Finland is a Northern European nation bordering Sweden, Norway and Russia. Its capital, Helsinki, occupies a peninsula and surrounding islands in the Baltic Sea. Helsinki is home to the 18th-century sea fortress Suomenlinna, the fashionable Design District and diverse museums. The Northern Lights can be seen from the country's Arctic Lapland province, a vast wilderness with national parks and ski resorts.
Finland lies in North Europe, bordered by the countries of Russia and Sweden to the east and west respectively. It is flanked by the Baltic Sea at its southern crescent and bound in by Norway to the North. Land of the midnight sun, it is most famed for the Northern Lights that can be viewed from its Arctic Lapland province. The beauty of Finland lies in its romantic wilderness - as a thousand picturesque lakes and rivers dots a landscape that is lush with thick forests. Hiking, canoeing and kayaking, as well ski resorts make the place a haven for adventure lovers. Yet its cities are chic and alive with musical performances and world class designs and architecture. The ultimate appeal to the avid traveller are its saunas, cottage homes, wood chopping locals topped by sausage eating and beer drinking.
From the elegant capital of Helsinki in the south, with its vibrant night life, island restaurants, stately and contemporary architecture and urban outlook, to the solitary, snow covered lands to the north, Finland is truly a country of contrasts
As you cross the Arctic Circle you get to meet reindeers, take a dog sledge ride, and above all view the fantastic Aurora Borealis, a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The months of June to July you get to see the midnight sun at its strongest, while a winter vacation would mean no sun at all, as the land is submerged in darkness for six months!
The Finland terrain is mainly a lowland at less than 600 ft above sea level, except off the southwest coast. The Finnish Lakeland is the area with the most lakes. Saimaa, Finland’s largest lake, is also the fourth largest in Europe. 78% of the country is covered with forests that mainly comprise pine, spruce, birch, and other species. Finland is among the largest producers of wood in the world, and the largest in Europe.
