Lying approximately between latitudes 60° and 70° N, and longitudes 20° and 32° E, Finland is one of the world's northernmost countries. Of world capitals, only Reykjavík lies more to the north than Helsinki. The distance from the southernmost—Hanko—to the northernmost point in the country—Nuorgam—is 1,160 kilometres (720 mi).
Finland is a country of thousands of lakes and islands—about 188,000 lakes (larger than 500 m2 or 0.12 acre) and 179,000 islands. Its largest lake, Saimaa, is the fourth largest in Europe. The area with most lakes is called Finnish Lakeland. The greatest concentration of islands is found in the southwest in the Archipelago Sea between continental Finland and the main island of Åland.
Much of the geography of Finland is explained by the Ice Age. The glaciers were thicker and lasted longer in Fennoscandia compared to the rest of Europe. Their eroding effects have left the Finnish landscape mostly flat with few hills and fewer mountains. Its highest point, the Halti at 1,324 metres (4,344 ft), is found in the extreme north of Lapland at the border between Finland and Norway. The highest mountain whose peak is entirely in Finland is Ridnitsohkka at 1,316 m (4,318 ft), directly adjacent to Halti.
The retreating glaciers have left the land with morainic deposits in formations of eskers. These are ridges of stratified gravel and sand, running northwest to southeast, where the ancient edge of the glacier once lay. Among the biggest of these are the three Salpausselkä ridges that run across southern Finland.
The Whooper Swan, Finland's national bird.Having been compressed under the enormous weight of the glaciers, terrain in Finland is rising due to the post-glacial rebound. The effect is strongest around the Gulf of Bothnia, where land steadily rises about 1 cm a year. As a result, the old sea bottom turns little by little into dry land: the surface area of the country is expanding by about 7 square kilometres (2.7 sq mi) annually. Relatively speaking, Finland is rising from the sea.
Forest covers 86% of the country's area, the largest forested area in Europe. The forest consists of pine, spruce, birch and other species. Finland is the largest producer of wood in Europe and among the largest in the world.
The landscape is covered mostly (75% of land area) by coniferous taiga forests and fens, with little arable land. The most common type of rock is granite. It is a ubiquitous part of the scenery, visible wherever there is no soil cover. Moraine or till is the most common type of soil, covered by a thin layer of humus of biological origin. Podzol profile development is seen in most forest soils except where drainage is poor. Gleysols and peat bogs occupy poorly drained areas.
Biodiversity Main article: Fauna of FinlandPhytogeographically, Finland is shared between the Arctic, central European and northern European provinces of the Circumboreal Region within the Boreal Kingdom. According to the WWF, the territory of Finland can be subdivided into three ecoregions: the Scandinavian and Russian taiga, Sarmatic mixed forests and Scandinavian Montane Birch forest and grasslands. Taiga covers most of Finland from northern regions of southern provinces to the north of Lapland. On the southwestern coast, south of the Helsinki–Rauma line, forests are characterized by mixed forests, that are more typical in the Baltic region. In the extreme north of Finland, near the tree line and Arctic Ocean, Montane Birch forests are common.
The brown bear (Ursus arctos) is Finland's national animal.Similarly, Finland has a diverse and extensive range of fauna. There are at least sixty native mammalian species, 248 breeding bird species, over seventy fish species and eleven reptile and frog species present today, many migrating from neighboring countries thousands of years ago. Large and widely recognized wildlife mammals found in Finland are the brown bear (the national animal), gray wolf, wolverine and elk. Three of the more striking birds are the Whooper Swan, a large European swan and the national bird of Finland; the Capercaillie, a large, black-plumaged member of the grouse family; and the European Eagle-owl. The latter is considered an indicator of old-growth forest connectivity, and has been declining because of landscape fragmentation. The most common breeding birds are the Willow Warbler, Common Chaffinch and Redwing. Of some seventy species of freshwater fish, the northern pike, perch and others are plentiful. Atlantic salmon remains the favourite of fly rod enthusiasts.
The endangered Saimaa Ringed Seal, one of only three lake seal species in the world, exists only in the Saimaa lake system of southeastern Finland, down to only 300 seals today. It has become the emblem of the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation.
Climate Repovesi National Park in southeastern Finland. See also: Climate of FinlandThe main factor influencing Finland's climate is the country's geographical position between the 60th and 70th northern parallels in the Eurasian continent's coastal zone. In the Köppen climate classification, the whole of Finland lies in the boreal zone characterized by warm summers and freezing winters. Within the country, the temperateness varies considerably between the southern coastal regions and the extreme north, showing characteristics of both a maritime and a continental climate. Finland is near enough to the Atlantic Ocean to be continuously warmed by the Gulf Stream. The Gulf Stream combines with the moderating effects of the Baltic Sea and numerous inland lakes to explain the unusually warm climate compared to other regions that share the same latitude, such as Alaska, Siberia and southern Greenland.
Winters of southern Finland (when mean daily temperature remains below 0 °C or 32 °F) are usually about 100 days long, and the snow typically covers the land from about late November to mid-April. Even in the most temperate regions of the south, the harshest winter nights can see the temperatures fall to −30 °C (−22 °F). Climatic summers (when mean daily temperature remains above 10 °C or 50 °F) in southern Finland last from about late May to mid-September, and in the inland, the warmest days of July can reach 35 °C (95 °F). Although most of Finland lies on the taiga belt, the southernmost coastal regions are sometimes classified as hemiboreal.
Pyhä-Luosto National Park, Lapland.In northern Finland, particularly in Lapland, the winters are long and cold, while the summers are relatively warm but short. The most severe winter days in Lapland can see the temperature fall down to −45 °C (−49 °F). The winter of the north lasts for about 200 days with permanent snow cover from about mid-October to early May. Summers in the north are quite short, only two to three months, but can still see maximum daily temperatures above 25 °C (77 °F) during heat waves. No part of Finland has Arctic tundra, but Alpine tundra can be found at the fells Lapland.
The Finnish climate is suitable for cereal farming only in the southernmost regions, while the northern regions are suitable for animal husbandry.
A quarter of Finland's territory lies within the Arctic Circle and the midnight sun can be experienced for more days the farther north one travels. At Finland's northernmost point, the sun does not set for 73 consecutive days during summer, and does not rise at all for 51 days during winter.
Lake Pielinen seen from a hill in Koli National Park. RegionsFinland consists of 19 regions called maakunta in Finnish and landskap in Swedish. The regions are governed by regional councils which serve as forums of cooperation for the municipalities of a region. The main tasks of the regions are regional planning and development of enterprise and education. In addition, the public health services are usually organized on the basis of regions. Currently, the only region where a popular election is held for the council is Kainuu. Other regional councils are elected by municipal councils, each municipality sending representatives in proportion to its population.
In addition to inter-municipal cooperation, which is the responsibility of regional councils, each region has a state Employment and Economic Development Centre which is responsible for the local administration of labour, agriculture, fisheries, forestry and entrepreneurial affairs. The Finnish Defence Forces regional offices are responsible for the regional defence preparations and for the administration of conscription within the region.
Regions represent dialectal, cultural and economic variations better than the former provinces, which were purely administrative divisions of the central government. Historically, regions are divisions of historical provinces of Finland, areas which represent dialects and culture more accurately.
Six Regional State Administrative Agencies were created by the state of Finland in 2010, each of them responsible for one of the regions called alue in Finnish and region in Swedish; in addition, Åland was designated a seventh region. These take over some of the tasks of the earlier Provinces of Finland (the läänis), which were abolished.
Coat of Arms In English In Finnish In Swedish Capital Regional state administrative agency Map Lapland Lappi Lappland Rovaniemi Lapland Lapland Northern Ostrobothnia Kainuu North Karelia Northern Savonia Southern Savonia Southern Ostrobothnia Ostrobothnia Pirkanmaa Satakunta Central Ostrobothnia Central Finland Finland Proper South Karelia Päijänne Tavastia Tavastia Proper Uusimaa Kymenlaakso Åland Islands Northern Ostrobothnia Pohjois-Pohjanmaa Norra Österbotten Oulu Northern Finland Kainuu Kainuu Kajanaland Kajaani Northern Finland North Karelia Pohjois-Karjala Norra Karelen Joensuu Eastern Finland Northern Savonia Pohjois-Savo Norra Savolax Kuopio Eastern Finland Southern Savonia Etelä-Savo Södra Savolax Mikkeli Eastern Finland Southern Ostrobothnia Etelä-Pohjanmaa Södra Österbotten Seinäjoki Western and Central Finland Central Ostrobothnia Keski-Pohjanmaa Mellersta Österbotten Kokkola Western and Central Finland Ostrobothnia Pohjanmaa Österbotten Vaasa Western and Central Finland Pirkanmaa Pirkanmaa Birkaland Tampere Western and Central Finland Central Finland Keski-Suomi Mellersta Finland Jyväskylä Western and Central Finland Satakunta Satakunta Satakunda Pori South-Western Finland Finland Proper Varsinais-Suomi Egentliga Finland Turku South-Western Finland South Karelia Etelä-Karjala Södra Karelen Lappeenranta Southern Finland Päijänne Tavastia Päijät-Häme Päijänne Tavastland Lahti Southern Finland Tavastia Proper Kanta-Häme Egentliga Tavastland Hämeenlinna Southern Finland Uusimaa Uusimaa Nyland Helsinki Southern Finland Kymenlaakso Kymenlaakso Kymmenedalen Kotka Southern Finland Åland Islands Ahvenanmaa Åland Mariehamn ÅlandThe region of Eastern Uusimaa was consolidated with Uusimaa on 1 January 2011.
Administrative divisions Main articles: Administrative divisions of Finland, Regions of Finland, Sub-regions of Finland, Municipalities of Finland, and Historical provinces of Finland A steam boat on Lake Päijänne leaving Jyväskylä, the capital of Central Finland.The fundamental administrative divisions of the country are the municipalities, which may also call themselves towns or cities. They account for half of public spending. Spending is financed by municipal income tax, state subsidies, and other revenue. There are 336 municipalities, and most have fewer than 6,000 residents. People often identify with their municipality.
Helsinki Cathedral.In addition to municipalities, two intermediate levels are defined. Municipalities co-operate in seventy sub-regions and nineteen regions. These are governed by the member municipalities and have only limited powers. The autonomous province of Åland has a permanent democratically elected regional council. In the Kainuu region, there is a pilot project underway with regional elections. Sami people have a semi-autonomous Sami Domicile Area in Lapland for issues on language and culture.
The Tammerkoski rapids in the inland city of Tampere.In the following chart, the number of inhabitants includes those living in the entire municipality (kunta/kommun), not just in the built-up area. The land area is given in km², and the density in inhabitants per km² (land area). The figures are as of 28 February 2013. The capital region – comprising Helsinki, Vantaa, Espoo and Kauniainen – forms a continuous conurbation of one million people. However, common administration is limited to voluntary cooperation of all municipalities, e.g. in Helsinki Metropolitan Area Council.
Municipalities (thin borders) and regions (thick borders) of Finland (2009). City Population Land area Density Helsinki 605,523 213.75 2,832.86 Espoo 257,461 312.26 824.51 Tampere 217,767 525.03 414.77 Vantaa 205,653 238.37 862.75 Oulu 191,237 1,410.17 135.61 Turku 180,546 245.67 734.91 Jyväskylä 133,687 1,170.99 114.17 Kuopio 105,229 1,597.39 65.88 Lahti 103,187 135.05 764.07 Kouvola 87,331 2,558.24 34.14 Pori 83,333 834.06 99.91 Joensuu 74,187 2,381.76 31.15 Lappeenranta 72,391 1,433.36 50.5 Hämeenlinna 67,577 1,785.76 37.84 Vaasa 65,768 188.81 348.33 Further information: List of Finnish municipalities, List of Finnish municipalities by population, List of Finnish municipalities by area, and Former municipalities of Finland
No comments:
Post a Comment