Flag Description
white with a blue cross extending to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag); the blue represents the thousands of lakes scattered across the country, while the white is for the snow that covers the land in winter

Finland : National Anthem
Our Land
OH our land Finland, our land of birth,
sound, the golden word!
There's no a valley, no a hill
not a water, a shore more precious
than this northern homeland
the dear land of our fathers!

Our land is poor, so it remains,
if you long for gold
A stranger sure abandons it,
but to us, the most precious land is this,
its wilds, islands, mainlands,
to us, they are golden.

They are dear to us
our rapids with their surges
the hummings of eternal pines
our starnights, the summers bright
all that with their pictures and songs
closed to heart.

Here with ploughs, swords, thoughts
our fathers fought,
when the day hid in the clouds
or shone with shines of happiness
here the nation of Finland, the most difficult
troubles they experienced.

This nation's battles who can
tell them, who?
When a war sounded in our valleys,
and frost brought the pain of hunger,
who measured the blood
and its sufferings?

Here has its blood flown
for our sake, too
here has it enjoyed its happiness
and sighed its worries
that nation, to which the most ancient
burden of ours was given.

Here we have a feeling excellent
and everything favourable,
although be it whatever luck
land fatherland is what we have.
What's sweeter in the world
and what's more precious?

And here is this land,
our eyes see it.
We can reach out a hand
and point at water, shore
and say: see, there's
our father's dearest land.

If we were accompained to glory
even to golden clouds,
where we wouldn't cry
but most important joy the soul would get,
to this poor home
our will would be.

The homeland of truth and poet
the land with a thousand lakes
where our life gets protection,
you the land of memories and hopes,
always be, content with your luck,
free and joyful.

Your prosperity from its hide
shall break out once
yet our love it shall rise
your hope, joy in its brilliance,
and once, your song, the land of birth
shall get the highest echo.
Source

Independence / Republic Days
Independence Autonomy within Russia 29 March 1809
- Declared from Russia 6 December 1917

Capital
Helsinki

Current Time in Helsinki (Finland)

Calling code
358

Currency
Euro (€) (EUR)

Geographic Coordinates
60°10'N 024°56'E

Official languages
Finnish
Swedish

Location
Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia

Geographic coordinates
64 00 N, 26 00 E

Map references
Europe

Area
total: 338,145 sq km
country comparison to the world: 65
land: 303,815 sq km
water: 34,330 sq km

Area - comparative
slightly smaller than Montana

Coastline
1,250 km

Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm (in the Gulf of Finland - 3 nm)
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm; extends to continental shelf boundary with Sweden
continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Elevation extremes
lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m
highest point: Halti (alternatively Haltia, Haltitunturi, Haltiatunturi) 1,328 m

Nationality
noun: Finn(s)
adjective: Finnish

Languages
Finnish (official) 94.2%, Swedish (official) 5.5%, other (small Sami- and Russian-speaking minorities) 0.2% (2012 est.)

National symbol(s)
lion

National anthem
name: "Maamme" (Our Land)

National Anthem lyrics/music: Johan Ludvig RUNEBERG/Fredrik PACIUS
note: in use since 1848; although never officially adopted by law, the anthem has been popular since it was first sung by a student group in 1848; Estonia's anthem uses the same melody as that of Finland

Budget
revenues: $139.4 billion
expenditures: $145.3 billion
note: Central Government Budget (2013 est.)

Taxes and other revenues
53.7% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 10