Because of its location, Finland was long of interest to both Sweden and Russia, and both countries at times exerted control over regions of Finland. It was Sweden however that most affected the legal and social systems of Finland.
However, Sweden lost its position as a great power in the early 18th century, and Russia conquered Finland in the 1808–1809 war with Sweden.
When Finland was joined to Russia in 1809 it became an autonomous Grand Duchy. The Grand Duke was the Russian Emperor, whose representative in Finland was the Governor General.
The Russian Emperor Alexander I, who was Grand Duke of Finland from 1809 to 1825, gave Finland extensive autonomy. But in addition, the Finnish national movement gained momentum during the Russian period. It focused on Finnish cultural traditions, including folklore, mythology, and music. The Finnish national epic, the Kalevala, one of the most significant works of Finnish literature, was a product of this era.
The Finnish Diet (legislative assembly) was convened in 1863 after a break of more than half a century. From then on, the Diet met regularly, and active legislative work in Finland began. The Conscription Act of 1878 gave Finland an army of its own.
On December 6, 1917, the Diet approved the declaration of independence drawn up by the Senate under the leadership of P.E. Svinhufvud (1861–1944). A civil war between the Finnish Red Guards and the White Guard ensued a few months later, with the “Whites” or government troops gaining the upper hand during the springtime of 1918. Finland became a republic in the summer of 1919, and K.J. Ståhlberg (1865–1952) was elected the first president.
Finland’s Independence Day (Finnish: itsenäisyyspäivä, Swedish: självständighetsdagen) is a national public holiday celebrated on December 6th to celebrate Finland’s declaration of independence from Russia in 1917.
Official Independence Day festivities usually commence with the raising of the Finnish flag on Tähtitorninmäki (“Observatory Hill”) in Helsinki. A religious service is held at Helsinki Cathedral, and official visits are made to the war memorials of World War II.
In the evening, the Presidential Independence Day reception is held for approximately 2000 invited guests at the Presidential Palace. This event, known informally also as Linnanjuhlat (“the Castle Ball”), is broadcast on national television. The first presidential ball was organized in 1919, and the event has been held most years since.
Guests at the Presidential Palace during the annual Independence Day Reception.
Photo: Office of the President of Finland
The official languages of Finland are Finnish and Swedish, the latter now spoken as a mother-tongue by about 5.3% of the people. English is spoken by 63 percent of the population (which numbers some 5.5 million people).
In 2016 the UN named Finland the world’s most literate nation, and Finns are among the world’s most enthusiastic users of public libraries – the country’s 5.5 million people borrow close to 68 million books a year. The Guardian reports:
It’s also not hard to see why Finland’s city libraries are so heavily used: 84% of the country’s population is urban, and given the often harsh climate, libraries are not simply places to study, read or borrow books – they are vital places for socialising.”
Maunula House, which contains the local library, adult education centre and youth centre – and a door to the supermarket next door, via The Guardian
When the Finns aren’t reading, apparently they are working out. Finnish athletes have won more Summer Olympic medals per capita than any other nation. Finland is only second to Norway for the number of Winter Olympic medals per capita. They also put a lot of time into indoor sports. According to a 2013 YouGov survey on sexual behavior in Europe, Finnish respondents came on top for watching the most pornography (63%), using sex toys (39%), filming or taking photos of themselves while having sex (15%), dressing up in costumes while having sex (14%), and taking viagra (11%). Finns also have the highest percentage of respondents having been unfaithful to their partner (32%) and having had a sexually transmitted disease (16%). They come second after the Danes for the number of people have admit having had one-night stands (48%).
They do endeavor to keep clean however, or at least, relaxed. It’s the norm in Finland to have a sauna in your home and share it with both family and friends. Almost everyone takes a sauna at least once a week. There are more saunas than there are cars in Finland.
Finland is also known for the superiority of its education system. As Smithsonian Magazine observes in an article called “Why Are Finland’s Schools Successful?”:
The country’s achievements in education have other nations, especially the United States, doing their homework.”
Smithsonian reports:
The transformation of the Finns’ education system began some 40 years ago as the key propellent of the country’s economic recovery plan. Educators had little idea it was so successful until 2000, when the first results from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), a standardized test given to 15-year-olds in more than 40 global venues, revealed Finnish youth to be the best young readers in the world. Three years later, they led in math. By 2006, Finland was first out of 57 countries (and a few cities) in science. In the 2009 PISA scores released last year, the nation came in second in science, third in reading and sixth in math among nearly half a million students worldwide.”
Moreover, the education system is based on total equality: a Finnish child has a good shot at getting the same quality education no matter whether he or she lives in a rural village or a university town.
Finnish students have plenty of light by which to do homework. With a quarter of the country in the Arctic Circle, Finland’s Lapland and other northern sections are the “Land of the Midnight Sun”. The sun doesn’t set for 73 consecutive summer days annually while it doesn’t rise at all for 51 days during the winter (known as polar night).
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