LINKS TO USEFUL RESOURCES ON VARIOUS ASPECTS OF THE LANGUAGE
Tavataan taas. Finnish for foreigners. Finnish to English. The first part is basic collections of everyday words and expressions, the second is basic grammar. Words and expressions can also be presented in audio form, there are also small exercises in electronic format.
7. http://www04.edu.fi/suomeaolehyva/ Suomea, ole hyva!
Finnish language course in Finnish. 3 parts, includes grammar and exercises that can be done online
8. http://oppiminen.yle.fi/suomi-finnish/supisuomea Supisuomea– basic Finnish language course in Finnish. Includes small themed videos (you can also watch them on youtube.com, search for the keyword Supisuomea)
8. http://hosgeldi.com/fin/ Good vocabulary trainer for beginners. Directions: Finnish-Russian and Russian-Finnish. Words can be listened to, there are exercises for writing words and composing phrases. You can subscribe to the newsletter and receive a portion of new words for memorization in your mailbox every day.
9. http://www.suomen.ru/ Archive of online lessons on Finnish grammar. There are exercises, lists of new words. Sometimes there are minor vocabulary errors, which knowledgeable people correct right there in the comments to the lessons. These lessons have not been updated for the last few years, but they can be used as a base.
10. http://www.verbix.com/languages/finnish.shtml Verb conjugation: in the search field you need to write an infinitive, the program will show other forms of this verb
11. http://vk.com/puhua Page “Finnish every day” (thematic collections of words for beginners)
12. http://papunet.net/selko/ Thematic texts in “plain” Finnish, sometimes supplemented by short video files
13. http://www.worddive.com/ru/yazyk-kurs/finnish-for-immigrants – free online Finnish language course for immigrants
14. http://www.loecsen.com/travel/0-en-67-52-90-free-lessons-finnish.html - Finnish language course from Loecsen
15. http://www.uuno.tamk.fi - a portal for the initial acquaintance with the language and culture of Finland, developed for participants in student exchange programs
16. https://ru.wikibooks.org/wiki/Learn_Finnish_language - “Learn Finnish” - course for foreigners on Wikibooks
AUDIO AND VIDEO
17. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHVGKi6x7cQ&list=PL874A415D066843B8– Supisuomea channel – one of the best Finnish video courses Anastasia Magazova steals texts
18. http://areena.yle.fi/tv/ohjelmat/uutiset Current news in video format, available for viewing outside of Finland
19. http://yle.fi/uutiset/selkouutiset/ News delivered by an announcer at a slower pace than regular news. You can listen to audio and read news text at the same time
20. http://areena.yle.fi/tv The main link to different video sections (opened with the Selaa button) is documentaries, TV shows, sports, children's cartoons and shows. Unfortunately, not all videos can be watched if you are outside of Finland (this data is indicated in the additional information (Näytä lisätiedot) under each video file. Katsottavissa vain Suomessa = only available to watch in Finland, Katsottavissa ulkomailla = available to watch outside of Finland)
21. http://finnish4u.blogspot.fi/p/kuulostaa-hyvalta.html Episodes of the Finnish video course for beginners Kuulostaa hyvältä, with translation for each episode.
22. http://www.katsomo.fi/ section Kaikki ohjelmat/KATSOTTAVISSA ULKOMAILLA. Shows, news, programs that can be watched outside of Finland
23. - Finnish 101 learning resources
24. http://www.uebersetzung.at/twister/fi.htm - Finnish tongue twisters with audio voice acting
TEXTBOOKS
25. Mullonen M., Hämäläinen E., Silfverberg L. “Opi puhumaan suomea / Learn to speak Finnish”, St. Petersburg, publishing house “M.G.V.”, 2007 (previously published under the title “We speak Finnish /Puhutaan suomea). Audio CDs are included with the textbook. A good textbook for independent study of Finnish.
26. V. Chernyavskaya. "Finnish language. Practical course”, St. Petersburg, “Glossa”, 1997. Widely known textbook of the Finnish language for beginners.
27. Hannele Jönsson-Korhola, Leila White. “Tarkista tastä. Suomen verbien rektioita ", FINN LECTURA OY. A very useful dictionary of verb control. A real "lifesaver".
28. Silfverberg L., Hämäläinen E. “Kiva juttu! Suomea venäjänkielisille /Finnish for Russian speakers”, FINN LECTURA OY AB, 2005. A good textbook for self-study of the language, there are excellent thematic collections of new words. Grammar explanations are given in both Russian and Finnish. There is also an accompanying audio course.
29. Zhuravleva A. “Finnish grammar in tables and diagrams”, St. Petersburg, publishing house “KARO”, 2009. The main grammar rules of the Finnish language are collected in tables and diagrams. A very useful publication, provided that the student has a certain vocabulary, because. grammatical examples are given as phrases rather than single words, and are also translated as whole phrases. There are very useful notes (in Russian) on certain conditions for the use of any grammatical forms.
30. Leila White. “A grammar book of Finnish”, Finn Lectura, 2006 A well-structured, practical Finnish grammar – in English!
31. Majakangas Pirkko, Heikkilä Satu. “Hyvin menee! 1. Suomea aikuisille”, Otava publishing house. Recommended in Finland for teaching Finnish to foreigners. The textbook contains a lesson dictionary of new words. Continuation of the textbook - Kuparinen Kristiina, Tapaninen Terhi “Hyvin menee! 2. Suomea aikuisille”, Otava publishing house. Both textbooks have audio courses.
32. Vitaly Chernyavsky (namesake of V. Chernyavskaya :)). Essay “Short Grammar of the Finnish Language”, available in .pdf format As far as I understand, this edition was not published in printed form and exists only on the Internet in .pdf format
33. Chertok M. “Finnish language. Basic course ”(according to the Berlitz method), Living Language publishing house, 2005. Textbook for beginners, teaching spoken Finnish in the format of dialogues, there are exercises. Recorded by native speakers.
34. Saunela Marja Liisa. Collections of exercises on vocabulary and grammar of the Finnish language of the series “Harjoitus tekee mestarin” (parts 1-4), from basic to advanced grammar. There is also a fifth book in the series with answers to the exercises: “Harjoitus tekee mestarin. Ratkaisut osiin 1-3”
35. Susanna Hart. “Suomea paremmin”, Finn Lectura, 2009 A textbook for those who already know Finnish at the first or second level.
36. “Finnish for the lazy”, publishing house “Meridian”, an audio course of Finnish vocabulary for beginners, in 4 parts. The course is designed to memorize everyday words with gradual complication and the transition to memorizing everyday phrases. Without grammar. Words/phrases are repeated twice, with translation. Some listeners are annoyed by the voice of a Russian-speaking woman who voices the translation :) but if you don’t focus on this, you can quickly replenish your vocabulary.
DICTIONARIES
37. http://www.sanakirja.org/ Hint: if you can't find a translation of a word from Finnish to Russian, look for a translation from Finnish to English, in the English version there is more vocabulary
38. hhttp://po-finski.net / Online Russian-Finnish and Finnish-Russian dictionaries, translator of small text fragments, a small phrase book (contains a selection of congratulation phrases on various occasions and small thematic selections of words)
39. http://ilmainensanakirja.fi/ Translates the given word into several languages at once, including Russian. Translation available from Russian to Finnish
40. http://www.ets.ru/udict-f-r-pocket-r.htm Finnish-Russian Dictionary Polyglossum
41. http://en.bab.la/dictionary/english-finnish/
42. http://www.freedict.com/onldict/fin.html Destinations: English-Finnish and Finnish-English
43. http://kaannos.com/ Translation available from Finnish to Russian and from Russian to Finnish
44. http://www2.lingsoft.fi/cgi-bin/fintwol Word form analyzer: when entering a word in any form (case, number) into the search field, it determines the dictionary form of the word, part of speech, indicates the number (unit / sg, pl/pl), cases; for verbs, indicates conjugations for persons, numbers, tenses, etc. A very useful dictionary, because it is not always easy to understand what word is hidden in what we see (a link to this dictionary and an explanation of the principle of its work was given by Aleksey Isaev in the topic “Good Finnish textbooks” in the Learn Finnish group! Opiskelemme suomea! (
Learning any foreign language is not an easy task for many people, so developers around the world create special applications for smartphones that greatly simplify the learning process. First of all, language learning apps are aimed at increasing vocabulary: the more you know, the easier it will be for you to pick up the necessary words. The Finnish language is considered quite difficult, so any facilitating conditions for learning will never hurt. There are many different applications, so you need to figure out which ones should be used by beginners, and which ones will be comfortable to use only for experts in the Finnish language.
Applications for beginners
"Finnish in a month"
A simple and convenient application, in the free version of which one lesson is available with 10 pages of words, phrases and sentences. The application is based on the principle by which children learn a language: they associate a picture with the word they hear. Each word is spoken by two virtual tutors, a man and a woman, so you can listen to how Finnish words sound in different playbacks. And in order to make the learning process more productive, you will be asked to first listen to each word, and then write it down. The downside of the application is that there is no translation for the words, so you have to guess the meaning from the picture.
"Finnish with Nemo"
In order to use this application, preparation is absolutely not needed, it is a kind of mini-phrase book that will be convenient for a beginner. There are six thematic blocks available in the free version, while there are already dozens of them in the paid version. It is worth noting that the application is very easy to use, besides the speaker of the application is a native speaker, so you will immediately memorize the correct pronunciation.
RusFinRus
You can guess by the name that this is a dictionary. This dictionary has a very convenient function: when you find a word, there is a heart next to it, you need to click on it and this word will appear in your personal dictionary, after which it will be much more convenient for you to memorize a whole list of new words.
"Learn on the go"
The application fully embodies the old principle of productive learning of a foreign language. In it, you create cards with Finnish-Russian translation or Russian-Finnish, whichever is more convenient for you to remember, from which decks of cards are then obtained. The words in the decks can go in order or in discord, this is really a very convenient application, you do not need to spend your precious time creating paper cards. An old method in a new reproduction that works great.
Applications for advanced
"Words Run"
The application consists of two different teaching methods. The first is memorizing individual words by means of repetition after the speaker, and then testing, where you need to choose the correct answers. The second technique is accelerated, which involves accelerated viewing of words, which makes this technique focused on visual memory. This will also be followed by a test with a virtual teacher. The free block contains a starter set of frequently used phrases in Finnish that you can use to support simple dialogues. There are 57 voiced phrases and 115 voiced words in the starting block. It is worth saying that using this application will be more convenient and much more understandable for those who already have knowledge of Finnish. The advantage of the application is that you can record your pronunciation of a particular word, and then compare it with the speaker's pronunciation.
word dive
This application is in English, with a three-level system: easy, medium and difficult, you can choose the level that suits your level and start learning. Based on the image in the picture, you have to translate the Finnish word into Russian, where you will have four options, respectively, you need to choose one. The next two steps add an explanation in Finnish to the words you have to translate. After each completion of the task, you are awarded points. The application has a very funny interface: as you progress, the little man climbs the stairs to the tower, and when you score a certain number of points, he jumps off and congratulates you on your success. To achieve great results, you need to buy the full version of the application. The disadvantages of the program can only be attributed to the fact that there is not much basic material.
LearnBots
For those who have already advanced in the study of the Finnish language to verb conjugations (there are six in total), this application will be very useful. The free version contains ten verbs with translation, which are not only conjugated, but also put in several cases. True, it is noteworthy that there are examples of all conjugations, except for the second type, although it may be in the full version of the application, but the first type of conjugation is richly represented.
Of course, all these apps are just to help you learn Finnish, they alone won't be enough. But they will definitely help to replenish your vocabulary. A productive study requires an integrated approach. Learning Finnish on your own is hard work, the main thing is that you have motivation, which is what we wish you!
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Hello!
The following designations are used to describe resources:
- FIN , RUS , ENG – language of the learning resource
- A 1, A 2, B 1, B 2, C 1, C 2 - the level of language proficiency, the achievement of which the resource exercises are aimed at. The definition of the level is given in accordance with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. This system of levels corresponds to the system of testing " YKI » as follows: 1( YKI ) = A 1(Common European Language Competencies), 2=A2, 3= B 1, 4= B 2, 5= C 1, 6= C 2. In Finland, to describe the level of exercises and various language courses, the A1-C2 system is usually used, where each of the levels can be divided into sublevels. For example, level A1 includes sublevels A.1.1, A1.2, A1.3. You can determine your current level by clicking on the link in paragraph 9a of this review.
- video - the resource contains video materials
- AUDIO - the resource contains audio materials
- >> – access to resource materials requires registration
So let's get started:
1. YLE Resources
On the website of the national broadcasting company " YLE » there are a number of opportunities for learning Finnish: video courses, exercises, including those for preparing for the test « YKI”, language proficiency tests, and links to news in plain Finnish. Acquaintance with the content of the resource may take you some time, because. instructions and description of resource features are given in Finnish. Feel free to ask a Finnish-speaking friend to show you how to navigate the site and use all of its features. There are resources for everyone.
Choose:
§ 9 thematic sections, each of which contains several subsections with grammar explanations and exercises
§ Finnish-Russian dictionary
How to practice?
Start by watching the video. By clicking on the word "TXT" in the lower right corner of the video window, you can turn on the Finnish subtitles. Watch the video with subtitles. Use a dictionary to translate the unfamiliar passages. Watch the video again with subtitles, repeating the lines as much as possible after the characters in the video. Repeat mindfully. Watch the video a third time with the subtitles turned off. Test your understanding of the replicas. If you still find it difficult to perceive replicas by ear, you can always return the subtitles. Practice until you can easily understand the lines by ear and repeat them without relying on subtitles. After working through the first video, you can go to the thematic section. Brief grammatical explanations and wordings of tasks are given in Finnish - translate them with a dictionary. Complete the suggested exercises by clicking on the link " teht ava". Alternate between watching videos and working with exercises throughout the course. Strive to memorize the words and phrases you will encounter in the course and practice them in live situations.
The course is devoted to various everyday situations of obtaining / providing services: visiting a library or a store, visiting a doctor, communicating with a bank employee, etc. How to properly communicate on the phone in the service sector, how to ask for advice and how to respond in a given situation.
§ 9 sections devoted to various situations of receiving / providing services. After each video, the text of the dialogue from the video is recorded (to open the text, click on the plus sign under the video on the right side)
§ each section contains videos on a given topic. The language of the videos is everyday spoken Finnish.
§ in some sections after the video there are various exercises on the topic (written, exercises in understanding oral speech, etc.)
How to practice?
You can do it according to the scheme proposed in paragraph 1a.
The course offers a series of exercises for all levels of language proficiency: 1( A 1), 2(A 2), 3(B 1), 4(B 2), 5(C 1), 6(C 2). The purpose of the exercises is to prepare for the Unified Language Examination " YKI ". Some of the exercises are available without registration via the link. Access to more exercises opens after registering on the site YKItreenit.
The resource contains:
§ lexical exercises and exercises in the use of grammatical constructions
§ exercises in understanding oral speech (listening)
§ exercises in understanding written language (reading)
How to practice?
Go to the exercise by the link, complete it and check the correct execution by clicking the button " tarkista".
G) WebsiteMoon Suomi – information and training resource ( FIN, ENG , A2-B2)
A website in Finnish that introduces immigrants to Finland, Finns and the Finnish language. Information is given in the form of small texts, pictures and videos. Some words have been translated into English.
The site contains:
§ Section "Suomi" ", consisting of subsections" Outo Suomi "(about unusual things and phenomena in Finnish culture)," Tutustu Suomeen "(Facts about Finland)," Ruoka-Suomi "(about Finnish cuisine)," Suomi-sanakirja " (a guide to Finnish customs) and " Puhutaan suomea » (some useful expressions in colloquial Finnish)
§ Section "Henkilö t » talk about interesting immigrants in Finland
§ Section INFO » contains useful links, including valuable information resources for immigrants:http :// www. infopankki. fi/ ru/ frontpage(FIN , RUS , ENG )
e) ResourceAbitrenit (FIN, B2-C2)
The resource is designed for Finnish students preparing for the final exams from the college. Immigrants who are fluent in Finnish can also train their skills.
§ 4 recordings of 30 minutes each, which are convenient to listen to, for example, while walking through mp 3 player.
g) DirectoryKielen huoltoa wai kielenhuoltoa ? for Finns and immigrants ( FIN, B1-C2)
A short guide to Finnish spelling, punctuation and syntax. Contains rules illustrated with examples.
and) PageSupisuomalainen joulu – information resource in Finnish ( FIN , VIDEO , B 1-C 2)
Page contains Finnish texts and videos about Finnish Christmas
to) Archive " YLE » (FIN, VIDEO)
Through the company's website YLE » you can watch various programs in Finnish with Finnish subtitles: programs and stories for children and adults on various topics. Subtitles are set by clicking on the word TXT in the lower right corner of the video window
The resource contains:
Videos, programs, serials in Finnish with Finnish subtitles.
How to practice?
To improve your written and spoken comprehension skills, you can watch programs on topics that interest you. Watch the show first with subtitles to help you identify the words you don't understand. Use a dictionary to translate unclear passages by pausing the video. Strive to reach a level of understanding of spoken language that subtitles are not used. You can also repeat words and phrases as the video progresses.
l) Uutiset selkosuomeksi – news in understandable Finnish ( FIN , VIDEO , A 2-C 1)
The news page contains current news reporting the day's events in plain Finnish.
The resource contains:
§ Regularly updated news videos and texts that duplicate their content. The texts are provided with explanations for concepts and words that may cause difficulty.
How to practice?
Follow domestic and world news in understandable Finnish. Listen to the news by following the content by text. Translate obscure places with a dictionary. You can try to retell the news, keep a dictionary on various topics, write out useful words and sentences, memorize them and use them in communication situations.
2. Finnish for you – private internet site in blog format. Suitable for beginners. ( ENG , A 1- B 1, VIDEO , AUDIO )
Russian-language blog dedicated to self-study of the Finnish language. The blog contains not only a recording of the texts of video courses in Finnish, but also a phrase-by-phrase, and sometimes literal translation of these texts into Russian. Finnish text and Russian translation are provided with grammatical marks.
The blog contains:
§ The section is dedicated to the video course « Kuulostaahyvä ltä». It contains links to 29 videos. The texts of the dialogues from the video are recorded in Finnish, accompanied by a translation into Russian and grammar marks. The section also contains grammar exercises, listening exercises and so on.
§ A large number of links to other online resources for learning Finnish
How to practice?
You can develop your oral and written comprehension skills by using the tutorial video examples provided earlier.
3. ResourceTavataan taas! Finnish for foreigners. (ENG, A1-B1)
English language learning resource for beginners. The interface of the site is extremely simple, and you can easily use the proposed features, even without knowing English, using a dictionary to translate dialogues, texts and words. The essence of the exercise will be clear to you even without a dictionary.
The resource contains:
§ Audio recordings and texts of audio recordings with translation into English.
§ Pictures illustrating vocabulary.
§ Exercises for the development of pronunciation, reading and listening skills (listening comprehension and understanding of what is heard), lexical and grammar exercises
§ Grammar explanations that accompany texts and dialogues
§ Links to useful sites related to the topic discussed in the exercise.
How to practice?
This resource contains many audio recordings. Train and hone your pronunciation by repeating individual sounds, words and whole phrases after the speaker. All audio materials are duplicated graphically. While repeating, visually follow the text, this will help improve your reading skills.
4. Materials prepared by the Finnish Education Authority
Materials of the site of the Department of Education, intended mainly for teachers of different disciplines in different educational institutions and students. However, the site contains materials and links to resources suitable for immigrants self-taught Finnish. For example, you can use the Russian-Finnish dictionaries of narrowly specific vocabulary posted on the site or thematic materials in simple Finnish, which will be useful in your studies and professional activities:
Handbook of hygiene in plain Finnish:
§ 20 texts on different topics: Each text is divided into paragraphs.
§ Exercises that test understanding of the content of each paragraph
§ Audio recordings of the text of each paragraph
§ Information about the grammatical phenomenon / phenomena that can be considered on the example of this text
§ Separate Finnish-English dictionaries compiled separately for each text
How to practice?
You can study following the logic of the course: read the texts in order, testing reading comprehension with the help of exercises. In addition to the reading skill, you can also train the skill of understanding oral speech by listening to audio recordings of the text of paragraphs, relying on the written text and without, and checking listening comprehension using the same exercises.
§ Grammar section " Kielitieto ”, which tells about the key grammatical phenomena of the Finnish language: cases, parts of speech, tense forms of the verb, moods, etc. A separate subsection is dedicated to each phenomenon, containing rules and examples of use.
§ Section of exercises " Harjoitukset ”, which includes exercises such as “open brackets”, “choose the correct option”, “find matches”, “collect text from sentences”, as well as crossword puzzles, collections of words on various topics, etc.
How to practice:
in) Arkip ä iv ä n suomea maahanmuuttajalle – educational material for adult immigrants (FIN, A1-B2, VIDEO)
The material contains:
§ Four video interviews, divided into thematic segments, accompanied by Finnish text. The topics of the interview are devoted to everyday affairs: family, children, work, etc.
How to practice?
You can use the tutorial video tutorial provided earlier. Try to repeat interviews with and without text-based interviews, make up stories about your life by analogy.
G) ResourceKotisuomessa . fi – self-study package (FIN, A1-B2)
The resource requires registration.
e) Educational game resourceOma city - for immigrant students in grades 5-6.
The resource requires registration.
The resource contains:
§ Interactive tasks on the topic "city and home", which resemble a computer quest.
Here you can find the topic in English: Finland.
Finland
Finland, Finnish Suomi, officially Republic of Finland, republic (2005 est. pop. 5,223,000), 130,119 sq mi (337,009 sq km), N Europe. It borders on the Gulf of Bothnia and Sweden in the west, on Norway in the north, on Russia in the east, and on the Gulf of Finland and the Baltic Sea in the south. The country includes the Aland Islands , located at the mouth of the Gulf of Bothnia. Helsinki is Finland's capital and its largest city.
Land and PeopleFinland falls into three main geographical zones. In the south and west is a low-lying coastal strip (20-80 mi/30-130 km wide) that includes most of the country's major cities and much of its arable land. The coastal strip rises slightly to a vast forested interior plateau (average elevation: 300-600 ft/90-180 m) that includes about 60,000 lakes, many of which are linked by short rivers, sounds, or canals to form busy commercial waterways. Paijanne. The Kemijoki and Oulujoki are the longest rivers of the region and, with the Torniojoki, are important logging waterways. The country's third zone lies north of the Arctic Circle and is part of Lapland (Finnish, Lappi). The region is thinly wooded or barren and has an average elevation of about 1,100 ft (340 m); it is somewhat higher in the northwest, where Haltiatunturi (4,344 ft/1,324 m), Finland's loftiest point, is located. Altogether, Finland is made up of about three-quarters forest and woodland, and around 10% each water surface and arable land.
In addition to Helsinki, other important cities include Espoo, Hameenlinna, Joensuu, Jyvaskyla, Kemi, Kotka, Kuopio, Lahti, Lappeenranta, Oulu, Pori, Tampere, Turku, Vaasa, and Vantaa. Finnish and Swedish are both official languages, and about 6% of the population speaks Swedish as a first language; nearly all Swedish speakers are bilingual. In addition, there are about 3,000 Lapps living in Finnish Lapland. About 90% of Finland's inhabitants belong to the established Evangelical Lutheran Church.
EconomyTraditionally an agricultural country, Finland accelerated the pace of its industrialization after World War II. By the end of the 20th cent., manufacturing, services, and trade and transportation were the largest segments of the economy, while agriculture (plus forestry and fishing) accounted for less than 10% of employment and GDP.
In agriculture, livestock production is predominant, and dairy products are important. Large numbers of poultry, cattle, hogs, reindeer, and sheep are raised. Leading agricultural commodities include hay, oats, barley, wheat, rye, sugar beets, and potatoes. Though Finland's mining output is small, it includes a number of important minerals such as iron ore, copper, zinc, nickel, cobalt, titanium, vanadium, mercury, silver, and gold. The Finnish lumbering industry is one of the largest in Europe, producing a variety of wood and paper products.
Among the country's chief manufactures are iron, steel, ships, petroleum products, machinery, chemicals, processed food, metal products, transportation and agricultural equipment, electrical and electronic equipment (especially cellular phones), textiles, and clothing. Finland is also known for its design of glass, ceramics, and stainless-steel cutlery. Its tourism industry is based mostly on winter sports and fishing. About one quarter of the country's electricity is generated by hydroelectric plants; additional electricity and fossil fuels must be imported.
The chief imports are food, mineral fuels, chemicals, transportation equipment, crude materials, textiles, and iron and steel. The leading exports are forest products (which account for about 50% of exports), machinery, transportation equipment, ships, clothing, and foodstuffs. The principal trade partners are Germany, Great Britain, Sweden, the United States, Russia, and Japan. Finland became an associate member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) in 1961 and a full member in 1985, but left EFTA for membership in the European Union in 1995.
government
Under the 1919 constitution as amended, Finland "s head of state is the president, who is elected by popular vote to a six-year term. The president is commander in chief of the armed forces, plays an important role in foreign affairs, and can have considerable influence over legislative matters. Legislation is handled by the unicameral parliament (Eduskunta), whose 200 members are elected to four-year terms by a system of proportional representation. All Finns who are at least 18 years old may vote. The country "s main administrative body is the cabinet (headed by a prime minister), which is responsible to parliament. The country is divided into 6 provinces.
History
Early History to Independence
Finland "s first inhabitants, dating from about 7000 BC, probably followed the melting ice northward, attracted by a good supply of game. The first Finnish-speaking persons to enter the region, who were mostly nomadic hunters and fishers, migrated into Finland from the south. By the 8th cent. they had displaced the small number of Lapps who lived in central and S Finland and who were forced to move to the far north of the country, where they live today. The Finns were organized in small-scale political units, with only loose ties beyond the clan level.
From the 11th cent. Christian missionaries were active in Finland. In the 13th cent. Sweden conquered the country. Under the Swedes, Finland enjoyed considerable independence, its political sophistication grew, commerce increased, and the Swedish language and culture were spread. In the mid-16th cent. Lutheranism was established in Finland, and in 1581 the country was raised to the rank of grand duchy.
Finland suffered severely in the recurring wars between Sweden and Russia. In 1696 famine wiped out almost a third of the population. By the Treaty of Nystad (1721), which ended the Northern War, Peter I of Russia acquired the province of Vyborg (Viipuri), and additional areas were lost to Russia in 1743. During the Napoleonic Wars, Finland was invaded (1808) by Russia, at the time an ally of Napoleon I, in an attempt to pressure Sweden into altering its pro-British stance. Despite considerable Finnish resistance, Russia conquered the country and annexed it in 1809.
In the 19th cent., the czars, who were also grand dukes of Finland, allowed the country wide-ranging autonomy, and as a result Finland was able to develop its own democratic system with little interference from St. Petersburg. In 1811, Russia returned to Finland the territory it had taken in 1721 and 1743. In 1812, Finland's capital was moved from Turku to Helsinki. Government in the country was headed by a Russian governor-general (the personal representative of the czar ) in conjunction with the Finnish senate; in addition, there was a Finnish minister of state in St. Petersburg who dealt directly with the czar.
Finnish nationalism became a powerful movement early in the 19th cent.; it was inspired by such leaders as the poet J. L. Runeberg; the statesman and philosopher J. V. Snellman, whose promotion of the Finnish language helped it to achieve official status in 1863; and the philologist Elias Lonnrot , who compiled the monumental epic Kalevala . The intensive Russification campaign (begun in 1899) of Czar Nicholas II brought determined resistance in Finland, including the assassination (1904) of Nikolai Bobrikov, the governor-general, and a general strike (1905). Under terms obtained in 1906, a unicameral parliament (whose members were elected by universal suffrage) was established, but it was given little authority by the czar. Following the Bolshevik success in the Russian Revolution (1917), the parliament proclaimed (Dec. 6, 1917) the independence of Finland.
The New Republic and the USSRIn the ensuing civil war (Jan.-May, 1918) between the leftist Red Guard (supported by some 40,000 Soviet troops and favoring close ties with the USSR) and the conservative Finnish-nationalist White Guard, led by Marshal Carl Gustav Emil Mannerheim and aided by German troops, the White Guard emerged victorious. After brief periods of rule under Pehr Ervind Svinhufvud (1918) and Mannerheim (1918-19), a republic was established and its first president, Kaarlo Juho Stahlberg , elected (1919). By the Treaty of Tartu in 1920, the USSR recognized Finland's independence.
Agrarian and social reforms enacted after 1918 did much to heal the wounds of civil war, but deep scars remained, and they contributed to the rise of extreme rightist and leftist movements. As a result, there was considerable political instability in the 1920s and early 1930s; there were several government crises, and most ministries were based on coalitions. The Communist party, suppressed in 1923, remained active until it was effectively removed from the scene by discriminatory laws in 1930, and the rightist Lapua movement, originating in anti-Communist disturbances in 1929, was itself suppressed after an unsuccessful coup in 1932.
Finland was active in the League of Nations, which it joined in 1920, and it was the only European country to continue to honor its World War I debts to the United States after the advent of the economic depression at the start of the 1930s. During the 1930s, Finland followed a neutralist foreign policy, and in 1932 it signed a nonaggression treaty with the USSR. In late Nov., 1939, shortly after the start of World War II, Finland was attacked by Finnish Soviet troops, and despite spirited resistance organized by Mannerheim, the USSR easily emerged victorious by early 1940 (see Finnish-Russian War). By the treaty of Moscow (Mar. 12, 1940), Finland ceded the Rybachi Peninsula, its part of the Karelian Isthmus (including Vyborg), and land bordering on Lake Ladoga; in addition, the USSR gained a 30-year lease of the port of Hanko. Some 400,000 residents of the ceded territories relocated to Finland.
When Germany attacked the USSR in June, 1941, Finland allied itself with Germany, hoping thereby to regain territory from the USSR. Great Britain, but not the United States, declared war on Finland. After some initial Finnish successes, Soviet troops mounted a strong offensive in 1944 and forced Finland to sign an armistice in Sept., 1944. This agreement confirmed the cessions of territory Finland had made in 1940; however, instead of Hanko, the USSR was given a lease on the Porkkala peninsula near Helsinki. In addition, Finland was required to pay an indemnity to the USSR and to force the Germans to evacuate the country. In the ensuing warfare with Germany, N Finland was devastated.
Postwar FinlandAfter the war, by a peace treaty signed in Paris in 1947, the 1944 armistice was largely confirmed; Finland was obliged to pay the USSR $300 million in reparations and to cede the Karelian Isthmus (with Vyborg), Pechenga (Petsamo) in the far north, and additional border districts in the east. The USSR was given a 50-year lease to the Porkkala region. About 420,000 Finns left the territory ceded to the USSR and were resettled in Finland. Despite great difficulties, Finland completed its reparations payments by 1952; in 1948, the USSR had reduced the amount by about $74 million. In 1956 Porkkala was returned to Finland.
In the immediate postwar period, Communists (working through the Finnish People's Democratic League) won a substantial number of seats in parliament and held several high-level cabinet posts, including for a short time that of prime minister. However, beginning in 1948 , the Communists" power began to wane, and the Social Democrats and the Agrarian Union (in 1965 renamed the Center party) dominated politics from then on. These parties almost invariably had to form coalition governments either with each other or with other, smaller, parties. In 1955, Finland joined the United Nations.
A Neutral FinlandAlthough during the late 1950s and early 1960s the USSR exercised some influence over internal Finnish politics (forcing, for example, the withdrawal of a candidate for president in 1962), during this period Finland began to follow a more neutral course in relation to the Soviets . In 1966, Communists were included in a coalition cabinet for the first time since 1948. In 1973 parliament passed an extraordinary law extending Urho Kekkonen's third term as president (he had been elected in 1956 and reelected in 1962 and 1968) for four years to 1978. He remained in office until 1981, when he was replaced by Mauno Koivisto.
The Finnish Communist party gradually lost influence throughout the 1970s, and finally split in 1985 along nationalistic and pro-Moscow lines. In the 1987 elections, the Conservatives filled the gap left by the Communists, and Conservative Prime Minister Harri Holkeri took office in 1987, heading a coalition government that included the Social Democrats. This left the Center party as the opposition for the first time since independence. The economic collapse of the USSR in 1991 caused a severe recession in Finland, as the country had traded extensively with the Soviets. Soviet disintegration also led to the scrapping of a 1948 Finnish-Soviet defense treaty and to a pledge by Russia to treat its Finnish neighbor as an equal.
In 1991, Esko Aho became prime minister, heading a center-right government, but his party suffered heavy losses in the 1995 elections, and a left-right coalition government headed by Social Democrat Paavo Lipponen came into office. In 1994, Martti Ahtisaari, a Social Democrat and diplomat, became Finland's first president elected by direct popular vote (election was previously by an electoral college). Throughout the 1990s, Finland focused on reducing unemployment and increasing its integration with Western Europe; it became a member of the European Union in 1995. Tarja Halonen, the foreign minister, was elected president in 2000 and reelected in 2006;
Parliamentary elections in Mar., 2003, gave a narrow plurality to the opposition Center party, and party leader Anneli Jaatteenmaki became prime minister, heading a center-left government. The use of leaked government documents during the campaign by Jaatteenmaki, who had become the first female prime minister of Finland, led to her resignation in June, and Matti Vanhanen, also of the Center party, succeeded her. Jaatteenmaki, however, was subsequently acquitted on charges relating to the incident.
