Finland
Finland is located in Scandinavia in northern Europe. Its neighbor to the west is Sweden, to the north is Norway, and to the east is the Russian Federation.
The recognizable Gulf of Finland separates Estonians and Finns. The Baltic Sea washes the south and north of the country. Most of the country’s territory is occupied by forests (86%), but plains and mountains also have their place here. Finland can also boast of lakes and islands; there are more than one hundred thousand of them. Lake Saimaa is considered to be the largest and largest. Foreigners, especially fishing enthusiasts, come to Finland for “quiet hunting” – Finnish lakes and rivers are very rich in fish (trout, pike, salmon, etc.).
The beautiful city of Helsinki is the capital of Finland and is home to just over half a million people. The founders of this city are considered to be the Swedes. There are two languages spoken by the local population (Swedish and Finnish). The Finns preach Lutheranism (Protestants), belonging to the Evangelical Lutheran Church.
Finland on the map
Holidays in Finland – a trip to the homeland of Santa Claus
One can only dream about a travel destination like Finland. It is considered to be the homeland of Santa Claus, beloved by everyone at Christmas. There are many beautiful lakes framed by polar expanses and Scandinavian forests. Finland is usually called the country of Suomi, as evidenced by the “land of swamps”, which is how local residents speak of it.
weather and climate of Finland
Finland is located at the same latitudes as Greenland and Siberia, but the climate here is milder and warmer. All this is thanks to air currents coming from the Atlantic. The continental climate in the center and the maritime climate on the seashore indicate cold winters with huge amounts of snowfall and warm summers. In summer the air temperature is moderate +22 C, and in winter the thermometer does not fall belo w-9 C on average.
History of the formation of Finland
The descendants of the Finns go back to ancient roots over a vast distance into the Stone Age. Even before our era, the ancient people on these lands knew how to make pottery. In the 12th century, the state became part of the Kingdom of Sweden. Thanks to the wars between the Swedes and the Russians in the 18th century, the lands of Finland were captured by Russia, and in one thousand eight hundred and nine it became part of Russia. Only in the 20th century, after the completion of the revolution in the Russian Federation, Finland became a free republic.
Cultural traditions of Finland
Finland is considered a fairy-tale country because Santa Claus himself, Moomintroll and other legendary heroes appeared there. Children are sure that Santa lives on Mount Korvatunturi in Lapland. It is possible to meet many reindeer there. On Christmas Eve, making rice pudding is a classic sign of this beautiful holiday.
Finnish cuisine
As a result of the migration of different peoples to this country (Swedes, Germans, Russians), Finnish cuisine, of course, was influenced by their culinary traditions. The foods that Finns eat are fish, mushrooms, potatoes and other things that are eaten in almost all countries on the planet. But, of course, there are also classic dishes that are distinguished by their taste and sophistication (cow’s cheese, blood sausage with lingonberry jam and many other dishes).
Sights of Finland
The Finnish people have always revered their ancestors and were wary of their ancestral roots. Tourists in Finland easily need to notice historical cultural monuments and ancient architectural structures (St. Olav’s Castle, the Knights’ Castle in Turku, the Museum of Architecture on the island of Seurasaari and even later).
