Finland

Finland is a country in northern Europe bordered by Sweden, Norway, Russia, the Gulf of Bothnia, and the Gulf of Finland. Helsinki is both its capital and largest city. Finnish and Swedish are the country’s official languages. Often called the “Land of a Thousand Lakes,” Finland contains nearly 188,000 lakes, extensive forests, numerous islands, and broad areas of wilderness extending north into the Arctic Circle.

Finland was governed by Sweden for several centuries before becoming an autonomous grand duchy within the Russian Empire in 1809. It declared independence in 1917 following the Russian Revolution. During the Second World War, Finland defended its independence in conflicts with the Soviet Union, although it was required to surrender some territory. The country remained officially neutral for much of the Cold War, joined the European Union in 1995, and became a member of NATO in 2023.