Finland

D

1

Libraries and Museums

The Finns are a book-loving people, and libraries and museums are an integral part of their culture. The Helsinki City Library (1860) holds more than 2 million volumes. The Helsinki University Library, with nearly 3 million volumes, serves as a national library. Altogether Finland has more than 1,500 libraries and more than 300 museums throughout the country. The National Museum of Finland (1893), at Helsinki, contains Finnish, Finno-Ugrian, and comparative ethnographical collections, as well as an archaeological department. Other museums include the Mannerheim, the Municipal, and the Athenaeum at Helsinki and the Art Museum at Åbo.

D

2

Literature

See Finnish Literature.

D

3

Music

Finland possesses a wealth of folk music and a large body of church music, the former amassed since ancient times and the latter developed since the acceptance of Christianity by the Finns in the 12th century. During the Reformation, Gregorian chant and other existing vocal church music, previously composed to Latin texts, was adapted to the Finnish language.

The cultivation of secular music began in the 17th century. An amateur orchestra was formed in the former Finnish capital, Turku, and in the mid-17th century music was made part of the curriculum of the university at Åbo.

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The development of Finnish art music began about the middle of the 19th century, mainly as a result of the works and teaching of two German-born musicians, composer Fredrik Pacius and conductor and collector of Finnish folk songs Richard Friedrich Faltin. Martin Wegelius, the first important native-born composer, also significantly influenced the development of Finnish art music as director of the Helsinki Conservatory. His contemporary, the Finnish composer Robert Kajanus, introduced Finnish music to Western European audiences as conductor of the Helsinki Municipal Orchestra.

Until the late 19th century the dominant influence on Finnish composers was that of German music. Pacius, Faltin, Wegelius, and Kajanus all cultivated Finnish folk music in their work, but it was Jean Sibelius, the student of Kajanus, who created a truly national musical style and won international recognition for Finnish music. One of the most famous compositions of Sibelius, Finlandia (1899; revised 1900), is based on the Kalevala, a national epic poem of Finland. The Russian rulers of Finland banned the composition because it aroused Finnish patriotism.

The Finnish National Opera House in Helsinki is the home of the Finnish National Opera and the Finnish National Ballet. Finland has produced many operas of distinction in recent years by composers such as Aulis Sallinen, Einojuhani Rautavaara, Erik Bergman, and Joonas Kookonen. After Finland became independent in 1917, modern Finnish composers grew increasingly interested in a variety of modern trends. See also Folk Music.

E

Visual Arts

In the visual arts, the Finns have made notable contributions to handicrafts and industrial design. Finland’s best-known sculptor of the 20th century was Wäinö Aaltonen, noted for his monumental sculptures and busts. Finnish architecture is famous around the world. Among 20th century architects to win international recognition are Eliel Saarinen, who designed the celebrated railroad station in Helsinki and many other public works, and Alvar Aalto, who helped bring the functionalist style to Finland.

IV

Economy

Finland has a highly industrialized economy based on abundant forest resources, metalworking and engineering, and high technology, especially the large telecommunications sector. Finns enjoy a high standard of living, and the nation’s business climate is considered highly competitive. Trade is central to Finland’s economy. Major exports, including wood products, metals, and electronic goods, account for about one-third of Finland’s gross domestic product (GDP). Apart from timber and some minerals, Finland is highly dependent on imports of raw materials and energy.

Finland voided its longstanding friendship treaty with the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, following the collapse of that country. In 1992 Finland applied for membership in the European Community (EC, a predecessor of the European Union, or EU), becoming a full member in 1995. Finns have readily embraced closer integration with Europe, setting them somewhat apart from Denmark and Sweden, the other Nordic EU member states. In 2002 Finland replaced its national currency with the euro, the single currency of the EU. In doing so, Finland became the only Nordic country to adopt the euro.

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