5 facts about Finland It is time for our weekly five facts about one of the 28 Member States of the European Union. And again, we will stay in the Northern part of Europe. This weeks country is Finland, the most sparsely populated country in the European Union. Finland is definitely worth a visit, not only because of its beautiful nature, that changes its uniform completely four times a year along with the seasons. Here are our five facts about Finland: 1. EU: Finland joined the European Union in 1995 in the fourth enlargement round together with Austria and Sweden. 2. History: Situated on Senate Square, Helsinki Cathedral was built by Carl Ludvig Engel, who also designed the square and surrounding buildings. Though religious ceremonies are still conducted in the cathedral, it also attracts over 350 000 tourists each year. 3. People: Even though Finland is a rather small EU member state disposing of a population of only 5.5 million inhabitants, you might have heard of the successful racing driver Kimi Raikkonen, or the founder of the mobile company Fredrik Idestam or you might have enjoyed some of the beautiful compositions of the composer Jean Sibelius. They are all Fins! 4. Culture: Fins cannot live without their sauna! The sauna is an essential part of the Finish culture. For centuries, it has been a place for physical and spiritual cleansing. Sharing a sauna with someone is about bonding and about discussing real issues. In Finland, major decisions get made in saunas, not boardrooms. 5. Unusual fact: Fins probably have the weirdest competitions on earth. From mobile phone throwing to wife carrying, swamp football to air guitar, table drumming to rubber boot throwing… the list goes on. It’s weird, but for Fins it is often a great excuse for a party. Here is a question for you: Which world-famous person comes from Finland? Here is a little clue: He is based in Lapland and comes to visit only once per year.
Posted on: Fri, 30 May 2014 07:00:00 +0000
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