The country
Independent since 1917, Finland is currently a pioneering EU Member State in a number of areas. Finland is a safe and stable welfare state with a well developed infrastructure, education system, health care services and a vibrant cultural life. The country has also been rated as the least corrupt state in the world.
Finland is also a country with a strong competitive edge. Finland's investment in R&D as a percentage of GDP is among the highest in the world. The International Institute for Management Development has ranked Finland as one of the most competitive countries in the world on several occasions. Finland's economic strength is based on the fact that its economy is one of the most technologically advanced in the world. The WEF report cites Finland's ‘strong political institutions, a focus on technology, and sound macroeconomic management’ as some of the reasons for this country's impressive economic performance.
The Finns
Finns have a very strong sense of national identity, which is rooted in the country's history – particularly in the nation’s wartime endeavours and sporting achievements – and which is currently sustained by a pride in the country’s high-tech expertise.
Although it is not possible to talk of national characteristics in general terms, it is perhaps nonetheless fair to say that Finns tend to keep their distance from other people, which can mean that foreigners often have to take the initiative for making friends. However, once the ice has been broken, many people have found the Finns to be open, warm and reliable. Honesty and dependability are the two characteristics most highly regarded by Finns.
Although English is widely spoken in Finland, getting to know Finns will often require you to take the initiative. And of course learning a few Finnish words and expressions will never go amiss.
Equality
There are approximately 2.6 million women and 2.5 men in Finland (as at the end of 2001) and gender equality in Finland is based on the Finnish Equality Act of 1987. In 1906 Finnish women became the first in Europe and the second in the world to be granted the right to vote and stand for election.
Finnish women are among the best educated within the EU, and more than half the students in higher education are women. Most Finnish women have paid employment, as efficient maternity leave arrangements and child day care systems make it possible to combine family life and work.
The discernible rise of women to the highest echelons of political power really took off in the 1990s. In 1990 Finland became the first country in the world with a female defence minister, while in 1994 a woman was elected as the speaker of the Finnish parliament. The country elected its first female President in 2000 and first female Prime Minister in 2003.
Way of life
The Finnish way of life reflects the nation’s democratic principles. These are based on equality for everyone. Nature plays a significant role in Finnish life, along with sports, the arts and sauna.
Finns have a real passion for sports and their patriotic spirit comes to the fore in international ice hockey games, skiing competitions, athletics (especially when competing against neighbouring countries) as well as in motor sports, where the Finns really started to make a name for themselves in the late 1990s. Finland has also attracted much international media coverage for organising a number of “alternative sporting events” such as world championships in wife-carrying, boot-throwing and mosquito killing, or swimming in icy winter waters.
The fact that there are 5.3 million Finns and 1.7 million saunas in Finland says it all. Saunas are still an important part of the Finnish way of life. There are saunas everywhere in Finland and it is customary to take a sauna about once a week. As a general rule, women and men bathe separately, except within the family.
The Finnish way of life is relaxed and strict formalities are generally not observed. People are straight-talking and lulls in conversation are not generally dreaded the way they are in many other countries. In conversation it is polite to wait for the other person to finish what they are saying before presenting your own viewpoint, a custom that tends to slow down the rhythm of conversations somewhat. The familiar word for you, 'sinä', is used almost universally in Finnish, though the older generation tends to use and expect to be addressed using the formal word for you, 'te'. At work the atmosphere tends to be informal, first names are used and people dress casually.