Finland Essay Research Paper Finland by Chris

Finland Essay, Research Paper

Finland by :

Chris Stott World Geography

Your assignment: Pick one country in Eastern Europe. Give a brief history of the country before and after the break up of the Soviet Union. As you explore your country, consider the following:

What were the major political and economic forces at work when the Soviet Union wielded power in the region, and how have those forces played out over the last 10 years.

I have chosen to write about Finland for my trip. As you can see Finland is located at the far north of this map and it shares boarders with Russia, Sweden and Norway. Finland’s traces of human settlement date back to the thaw of the last Ice Age some 10,000 years ago. The Finns’ ancestors seem to have dominated half of northern Russia before arriving on the north of the Baltic coast well before the Christian era. By the end of the Viking Age, Swedish traders and chieftains had extended their interests throughout the Baltic region. Over the centuries, Finland has sat precariously between the Protestant Swedish empire and Eastern Orthodox Russia. For seven centuries, from the 12th century until 1809, it was part of Sweden.

Finland was blighted by constant battles with Russia, and severe famines. From 1696-97, famine killed a third of all Finns.

What are the ethnic, religious and cultural issues in that country, and how have they changed or been effected over time.

Tove Jansson, the author of the Moominland stories, probably has the highest international profile among contemporary Finns, although you cannot escape the design work of Alvar Aalto in public buildings, towns and furniture. Jean Sibelius, one of the greatest of modern composers, wrote recognisably Finnish pieces for the glorification of his people and in defiance of the Russian oppressors. Sibelius and the nationalistic painter Akseli Gall.n-Kallela fell under the spell of Karelianism, a movement going back to the folk songs Elias L.nnrot compiled for the national epic, the Kalevala in the 1830s. The Kalevala is an epic mythology that includes creation stories and the fight between good and evil. Aleksis Kivi founded modern Finnish literature with Seven Brothers, a story of brothers who try to escape education and civilisation in favour of the forest.

Finnish is a Uralic language and belongs to the Finno-Ugric group. It is closely related to Estonian and Karelian, and has common origins with Samoyed and the languages spoken in the Volga basin. The most widely spoken of the Finno-Ugric languages is Hungarian, but similarities with Finnish are few. With 6% of the population speaking Swedish, Finland is officially a bilingual country. Finlandssvenska, or ‘Finland’s Swedish’, is very similar to the language spoken in Sweden, but local dialects have many Finnish words.

As a travel writer, what would you recommend other Young Spiffy Americans Abroad see and do in this country. What precautions should they take when traveling.

Visas: Most western nationals, including Americans, citizens of EU countries, Australians, Canadians, New Zealanders, Malaysians, Singaporeans and most South Americans do not need a visa.

Health risks: Slippery pavements. If you’re mushroom picking, make sure you know what you’re eating.

Time: GMT/UTC plus two hours

Electricity: 220V, 50Hz

Weights & measures: Metric

Tourism: 2.5 million visitors per year

Currency: markka (mk), euro

Meals

. Budget: US$6-8

. Mid-range: US$8-22

. Top-end: US$22 and upwards

Lodging

. Budget: US$25-30

. Mid-range: US$30-90

. Top-end: US$90 and upwards

Finland was declared the world’s most expensive country in 1990, right before it was hit by recession. Since then the markka has been reasonably low and prices are much more bearable. If you’re travelling on a tight budget you should be able to get by on around $25 a day. This would cover hostel accommodation, self-catering and no alcohol or bottled drinks. If you want to have a slightly more user-friendly holiday, a budget of around $50 a day should do it, and for a few more luxuries, such as your own bathroom, taxis and a restaurant meal or two a day, you’ll need about US$100 a day.

Finland’s three national banks have offices all over the country, but they will charge you slightly more for exchanges than private exchange bureaux. Travellers cheques are expensive to change. Many Finnish ATMs will accept foreign cards on the Visa or Plus system, but if they don’t take your plastic rest assured that credit cards are accepted all over the country.

Tipping is generally not necessary anywhere. Service charge is usually included in restaurants’ listed price. Bargaining will get you nowhere in most shops, but could come in handy if you’re after trekking equipment or used bikes, when you might get a 10% discount if you ask nicely.

Things to Do in Finland.

Whatever time of year you visit Finland, there’s something happening. Most museums and galleries are open year-round, and there is as much to do in the depths of winter as there is at the height of summer. Nevertheless, you’ll probably have a better time if you come in the warmer months, either in summer or anytime from May to September. As well as the advantages of warm weat

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