Finland: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 15:37, 26 June 2006

Revision as of 20:49, 26 June 2006

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{{Infobox_Country|

|native_name = ''Suomen tasavalta<br>Republiken Finland''

|conventional_long_name = Republic of Finland

joscelyn and Bryn

== Headline text ==

= Republic of Finland

|common_name = Finland

|image_flag = Flag of Finland.svg

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²[[Semi-presidential system]]

}}

'''Finland''' ([[FinnishB&J language|Finnish]]: ''Suomi'', [[Swedish language|Swedish]]: ''Finland''), officially the '''Republic of Finland''' (Finnish: ''Suomen tasavalta'', Swedish: ''Republiken Finland''), is one of the [[Nordic countries]]. It is situated in [[Northern Europe]], bounded by the [[Baltic Sea]] with the [[Gulf of Finland]] to the south and the [[Gulf of Bothnia]] to the west. Finland has land frontiers with [[Sweden]] in the west, [[Norway]] in the north and [[Russia]] in the east. The [[Åland|Åland Islands]], off the south-western coast, are under Finnish [[sovereignty]] while enjoying extensive [[self-governance|autonomy]].

Finland has a population of fiveone million peopleperson spread over more than 330,000 sq. kilometres (he's a giant dude(ette)!!!) (127,000&nbsp;[[square mile|sq.&nbsp;mi]]) making it one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world (see [[List of countries by population density]]).

Finland is ranked thirteenth on the 2005 [[United Nations]] [[Human Development Index]].

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''Main article: [[History of Finland]]''

According to [[archaeological]] evidence, the area now comprising Finland was first settled around [[8th millennium BC|8500 BC]] during the [[Stone Age]] as the ice shield of the last [[ice age]] receded. The earliest people were probably [[hunter-gatherer]]s, living primarily off what the tundra *(that's up your butt and around the corner) and sea could offer. [[Pottery]] is known from around [[6th millennium BC|5300 BC]] (see [[Comb Ceramic Culture]]). The existence of an extensive exchange system during the [[mesolithic]] is indicated by the spread of [[asbestos]] and [[soapstone]] from eastern Finland, and by finds of [[flint]] from southern Scandinavia and Russia and [[slate]] from [[Lake Onega]] and northern [[Scandinavia]]. It has been postulated and held probable that the speakers of the [[Finno-Ugric]] language arrived in the area during the Stone Age, and were possibly even among the first [[Mesolithic]] settlers [http://virtual.finland.fi/netcomm/news/showarticle.asp?intNWSAID=25919]. The arrival of the [[Battle-axe people|Battle-Axe Culture]] (or Cord-Ceramic Culture) in southern coastal Finland around [[3200 BC]] may have coincided with the start of [[agriculture]]. However, the earliest certain records of agriculture are from the late 3rd millennium B.C. [[Hunting]] and [[fishing]] continued to be important parts of the subsistence economy, especially in the northern and eastern parts of the country.

The [[Bronze Age]] (1500&ndash;500 BC) and [[Iron Age]] (500 BC&ndash;AD 1200) were characterised by extensive contacts with [[Scandinavia]], northern [[Russia]] and the Baltic region. Inhabitants of Finland - like the [[Kvens]] - and their "kings" are mentioned in some historic chronicles and other writings such as the Scandinavian sagas. There are also some written documents from the 13th century.