Finnish facts for kids

Finnish refers to anything connected to the country of Finland, its people (called Finns), or the unique Finnish language. It describes the culture, traditions, and things that come from this fascinating Nordic country in Northern Europe.

Discover Finland: A Northern European Gem

Finland is a country located in Northern Europe. It shares borders with Sweden to the west, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east. The Baltic Sea lies to its south and southwest. Finland is known for its beautiful natural landscapes and cold winters.

Where is Finland?

Finland is part of the Nordic countries, which also include Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Iceland. It is one of the northernmost countries in the world. A large part of Finland is covered by forests and lakes.

A Land of Lakes and Forests

Finland is often called "The Land of a Thousand Lakes." In reality, it has over 180,000 lakes! These lakes are a big part of Finnish life. People enjoy fishing, boating, and swimming in them during the warmer months. Forests cover about 75% of Finland. These forests are home to many animals, like bears, wolves, and moose. They also provide wood, which is an important resource for the country.

Who are the Finns?

The Finns are the people who live in Finland. They are known for their quiet nature and strong connection to the outdoors. Finnish society values equality and education very highly. Many Finns enjoy spending time in nature, especially at their summer cottages.

Finnish Culture and Traditions

One of the most famous Finnish traditions is the Sauna. Saunas are special rooms where people relax in hot steam. It's a very old tradition that is still very popular today. There are millions of saunas in Finland, almost one for every two people! Another important part of Finnish culture is their love for ice hockey. It is a very popular sport in Finland.

Famous Finnish Inventions

Finns have invented many useful things. For example, the Molotov cocktail was named after a Soviet foreign minister, but it was used by Finns during the Winter War. However, it is more important to know about other Finnish innovations. The Linux operating system was created by Linus Torvalds, a Finnish software engineer. Also, the first web browser with a graphical user interface, called Erwise, was developed in Finland. Many popular mobile games also come from Finnish companies.

The Finnish Language

The Finnish language is spoken by most people in Finland. It is quite different from many other European languages, like English or German. Finnish belongs to the Uralic languages family. This family includes languages like Estonian and Hungarian.

How is Finnish Different?

Finnish does not have many words that come from Latin or Greek. It has a very regular grammar, which means its rules are usually consistent. One interesting feature is that Finnish words can be very long. This is because suffixes (word endings) are added to the main word to show different meanings, instead of using separate small words. For example, "talossani" means "in my house."

Learning Finnish Words

Here are a few simple Finnish words you might like to learn:

• Hei - Hello
• Kiitos - Thank you
• Kyllä - Yes
• Ei - No
• Suomi - Finland (or Finnish)