The population of Finland is over 5 million people.
Initially, Finnish-Ugric tribes lived on the territory of Finland, and the Finnish nationality was formed through the merger of tribal groups of Korels, Sumi and Emi.
There have always been few foreigners living in Finland, but today their number has increased significantly. So, in 1980, there were 12,800 foreigners (mostly immigrants from Sweden, the USA, Germany, the Soviet Union), and today there are more than 100,000 of them (Russians, citizens of Sweden, Estonia and Somalia).
National composition:
- Finns (90%);
- Swedes;
- other nations (Estonians, Russians, Sami).
17 people live per 1 sq. Km, but the most densely populated are the southern and south-western regions of Finland (population density - 200 people per 1 sq. Km), and the most sparsely populated province is Lapland (population density - 2 people per 1 sq. Km.).
The official languages are Finnish and Swedish, but Russian, English and Estonian are widespread.
Major cities: Turku, Helsinki, Tampere, Oulu, Kuopio, Espoo.
The inhabitants of Finland profess Orthodoxy, Lutheranism, Catholicism, Protestantism.
Life span
On average, the Finnish population lives up to 80 years old (men - up to 77, and women - up to 83 years).
For healthcare, the state allocates $ 3200 per person per year. Over the past 15 years, Finland has managed to reduce child and maternal mortality and almost halve mortality from cancer and cardiovascular diseases. In addition, there are practically no infectious diseases in the country. And all this thanks to disease prevention programs, a high level of medical care, the use of modern equipment, the latest medicines and treatment technologies.
High indicators of life expectancy also depend on the citizens themselves: Finns smoke 4 times less than Russians, Ukrainians, Greeks and residents of the Balkan countries. In addition, 19% of the population is obese, while the European average is 22%.
Traditions and customs of the inhabitants of Finland
Finns are reserved and slow-moving people. They do not visit each other for no reason, even visiting relatives and friends for them is a significant event, preparation for which may take 1-2 weeks, because they carefully think over everything (table, evening program, gifts).
Finnish traditional hobbies are fishing, skiing, sauna. A visit to a sauna for Finns is a ritual: here they wash, recuperate and find peace of mind.
Of interest are the relationships between the sexes - they are built on equality and partnership. So, in restaurants, it is customary for everyone to pay for themselves. If a man asks a woman to pay for her, she will probably refuse, but the courtesy will undoubtedly be appreciated.
If you are going to Finland, know that when communicating with Finns, it is better to look into the eyes (if you look away, you may be suspected of insincerity). In addition, you should not actively gesticulate, interrupt and touch the interlocutor (pat on the shoulder), as well as show familiarity.
