Last updated on March 19th, 2020
41. The world’s first graphical web browser was developed by four Finnish students in Helsinki in 1991. It was known as Erwise.
42. In Finland, almost 100% of the bottles are recycled while almost 90% of them are returned for recycling after use.
43. In 2010, Finland became the first country in the world to make broadband access a legal right for every citizen.
44. Finland is also known as the Prison break capital of Europe. In 2013, 1084 escapes were recorder for every 10,000 prisoners in Finland. This might possibly due to the fact that Finland has open prisons where prisoners can roam freely, and work and shop among the locals.
45. If you have a Finnish or British or Swedish passport, you can access more country without the need of visa than any other country in the world.
46. Finish people love their phones and are less talkative in public places. They like to stay quite and not indulge in talk with strangers.
47. Smoking is common in Finland and what’s more common is that the smokers throw cigarette trash anywhere they like.
48. If you are visiting a Finnish friend in their home country for the first time, remember to remove your footwear outside their home. Unlike Colombia, where people take footwear in side their home, Finland is a different place in this regards.
49. TV tax is a compulsion in Finland irrespective of your ownership of TV set. They also have candy tax, water tax but no cookie tax. Strange, isn’t it!
50. They also celebrate Restaurant Day. On this day, people in the country are allowed to open a restaurant of their choice any where in the country. Literally anywhere. In the parks, on the road side or any place of your choice.
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51. Finnish people are also very honest. Reader Digest once conducted an honesty test in Finland and placed some 12 wallets in public places. They researchers were surprised when they received back 11 of those. Truly, honesty is a best policy!
52. Since 1938, the government is providing expectant mothers with clothes, sheets, nappies and a mattress for the yet-to-be-born baby.
53. Finland was a part of Sweden for almost 600 years.
54. Linus Benedict Torvalds, the creator and principal developer, of the Linux kernel (it is the basis for operating systems such as the Linux operating system, Android and Chrome OS) was born on December 28, 1969, Helsinki, Finland.
55. Finland, by far, has won 18 Gold Medals in Olympics, which makes it the most successful country in Olympics history with 18.39 medals per million people.
56. There are no toll roads in Finland. Driving licenses from the European Union and Switzerland are valid in Finland and the roads are in good condition, mostly empty. Traffic jams are rare in the country.
Finland on the map
About tourism in Finland
57. From the middle ages up until 1809, Finland was part of Sweden. in 1809, Finland became part of Russia until gaining its independence during the Russian Revolution in 1917. The country celebrates their 100th year with events throughout the country and around the world in 2017.
58. Centenary events include concerts, sauna evenings, promotions of 100 nationally significant national wonders, and the opening of the country’s 40th National Park in the Hossa area, which was key in developing Finnish independence.
59. Outdoor activities in Finland include skiing, fishing, lake cruises, hiking, golf, husky and reindeer safaris, and elk hunting. Finland has excellent “Freedom to Roam” opportunities.
60. Commercial cruises between major coastal cities play a key role in the local tourism industry. There’s even a cruise ship between Stockholm, Sweden and Helsinki, Finland just to purchase cheap alcohol.
61. Kerri’s Snow Hotel is a world-famous luxury destination annually. Built every year entirely of snow and ice, it includes a snow castle, snow hotel, snow restaurant, and snow chapel.
Finland offers many fascinating things to see and do as well as landscapes to explore. Go online and make a list of your own 44 interesting facts about Finland as you plan your dream vacation there.
Finland – country at a glance
| Capital City | Helsinki 60°10′N 024°56′E |
|---|---|
| Largest city | Helsinki 60°10′N 024°56′E |
| Total area | 338,145 sq km |
| Population | 5,601,547 (2022 est.) |
| Continent | Europe |
| Independence | 6 December 1917 (from Russia) |
| National anthem | "Maamme" (Our Land) |
| National symbol | lion |
| National colors | blue, white |
| Official Languages | Finnish and Swedish |
| Government type | parliamentary republic |
| President | Sauli Niinistö |
| Prime Minister | Sanna Mirella Marin |
| Borders | Sweden, Norway and Russia |
| Religion | Lutheran 73.8%, Orthodox 1.1%, other or none 25.1% (2014 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth | 81.76 Years (2022) |
| Industries | metals and metal products, electronics, machinery and scientific instruments, shipbuilding, pulp and paper, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, clothing |
| Exports | $108.22 billion (2019 est.) electrical and optical equipment, machinery, transport equipment, paper and pulp, chemicals, basic metals; timber |
| Imports | $107.39 billion (2019 est.) foodstuffs, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, transport equipment, iron and steel, machinery, computers, electronic industry products, textile yarn and fabrics, grains |
| Climate | cold temperate; potentially subarctic but comparatively mild because of moderating influence of the North Atlantic Current, Baltic Sea, and more than 60,000 lakes |
| Terrain | mostly low, flat to rolling plains interspersed with lakes and low hills |
| Mean elevation | 164 m |
| Lowest point | Baltic Sea 0 m |
| Highest point | Halti (alternatively Haltia, Haltitunturi, Haltiatunturi) 1,328 m |
| Natural resources | timber, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, nickel, gold, silver, limestone |
| Agricultural land | 7.5% |
| Birth rate | 10.42 births/1,000 population (2022 est.) |
| Death rate | 10.35 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.) |
| Sex ratio | 0.97 male(s)/female (2022 est.) |
| Time Zone | EET (UTC+2) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP) | $47,300 (2020 est.) |
| Internet country code | .fi |
| Currency | Euro (€) (EUR) |
| Calling Code | +358 |
| Drives on the | Right |
| Table last updated | July 25, 2022 |