Finland is an amazing country in every way. It’s the home of Santa Claus, a place where public barbecues are found in city parks, and the only country in the world with one sauna for every two inhabitants.
Finland is indeed full of interesting and surprising facts that are incredibly amusing. AdmiGram.com invites you to expand your knowledge about the cradle of the ancient Scandinavian nation.
10 facts about Finland you didn’t know
Finns worship tango
To immerse yourself in the world of fiery Latin American dance, you don’t need to fly to hot South America. Finns have literally absorbed the tango fever that arrived on these icy shores back in 1913. The golden years of the dance were in the mid-sixties when local tango melodies easily topped the charts, outpacing The Beatles’ mega-hits. Today, tango enthusiasts from around the world come to Finland every July to dance passionately at the legendary Tangomarkkinat festival and visit the local museum dedicated to this amazing ballroom dance.
The sun can shine all day in Finland
It’s no secret that winters in Finland are quite dark and gloomy. However, in summer, the country transforms to truly live up to its nickname, the “Land of the Midnight Sun.” In June and July, the sun never sets below the horizon.
The strangest sports were invented by Finns
If you love unusual and funny activities, Finland is the absolute champion. Finland hosts annual world championships in mosquito hunting, mobile phone throwing, swamp football, rubber boot throwing, and air guitar playing. The most unforgettable and fun event is the wife-carrying world championship. Held every July in Sonkajärvi, this event involves navigating an extreme obstacle course. This annual event has become a true international hit, attracting couples from Denmark, Hong Kong, Australia, and other far-flung corners of the planet. Sometimes, couples come to the land of a thousand lakes just to participate in the competition.
There’s no place for failure in Finland
Perhaps due to the sheer number of competitions, Finns decided that the main thing in sports is neither victory nor participation, but failure. For this reason, Finns celebrate an annual Failure Day every October 13th. The tradition began in 2010. Since then, this day celebrates bad news and all kinds of failures as a way of learning and preparing for future challenges.
Finland is the most innovative country
Considering the rapid development of mobile communications in the late ’90s and the fact that Finland is essentially the cradle of cellular technology, thanks to Nokia, the Finnish government decided early on to completely eliminate wired communication. Payphones disappeared from the streets at the beginning of this century. Finland was the first country to adopt the concept of a national innovation system as a key element of science and technology policy. Technological development in Finland is supported at the highest governmental level.
The first internet browser was created by Finns
Finns were the first to come up with the idea of bringing the Internet to every home. In 1992, three students from Helsinki Polytechnic University wrote the code for the first internet browser. Erwise became the world’s first web browser with a user-friendly interface. Despite being endorsed by World Wide Web creator Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the graduates couldn’t secure the necessary funding to continue the project. However, major high-tech companies adopted the ideas proposed by the Finns. Just a few months after Erwise’s release, the computer world saw the debut of Mosaic, Netscape Navigator, and Internet Explorer.
Finland is a Land of Freedom
Like many northern countries, Finland boasts great “freedom to roam.” Here, you can camp, swim, fish, and pick berries almost anywhere. You can set up a tent, gather wild lingonberries, or catch a pike in a lake completely free of charge and without any hassle from the authorities. The principle that the best things in life are free is deeply ingrained in the Finnish mentality.
Finland is the most just country
One way to understand how unique Finland is, is by looking at its traffic fines. The size of the fine for traffic violations is calculated based on the driver’s annual income and the severity of the offense. For speeding, a driver can be fined thousands of euros, and the most egregious offenders can even face a few years of restricted freedom.
Finland is the home of Melodic Metal
The small country of Finland is the birthplace of a significant number of internationally renowned rock bands. Hard rock, glam, rap, symphonic, punk, hardcore, industrial, pop — all these styles and genres are represented in the country. Particularly popular in this harsh northern land is heavy rock, which always occupies more than half of the top ten spots in Finnish charts and hit parades. Surely you’ve heard of famous Finnish bands like Children Of Bodom, Nightwish, HIM, and The Rasmus.
Finns are true coffee addicts
According to the International Coffee Association, every Finn consumes 12 kilograms of coffee annually. This makes Finland the second highest country in the world for coffee consumption per capita. By other calculations, it can even be considered the leader: Luxembourg holds first place due to cross-border trade with neighbors rather than its residents’ coffee habits. It’s impossible to say exactly how many cups of coffee the average Finn drinks daily, but it’s certainly more than is recommended by medical guidelines.
image on top: Stephen Arnold / Unsplash
