II.

Land and Resources

The area of Finland, which includes 33,551 sq km (12,954 sq mi) of inland water, totals 338,145 sq km (130,559 sq mi)—an area slightly smaller than the state of Montana. Most of Finland is flat. Low hills that rise across the central and southern interior rarely exceed 300 m (1,000 ft). Finland’s highest elevations are in the northwest. Haltiatunturi, a peak in the far northwest near the border with Norway, rises to a height of 1,328 m (4,357 ft). The northernmost regions of Finland, which lie within the Arctic Circle, make up a part of Saamiland.

Finland’s coastline is low, rocky, and deeply indented by small bays and inlets. Most of Finland’s major cities and cultivated land lie along the nation’s coastal plain. Projecting southwest into the Baltic Sea is the Ahvenanmaa archipelago (Landskapet Åland in Swedish), which consists of some 6,500 islands. Only about 80 of the islands are inhabited.

Finland’s interior is heavily forested, and its surface is a tangle of lakes, rivers, swamps, and bogs. Glacial deposits called eskers, composed of sand, gravel, and boulders, form low ridges that crisscross the land. The stony ridges have long served as transportation routes through the thousands of lakes that cover the country. The deposits also dammed many of Finland’s ancient valleys and disrupted river drainages. These disruptions created many of the waterfalls and rapids that give Finland rich waterpower resources.

Geographers estimate that Finland has more than 60,000 lakes. Most of the lakes lie in central and southern Finland in an area called the Lake District. Within the Lake District, about half the total area is covered by water. Rivers and natural channels link the lakes together in intricate chains. Among the most important lakes is Lake Saimaa, part of an extensive lake system in the southeast. This system forms a drainage that is very important for floating timber to mills and transporting goods to areas not served by rail or roads. Other major lakes include Inarijärvi and Päijänne. Among the principal rivers are the Torneälven (Tornio), Muonio, Kemijoki, and Oulu. Only the Oulu is navigable by large craft.

A.

Plants and Animals

Thick forests cover about 67 percent of Finland. The forests are chiefly coniferous, dominated by spruce and pine trees, except in the far south where aspen, alder, maple, and elm trees are found. Finland has nearly 1,200 species of plants and ferns and some 1,000 varieties of lichens.

Wildlife includes bear, wolf, lynx, and arctic fox. All live mainly in the less populated northern regions. Reindeer, domesticated by the Saami people for use as a food source and means of transportation, are nearly extinct in the wild. Wild goose, swan, ptarmigan, snow bunting, and golden plover nest throughout northern Finland. Freshwater fish include perch, salmon, trout, and pike. The leading saltwater fish are cod, herring, and haddock. Seals are found along the coast.

B.

Soils

Finland’s soils are of generally poor quality. Gray mountain soils predominate in inland regions. Peat bogs cover the northern third of Finland. The most fertile soils are on the southern coastal plains, which are composed of marine clay.

C.

Climate

Because Finland lies above the 60th parallel, summer days are long and cool and winter days are short and cold. During summer, daylight lasts as long as 19 hours a day in the far south. In the Arctic areas of the far north, there is continuous daylight for 73 days, making Finland one of the lands of the “midnight sun.” In winter, the sun does not rise above the horizon for 51 days.

In the south, the climate is moderated by the proximity of the sea. The average July temperature along the southern coast is 16°C (60°F); in February the average is about -9°C (about 16°F). Precipitation (including snow and rain) averages about 460 mm (about 18 in) in the north and 710 mm (28 in) in the south. Light snow covers the ground for four or five months of the year in the south and seven or eight months in the north. Throughout the year, however, the weather is subject to sudden changes from day to day, and frosts are a hazard to farming, even in summer.

D.

Natural Resources

Productive forestland is the most valuable natural resource of Finland. Spruce, pine, and silver birch are the principal trees used to manufacture wood and pulp and paper products.

Finland lacks coal and petroleum resources and is a net importer of energy resources. However, Finland does have significant deposits of peat, which is cut from the numerous peat bogs that cover much of the north. Peat is an important heat source for homes, and it provides about 7 percent of Finland’s electricity needs. In addition, Finland’s many watersheds endow the country with significant waterpower resources. In 2006, 15 percent of Finland’s annual electric-power production was supplied by hydroelectric plants.

Finland also has several rich deposits of metallic ores from which copper, zinc, iron, and nickel are extracted. Lead, vanadium, silver, and gold are also mined commercially. Granite and limestone are the most abundant nonmetallic minerals.

E.

Environmental Issues

Acid rain, which damages buildings, soils, forests, and fish and other wildlife, is one of the major environmental issues facing Finland. The country’s sulfur dioxide (see sulfur) emissions fell steadily in the late 20th century after the implementation of the United Nations (UN) Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) Sulfur Protocols. However, Finland continues to receive acid-rain-causing pollutants from beyond its borders.

Air quality in Finland is better than in most other European countries. However, substantial problems do exist as a result of emissions from motor vehicles and industrial sources. The vast majority of the population—and, consequently, the sources of air pollution—is concentrated in urban areas in the southwest part of the country.

Forest covers 72 percent of the country, making Finland the most densely forested European country. The government regulates the timber industry to maintain the country’s valuable forest resources, and Finland sustains a remarkably low rate of deforestation each year.

With more than 60,000 lakes, Finland has vast areas of wetlands, which provide critical habitat for many bird and animal species. During the 20th century, Finland’s wetlands diminished considerably, in part as a result of peat mining and of draining for agriculture. Most of Finland’s lakes are shallow, making them particularly susceptible to damage from acid rain.