NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Tourism in Finland

Finland attracted over 4 million tourists in 2005, with most coming from Sweden. The value added by tourism is about 2.4% of the Finnish GDP, and provides around 60,000 jobs. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1205x486, 28 KB) Finland Suomi logo by the Finnish Tourist Board. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1205x486, 28 KB) Finland Suomi logo by the Finnish Tourist Board. ... A tourist boat travels the River Seine in Paris, France Tourism can be defined as the act of travel for the purpose of recreation, and the provision of services for this act. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Nature and the Finnish Summer

The summer is marked by long days in Finland, especially in the far north where the sun does not set at all. Tourists can go fishing and canoeing. There are several large lakes, including lakes Saimaa, Inari, and Päijänne. Walking is quite a popular activity in the summer. There are no high mountains in Finland, so climbing is somewhat limited. The highest mountain is Halti near Enontekiö. Halti is 1328 metres high. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2399x1599, 1295 KB) Source: Joonas Lyytinen File links The following pages link to this file: Finland Lake PÃ¤ijÃ¤nne Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to create or digitize it. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2399x1599, 1295 KB) Source: Joonas Lyytinen File links The following pages link to this file: Finland Lake PÃ¤ijÃ¤nne Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to create or digitize it. ... Lake PÃ¤ijÃ¤nne is the third biggest lake in Finland (1038 km2 water area). ... Fishing is the activity of hunting for fish by hooking, trapping, or gathering. ... Canoeing is the recreational or sporting activity of paddling a canoe or kayak. ... Saimaa, or Saimen in Swedish, is a lake in southeastern Finland. ... Lake Inari (Finnish: InarijÃ¤rvi, Northern Sami: AnÃ¡rjÃ¡vri, Inari Sami: AanaarjÃ¤vri, Swedish: Enare trÃ¤sk) is the third largest lake in Finland, and the sixth largest lake in Europe. ... Lake PÃ¤ijÃ¤nne is the third biggest lake in Finland (1038 km2 water area). ... The Halti mountain is the highest point in Finland, at 1,328m above sea level. ... EnontekiÃ¶ (Eanodat in Northern Sami, Enontekis in Swedish) is a municipality of Finland. ...

Attractions

Finland is famous for its many lakes, nearly 200,000 of them, not including the small ones. Finland is also known to have excellent water quality, and green deep woods and forests around the sea, rivers, and the waterways. In Finland, tourists can sit on the shore of a lake, fishing, watching reindeer or moose and enjoying silence. A man-made lake in Keukenhof, Netherlands A lake is a body of water or other liquid of considerable size contained on a body of land. ... Trunks A tree trunk as found at the Veluwe, The Netherlands Wood is a solid material derived from woody plants, notably trees but also shrubs. ... Fishing is the activity of hunting for fish by hooking, trapping, or gathering. ... Binomial name Rangifer tarandus (Linnaeus, 1758) Reindeer map The reindeer, known as caribou when wild in North America, is an Arctic and Subarctic-dwelling deer (Rangifer tarandus). ... Binomial name Alces alces (Linnaeus, 1758) Moose range map The moose (so named in North America, derived from Eastern Abenaki moz)[1] or elk (in Europe), Alces alces, is the largest member of the deer family Cervidae, distinguished from the others by the palmate antlers of its males. ...

Alcoholic drinks form an important part of the Finnish culture. When travelling through Finland it is imperative to try national favorites like: the national vodka Koskenkorva, the liquorice flavored Salmiakki Koskenkorva, and a mixture of vodka and sparkling wine that can be roughly translated into English as the "Bitch slammer". Koskenkorva Viina (also known simply as Koskenkorva, or Kossu) is the most common clear spirit drink (38%) in Finland, produced by the state-owned alcohol company Altia. ... Salmiakki Koskenkorva Bottle Salmiakki Koskenkorva, (also Salmiakkikossu for short or generically as Salmari) is a pre-mixed vodka cocktail which caused a minor revolution in drinking culture in Finland during the 1990s. ... Vodka bottling machine, Shatskaya Vodka Shatsk, Russia Vodka is one of the worlds most consumed distilled beverages. ... A glass of sparkling wine A Sparkling wine cork It has been suggested that Spumante, Frizzante, Sekt and Cremant be merged into this article or section. ...

In wintertime Finland provides excellent opportunities for cross-country skiing and some for alpine skiing too. Many of the popular ski resorts are situated north of the Arctic Circle in Lapland, but there are exceptions like Kuusamo in the northeastern part of Oulu Province. Cross-country skiing (also known as XC skiing) is a winter sport popular in many countries with large snowfields, primarily Northern Europe and Canada. ... Alpine skier carving a turn on piste Alpine skiing (or downhill skiing) is a recreational activity and sport involving sliding down snow-covered hills with long, thin skis attached to each foot. ... St. ... World map showing the Arctic Circle in red A sign along the Dalton Highway marking the location of the Arctic Circle The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. ... National anthem SÃ¡mi soga lÃ¡vlla Languages Sami, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, Russian Area ca. ... Kuusamo is a municipality of Finland. ... The Province of Oulu is a province of Finland. ...

Santa Claus is commonly known to live on Korvatunturi in Finland. In the town of Rovaniemi there is the Santa Claus Village for tourists to visit. A typical depiction of Santa Claus. ... Korvatunturi is a fell in Lapland, on the border of Finland (in the municipality of Savukoski) and Russia. ... City Rovaniemi (1960) Administrative Province Province of Lapland Historical Province Lappland Area - Total - Land - Water Ranked 5th (municipalities), and 1st (cities) 8,016 kmÂ² 7,601 kmÂ² 415 kmÂ² Population - Total (01/2006) - Density Ranked 13th 58,500 7. ...

Northern Finland and Winter Sports

In the winter there is a large snowcastle with an Ice hotel built every year in the northern town of Kemi. Rovaniemi is a place from which to see the Aurora Borealis or Northern lights. Tourists in the north of the country in winter often enjoy trips in reindeer sleighs with Sami drivers, or in dog sleighs. Snowcastle is the biggest snow castle in the world (in Kemi, Finland) is enormous: The Snow Hotel, The Castle Courtyard, The Snow Restaurant and the Chapel for weddings etc. ... Absolut Icebar in JukkasjÃ¤rvi, Sweden (December, 2005). ... Kemi is a town and municipality of Finland. ... City Rovaniemi (1960) Administrative Province Province of Lapland Historical Province Lappland Area - Total - Land - Water Ranked 5th (municipalities), and 1st (cities) 8,016 kmÂ² 7,601 kmÂ² 415 kmÂ² Population - Total (01/2006) - Density Ranked 13th 58,500 7. ... Aurora borealis Polar aurorae are optical phenomena characterized by colorful displays of light in the night sky. ... // Northern Lights is a common name for the aurora borealis (polar aurorae) in the Northern Hemisphere. ... The Sami people (also SÃ¡mi, Saami, Lapps, sometimes also Laplanders) are the indigenous people of SÃ¡pmi, which today encompasses parts of northern Sweden, Norway, Finland and the Kola Peninsula of Russia. ...

It is also possible to ski, with downhill resorts at Saariselkä and Levi, and many cross country ski tracks throughout the northern part of the country. Ice hockey is a popular sport in winter, and it is possible to go ice yachting, or ice skating on the ice. Most lakes are also frozen, so ice fishing (pilkkiminen) is quite popular. SaariselkÃ¤ is a village in Finland. ... Levi is a town in Finnish Lapland most notable as a winter tourist destination. ... Ice fishing in the Finnish Miljoonapilkki fishing competition. ...

Language

Main article: Finnish language Finnish ( ) is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland (92%[1]) and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. ...

The Finnish language, a member of the Finno-Ugric language group, is not similar in grammar or vocabulary to any major landuage, and is therefore often claimed to be difficult to understand or learn. Swedish is an official language and therefore widely spoken. As a Germanic language it is easier to understand with knowledge of languages of the same group. English is the most widely spoken foreign language, and many Finns are also articulate in German, Russian or French. Finnish ( ) is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland (92%[1]) and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. ... Approximate geographical distribution of areas where indigenous Finno-Ugric languages are spoken. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

The Cities

Helsinki, Finland's capital and largest city, receives many visitors year-round. During the summertime thousands of tourists approach Helsinki by cruising boats travelling across the Baltic Sea. Helsinki is known as a clean, modern and safe meeting point between the east and west. Helsinki has a reputation as the coolest party city in the Nordic countries. Download high resolution version (900x684, 130 KB) The Lutheran Cathedral in the centre of Helsinki, Finland. ... Download high resolution version (900x684, 130 KB) The Lutheran Cathedral in the centre of Helsinki, Finland. ... The Helsinki Cathedral The Helsinki Cathedral (in Finnish Helsingin tuomiokirkko) is an Evangelical Lutheran cathedral located in the centre of Helsinki, Finland. ... Nickname: Location of Helsinki in Northern Europe Coordinates: Country Finland Province Southern Finland Region Uusimaa Sub-region Helsinki Charter 1550 Capital city 1812 Government - Lord Mayor Jussi Pajunen - Mayor Pekka Korpinen - Mayor Ilkka-Christian BjÃ¶rklund - Mayor Pekka Sauri - Mayor Paula Kokkonen Area - City 187. ... Nickname: Location of Helsinki in Northern Europe Coordinates: Country Finland Province Southern Finland Region Uusimaa Sub-region Helsinki Charter 1550 Capital city 1812 Government - Lord Mayor Jussi Pajunen - Mayor Pekka Korpinen - Mayor Ilkka-Christian BjÃ¶rklund - Mayor Pekka Sauri - Mayor Paula Kokkonen Area - City 187. ... The Baltic Sea is located in Northern Europe, from 53Â°N to 66Â°N latitude and from 20Â°E to 26Â°E longitude. ... Nickname: Location of Helsinki in Northern Europe Coordinates: Country Finland Province Southern Finland Region Uusimaa Sub-region Helsinki Charter 1550 Capital city 1812 Government - Lord Mayor Jussi Pajunen - Mayor Pekka Korpinen - Mayor Ilkka-Christian BjÃ¶rklund - Mayor Pekka Sauri - Mayor Paula Kokkonen Area - City 187. ... Political map of the Nordic countries and associated territories. ...

Other popular tourist destinations within Finland include Tampere, Turku, Oulu, Kuopio and Porvoo. Tampere ( , Tammerfors in Swedish) is a city in southern Finland located between two lakes, NÃ¤sijÃ¤rvi and PyhÃ¤jÃ¤rvi. ... Turku (IPA: , Swedish: ), founded in the 13th century, is the oldest and fifth largest city in Finland, with a population of 174,868 (as of 2005). ... Founded 1605 Country Finland Province Oulu province Region Northern Ostrobothnia Sub-region Oulu Area - Of which land - Rank 384. ... Kuopio is a Finnish city located in the province of Eastern Finland and the region of Northern Savonia. ... Founded 1346 Province Southern Finland Region Eastern Uusimaa Sub-region Porvoo Area - Of which land - Rank 663. ...

Transportation

The Finnish rail system is called VR. It offers InterCity and express trains throughout the country, and the faster Pendolino trains connecting the major cities. There are very large discounts (usually 50%) available for children (7-16 yr), students, senior citizens, and conscripts. There are international trains to St. Petersburg (Finnish and Russian day-time trains) and Moscow (Russian over-night train) in Russia. Connections to Sweden are by bus due to rail gauge differences. It's possible to take the Silja and Viking Line ferries from Helsinki to Mariehamn in the Åland archipelago, Stockholm (Sweden), and Tallinn (Estonia). For other uses of the word VR, see VR (disambiguation). ... Pendolino (from Italian Pendolo [pndolo] Pendulum and -ino, a diminutive suffix) is an Italian family of tilting trains used in Italy, Spain, Portugal, Slovenia, Finland, the Czech Republic, United Kingdom,Switzerland and China. ... Saint Petersburg (Russian: Санкт-Петербу́рг, English transliteration: Sankt-Peterburg), colloquially known as Питер (transliterated Piter), formerly known as Leningrad (Ленингра́д, 1924–1991) and... Position of Moscow in Europe Coordinates: , Country District Subdivision Russia Central Federal District Federal City Government - Mayor Yuriy Luzhkov Area - City 1,081 kmÂ² (417. ... The dominant rail gauge in each country shown Rail gauge is the distance between the inner sides of the two parallel rails that make up a railway track. ... Silja Line ships in Helsinki in 2004 Silja Line (Silja Oyj Apb) is a Finnish shipping company owned as of 2006 by the Estonian ferry operator Tallink. ... Viking Line MS Gabriella Viking Line is a Finnish shipping company that operates a fleet of large combined cruiseferry ships between Finland, the Ã…land Islands, Sweden and Estonia. ... Founded 1861 Province Ã…land Region Ã…land Sub-region Mariehamn Area - Of which land - Rank 11. ... Motto: none Anthem: Ã…lÃ¤nningens sÃ¥ng Capital Mariehamn Official languages Swedish Government Autonomous province - Governor Peter LindbÃ¤ck1 - Premier Roger Nordlund Autonomy - Declared 1920 - Recognized 19212 Accession to EU January 1, 19953 Area - Total 13,517 kmÂ² (n/a) 5,267 sq mi - Water (%) 89 Population - 2005 estimate 26... Nickname: Location of Stockholm in northern Europe Coordinates: Country Sweden Municipality Stockholm Municipality County Stockholm Province SÃ¶dermanland and Uppland Charter 13th Century Population (April 2007) - City 782,885 - Density 4,160/kmÂ² (10,774. ... County Harju County Mayor JÃ¼ri Ratas Area 159. ...

There are about 25 airports in Finland with scheduled passenger services. Finnair, Blue1 and Finncomm Airlines provide air services both domestically and internationally. Helsinki-Vantaa airport is Finland's global gateway with scheduled non-stop flights to such places as Bangkok, Beijing, Guangzhou, Nagoya, New York, Osaka, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Tokyo. Helsinki has an optimal location for great circle airline traffic routes between Western Europe and the Far East. Hence, many foreign tourists visit Helsinki on a stop-over while flying from Asia to Europe or visa versa. The Helsinki-Vantaa Airport has been ranked as one of the best airports in the world. Finnair Airbus A320-200 Finnair MD-11, decorated with Moomin characters Finnair is Finlands largest airline and the national flag carrier. ... Blue1 is an airline based in Helsinki, Finland. ... Finncomm Airlines Embraer ERJ 145 Finncomm Airlines, short for Finnish Commuter Airlines Oy, is a regional airline based in SeinÃ¤joki, Finland. ... One of the Helsinki-Vantaas runways Helsinki-Vantaa Airport (IATA: HEL, ICAO: EFHK) in Vantaa, Finland, is the main airport of the Helsinki metropolitan region and the whole of Finland. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Beijing (Chinese: åŒ—äº¬; pinyin: BÄ›ijÄ«ng; IPA: ; ), a metropolis in northern China, is the capital of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). ... Guangzhou is the capital and the sub-provincial city of Guangdong Province in the southern part of the Peoples Republic of China. ... Nagoya ) is the fourth largest city in Japan. ... -1... Osaka ) is a city in Japan, located at the mouth of the Yodo River on Osaka Bay, in the Kansai region of the main island of HonshÅ«. The city is the capital of Osaka Prefecture. ... Shanghai (Chinese: ; pinyin: ; Wu (Long-short): ZÃ¥nhae; Shanghainese (IPA): ), situated on the banks of the Yangtze River Delta in East China, is the largest city of the Peoples Republic of China and the ninth largest in the world. ... , literally Eastern capital) is a unique subnational administrative region of Japan with characteristics of both a prefecture and a city. ... For the Brisbane bus routes known collectively as the Great Circle Line (598 & 599), see the following list of Brisbane Transport routes A great circle on a sphere A great circle is a circle on the surface of a sphere that has the same diameter as the sphere, dividing the... An Airbus A380 of Emirates Airline An airline provides air transport services for passengers or freight. ... The borders of Western Europe were largely defined by the Cold War. ... The far east as a cultural block includes East Asia, Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia and South Asia. ... The Helsinki-Vantaa Airport in Vantaa, Finland is the main airport of the Helsinki metropolitan region. ...

Contents

The Nature and the Finnish Summer

Attractions

Northern Finland and Winter Sports

Language

The Cities

Transportation

See also

External links

Sceneries, persons, and characters from Finland

Finnish winter

Contents

The Nature and the Finnish Summer GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Attractions

Northern Finland and Winter Sports

Language

The Cities

Transportation

See also

External links

Sceneries, persons, and characters from Finland

Finnish winter

The Nature and the Finnish Summer