Finland, the full name of the Republic of Finland, covers an area of ​​338,145 square kilometers. It is located in northern Europe, bordering Norway to the north, Sweden to the northwest, Russia to the east, the Gulf of Finland to the south, and the Gulf of Bothnia to the west without tides. The terrain is high in the north and low in the south. The northern Manselkiah hills are 200-700 meters above sea level, the central part is 200-300 meters moraine hills, and the coastal areas are plains below 50 meters above sea level. Finland has extremely rich forest resources. The forest area of ​​the country is 26 million hectares, and the per capita forest land is 5 hectares, ranking second in the world per capita forest land. 69% of the country's land is covered by forest, its coverage rate ranks first in Europe and second in the world. The majority of tree species are spruce forest, pine forest and birch forest. The dense jungle is full of flowers and berries. Lake Saimaa in the south covers an area of ​​4,400 square kilometers and is the largest lake in Finland. Finnish lakes are connected with narrow waterways, short rivers, and rapids, thus forming waterways that communicate with each other. The inland water area accounts for 10% of the country's total area. There are about 179,000 islands and about 188,000 lakes. It is known as the "country of a thousand lakes". The coastline of Finland is tortuous, 1100 kilometers long. Rich fish resources. One third of Finland is located in the Arctic Circle, and the northern part has a cold climate with a lot of snow. In the northernmost part, the sun cannot be seen for 40-50 days in winter, and the sun can be seen day and night from the end of May to the end of July in summer. It has a temperate maritime climate. The average temperature is -14°C to 3°C in winter and 13°C to 17°C in summer. The average annual rainfall is 600 mm.

The country is divided into five provinces and one autonomous region, namely: Southern Finland, Eastern Finland, Western Finland, Oulu, Labi and Åland.

About 9,000 years ago, at the end of the ice age, the ancestors of the Finns moved here from the south and southeast. Before the 12th century, Finland was a period of primitive communal society. It became part of Sweden in the second half of the 12th century and became a duchy of Sweden in 1581. After the Russian and Swedish wars in 1809, it was occupied by Russia and became a Grand Duchy under the rule of Tsarist Russia. The Tsar also served as the Grand Duke of Finland. After the revolution in October 1917, Finland declared independence on December 6th of the same year and established a republic in 1919. After the Finnish-Soviet War (called the "Winter War" in Finland) from 1939 to 1940, Finland was forced to sign the Finnish-Soviet Peace Treaty with the former Soviet Union, which ceded territory to the Soviet Union. From 1941 to 1944, Nazi Germany attacked the Soviet Union, and Finland participated in the war against the Soviet Union (Finland called the "continuation war"). In February 1944, Finland, as a defeated country, signed the Paris Peace Treaty with the Soviet Union and other countries. In April 1948, the "Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance" was signed with the Soviet Union. After the Cold War, Finland joined the European Union in 1995.

National flag: It is rectangular with a ratio of length to width of 18:11. The flag ground is white. The wide blue cross-shaped strip on the left side divides the flag face into four white rectangles. Finland is known as the "country of a thousand lakes". It faces the Baltic Sea in the southwest. The blue on the flag symbolizes lakes, rivers and oceans; the other symbolizes the blue sky. One-third of Finland's territory is in the Arctic Circle. The climate is cold. The white on the flag symbolizes the country covered with snow. The cross on the flag indicates the close relationship between Finland and other Nordic countries in history. The flag was made around 1860 based on the suggestion of Finnish poet Tocharis Topelius.

Finland has a population of approximately 5.22 million (2006). Most of the population lives in the southern part of the country where the climate is relatively mild. Among them, the Finnish ethnic group accounted for 92.4%, the Swedish ethnic group accounted for 5.6%, and a small number of Sami (also known as Lapps). The official languages ​​are Finnish and Swedish. 84.9% of residents believe in Christian Lutheranism, 1.1% believe in Orthodox Church.

Finland is extremely rich in forest resources, 66.7% of the country is covered by lush forests, making Finland the largest forest coverage rate in Europe and second in the world, with a per capita forest occupation of 3.89 hectares. Abundant forest resources give Finland the reputation of "green vault". Finland's wood processing, papermaking and forestry machinery industries have become the backbone of its economy and have a world-leading level. Finland is the world's second largest exporter of paper and cardboard and the fourth largest exporter of pulp. Although the Finnish country is small, it is very distinctive. After World War II, Finland relied on the forest industry and metal industry to become a powerful country. In order to adapt to the development of the international economy, Finland has adjusted its economic and technological development strategy in a timely manner, so that its technology and equipment in the fields of energy, telecommunications, biology and environmental protection are in a leading position in the world. Finland has a well-developed information industry and is not only known for being the most developed information society in the world, but it also ranks among the best in the global international competitiveness rankings. The gross domestic product in 2006 was US$171.733 billion, and the per capita value was US$32,836. In 2004, Finland was named the "World's Most Competitive Country" by the World Economic Forum in 2004/2005.

Helsinki: Helsinki, the capital of Finland, is close to the Baltic Sea. It is a city of classical beauty and modern civilization. It not only reflects the romantic sentiment of the ancient European city, but also is full of international metropolis. Charm. At the same time, she is a garden city where urban architecture and natural scenery are cleverly combined. Against the backdrop of the sea, whether the sea is blue in summer or drift ice is floating in winter, this port city always looks beautiful and clean, and is praised by the world as "the daughter of the Baltic Sea."

Helsinki was founded in 1550 and became the capital of Finland in 1812. The population of Helsinki is approximately 1.2 million (2006), accounting for more than one-fifth of the total population of Finland. Compared with other European cities, Helsinki is a young city with a history of only 450 years, but her buildings are a blend of traditional national romanticism and modern fashion trends. The colorful buildings are distributed in every corner of the city. Among them, you can not only see the masterpieces of "Neo-Classic" and "Art Nouveau", but also enjoy the sculptures and street scenes full of Nordic flavor, which makes people feel An extraordinary tranquil beauty.

Helsinki’s most famous architectural complex is the Helsinki Cathedral and its surrounding pale yellow neoclassical buildings on the Senate Square in the city center. The South Wharf near the cathedral is a port for large international cruise ships. The Presidential Palace located on the north side of the South Pier was built in 1814. It was the palace of the Tsar under the rule of Tsarist Russia and became the Presidential Palace after Finland became independent in 1917. The Helsinki City Hall building on the west side of the Presidential Palace was built in 1830, and its appearance still maintains its original appearance. There is an open-air free market open all year round on the South Wharf Square. Vendors sell fresh fruits, vegetables, fish and flowers, as well as various traditional crafts and souvenirs such as Finnish knives, reindeer skins and jewelry. It is a must-see for foreign tourists. Place.