History and Religion
Finland being a blend of East and West is not only a result of geographical position, as the Finns' cultural and genetic roots are a mixture of the two as well. Some of us are tall and blond like Scandinavians, while others are dark and stockier like the Slavs. Most are something in between. Our calculating mentality is an outcome of acting as a barrier between two worlds and ways of life that often have not agreed with each other.
In prehistoric times, the first settlers to Finland came from the East. From The Middle Ages onwards, the area of Finland was under Swedish rule for 600 years. In 1809, Finland was incorporated into Russia as result of a war lost by Sweden. Finland became a Grand Duchy of the Russian Empire, and was granted autonomy with its own government and currency.
Helsinki became the capital in 1812 (replacing Turku in the south-west). The official national languages were – and still are - Finnish and Swedish. Amid the turmoil of the Russian Revolution, Finland declared its independence in 1917, establishing its present constitution and status as a republic in 1919.
Recent studies suggest that the ethnic roots of the Finnish people lie to the south-east of Europe, from where their ancestors migrated following the last Ice Age some 9,000 years ago.
Suomenlinna Sea Fortress in Helsinki
Finland today
Today, Finland is a modern liberal democracy with one of the lowest crime and corruption rates in the world. General forward thinking is a Finnish virtue, and Finns are almost obsessed with finding practical solutions to everyday problems. Finland is a safe place to live and visit, and its inhabitants take pride in the country's vast nature areas. Finland's exceptionally large wilderness areas are strictly protected and renewable resources along with eco-thinking are becoming all the more favoured and respected.
Finland is one of the highest developed countries in the world. Finns have a saying, "being born in Finland is like winning the lottery". Somehow it doesn't feel that way when it's freezing cold and the wind throws sleet in your face on the way to work on a dark January morning. In contrast, Finland truly comes alive in the summer, with countless events bringing people together in the seemingly endless nights lit by the midnight sun.
Some say Finland is the best country in the world. We're happy to agree.
Religion
Christianity reached Finland about 1000 years ago, more or less simultaneously from east and west. As a consequence, both the Evangelical-Lutheran and Orthodox churches still have the status of official religions. Some 86% of the population belong to the former and about 1% to the latter, and both faiths are protected under a constitution that guarantees freedom of religion.
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