PEOPLE
The origins of the Finnish
people are still a matter of conjecture, although many scholars
argue that their original home was in what is now west-central
Siberia. The Finns arrived in their present territory thousands
of years ago, pushing the indigenous Lapps into the more remote
northern regions.
The Finnish language is Finno-Ugric,
of the Uralic language family (of which Hungarian and Estonian
also are a part) and not Indo-European. Lappish, the language
of the small Lapp minority, also is Finno-Ugric.
Swedish became the dominant
language following Finland's incorporation into Sweden in the
12th century. Finnish recovered its predominance after a resurgence
of Finnish nationalism in the 19th century. Today, although 94%
of the people speak Finnish as a first language, both Finnish
and Swedish are official languages.
The population is ethnically
homogeneous with no sizable immigrant population. Few tensions
exist between the Finnish-speaking majority and the Swedish-speaking
minority.
Finns are highly literate,
and poetry has played a key role in Finnish history. Publication
in 1835 of the Finnish national epic, The Kalevala, a collection
of traditional myths and legends, first stirred the nationalism
that led to independence in 1917.
An important theme in Finnish
literature is humanity's unity with nature, which identifies human
fate with impersonal forces and which gives Finnish literature
a somber, sometimes tragic, sometimes heroic, tone. Another theme
is the importance of the common people--the Finnish folk. One
of the country's major writers, Frans Emil Sillanpaa, received
the Nobel Prize for literature in 1939.
Finland is one of the most
active publishing countries in the world. Although major literary
works have been translated into English, Finnish music, because
it does not require translation, is better known. This is especially
true of the works of Jean Sibelius who, along with many other
Finnish artists, was profoundly influenced by The Kalevala. Finns
also are outstanding in other artistic fields; their jewelry,
textile, glass, and furniture designs have gained prominence throughout
the world.
Finland enjoys complete religious
freedom as well as free education through the university level.
An extensive social welfare system, constituting about one-fifth
of the national income, includes a variety of pension and assistance
programs and a comprehensive health insurance program.
In the mid-1970s, the educational
system was reformed with the goal of equalizing educational opportunities.
Beginning at age 7, all Finnish children are required to attend
a "basic school" of nine grade levels. After this, they may elect
to continue along an academic (lukio) or vocational (ammat-tikoulu)
line. However, most pursue vocational studies. About one child
in four receives a higher education in this highly competitive
system. The number of openings in higher educational institutions
is less than the demand.
Nationality: Noun--Finn(s). Adjective--Finnish.
Population (September 2007): 5.29 million.
Population growth rate (2006): 0.4%.
Ethnic groups: Finns, Swedes, Lapps, Sami, Roma, Tatars.
Religions: Lutheran 82.5%, Orthodox 1.1%.
Languages: Finnish 91.5%, Swedish 5.5% (both official); small Lapp- (0.03%) and Russian-speaking (0.8%) minorities.
Education: Years compulsory--9. Attendance--almost 100%. Literacy--almost 100%.
Health: Infant mortality rate--2.8/1,000 (2006). Life expectancy--males 75.8 yrs., females 82.8 yrs.
Work force (2.65 million; of which 2.44 million are employed): Public services--32.8%; industry--19%; commerce--15.6%; finance, insurance, and business services--13.8%; agriculture and forestry--4.7%; transport and communications--7.4%; construction--6.7%.
