Finland has a reputation as a land of ice and snow, but summers are warm and sunny, with daytime temperatures reaching 25-30ºC (77-86ºF), and even spring and autumn can be surprisingly mild. The sun never truly sets in midsummer and locals take full advantage of the midnight sun for late-night sports, barbecues and parties.
Finland only really deserves its frosty reputation in winter, from November to mid March, when temperatures plummet to -20ºC/-4ºF or lower. Winter days are short and in Lapland, the sun may not clear the horizon at all. In the far north, the snow cover can last from as early as October till as late as May.
Rainfall is distributed fairly evenly throughout the rest of the year. During June and July, forested areas are plagued by gnats and mosquitoes, particularly in the north of the country. Bring plenty of insect repellent.
Required clothing:In summer, travellers can get away with lightweight clothing in the daytime, but long sleeves and long trousers or skirts are useful for the evenings. Waterproof clothes are useful throughout the year. A netting veil is useful when trekking in the mosquito season. In winter, bring appropriate clothing for snowy conditions. In the Arctic North, you may need expedition-quality winter clothing.
The history and politics of Finland has been shaped by its location, wedged between Sweden to the west, Norway to the north and Russia to the east. The national character of the Finns has been further coloured by the water-logged landscape - the country is hemmed in by the Gulf of Bothnia and the Gulf of Finland and 10% of its landmass lies underwater.
Finland has more islands than any other country on earth - 30,000 off the Finnish coast and a further 98,000 islands in its 188,000 inland lakes. The Saimaa Lake system in the southeast of the country is the largest inland water system in Europe.
By European standards, Finland is very sparsely populated. Around 69% of the country is covered by the pine forests that define the northern coniferous zone. In the south and southwest, the forest is mainly pine, fir and birch; in Lapland, in the far north, scattered dwarf birch forests give way to Arctic tundra.
Most of the national forests are managed for timber, which is used for the manufacture of furniture, paper and fibreboards and for domestic heating and warming Finland's 1.6 million saunas. Finland's forests are said to be the most sustainably managed in Europe. Only 8% of the land is used for agriculture - more than 50% of Finns work in manufacturing or the service sector.
