Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, bordered by Sweden, Norway, and Russia, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south. It has a population of 5.6 million, with Helsinki as its capital. The official languages are Finnish and Swedish, and the country has a varied climate and is covered predominantly by boreal forests and numerous lakes.
Finland was first settled around 9000 BC and became part of Sweden in the late 13th century. It gained autonomy from Russia in 1809 and declared independence in 1917. Following a civil war, it established a republic in 1919. During World War II, Finland fought against the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany, ultimately retaining its independence.
Post-war, Finland rapidly industrialized and developed a welfare state, resulting in high living standards. It adopted a policy of neutrality during the Cold War and joined the European Union in 1995, the Eurozone in 1999, and NATO in 2023. Finland excels in education, economic competitiveness, and quality of life metrics.
Image Credit | By Rob984 – Derived from File: Germany on the globe (Germany centered).svg, CC BY-SA 4.0. [Accessed 27/03/2025]
