Quick Facts about Finland

Here are some interesting and useful quick facts about Finland:

• Official name: Republic of Finland (Suomen tasavalta)

• Capital: Helsinki

• Population: About 5.6 million people

• Flag

• Official languages: Finnish and Swedish (Sámi languages also recognized in the north)

• Currency: Euro (€)

• Government: Parliamentary republic

• Area: The 8th largest country in Europe (mostly forests and lakes)

• Nickname: “Land of a Thousand Lakes” (actually has around 188,000 lakes)

• National animal: Brown bear

• National bird: Whooper swan

• National flower: Lily of the valley

• Famous for: Sauna culture, high-quality education, Northern Lights, design (Marimekko, Iittala), and being one of the happiest countries in the world

• Independence: Declared on 6 December 1917

• Unique fact: There are more saunas than cars in Finland