The Republic of Finland, or more commonly Finland, is a country in Europe. It is bordered by Russia, Sweden, Norway, and the Baltic Sea. Its capital is Helsinki, and the country has a population of about 5,259,000. Finlandis a democracy, much like The United Kingdom. They have a president, Tarja Halonen, and a prime minister, Jyrki Katainen.
Finland is an industrialized country, with a mixed(mainly free) market economy. The industries provided by Finlandare: metals and metal products, electronics, machinery and scientific instruments, shipbuilding, pulp and paper, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, clothing. The majority of Finns work in services (64.9%). Many also work manufacturing and refining (32.4%).
There are also plenty of farms in Finlandproducing
barley, wheat, sugar beets, potatoes, dairy cattle, and fish. These farms aren’t very large. They only produce enough for the farmer’s family, leaving little for trade. So, for extra money, many farmers double as lumberjacks.
The Finnish flag is an off-centered blue cross on a white background (below). The blue represents the country’s thousands of lakes, and the white represents the snow that covers the country during the winter.
In 1809, Finland was conquered by Czar Alexander I of Russia. It remained a part of Russia until the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. The rebirth of this country was followed by a brief civil war. Finlandhas fought in several wars since, including WWII, The Lapland War, and The Continuation War.
For the most part, Finland is calm, beautiful, and serene. The air is clean and there is little traffic (even in major cities). Among this beauty, over 180,000 lakes lie. There is also a large archipelago, a large group of islands, consisting of over 300 islands, 80 of which are inhabited. This archipelago is called The Aland Islands. Although Finland is mostly flat, with over 70% of it covered in forests, north, toward Norway, there are some large hills and a few low lying mountains. The biggest of which, Haltiatunturi, is the highest point in Finland.
Another rather small business is tourism. Finland is home to Nasinnuela Tower, the largest observatory in Scandinavia. Another spot is Olavinlinna Castle. This is a very well preserved medieval castle. You can tour the castle almost any time. So, if you ever have the time, stop by Finland.
sources: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3238.htm
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/fi.html
http://www.mytravelguideposts.com/2011/08/tourist-sites-in-finland.ht
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A tad brief and be sure to include personal thoughts!