Maamme: Finland

Finland is a nation of rather largely homogenous makeup, the majority claiming Finnish ancestry, save for fifteen percent of the population, consisting of a largely Swedish minority. Along with the Danes, Swedes, Norwegians, and Nordic peoples of other nations, the Finns share the common build, complexion, and ancient culture with most of these nations. However, their language is not even of Indo-European origin, having more in common with the Hungarians and Turkic peoples of the east.

Experiencing rule under several differing governments, including the kingdom of Sweden, the Russian Empire, the Kalmar Union, and brief existence as a Duchy prior to becoming independent of the Russians under the Brest-Litovsk treaty of 1918, an independent Finland is a relatively new concept. Its statehood was internationally recognized in January of 1919. More than half of the nation is under the denomination of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. Smaller pockets of Finnish and Eastern Orthodox Christian followers exist, along with Roman Catholic, Jewish, and Muslim populations. Finland also maintains in own baseball league, its rules varying slightly from that of the North American style. However, traditional foods are served, rather than that of their Yankee counterparts, beer still a common beverage at all athletic observances. From 1947 until the fall of the Soviet Union, Finland was practically forced by the Soviet Union to sign an agreement that barred it from joining NATO, essentially safeguarding Finland from invasion and occupation by Warsaw Pact forces, and also allowing cooperation and friendly mutual assistance with Finn-Soviet relations. Thus, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Finland filed for European Union membership.

Considered a model cooperative state with quick accession to the European Union, Finland always kept a strong feeling of friendliness toward all fellow Nordic nations. Seeking to further protect their regional identity, it was always common to see cooperation among the Nordic states, especially the peninsular trio of Norway, Sweden, and Finland. Relations of Russia are almost solely bureaucratic, however friendly. Disputes over border territories are known, but passive and not actively pursued by the Finnish government. Shared with most Nordic nations, Finland taxes its citizens greatly. Nearly two million members of the workforce support a sixty-five percent tax on the population, however most make at least a modest twenty-five Euros per hour, well above the salaries of many nations bordering them. Housing and medical fees are largely paid for, the healthcare provision of Finnish citizens remarkable compared to many nations, though uniform with other Nordic nations, especially Sweden.