Finland

 

Good morning, all, well it is Monday morning, and I am hoping this Monday is a good one and that I am productive and not just tired, as I am so over being tired all the damn time.

This week we are in Northern Europe which if I haven’t said before and I don’t think I have and I am too damn lazy to search and find out, is a loose term that generally includes the Nordic countries of northernmost Europe such as Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Norway.

This week we are looking at Finland which borders Sweden, Norway and Russia the capital is Helsinki which occupies a peninsula and surrounding islands in the Baltic Sea.

Helsinki is home to the 18th-century sea fortress Suomenlinna, is an inhabited sea fortress composed of eight islands, of which six have been fortified; it is about 4 km southeast of the city centre of Helsinki. It is popular with tourists and locals, who enjoy it as a picturesque picnic site. Originally named Sveaborg (Castle of the Swedes), or Viapori as referred to by Finnish-speaking Finns, it was renamed in Finnish to Suomenlinna (Castle of Finland) in 1918 for patriotic and nationalistic reasons, though it is still known by its original name in Sweden and by Swedish-speaking Finns.

It has a population of around 5.6 million, its currency is the Euro, and it has two official languages Finnish and Swedish.  However, even though English is not their official language, you'll find many Finns speak English well. English has become widely spoken, especially in urban areas and among the younger generation.

The Flag of Finland, also called siniristilippu, dates from the beginning of the 20th century. On a white background, it features a blue Nordic cross, which represents Christianity. The state flag has a coat of arms in the centre but is otherwise identical to the civil flag.

The national coat of arms displays a crowned lion standing on a red field. The lion holds a raised sword in its right gauntleted foreleg and is trampling a curved sabre. The lion, the crown and the sword and sabre handles are gold, as are the gauntlet joints. The blades and the gauntlet are silver.

The brown bear is Finland's national animal. For ancient Finns the bear was a feared yet revered and respected animal. The importance of the bear in the minds of ancient Finns is demonstrated by the fact that there are over 200 different names for the bear in their language. 

The lily-of-the valley is Finland's national flower because its attractive and sweetly scented flowers are very familiar to most Finns.

The Head of State is the President of the Republic, and the Government is led by a Prime Minister. Finland was formerly considered a semi-presidential parliamentary system, but pursuant to the 1999 constitution and the 2012 constitutional amendments, it is now a full parliamentary democracy.

Human rights in Finland are freedom of speech, religion, association, and assembly as upheld in law and in practice. Individuals are guaranteed basic rights under the constitution, by legislative acts, and in treaties relating to human rights ratified by the Finnish government.

Finland consistently ranks among the countries with the lowest crime rates in the world. Violent crime is relatively rare, and the overall crime levels are significantly lower compared to many other countries.