Tervetuloa! Welcome to the land of a thousand lakes—Finland, a Nordic nation in Northern Europe that is consistently ranked as the happiest country in the world. There are around 6 million people living here, and the capital is Helsinki, a seaside city known for its clean design and neoclassical architecture. The official languages are Finnish and Swedish, with Sami languages also spoken in the north.

Finland covers about 338,455 square kilometers (130,678 square miles). That’s roughly the same size as the state of Montana in the U.S., It is slightly larger than Norway. It is one of the most forested countries in the world, with over 70% of its land covered by trees and dotted with around 188,000 lakes.

The most popular sports are Ice Hockey and Motorsports, particularly Formula 1 and Rallying. Their national animal is the Brown Bear, a powerful symbol of the Finnish wilderness, while the Whooper Swan is the national bird.

The flag features a blue Nordic cross on a white field, where the blue represents the thousands of lakes and the sky, and the white stands for the snow that covers the land in winter.

The food is fresh, hearty, and tied to the seasons. You must try Karjalanpiirakka (Karelian pasties), which are thin rye crusts filled with rice porridge and topped with egg butter. Another staple is Leipäjuusto, a “squeaky” cheese that is often grilled and served with cloudberry jam. Finland is also the world’s top consumer of Coffee per person—it is a central part of their social fabric!

Finland is home to the Sauna, a tradition so important that there are over 3 million saunas in the country—enough for every two people! It is also the official home of Santa Claus, who lives in Rovaniemi in the Arctic region of Lapland. In the winter, you can see the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) dancing across the sky, while in the summer, the sun never fully sets in the north, a phenomenon known as the Midnight Sun. Finland is also a leader in education and technology, being the birthplace of Nokia and the creator of the Linux operating system. If you enjoy quirky competitions, Finland hosts the world championships for Wife Carrying, Mobile Phone Throwing, and even Air Guitar!

From the coastal archipelagos to the snowy fells of the North, Finland is a land of silence, nature, and innovation. Kiitos! That means “Thank you!”