Portal:Finland
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The Republic of Finland (Finnish: Suomen tasavalta Swedish: Republiken Finland) is a Nordic country in northeastern Europe, bordered by the Baltic Sea to the southwest, the Gulf of Finland to the south and the Gulf of Bothnia to the west. Finland has land frontiers with Sweden, Norway and Russia. The Åland Islands, off the southwestern coast, are under Finnish sovereignty while enjoying extensive autonomy. The Finnish name for Finland is Suomi; in Swedish it is Finland.
Finland gained independence from Soviet Union on 6 December 1917. Prior to that, it had been part of the Kingdom of Sweden and Imperial Russia. After fighting two wars with the Soviet Union in the mid-20th century, it has grown quickly from a largely agrarian society to one of the world's most developed countries. Finland has a high standard of living, one of the best educational systems in the world, and is home to many technological phenomena such as Nokia, Linux and IRC.
Finland has been a member of the European Union since 1995.
Helsinki (in Finnish; 
listen (help·info)), or Helsingfors (in Swedish; listen (help·info)) is the capital and largest city of Finland. It is in the southern part of Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, by the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is 569,892 (2008), making it the most populous municipality in Finland by a wide margin. The foreign-born population stands at around 10%.
Helsinki, along with the neighbouring cities of Vantaa, Espoo, and Kauniainen, constitutes what is known as the capital region, with over 1,000,000 inhabitants. The Greater Helsinki area contains 12 municipalities and has a population of over 1,300,000. The Greater Helsinki accounts for a quarter of the population of Finland, 29% of jobs, and a third of the GDP.
Helsinki is Finland's capital for business, education, research, culture, and government. Greater Helsinki has eight universities and six technology parks. Some 70% of foreign companies operating in Finland have settled in the Helsinki region. The immigration of rural residents has made it one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in Europe.
Finland's main international airline hub, Helsinki-Vantaa airport is 40 minutes from the city center, with direct flights around the world. The busy Helsinki-Tallinn route takes 1.5 hours by sea and 18 minutes by helicopter. Two other big cities in Finland, Tampere and Turku, can be reached in 1.5 - 2 hours by train and 1.5 - 2.5 hours by car.
Photo credit: Hans Hillewaert
The Helsinki Cathedral is an Evangelical Lutheran cathedral of the Diocese of Helsinki, located in the centre of Helsinki.
- ...the Finnish Air Force selected the Saab 91 Safir as its primary trainer aircraft over the domestic Valmet Tuuli III?
- ...that the Kaleva, a Finnish passenger plane carrying diplomatic post, was shot down by Soviet bombers in an act of aggression?
- ...that the majority of Assyrians in Finland live in Oulu, the sixth largest city in the country?
- ...that Finland was close to becoming an independent kingdom in 1742?
- ...that the Saint Petersburg–Hiitola railroad was completed by 1917, but a year later the Finnish Civil War caused traffic to stop, with a mile of track removed?
Saint Henry was a legendary Swedish clergyman. Conquering Finland together with King Eric the Saint of Sweden and dying as a martyr, Henry became central in the local Roman Catholic Church. Even today, together with his alleged murderer Lalli, he remains one of the best recognized persons from the history of Finland. The authenticity of the accounts of Henry's life, ministry, and death is widely disputed. On the basis of the traditional accounts of Henry's death, he was locally recognized as a saint, prior to the founding of the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints. He continues to be remembered as a local observance in the Catholic Church of Finland. He is also commemorated in several Protestant liturgical calendars. (more...)
- June 8: Europeans go to the polls to elect Members of the European Parliament
- May 29: Interview with Anna Mikkola, Finnish Left Alliance candidate for European Parliament
- May 18: As the Eurovision entrants return home, the home crowds weigh in
- February 1: Tarja Turunen reveals working title for new album
- November 14: Nokia scales back prediction for global mobile phone sales
- October 21: Church of Scientology falsely accuses internet group 'Anonymous' of 2007 school shooting
- October 10: Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Martti Ahtisaari, Finnish top diplomat
- October 9: Iceland nationalises Kaupthing Bank
- October 4: Lordi release music video for Finnish chart-topper 'Bite It Like a Bulldog'
- September 23: School shooting in Kauhajoki, Finland kills eleven
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Panoramic photo shot of Helsinki, Finland.
Featured articles: Finnish Civil War · Gyromitra esculenta · Henry (Bishop of Finland) · Swedish language
Featured lists: List of Swedish-speaking and bilingual municipalities of Finland
Good articles: Finland Plot · Henri Toivonen · Kauhajoki school shooting · Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne · Personent hodie · Response to Kauhajoki school shooting · Thomas (Bishop of Finland)
