FINLAND

In the northernmost part of the country the Northern Lights can be seen in the winter and the midnight sun in the summer. Finns also claim the mythical home of Santa Claus and a large tourist industry in Lapland caters to Santa fans. 

Finland is technically not a part of Scandinavia. Even Finns rarely bother to make the distinction, but a more correct term that includes Finland is the “Nordic countries” However, Swedish, is one of the two official languages of the country. Finland has a 5.5% Swedish-speaking minority and is officially a bilingual country.

Due to the extreme latitude, northern parts of Finland experience the famous Midnight Sun near the summer solstice, when (if above the Arctic Circle) the sun never sets during the night and even in southern Finland it never really gets dark. The opposite is the Arctic Night in the winter, when the sun never comes up at all in the North. 

Total Area: 338,424 km2

Capital: Helsinki

Country Code: +358

Country Population: 5,477,359

Credit Cards: All major credit cards accepted – American Express, Visa, Master Card and Diners Club

Currency: Euro

Departure Tax: Included in the cost of a ticket.

Drives: Right

Electricity: 220 V

Ethnic Groups: 97% Finnish; 3% Russian/Swedish

Location: Northern Europe

Official Language(s): Finnish, Swedish

Religion: Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, Finnish Orthodox Church

Time Zone: EET (UTC +2)

Tipping: Tipping is included with most services. Tips are not expected and any extra may be declined.