
This is especially used by finns in Sauna or in sport competitions.
VAPPU
“Vappu” in Finnish, is a festival that traditionally takes place from the evening of April 30th to May 1st. It celebrates the eve of May Day, the holiday that celebrates the end of the unfarmable winter. Finns tend to drink alcohol and wear funny hats graduation/student caps to celebrate.
Since the end of the 19th century, this traditional upper-class feast has been appropriated by university students
DESIGN
Helsinki was named World Design Capital 2012 because of its never-ending contributions to the world of design. Helsinki's contributions include: popular events such as the annual Helsinki Design Week, outstanding education institutions like the University of Art and Design Helsinki, visionary designers such as Alvar Aalto and Maija Isola, and well-known global brands, such as Nokia, Kone, iittala and Marimekko.
ICE HOCKEY
Hockey is a very popular sport in Finland. It's top professional league, the SM-Liiga, is among the strongest in the world. The country counts a total of 53 000 registered players, but a lot of other finns like to play on the many public ice rinks built during winter time.
CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING
Cross-country skiing is somewhat of a national sport in Finland. It is suitable for everybody and extremely good for the body and mind, with beautiful winter scenery serving as an inspiring backdrop.
Cross-country skiing is part of Finnish culture, and nearly every Finn learns it right after taking their first steps.
Decades ago, it was an important means of transport in the winter, and skiing across forests and lakes on the way to work or school was commonplace. In smaller communities, kids still ski to school when there’s snow on the ground.
Repovesi National Park