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Finland lies in Northern Europe, bordering
the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and
Russia
Ruled by Sweden from the 12th to the 19th
centuries and by Russia from 1809, Finland finally won its
independence in 1917. During World War
II, it was able to successfully defend its freedom and fend off invasions
by the Soviet Union and Germany. In the subsequent half century, the Finns
have made a remarkable transformation from a farm/forest economy to a
diversified modern industrial economy; per capita income is now on par
with Western Europe. As a member of the European Union, Finland was the
only Nordic state to join the euro system at its initiation in January
1999.
Finland is a republic. The head of state is
the president. Ultimate political power is vested in the 200-member
unicameral parliament. The semi-autonomous province of the
Åland Islands occupies a special position because it has been
declared a demilitarised area under international law.
The population of Finland today is a little over 5 million. Finland is
rightly known as a land of forests:
they cover roughly three quarters of the country's surface area of 338,000
sq. km.
Other outstanding features of Finland's scenery are its myriad lakes and
islands. Lakes and other bodies of water cover 10% of the national
territory. The principal archipelago lies off the southwest coast while
the main lake district, centred on Lake Saimaa, is in the east.
The capital of Finland is the city of Helsinki,
the White Pearl of the North. Helsinki is a city of changing seasons, sea,
parks and beautiful architecture. The city is almost surrounded by the sea
and changes its appearance with the seasons; warm, light summer evenings,
autumn colours in parks and on islands, buildings shrouded
in sparkling snow, and the emerging life of springtime are all part of the
diverse charm of Helsinki.
In spite of its modern international appearance, Helsinki retains a warm
and natural atmosphere. There is plenty to see and do in Helsinki even on
a long stay; diversity is one of Helsinki’s chief attractions.
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1. HOTELS WORLD.com
: A large hotel reservation website with online bookings for more
than 40.000 hotels in almost every country in the world.
2.
SCANTOURS : Hotels in Finland and Helsinki.
3. HELSINKI-HOTELS.net
: Hotels and tourist guide.
4. HOTELS
EUROPE.com : Hotels, Rooms, Accommodation and Lodging
in the major European countries. With online booking possibility.
5.
SLEEPING-IN-EUROPE.com : an all European hotel booking site.
Easy to navigate. Has a large selection of hotels.
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