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| by: Pat Anderson |
| F i n l a n d |
| History Finland has no queens or kings or czars anymore because in 1917 it became an independent country after 100 years as a grand duchy of Russia. Before that Finland was an important colony in Sweden’s Empire for 600 years. It was all about location, as Finland was the bridge and battleground between Russia and Sweden or the East vs. the West. Through all of those years Finland was able to keep her Finnish language that has little to do with either Russian or Swedish, except for some borrowed words. She was a nation with a rich culture, not a country but relatively free under the “good czars’” rule. Finland’s culture was saved by the neoclassic movement in the arts at the turn of the 19th century when great men and women produced literature i.e. Lönnrot: the Kalevala Epic, music: F. Pacius: “Our Land”; Jean Sibelius: “Finlandia” and much more in all areas of the arts that lifted the national spirit that eventually lead to independence at the time of the Russian Revolution. In 1906 when Finland was not yet an independent country, she gave her women their voting rights; the first country everywhere except New Zealand. Facts There are about 5 million inhabitants in Finland, and there are three official languages among them: Finnish, Swedish and Sami. The last one was recently added on; it is the language of Lapland, the northern part of Finland. Nowadays Finnish children learn Swedish and English from 3rd grade on through high school. Business & Exports Fifty years ago the country was agricultural, but not anymore. Forest products are the leading export item, “Leading newspapers and magazines of the world are printed on Finnish paper or with Finnish-made paper-making machines.” Most of the luxury cruise ships sailing the Caribbean were made in Finland, and icebreakers are a Finnish specialty. The world’s first regular mobile telephone service was launched in Finland in 1972. Cellular phone industries are the thriving force: NOKIA is a Finnish company, the leading mobile phone supplier. Finnish companies and research labs are in the forefront in research on solar cells. Several Finnish made scientific instruments have been on space flights. Russia is Finland’s biggest trading partner, followed by Sweden. Geography Finland is about the size of Arizona - not in shape but area. The most visible feature on the map are the thousands of lakes of three major lake systems. Because of her geography, Finland’s summers are short but sweet full of music and art festivals (70 happenings in ‘03) and things and places to see.. Her winters are long and cold - but because of the effect of the Gulf Stream in the Arctic Ocean - Finland’s climate is milder than that of the regions on the same latitude in America and Asia. There are a lot winter sports taking place all over the country. Most schools have their own ice skating rinks and hockey teams. There are many tourist attractions and things to do. Lapland is a favorite tourist attraction with its snow castles, reindeer farms and Santa, who lives there! A Few More Facts Finland is part of the European Union, the United Nations, as well as many other European organizations. The Finns are mostly Lutheran. In the year 2000 Finland elected her first lady president, and today the prime minister is also a woman. The capital of Finland, Helsinki, was established in 1550. About half a million people live in Helsinki and its suburbs. The biggest problem in Finland is high unemployment. The possible dangers are: nuclear disasters (Remember Chernoble?) and oil tanker ships (Russian and Greek mostly) not equipped with double bottoms, sailing the Baltic and the Gulf of Finland. All of these issues are being worked on. Sources A Brief History of the Finnish American Club by Sinikka Garcia Personal/family interviews Laine, Saari, Wilska (his widow and son) U of A Press/Wildcat publications (on AlvarWilska) Arizona Historical Society: Arizona Finns Facts About Finland; Otava Printing, 2000, Keuruu, Finland http://virtual.finland.fi Photos by Sinikka Garcia |
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