Today, we continue on our virtual backpacking trip through Europe, and our next stop is... Finland! We can't go wrong visiting the happiest country on Earth! Let's dig in...
Due to its location, many of us might guess this is a Scandinavian country, but it is actually generally considered a 'Nordic' country, and it has many similarities to its neighbors like Estonia vs Denmark, Norway and Sweden.
The minimum wage is the highest in the Eurozone, and is considered a comfortable living wage. The average salary is also high.
Education is free at every level to all Finns. Non-EU students can even benefit from a free education here if they take classes that are taught in either Finish or Swedish; or if they pursue a PhD here in any language.
Speaking of a PhD, when someone here earns a PhD, they receive a top hat and a sword!
Almost half the population lives in the capital city of Helsinki.
74% of the country is forest.
Due to its location, it is possible to see Aurora Borealis.
For a part of the year, the sun never reaches the horizon and another part of the year, darkness reigns. This gives Finland the nickname, "Land of the Midnight Sun."
The people of Finland love quirky competitions, including such unusual games as wife carrying; mobile phone throwing; cow dung bingo; swamp football; air guitar; and boot throwing.
While most of the world calls the country, "Finland," the people of the country refer to it as "Suomi."
Sauna is not considered a luxury in Finland, but instead a substantial part of the culture and national identity.
Culturally, the Finns were well positioned to respond well to the COVID-19 pandemic, as they tend to naturally keep their distance from others in public.
Finland was the first European nation to give women the right to vote.
Nokia (and the SMS/text message) hail from Finland.
There are a few very popular mobile games that originated in Finland, including Angry Birds; Clash of Clans; and one of the world's most popular, Nokia's Snakes game.
Finland's press is widely and consistently considered the least corrupt and the most transparent, and is often ranked the freest press in the world. In fact, if we are seeking an additional truly independent international news source, we might consider following the Helsinki Times.
Traffic violation fines are calculated based upon the offender's income.
As opposed to the sweet breakfasts that are common throughout much of Europe, breakfasts in Finland are savory.
Finland is the only Nordic country that uses the Euro.
Drivers are required to always keep their headlights on, even during the day.
The country is home to a very famous resident. Santa lives there!
At an average of more than 34 gallons per person, per year, the people of this country consume more milk than anywhere else in the world.
Instead of a cultural sentiment such as "The more the merrier," which is popular in the US and elsewhere, Finns have a common saying that translates to "As more people leave the party, it gets better."
Throughout Finland, there are nearly 188,000 lakes; and almost 180,000 islands of a wide variety of sizes, including 549 inhabited islands with no road connection to the mainland.
The longest known palindrome: 'saippuakivikauppias' (which translates to 'a lye/caustic soda dealer') is Finnish.
Heavy Metal music is extremely popular here.
People of Finland don't feel inclined, from a cultural perspective, to fill silences in conversation.
October 13th, known in Finland as 'A Day for Failure' is a very popular day to share one's failures and to talk about resiliency.
The Sámi people are Finland's indigenous people.
Finns drink more coffee per person, approximately 12 kilograms annually, than anywhere else.
Finland is known as Europe's 'prison break' capital.
Finns carry the world's third most powerful passport (after Germany and Singapore), which allows entry into 175 countries without a visa.
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