Finland

The culture and way of life of the people of Finland is unique. The population is spread far and wide across the land and their culture is closely linked to nature - not surprising since the forest is everywhere, even in the heart of the capital, Helsinki. The extensive moorlands and swamps of southern and central Finland are interspersed with forests and lakes, while the north gradually makes way to tunda where moss and lichen replace fir trees and dense forest vegetation.

The Kotas (barbecue lodges) are interspersed over the rural areas, near the lakes for use by the fishermen and in the north traditionally used by the reindeer herders.

Finnish handicrafts are also quite distinctive from those of other Nordic nations. Utensils have been hand made for centuries and carving skills passed on from one generation to the next in isolated villages. The children begin to learn the craft from an early age, devoting much of their life to perfecting the skill.
Strictly speaking, Finns are not Scandinavian and their native tongue is a link with their distinct past. Their ancestors came from central Asia and moved north to settle on the swampy shores of the Gulf in Finland, displacing the Lapps who moved further north still, into Lapland
Sweden and Russia fought over Finland for centuries and, after more than 600 years under the Swedish rule and 100 under the czars of Russia, it is inevitable that Finland should bear traces of their two cultures.
One third of Finland lies north of the Arctic Circle and although temperatures here can drop to - 30° C in winter, the effect of the Gulf Stream makes it the warmest of the Scandinavian countries in summer when temperatures are often over 20°C. The winter months (mid-November to February) are cold and dark. Summer is short but very light – in the extreme north the sun doesn’t set at all during June and July – and it is this brief period that the crops are grown