18 Fascinating Facts about Finland

1. Fascinating – but freezing!

Finland is a stunningly beautiful country in Northern Europe. A quarter of Finland is actually within the Arctic Circle! Amazing!

2. Finland has plenty of neighbors.

It is bordered by Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east.

3. Finland is easy to find and easy to call.

The coordinates for Finland are 64.0000° N, 26.0000°. The international dialing code for Finland is +358.

Flag of Finland

4. Finland’s terrain isn’t too strenuous to trek.

The terrain here is mostly rolling plains with lakes and low hills, plus small mountains in the far Northwest.

5. Finland has more water and islands than you might think.

In fact, there are 187,888 lakes that are larger than 500 square meters, and 179,584 islands in Finland!

6. It’s not the sunniest of countries!

During June and July, the sun never sets in northern Finland due to its proximity to the North Pole. Conversely, there are also days during winter when the sun never rises!

7. Finland is impressively sized.

The total land area of Finland is 130,558 square miles (338,145 square kilometers). Finland’s population was 5.518 million in 2019.

8. The capital makes up 11% of the country’s population.

Helsinki is the capital city, covering an area of 71.2 square miles (184.5 square kilometers) with a population of 631,695 (2016).

9. Finland is spa mad!

There are around 2 million saunas in Finland – that’s around one per 2.5 people!

Oulu, Finland

10. Quality of life in Finland is fantastic.

The average life span here is a steamy 82.13 years (2020).

11. Finland calling!

Did you know that Nokia, the mobile phone company, is actually Finnish? We didn’t!

12. Pay attention to the roads in Finland – it’s pricey not to!

In Finland fines for traffic offenses are linked to not only the severity of the violation but also your income! The largest known speeding fine in Finland was around €200,000… crikey!

Since 1982, it has been law to keep your headlights on at all times whilst driving in Finland.

13. Finland’s temperatures occasionally offer respite.

The climate in Finland is possibly not as cold as you might think. Due to the number of lakes and mild North Atlantic Current and Baltic Sea, residents here actually enjoy a cold temperate climate.

14. Finland holds an impressive Olympic record.

Amazingly, Finnish athletes have apparently won more Summer Olympic medals per capita than any other nation, and more World Rally Championships, too!

15. Much of Finland is bilingual.

Finland has two official languages; Finnish and Swedish.

16. Finland is the world’s coffee capital.

The Finns love their coffee! In fact, they are the world’s biggest consumers of coffee per capita – even more than the Italians! I suppose you’ve got to keep warm somehow!

17. Finland has varied food exports.

Finland grows barley, potatoes, sugar beets, wheat, rears dairy cattle, catches fish, and produces dairy products.

18. But that’s not all it produces.

Its industry consists of metal products, shipbuilding, electronics, copper refining, paper, and pulp. Finland also exports chemicals, machinery, and equipment, metals, timber, paper, and pulp.