Finland

Finland is a sparsely populated country of 5.25 million people in northern Europe. The population and economic activity concentrate in the south, whereas large wilderness areas characterize the climatically harsher north and east. The origins of the national economy are close to the offerings of nature (forestry, agriculture, manufacturing of linen and wool), and forestry still plays a prominent role in the economy. A large-scale transition in Finnish [Page 667]society from agrarian lifestyle and migration from small towns to urban industrial centers only occurred in the 1950s and the 1960s. Post-industrial, service-based consumer society characterizes today's Finland.

Finns have a strong emotional relationship with nature. Finnish mythology is rich with symbolism and narratives representative of the Finnish landscape: forest, lakes, snow, and ancient bedrock. This thematic ...