Republic of Finland: Map & History

History

The area that is now Finland was settled in, at the latest, around 8500 BC during the Stone Age towards the end of the last glacial period. The artefacts the first settlers left behind present characteristics that are shared with those found in Estonia, Russia, and Norway. The earliest people were hunter-gatherers, using stone tools.

The first pottery appeared in 5200 BC, when the Comb Ceramic culture was introduced. The area of present-day Finland was in the western limits of the culture, which produced pottery with a distinct comb pattern. The arrival of the Corded Ware culture in the south of coastal Finland between 3000 and 2500 BC may have coincided with the start of agriculture.

Government and politics

Modern Finnish values are rooted in egalitarian ideals. The country maintains a Nordic welfare model with significant state intervention in critical economic sectors. Robust LGBT rights, strong efforts to eliminate poverty, broad protections for women's rights, secularism, and environmentalism are indicators of its political and cultural values. According to International IDEA's Global State of Democracy (GSoD) Indices and Democracy Tracker, Finland performs in the high range on overall democratic measures, with particular strengths in political participation, including inclusive freedom of movement, freedom of movement and elected government.

The Constitution of Finland defines the political system; Finland is a parliamentary republic within the framework of a representative democracy.

Economy

As of 2022, Finland ranked 16th globally in nominal GDP per capita according to the IMF. Additionally, Finland boasts a well-developed welfare system that encompasses free education and universal healthcare, contributing to its reputation as a wealthy nation.

In 2018, the service sector constituted the largest segment of the economy, amounting to 66% of the GDP, while manufacturing and refining made up 31%. Primary production accounted for 2.9% of the economy. Manufacturing is the primary economic sector concerning foreign trade. The predominant industrial sectors in 2007 were electronics (22%), machinery, vehicles, and other engineered metal products (21.1%), forest industry (13%), and chemicals (11%). The gross domestic product reached its peak in 2021.

Culture

Written Finnish can be said to have existed since Mikael Agricola translated the New Testament into Finnish during the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century. However, few notable works of literature were produced until the 19th century, which marked the emergence of a Finnish national Romantic Movement. This period prompted Elias Lönnrot to collect Finnish and Karelian folk poetry and to arrange and publish them as the Kalevala, the Finnish national epic.