Finland Become a Disney Travel Agent Near Me

To visitors, Finland can appear to be two countries—one in winter, another in summer. In winter, you'll find people hunkered down for a long twilight, when the sun never quite rises. The Finnish character trait known as sisu, a form of stubborn persistence, no doubt derives in part from this seasonal swing. But every cool and irresponsive Finn is countered by one more cheerful.

In summer, when the sun never quite sets, you'll find lively, outgoing people who never seem to rest. Residents prolong the midnight sun through outdoor music and arts festivals. Long days mean more time for galleries, museums, cafes, live music of all kinds and, especially, the great outdoors. The country has an abundance of scenic lakes, islands, forests and pristine wilderness to explore, and a Finn is never more at home than in the countryside, where most residents have a cottage with a lakeside sauna to which they retreat on weekends.

At other times, Finns flock to galleries and museums in numbers rarely seen in other countries, and Finland is said to have the highest rate of newspaper readership in the world (as well as the world's highest intake of coffee per capita).

Playwright Bertolt Brecht famously referred to Finns as people who are silent in two languages, namely Finnish and Swedish. True, Finns are prone to long silences and bouts of shyness, but when the mood is upon them (and it can strike at any time) Finns can be as lively and talkative as people from any other nation. In general, Finns are honest and refreshingly direct, not skilled at airs and graces.

Finns take their culture and traditions seriously—and expect the same from visitors. The visitor to Finland, whatever his or her tastes, will find much to delight, amuse, inform and enchant.

Geography

In a political and geographic sense, Finland is one of the Nordic countries, along with Iceland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway. But unlike those countries, it is not part of Scandinavia and its language bears no similarity to those of its Nordic neighbors. Estonian, a fellow member of the Fenno-Ugric linguistic group, is the only language that resembles Finnish.

The nation can be broadly divided geographically into Greater Helsinki (the capital and the nearby cities—actually suburban clusters—of Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen), Aland and the Turku Archipelago, the Lake Region (middle and southeast part of the country), Ostrobothnia (the upper west coast) and the Sami area, better known as Lapland (much of which is north of the Arctic Circle).

There are thousands of rocky islands in the archipelago in the Gulf of Bothnia and the Gulf of Finland. Most are uninhabited. The interior of the country is heavily forested and interspersed with innumerable lakes, swamps and bogs. (The Finnish name for Finland is Suomi: Suo means bog or marsh.) The northern upland, most of which lies north of the Arctic Circle, is home to more reindeer than people. It is a vast region of taiga, tundra and forested parkland.

History

Indigenous Sami (also known as Lapps) once inhabited most of Finland. They were pushed into the far northern part of the country thousands of years ago by nomadic migrants who traveled west from Siberia. These groups migrated in search of pastures for their herds, eventually settling in modern-day Finland, Estonia and Hungary.

In the 12th century, Finland (then a pagan country) was incorporated into Sweden following a Swedish crusade, and a bishop named Henrik from the British Isles was left in Turku to administer the country (and eventually to suffer a martyr's death—the pagan who decapitated him didn't feel he needed a new set of rules). Henrik was later canonized and became Finland's patron saint. Sweden and Russia began fighting over the country in 1710, and each owned pieces of it until Russia prevailed in 1809.

In 1906, Finland negotiated with the Russians for a parliament of its own. The new parliament promptly recognized women's right to vote—the first government in Europe to do so. In 1917, Finland declared independence and, two years later, established a republic in the wake of the Russian Revolution. Finns are particularly proud of their staunch resistance in the Winter War against the Soviet Union in 1939-40, when the tiny nation held the massive Red Army at bay for many months. Finland won nearly every battle but in the end was overwhelmed by the sheer number of Soviet troops. As a result, Finland lost portions of its territory.

Following World War II, Finland established a lucrative relationship with the Soviet Union, and the Soviets bartered oil and natural gas for Finnish goods. Although the barter system greatly benefited the Finns, it also allowed the country to become somewhat over-reliant on trade with the East. Following the breakup of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, Finland's economy took a nosedive, from which the country has since recovered. In 1995, Finland became a member of the European Union.

Although it has some social problems, such as unemployment and immigration issues, Finland remains one of the most prosperous and well-off countries in Europe.

Snapshot

Among Finland's main draws are saunas, cafes, live music, cultural festivals, cross-country skiing and ski touring, reindeer safaris, trips to the Arctic Circle, cutting-edge architecture, trekking, lake cruises, wilderness hiking, snowmobiling, distinctive islands and historic attractions.

Finland will appeal to those who enjoy outdoor activities, Finnish and Sami culture, wide-open spaces, beautiful lakes, charming villages, and good music and food. You may want to reconsider going if you dislike cold or cool weather, or if you want a variety of nightlife (there's little outside of Helsinki).

Potpourri

Finnish cities have excellent paved bike paths, and many Finns use bikes for their main transportation. There are even bicycle underpasses—you may never have to cross a street. In the downtown districts these paths are also used by skateboarders and rollerbladers—some of whom travel very fast, so beware.

Finns have devised a variety of weird sports. World Championships in swamp soccer, wife carrying, mobile-phone throwing, ice swimming and even air guitar are staged in Finland.

The country is officially bilingual, with Swedish spoken as a first language by a minority of about 6%, but you'll find that many Finns speak Finnish, Swedish and English with almost equal facility. Broadcasts on public transportation are repeated in all three languages.

Finns enjoy a concept known as Everyman's Right, which allows free right of access to the land and waterways, and the right to pick wild berries and mushrooms, no matter who is the owner.

Letters to Santa Claus can be sent to Santa, 96930 Rovaniemi, Finland. The letters are answered by members of the Santa Claus Land Association. There is also a school for officially accredited Santa's Elves.

A favorite national confectionery is the korvapuusti or "slapped ear," an often gigantic sugar-sprinkled bun spiced with cinnamon—an absolute delight when served fresh from the oven.

Reindeer are of utmost importance to the Sami—they provide food and play a prominent role in Sami literature, mythology and ritual life.

The farther north you go, the longer the midnight sun lasts. The best times to see daylong sunlight are mid-May to late July in the far north and early June to early July in areas just south of the Arctic Circle.