Finland

Facts about Finland Population: 5,262,930 people Capital: Helsinki Total Size: 338,145 square km  Size Comparison: slightly smaller than Montana  Climate: Finland has long, cold winters and short, mild, and rainy summers. Among the Scandinavian countries, Finland is the one with the coldest climate because its closest to Russia.

Physical Geography of Finland Finland is in the continent Europe Finland borders Sweden, Norway and Russia It is surrounded by the Baltic Sea, the Gulf of Bothnia, and the Gulf of Finland There are also more than 60,000 lakes in Finland  

Physical Geography of Finland General Terrain: mostly low, flat to rolling plains with many lakes and low hills  Geographical Low Point: Baltic Sea 0 m  Geographical High Point: Haltiatunturi 1,328 m Major Cities in Finland: Helsinki (capital) 1.107 million (2009), Espoo, Tampere, Vantaa 

Facts about Finland Type of Government: republic Languages Spoken: Finnish is the official language and 92% of the people speak Finnish. Other languages are Swedish (5.6%) and small Sami- and Russian-speaking minorities  Independence: Finland got independence from Russia on 6 December 1917 Religions: Lutheran National Church 84.2%, Greek Orthodox in Finland 1.1%, other Christian 1.1%, other 0.1%, none 13.5%

Finnish Nationality National Holiday: Independence Day, 6 December (1917)  Nationality: Finn(s)  National Symbol: lion  National Anthem or Song: Maamme (Our Land) 

Famous Buildings/landmarks Lapland - Finnish Lapland is as close as reality gets to those who dream of a winter wonderland. If you want to visit Santa and discover his workshops, Lapland is the place to go. Snow Village is a magical world of ice and snow located in Finland Suomenlinna Fortress – This is one of the world's largest sea fortresses which is near Helsinki. You can go on a guided walk to learn more about the fort and see its various attractions.

Economy of Finland Major Industries: metals and metal products, electronics, machinery and scientific instruments, shipbuilding, pulp and paper, foods, chemicals, textiles, clothing  Agricultural Products: barley, wheat, sugar beets, potatoes, dairy cattle, fish  Natural Resources: timber, iron, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, nickel, gold, silver, limestone 

Economy of Finland Major Exports: machinery and equipment, chemicals, metals; timber, paper, pulp Major Imports: foodstuffs, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, transport equipment, iron and steel, machinery, textile yarn and fabrics, grains  Currency: euro (EUR) 

Famous People in Finland Kimi Raikkonen – He is a Finnish racing driver who drives for Ferrari in Formula One. In 2007, he won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship, Laura Lepisto - She is a Finnish former figure skater. She is the 2010 World bronze medalist, the 2009 European Champion and 2008 and 2010 Finnish national champion.

Finnish Culture Pesapallo is the national sport of Finland. This is a fast bat and ball sport like rounders. Ice Hockey and Formula 1 racing are also very popular Harness racing is also popular. This is a form of horse racing where the rider use a two wheeled carriage called a sulky.