Finland - Phần Lan

Finland is a country belonging to Europe. The capital is Helsinki. The official language is Finnish.Finland, officially the Republic of Finland (Finnish: Suomen tasavalta, Swedish: Republiken Finland), is a country in the Nordic region. Finland is bordered by Sweden to the west, Russia to the east, Norway to the north and Estonia to the south across the Gulf of Finland.

overview

Historically, Finland was a part of Sweden for a long time (from the 12th to the 18th century) and then became a grand duchy under the rule of the Russian tsar for a period of time. 1809-1917. On December 6, 1917, Finland officially declared its independence, becoming a republic. After World War II, Finland maintained its status as a neutral country and rapidly transformed from a backward agrarian economy to a highly developed industrial economy. Europe. Today, Finland is a democratic country under a parliamentary republic. The country has been a member of the United Nations since 1955 and joined the Union Europe in 1995.Finland is one of the most sparsely populated countries Europe. As of July 2007, the population of Finland is 5 238 460 people. With a population density of only about 16 people/km², Finland becomes the least densely populated country in the Union countries. Europe. The common language in this country is Finnish - a language that is not part of the Indo-European language family, in addition, Swedish is also considered an official language.

History

Around the 1st century AD, the Finns in Estonia settled in the southern regions and by about 800 they expanded to the Karelia region, where there appeared other inhabitants of Finnish origin - Ugri, from the East to settle down. . They were very prosperous in the fur trade until they were gradually competed by the Vikings throughout the South. Around 1150, the King of Sweden, Erik IX, waged a Crusade against the atheist Finns.

The Swedish conquest of Finland began in the 12th century and ended in 1634. During the religious reform of the 18th century, the majority of Finns followed the sect of Martin Luther. Russia invaded much of Finland in 1809. During the 19th century, Finland was a grand duchy ruled by the tsar. The situation became tense as the Russian Empire wanted to consolidate its political power and increase its cultural influence. In 1906, Finland was allowed to convene its own Duma (parliament), but in 1910 it was abolished. After the Russian Revolution of 1917, civil war broke out in Finland. In 1919, Lenin and the peasantry of Russia were forced to grant independence to Finland. The independent republican institution was established and exists to this day. After World War II, Finland kept the role of an independent and neutral country. Finland gains some influence by strictly implementing its neutrality role, for example by hosting the first sessions of the Organization for European Cooperation and Security. After the collapse of the Soviet Union (1991), Finland resumed its close relationship with Russia and applied to join the European Community.

From the 12th to the 19th century, Finland was a large part of Sweden and then an autonomous territory of Russia after 1809. Finland became completely independent in 1917. During World War II, Finland Lan managed to defend her independence and resist Soviet aggression (Soviet-Finnish War) despite losing part of its territory. Half a century later, the Finns have undergone a major transformation from an agro-forestry economy to a diversified modern industrial economy, with per capita income comparable to Western European countries. As a member of the European Union, Finland was the only Nordic country to join the euro as of January 1999.

Geography

Finland is located in Northern Europe between latitudes 60° and 70°. A quarter of the territory lies north of the Arctic Circle (latitude 66°30 North). Finland's neighbors are Sweden, Norway, Russia and Estonia. Finland belongs to Northern Europe. Nearly one-third of Finland's territory lies north of the arctic belt. Lakes occupy 1/10 of the area of ​​Finland (about 50,000 lakes in total). The largest lake is Lake Saimaa which is more than 4,400 km² wide. In winter, the Gulf of Bothnia in the west and the Gulf of Finland in the south freeze, and icebreakers are used in ports. The land of Finland is a frozen land. Except for the high mountains with peaks up to 1,342 m in the northwest, most of the rest of Finland is lowland.

Climate: Warm summers. Winters are long and very cold, especially in the north.

Finland's climate has a marked difference in winter and summer, the average annual temperature in the capital Helsinki is about 5.3 °C. The highest daytime temperatures in the South of Finland sometimes also reach 30 °C. In winter, especially in January and February, the usual temperature is -20 °C. The northernmost part of Finland, below the Arctic Circle, in the summer the Sun does not set for about 73 days, which are "white nights" days, and in the winter the Sun does not rise for 51 days in a row.

Holidays

Finns are not fanatics of large public festivals, most people spend the holidays at home with their families. The most notable exception is Vappu May 1, when thousands of people (mostly young people) fill the streets. Important festivals and similar happenings include:

• New Year's Day (uudenvuodenpäivä, nyårsdagen), January 1st.
• Hien Linh ( loppiainen, trettondag), January 6.
• Easter (pääsiäinen, påsk), dates vary, Good Friday and Easter Monday are public holidays. Associated with this is laskiainen, fastlagstisdag, 40 days before Easter, nominally a holy day that opens Lent, actually a time for kids and college students to go downhill skiing, and Ascension day (helatorstai, Kristi himmelsfärds dag) 40 days after, only one day for stores to close.
• Walpurgis Night or more often vappu, May 1st, even though the festival started a day before (vappuaatto, valborgsmässoafton). A spring festival that coincides with May Day. Originally a pagan tradition that coincided with recent worker celebrations, it has turned into a massive festival for students, who wear colorful signature pants and roam the streets. Many also use their student white hats between 18:00 on April 30 and the end of May 1. The next day, people gathered to nurse hangovers at outdoor picnics, even when it rained and hail.
• Midsummer Festival (juhannus, midsommar), Saturday from June 20 to 26. Organized to celebrate the summer solstice, with lots of bonfires, drinking and general frolic. The city becomes almost empty as people rush to their summer cottages. It might be a good idea to visit one of the big cities just for the eerie feel of an empty city - or a country village where locals get together to celebrate.
• Independence Day (itsenäisyyspäivä, självständighetsdagen), December 6. A rather bleak celebration of Finland's independence from Russia. The president holds a ball for important people (eg MPs, diplomats, and worthy Finnish sportspeople and artists) as less important watch on television.
• Little Christmas ( pikkujoulu). Pub-goers crawl with their coworkers during December. Not an official holiday, just a Viking-strength version of a Christmas office season party.
• Christmas (joulu, juli), December 24-26. The biggest holiday of the year, when pretty much everything is closed for three days. Santa Claus (Joulupukki, Julgubben) came on Christmas Eve on the 24th, people ate ham and everyone went to the sauna.
• Eve (uudenvuodenaatto, nyårsafton), December 31. Fireworks.

Most of Finland goes on summer vacation in July, unlike other places in Europe where August is the main holiday season. People usually start their summer vacation around summer. During these days, the city is likely to be less populated, as Finns head to their summer cottages. Students begin their summer vacation in early June.

Region

City

• Helsinki — "Daughter of the Baltic", the capital and largest city of Finland
• Jyväskylä — a university city in Central Finland
• Oulu — a technological city at the end of the Gulf of Bothnia
• Rauma — the largest wooden ancient city in the Nordics and a UNESCO world heritage site
• Rovaniemi — gateway to Lapland and where the village of Santa Claus is
• Savonlinnal — small lakeside city with a large castle and a popular opera festival.
• Tampere — an industrial city, home to culture, music, art and museums, among other major cities in Southern Finland. Perhaps the best music scene in Finland.
• Turku — the old capital on the west coast. Medieval castle and cathedral
• Vaasa — a city with strong Swedish influence on the west coast near the UNESCO World Natural Heritage site Kvarken Archipelago

Other destinations

• National park, other protected area, hiking area or wilderness area, For example:
  • Koli . National Park - large landscape national park in Eastern Finland, symbol of the nature of Finland
  • Lemmenjoki . National Park - gold mining base in Lapland, and one of the largest wild Ares in Europe.
  • Nuuksio National Park -beautiful national park a short distance from Helsinki
• Levi - Finland's largest winter sports resort, especially popular among young people
• Saariselkä - a popular winter sports resort for the old setting
• Yllas - small but increasingly popular ski resort
• Suomenlinna island off the coast of Helsinki, home to an 18th-19th century fortress, accessible by ferry

Arrive

Visa

Finland is a member of the Schengen Agreement. There is no border control between signed countriesIDEA concluding and implementing international treaties - Union Europe (except Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, Romania and the United Kingdom), Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Likewise, visas issued to any Schengen member are valid in all other countries that have signed and implemented the treaty. But beware: not all EU members have signed the Schengen agreement, and not all Schengen members are part of the Union. Europe. This means that there may be a customs check location but no immigration check (traveling within the Schengen area but to/from a non-EU country) or you may have to clear immigration but no customs (traveling within the EU but to/from a non-Schengen country). Airports in Europe thus divided into "Schengen" and "non-Schengen" areas, which in effect act as "domestic" and "international" parts elsewhere. If you are flying from outside Europe If you become a Schengen country and so on, you will clear immigration and customs in the first country and then proceed to your destination with no further checks. Travel between a Schengen member and a non-Schengen country will result in normal border checks. Note that regardless of whether you are traveling within the Schengen area or not, many airlines will insist on seeing your ID card or passport. Citizens of the EU and EFTA (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland) countries only need a valid national identity card or entry passport - otherwise they will need a long-stay visa at any time. People of non-EU/EFTA countries will usually need one. Passport entry into a Schengen country and most will require a visa. Only nationals of the following non-EU/EFTA countries do not require a visa to enter the Schengen area: Albania *, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Bosnia and Herzegovina *, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Japan, Macedonia *, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro*, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Saint Kitts and Nevis, San Marino, Serbia * / **, Seychelles, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan *** (Republic of China), USA, Uruguay, Vatican City, Venezuela, additional people with the title of British National (overseas), Hong Kong or Macao. Visa-free non-EU/EFTA visitors may not be able to stay more than 90 days in a 180-day period in the Schengen area in total, not being able to work during the break (although a Some Schengen countries do not allow certain nationalities to work - see below). People count the days from when you enter any country in the Schengen area and do not reset it by leaving a particular Schengen country for a Schengen country, or vice versa. However, New Zealand citizens can stay longer than 90 days if they only visit special Schengen countries.

By air

Finland's main international hub is Helsinki-Vantaa A airport near Helsinki. Finnair, SAS and Flybe have bases there. About 30 foreign airlines fly to Helsinki-Vantaa.

Ryanair's Finnish hubs are Tampere in central Finland and Lappeenranta to the east near the Russian border, while Wizz Air has a small hub in Turku in the southwest. Other airlines have limited service to other cities, mostly only to Sweden, and, during the winter peak season, frequent direct charters (especially in December) and scheduled seasonal flights (Dec-Mar) to Lapland.

Air Baltic connects many Finnish cities conveniently to Europe via Riga. It might well be worth your while to get a cheap flight to Tallinn and follow the instructions below to get the boat to Finland.

Beginning in early 2011, Norwegian Air Shuttle selected Helsinki as one of its operating bases, and now offers both domestic and international flights.

By train

VR and Russian Railways collaborate on services between Saint Petersburg and Helsinki, stopping at Vyborg, Kouvola and Lahti along the way. The line was upgraded in 2010 and the brand new Allegro trains skidded between the two cities for three and a half hours up to 220 km/h. Routes are served four times a day in both directions. While quick and comfortable, it's also pricey, at 92€ during the summer and 84€ the rest of the year for a one-way ticket. There is also a traditional slow overnight stay from Moscow, which takes about 15 hours.

There are no direct trains between Sweden or Norway and Finland (railway sizes vary), but buses on the distance from Boden / Luleå (Sweden) to Kemi (Finland) are free with a Eurail/ inter-railway pass, and you can also get a 50% discount compared to most ferries with the pass.

By car

By bus

By boat

Go

Language

Finnish is a member of the Ural language family. Finnish, Estonian are in one branch; Hungarian belongs to the large group of the Ugrian languages. The official language of Finland is Finnish and Swedish is spoken as a mother tongue by about 6% of the population. Another vernacular is the Sami language spoken by the Sami people, also known as the Lapp (Northern Scandinavia). Swedish appeared in Finland due to a previous history, from the early 13th century until 1809, at which time Finland was part of the Swedish domain.

The number of foreigners living in Finland was about 91,000 in 2000, mainly Russians, Estonians and Swedes.

Shopping

Expense

Food

Finnish cuisine is heavily influenced by neighboring countries, the main dish being potato and bread besides many fish and meat dishes. Milk or cream has traditionally been considered an important part of the diet and is often an ingredient in foods and drinks, even for adults. Various dairy products such as cheese are also produced. While traditional Finnish food is notoriously bland, the culinary revolution that followed joining the European Union has seen a boom in luxury restaurants experimenting with ingredients. local, often with excellent results.

seafood

With tens of thousands of lakes and a long coastline, fish is a Finnish staple, and there's so much more on the menu than just salmon (Lohi). Specialties include:

• Baltic herring (silakka), a small, fatty and quite tasty fish that is available pickled, marinated, smoked, grilled and in countless other varieties.
• Gravlax (graavilohi), a Scandinavian appetizer consisting of raw salted salmon
• Smoked Salmon (savulohi), smoked salmon is not only cold, thinly sliced, semi-raw, but also "warm" cooked smoked salmon.
• Vendace (muikku), a specialty of eastern Finland, a small fried fish, rich in salt and usually with mashed potatoes

Meat dishes

• Karelian stew ( karjalanpaisti), a stew usually made of beef and pork (and optionally, lamb), carrots and onions, often served with potatoes
• Stewed liver ( maksalaatikko), consisting of chopped liver, rice, and raisins cooked in the oven, it tastes a little different than what you'd expect (and no liver)
• Sausage ring ( lenkkimakkara), large sausage lightly flavoring; Best when grilled and drizzled with sweet Finnish mustard (sinappi) up, served with beer
• Meatball (lihapullat, lihapyörykät) as popular and delicious as in neighboring Sweden
• Reindeer (Poro) dishes, reindeer, especially stir-fried (poronkäristys, eaten with mashed potatoes and lingonberries), not really part of the everyday Finnish diet but a tourist staple and popular in the cold North
• Swedish minced meat ("pytipannu"), (originally from Sweden, Swedish: "pytt i panna") a dish of potatoes, onions, and minced meat by hand fried in a pan and topped with an egg
• Makkara Traditional Finnish sausage. Affectionately referred to as "Finnish vegetables" from the actual meat content can be quite low.

Other dish

• Bean soup (' hernekeitto), usually but not always with ham, traditionally eaten with a sprinkle of mustard and eaten on Thursdays.
• Karelia cake (karjalanpiirakka), a 7x10 cm oval baked pastry, traditionally baked with rye flour, containing porridge or mashed potatoes, best eaten topped with butter and chopped eggs ( munavoi)
• Porridge (puuro), usually made from oats (kaura), barley (ohra), rice (riisi) or rye (ruis) and is usually served for breakfast

Bread

Bread (leipä) is used in all meals in Finland, and comes in a variety of varieties. Rye bread is the most popular bread in Finland. Typically Finns include:

• Hapankorppu, flat bread dry, crispy and slightly sour
• Limpu, a large loaf of fresh bread
• Näkkileipä, another form of dry, crispy flatbread made with rye
• Ruisleipä (rye bread), which can be up to 100% rye, Finnish rye bread is usually unsweetened and therefore sour and even bitter.
• Rieska, unleavened bread made from wheat or potatoes, eaten fresh

Seasonal dishes and regional specialties

Attack of the killer mushroom Mushroom fake moscela (korvasieni) is sometimes referred to as "Finnish puffer fish", like the famous Japanese puffer fish, if you don't make the right dish, this dish will kill you. Fortunately, this dish can be safely eaten with proper boiling, and prepared mushrooms can be found in gourmet restaurants and even canned.

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From late July to early September, worth ordering crayfish (rapu) at better restaurants. This dish is not cheap, and is served with large quantities of ice-cold vodka. At Christmas, grilled ham is the traditional star of the dining table, with casseroles around it.

There are also local specialties, including kalakukko belong to Eastern Finland (a kind fish cake giant) and black blood sausage of Tampere (mustamakkara, best eaten with lingonberry jam). Around Easter there are dishes mämmi, a sweet brown rye cake served with cream of milk and sugar.

Desserts

For dessert or just a snack, Finnish pastry a lot and is often served with coffee after meals. Cardamom coffee bread (pulla), a series of cake (torttu), and donuts (munkki). In the summer, a variety of fresh fruit available, including delectable but expensive ones raspberry (lakka), and berry products are available throughout the year such as jams (hillo), soup (keitto) and a type of obviously sticky cake called kiisseli.

Finnish chocolate is also quite good, with products from Fazer including Sininen Their iconic exports worldwide. A more Finnish specialty than licorice (lakritsi). Especially salty licorice (salmiakki) has a unique taste. After a meal it is often chewed gum (purukumi) includes xylitol, which is good for oral health. Jenkki [2] is a popular chewing gum brand that offers xylitol benefits with different flavors.

Drinks

Accommodation

Learn

Do

Safe

Medical

To respect

Contact

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Wikipedia has articles about Finland