Maybe you already knew that this is Santa’s home and that there is a sauna available for every two inhabitants, but how much do you really know about Finland ? Find out for yourself with these 14 surprising news about this exceptional northern European country!
1. Do you feel like a total failure? In Finland you are a winner
Here is a proof of this nation’s exceptional and extravagant sense of humor: in Finland, the Day for Failure takes place on time on October 13th . Opened in 2010, the event aims to celebrate bad news and bad luck as a way of learning from the past to have a better future. A bit like saying: next time you will be luckier, loser!
2. A record-breaking nature
Finland is also known as the land of a thousand lakes, the number of these freshwater masses is actually much higher. There are in fact 187,888 lakes within the Finnish territory, a world record. If you feel more comfortable walking, there are 179,888 Finnish islands for you to discover.
3. Who will you call? Nobody
Country known for the famous “Connecting People” spot of Nokia mobile phones, you will not find any pay phones throughout the Finnish territory.
4. The strangest sports in the world
When it comes to original events, Finland is gold medal.
The most extravagant event of all is the Wife Carrying World Championship . The competition takes place in Sonkajärvi in July and this extreme obstacle course is a true phenomenon that has spread internationally with couples arriving from Denmark, Hong Kong, Australia and around the world traveling to Finland. specifically to participate in the race. It can be an original way to spend your honeymoon but we are not the ones to judge.
Other original world-class sports taking place in Finland include Mosquito Hunting, Cell Phone Throwing, Swamp Soccer, Rubber Boot Throwing and the Air Guitar World Championship .
5. You can sleep, swim, sail, fish or search for food wherever you want
Like many Nordic countries, Finland offers some of the greatest “Freedom of Movement” in the world. This means you can pitch a tent, pick wild blueberries or fish in lakes freely and without any worries.
6. They invented the first browser to browse the internet
Many countries claim the creation of the internet but, the Finns were the first to have the idea of making it available to the public.
Launched in 1994 by three technology students, Erwise was the world’s first internet browser with a user interface (UX). After receiving the blessing from the creator of the World Wide Web, Sir Tim Bernors-Lee, the young graduates failed to raise the necessary funds to develop the project and everything became legend. A few months later, Mosaic and Internet Explorer made their appearance and everything else became history.
7. They also invented many other original things
Despite a population of around 5 million, Finland is a surprisingly innovative country. Other inventions made in Finland are the rescue sled, heart rate monitor, salty licorice (‘Salmiakki’), Linux OS, ice skating, Angry Birds, Molotov cocktail, SMS and of course the sauna, the most exported Finnish invention in the world.
8. Rather unusual weather conditions
That Finnish winters are dark and gloomy is nothing new but, when summer arrives, the country demonstrates why it is nicknamed the “Land of the Midnight Sun”. Visit the north of the country in the months of June and July and you will see the sun that will never set behind the horizon.
9. Finns are crazy about coffee
After the irreplaceable Italian espresso, Finnish coffee is no exception. A Finn consumes an average of 12 kg of brown powder every year .
It is impossible to quantify in number how many cups of coffee a Finn drinks on average each day but, they are certainly more than what your doctor might recommend (unless you are already a Finn or a caffeine freak).
10. They love milk
Unsurprisingly, Finland has the highest per capita milk consumption in the world (around one liter per person every day). Great consumers of coffee and milk are the Finns, a people addicted to caffeine and with a powerful physique. This is all very strange considering that 17% of Finns are lactose intolerant .
11. Speeding tickets will make you jump
Are you a rich guy from Fast & Furious? You would do well not to get caught speeding through Finland. The amount of the fine for exceeding the speed limit is calculated on the basis of the driver’s annual income. An unfortunate high-speed scrooge was fined € 200,000 for a single offense.
12. It is the undisputed home of Heavy Metal music
Cold and industrial, it is perhaps no coincidence that Finland has the largest number of Heavy Metal bands per capita. World famous bands such as Children of Bodom, Nightwish and Eurovision Song Contest winners Lordi all hail from Finland and are able to convey the darkness and wilderness of the nation through their music.
13. Finns are crazy about tango!
It is not necessary to go to Montevideo or Buenos Aires to tune in to the melodies of the tango. These melodies are found 13,000km from sunny South America, as this northern country has known tango fever since landing on its icy shores back in 1913.
The golden years of Finnish tango reached their peak during the mid-sixties, when local tango songs even managed to beat the Beatles in the national top charts. Today, tango maniacs come from all over the world to dance cheek to cheek at the historic Tangomarkkinat festival in July and then visit the local museum dedicated to the ancient ballroom of the show.
Find out more about Helsinki , the capital of Finale, in our exclusive interview with all the inspiration of local photographer Jussi Hellsten .
