{"id":1550,"date":"2024-02-17T05:30:22","date_gmt":"2024-02-17T04:30:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bestfreetour.com\/?page_id=1550"},"modified":"2024-02-17T05:32:59","modified_gmt":"2024-02-17T04:32:59","slug":"finland","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/bestfreetour.com\/it\/finland\/","title":{"rendered":"Finland"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/bestfreetour.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Finland-pexels-cristian-manieri-5841636-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1551\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bestfreetour.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Finland-pexels-cristian-manieri-5841636-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/bestfreetour.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Finland-pexels-cristian-manieri-5841636-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/bestfreetour.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Finland-pexels-cristian-manieri-5841636-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/bestfreetour.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Finland-pexels-cristian-manieri-5841636-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/bestfreetour.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Finland-pexels-cristian-manieri-5841636-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/bestfreetour.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Finland-pexels-cristian-manieri-5841636-107x60.jpg 107w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-pale-pink-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-62229b2b43a6c667dd02af1bd42edec7 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Finland Free Tour<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-pale-pink-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-b269d579552f8fc3ede67adc6e937691 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Helsinki Free Tour<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-pale-pink-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-c971c5de25833e3e1117c6949d00f49c wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Rovaniemi Free Tour<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Information:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Finland<\/strong>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/nation-state\">country<\/a> located in northern <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Europe\">Europe<\/a>. Finland is one of the world\u2019s most northern and geographically remote countries and is subject to a severe <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/climate-meteorology\">climate<\/a>. Nearly two-thirds of Finland is blanketed by thick woodlands, making it the most densely forested country in Europe. Finland forms a symbolic northern border between western and eastern Europe: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/dense\">dense<\/a> wilderness and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Russia\">Russia<\/a> to the east, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Gulf-of-Bothnia\">Gulf of Bothnia<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Sweden\">Sweden<\/a> to the west.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/41\/183641-050-0EF5ECA9\/World-Data-Locator-Map-Finland.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/41\/183641-050-0EF5ECA9\/World-Data-Locator-Map-Finland.jpg\" alt=\"Finland\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/41\/183641-050-0EF5ECA9\/World-Data-Locator-Map-Finland.jpg\">Finland<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A part of Sweden from the 12th century until 1809, Finland was then a Russian grand duchy until, following the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/Russian-Revolution\">Russian Revolution<\/a>, the Finns declared independence on December 6, 1917. Finland\u2019s area decreased by about one-tenth during the 1940s, when it ceded the Petsamo (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Pechenga\">Pechenga<\/a>) area, which had been a corridor to the ice-free Arctic coast, and a large part of southeastern <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Karelia\">Karelia<\/a> to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Soviet-Union\">Soviet Union<\/a> (ceded portions now in Russia).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Throughout the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/Cold-War\">Cold War<\/a> era, Finland skillfully maintained a neutral political position, although a 1948 treaty with the Soviet Union (terminated 1991) required Finland to repel any attack on the Soviet Union carried out through Finnish territory by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Germany\">Germany<\/a> or any of its allies. Since <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/World-War-II\">World War II<\/a>, Finland has steadily increased its trading and cultural relations with other countries. Under a U.S.-Soviet agreement, Finland was admitted to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/United-Nations\">United Nations<\/a> in 1955. Since then, Finland has sent representatives to the Nordic Council, which makes suggestions to member countries on the coordination of policies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finland\u2019s international activities became more widely known when the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Organization-for-Security-and-Co-operation-in-Europe\">Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe<\/a>, which resulted in the creation of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/Helsinki-Accords\">Helsinki Accords<\/a>, was held in that city in 1975. Finland has continued to have especially close ties with the other Scandinavian countries, sharing a free labour market and participating in various economic, cultural, and scientific projects. Finland became a full member of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/European-Union\">European Union<\/a> in 1995.<a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/quiz\/countries-their-features\"> Britannica QuizCountries &amp; Their Features<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The landscape of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/ubiquitous\">ubiquitous<\/a> forest and water has been a primary source of inspiration for Finnish arts and letters. Starting with Finland\u2019s national epic, the<em> Kalevala<\/em>, the country\u2019s great artists and architects\u2014including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Alvar-Aalto\">Alvar Aalto<\/a>, Albert Edelfelt, Akseli Gallen-Kallela, Juha Ilmari Leivisk\u00e4, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Eero-Saarinen\">Eero Saarinen<\/a>\u2014as well as its musicians, writers, and poets\u2014from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Jean-Sibelius\">Jean Sibelius<\/a> to V\u00e4in\u00f6 Linna, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Juhani-Aho\">Juhani Aho<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Zacharias-Topelius\">Zacharias Topelius<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Eino-Leino\">Eino Leino<\/a>\u2014have all drawn themes and imagery from their national landscape. One of the first Modernist poets,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Edith-Irene-Sodergran\"> Edith S\u00f6dergran<\/a>, expressed her relationship to the Finnish <a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/environment\">environment<\/a> this way in \u201cHomecoming\u201d:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The tree of my youth stands rejoicing around me: O human!<br>And the grass bids me welcome from foreign lands.<br>My head I recline in the grass: now finally home.<br>Now I turn my back on everything that lies behind me:<br>My only companions will be the forest and the shore and the lake.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The notion of nature as the true home of the Finn is expressed again and again in Finnish proverbs and folk wisdom. The harsh climate in the northern part of the country, however, has resulted in the concentration of the population in the southern third of Finland, with about one-fifth of the country\u2019s population living in and around <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Helsinki\">Helsinki<\/a>, Finland\u2019s largest city and continental Europe\u2019s northernmost capital. Yet, despite the fact that most Finns live in towns and cities, nature\u2014especially the forest\u2014is never far from their minds and hearts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. <a href=\"https:\/\/premium.britannica.com\/premium-membership\/?utm_source=inline&amp;utm_medium=mendel&amp;utm_campaign=evergreen\">Subscribe Now<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Land<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/82\/582-050-03DF66A0\/Finland-map-features-locator.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/82\/582-050-03DF66A0\/Finland-map-features-locator.jpg\" alt=\"Physical features of Finland\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/82\/582-050-03DF66A0\/Finland-map-features-locator.jpg\">Physical features of Finland<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/76\/149576-050-72F48B01\/view-lakes-forests-Finland.jpg\">lakes and forests in Finland<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Aerial view of remote lakes and forests in Finland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finland is bordered to the north by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Norway\">Norway<\/a>, to the east by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Russia\">Russia<\/a>, to the south by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Gulf-of-Finland\">Gulf of Finland<\/a>, to the southwest by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Gulf-of-Bothnia\">Gulf of Bothnia<\/a>, and to the northwest by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Sweden\">Sweden<\/a>. Its area includes the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/autonomous\">autonomous<\/a> territory of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Aland-Islands\">\u00c5land<\/a>, an archipelago at the entrance to the Gulf of Bothnia. About one-third of the territory of Finland\u2014most of the <em>maakunta<\/em> (region) of Lappi\u2014lies north of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Arctic-Circle\">Arctic Circle<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Relief<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/74\/149574-050-2094589A\/lake-Finland.jpg\">marshland in Finland<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Marshland lake in Finland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finland is heavily forested and contains some 56,000 lakes, numerous rivers, and extensive areas of marshland; viewed from the air, Finland looks like an intricate blue and green <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/jigsaw-puzzle\">jigsaw puzzle<\/a>. Except in the northwest, relief features do not vary greatly, and travelers on the ground or on the water can rarely see beyond the trees in their immediate vicinity. The landscape nevertheless possesses a striking\u2014if sometimes bleak\u2014beauty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finland\u2019s underlying structure is a huge worn-down shield composed of ancient rock, mainly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/granite\">granite<\/a>, dating from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/Precambrian\">Precambrian time<\/a> (from about 4 billion to 540 million years ago). The land is low-lying in the southern part of the country and higher in the centre and the northeast, while the few mountainous regions are in the extreme northwest, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/adjacent\">adjacent<\/a> to Finland\u2019s borders with Sweden and Norway. In this area there are several high peaks, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Halti\">Mount Halti<\/a>, which is, at 4,357 feet (1,328 metres), Finland\u2019s highest mountain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/62\/149562-050-56D2D5C5\/Helsinki-archipelago-Finland.jpg\">Helsinki archipelago<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Helsinki archipelago, Finland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The coastline of Finland, some 2,760 miles (4,600 km) in length, is extremely indented and dotted with thousands of islands. The greatest number of these are to be found in the southwest, in the Turun (Turku; \u00c5bo) archipelago, which merges with the \u00c5land (Ahvenanmaa) Islands in the west. The southern islands in the Gulf of Finland are mainly of low elevation, while those lying along the southwest coastline may rise to heights of more than 400 feet (120 metres).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The relief of Finland was greatly affected by Ice Age glaciation.The retreating <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/ice-sheet\">continental glacier<\/a> left the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/bedrock\">bedrock<\/a> littered with morainic deposits in formations of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/esker\">eskers<\/a>, remarkable winding ridges of stratified gravel and sand, running northwest to southeast. One of the biggest formations is the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Salpausselka-ridges\">Salpausselk\u00e4 ridges<\/a>, three parallel ridges running across southern Finland in an arc pattern. The weight of the glaciers, sometimes miles thick, depressed the Earth\u2019s crust by many hundreds of feet. As a consequence, areas that have been released from the weight of the ice sheets have risen and continue to rise, and Finland is still emerging from the sea. Indeed, land rise of some 0.4 inch (10 mm) annually in the narrow part of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Gulf-of-Bothnia\">Gulf of Bothnia<\/a> is gradually turning the old sea bottom into dry land.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Drainage and soils<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/65\/149565-050-D7CEF76A\/Lake-Saimaa-Finland.jpg\">Lake Saimaa<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lake Saimaa in Finland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finland\u2019s inland waters occupy almost one-tenth of the country\u2019s total area; there are 10 lakes of more than 100 square miles (250 square km) in area and tens of thousands of smaller ones. The largest lake, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Lake-Saimaa\">Saimaa<\/a>, in the southeast, covers about 1,700 square miles (4,400 square km). There are many other large lakes near it, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Lake-Paijanne\">P\u00e4ij\u00e4nne<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Lake-Pielinen\">Pielinen<\/a>, while <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Oulu-Finland\">Oulu<\/a> is near Kajaani in central Finland, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Lake-Inari\">Inari<\/a> is in the extreme north. Away from coastal regions, many of Finland\u2019s rivers flow into the lakes, which are generally shallow\u2014only three lakes are deeper than about 300 feet (90 metres). Saimaa itself drains into the much larger <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Lake-Ladoga\">Lake Ladoga<\/a> in Russian territory via the Vuoksi (Vuoksa) River. Drainage from Finland\u2019s eastern uplands is through the lake system of Russian Karelia to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/White-Sea\">White Sea<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the extreme north the Paats River and its tributaries drain large areas into the Arctic. On Finland\u2019s western coast a series of rivers flow into the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Gulf-of-Bothnia\">Gulf of Bothnia<\/a>. These include the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Torne-River\">Tornio<\/a>, which forms part of Finland\u2019s border with Sweden, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Kemi-River\">Kemi<\/a>, which, at 343 miles (550 km), is Finland\u2019s longest river. In the southwest the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Kokemaen-River\">Kokem\u00e4en<\/a>, one of Finland\u2019s largest rivers, flows out past the city of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Pori\">Pori<\/a> (Bj\u00f6rneborg). Other rivers flow southward into the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Gulf-of-Finland\">Gulf of Finland<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Soils include those of the gravelly type found in the eskers, as well as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/extensive\">extensive<\/a> marine and lake postglacial deposits in the form of clays and silts, which provide the country\u2019s most fertile soils. Almost one-third of Finland was once covered by bogs, fens, peatlands, and other swamplands, but many of these have been drained and are now forested. The northern third of Finland still has thick layers of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/technology\/peat\">peat<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/humus-soil-component\">humus<\/a> soil of which continues to be reclaimed. In the \u00c5land Islands the soils are mainly clay and sand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Climate<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The part of Finland north of the Arctic Circle suffers extremely severe and prolonged winters. Temperatures can fall as low as \u221222 \u00b0F (\u221230 \u00b0C). In these latitudes the snow never melts from the north-facing mountain slopes, but in the short summer (Lapland has about two months of the midnight sun), from May to July, temperatures can reach as high as 80 \u00b0F (27 \u00b0C). Farther south the temperature extremes are slightly less marked, as the Baltic Sea- and Gulf Stream-warmed airflow from the Atlantic keeps temperatures as much as 10 degrees higher than at similar latitudes in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Siberia\">Siberia<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Greenland\">Greenland<\/a>. Winter is the longest season in Finland. North of the Arctic Circle the polar night lasts for more than 50 days; in southern Finland the shortest day lasts about six hours. Annual precipitation, about one-third of which falls as sleet or snow, is about 25 inches (600 mm) in the south and a little less in the north. All Finnish waters are subject to some surface freezing during the winter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Plant and animal life<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/73\/149573-050-1E1762EA\/cloudberries.jpg\">cloudberries<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Edible cloudberries (<em>Rubus chamaemorus<\/em>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Much of Finland is dominated by conifers, but in the extreme south there is a zone of deciduous trees <a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/comprising\">comprising<\/a> mainly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/plant\/birch\">birch<\/a>, hazel, aspen, maple, elm, linden, and alder. The conifers are mainly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/plant\/pine\">pine<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/plant\/spruce\">spruce<\/a>. Pine extends to the extreme north, where it can be found among the dwarf arctic birch and pygmy willow. Lichens become increasingly common and varied in kind toward the north. In autumn the woods are rich in edible fungi. More than 1,000 species of flowering plants have been recorded. The sphagnum swamps, which are widespread in the northern tundra or bogland area, yield harvests of cloudberries, as well as plagues of mosquitoes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/71\/149571-050-C33E9F0F\/Brown-bear-Finland.jpg\">brown bear<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Brown bear (<em>Ursus arctos<\/em>) in Finland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/75\/149575-050-A0212B46\/Reindeer-Finland.jpg\">reindeer<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Reindeer in Finland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finland is relatively rich in wildlife. Seabirds, such as the black-backed gull and the arctic tern, nest in great numbers on the coastal islands; waterfowl, such as the black and white velvet scoter duck, nest on inland lakes. Other birds include the Siberian jay, the pied wagtail, and, in the north, the eagle. Many birds <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/migrate\">migrate<\/a> southward in winter. Finland is the breeding site for many water and wading birds, including the majority of the world\u2019s goldeneyes and broad-billed sandpipers (<em>Limicola falcinellus<\/em>). Native woodland animals include bear, elk, wolf, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/animal\/wolverine\">wolverine<\/a>, lynx, and Finnish elk. Wild reindeer have almost disappeared; those remaining in the north are domesticated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Salmon, trout, and the much esteemed <em>siika<\/em> (whitefish) are relatively abundant in the northern rivers. Baltic herring is the most common sea fish, while crayfish can be caught during the brief summer season. Pike, char, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/animal\/perch\">perch<\/a> are also found.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The vegetation and wildlife of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Aland-Islands\">\u00c5land Islands<\/a> is much like that of coastal southern Finland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All information come from <a href=\"http:\/\/Netherlands, country located in northwestern Europe, also known as Holland. \u201cNetherlands\u201d means low-lying country; the name Holland (from Houtland, or \u201cWooded Land\u201d) was originally given to one of the medieval cores of what later became the modern state and is still used for 2 of its 12 provinces (Noord-Holland and Zuid-Holland). A parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarch, the kingdom includes its former colonies in the Lesser Antilles: Aruba, Bonaire, Cura\u00e7ao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten. The capital is Amsterdam and the seat of government The Hague. Netherlands Netherlands Explore Holland's population, waterways, and vast tulip cross-breeding and cultivation program Explore Holland's population, waterways, and vast tulip cross-breeding and cultivation program Learn about the geography, agriculture, and commerce of The Netherlands. See all videos for this article  The country is indeed low-lying and remarkably flat, with large expanses of lakes, rivers, and canals. Some 2,500 square miles (6,500 square km) of the Netherlands consist of reclaimed land, the result of a process of careful water management dating back to medieval times. Along the coasts, land was reclaimed from the sea, and, in the interior, lakes and marshes were drained, especially alongside the many rivers. All this new land was turned into polders, usually surrounded by dikes. Initially, man power and horsepower were used to drain the land, but they were later replaced by windmills, such as the mill network at Kinderdijk-Elshout, now a UNESCO World Heritage site. The largest water-control schemes were carried out in the second half of the 19th century and in the 20th century, when steam pumps and, later, electric or diesel pumps came into use. Exploring Amsterdam: Canals, design, and museums Exploring Amsterdam: Canals, design, and museums Overview of Amsterdam. See all videos for this article  Despite government-encouraged emigration after World War II, which prompted some 500,000 persons to leave the country, the Netherlands is today one of the world\u2019s most densely populated countries. Although the population as a whole is \u201cgraying\u201d rapidly, with a high percentage over age 65, Amsterdam has remained one of the liveliest centres of international youth culture. There, perhaps more than anywhere else in the country, the Dutch tradition of social tolerance is readily encountered. Prostitution, \u201csoft-drug\u201d (marijuana and hashish) use, and euthanasia are all legal but carefully regulated in the Netherlands, which was also the first country to legalize same-sex marriage.  This relative independence of outlook was evident as early as the 16th and 17th centuries, when the Dutch rejected monarchical controls and took a relatively enlightened view of other cultures, especially when they brought wealth and capital to the country\u2019s trading centres. In that period Dutch merchant ships sailed the world and helped lay the foundations of a great trading country characterized by a vigorous spirit of enterprise. In later centuries, the Netherlands continued to have one of the most advanced economies in the world, despite the country\u2019s modest size. The Dutch economy is open and generally internationalist in outlook. With Belgium and Luxembourg, the Netherlands is a member of the Benelux economic union, which in the 1950s and 1960s served as a model for the larger European Economic Community (EEC; now embedded in the European Union [EU]), of which the Benelux countries are members. The Netherlands is also a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and it plays host to a number of international organizations, especially in the legal sector, such as the International Court of Justice. Brown globe on antique map. Brown world on vintage map. North America. Green globe. Hompepage blog 2009, history and society, geography and travel, explore discovery Britannica Quiz Countries &amp; Their Features  The Dutch reputation for tolerance was tested in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, when an increase in immigration from non-European Union countries and a populist turn in politics resulted in growing nationalism and even xenophobia, marked by two race-related political assassinations, in 2002 and 2004, and the government\u2019s requirement that immigrants pass an expensive \u2018\u2018integration\u2019\u2019 test before they enter the country. Land Relief Netherlands Netherlands Urk, Netherlands Urk, Netherlands Urk, once an island of the former Zuiderzee, now part of the North East (Noordoost) Polder, Netherlands.  The Netherlands is bounded by the North Sea to the north and west, Germany to the east, and Belgium to the south. If the Netherlands were to lose the protection of its dunes and dikes, the most densely populated part of the country would be inundated (largely by the sea but also in part by the rivers). This highly developed part of the Netherlands, which generally does not lie higher than about three feet (one metre) above sea level, covers more than half the total area of the country. About half of this area (more than one-fourth of the total area of the country) actually lies below sea level. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Subscribe Now  The lower area consists mainly of polders, where the landscape not only lies at a very low elevation but is also very flat in appearance. On such land, building is possible only on \u201crafts,\u201d or after concrete piles, sometimes as long as 65 feet (20 metres), have been driven into the silt layer.  In the other, higher area, the layers of sand and gravel in the eastern part of the country were pushed sideways and upward in some places by ice tongues of the Saale Glacial Stage, forming elongated ridges that may reach a height of more than 330 feet (100 metres) and are the principal feature of the Hoge Park Veluwe National Park. The only part of the country where elevations exceed 350 feet (105 metres) is the border zone of the Ardennes. The Netherlands\u2019 highest point, the Vaalserberg, in the extreme southeastern corner, rises to 1,053 feet (321 metres). Drainage and dikes north dam across the IJsselmeer north dam across the IJsselmeer Part of the north dam (the Afsluitdijk) across the IJsselmeer, Netherlands.  The Zuiderzee was originally an estuary of the Rhine River. By natural action it then became a shallow inland sea, biting deep into the land, and eventually it was hollowed into an almost circular shape by the action of winds and tides. In 1920 work was begun on the Zuiderzee project, of which the IJsselmeer Dam (Afsluitdijk), begun in 1927, was a part. This 19-mile- (30-km-) long dam was completed in 1932 to finally seal off the Zuiderzee from the Waddenzee and the North Sea. In the IJsselmeer, or IJssel Lake, formed from the southern part of the Zuiderzee, four large polders, the IJsselmeer Polders, with a total area of about 650 square miles (1,700 square km), were constructed around a freshwater basin fed by the IJssel and other rivers and linked with the sea by sluices and locks in the barrier dam.  The first two polders created there\u2014Wieringermeer and North East (Noordoost) Polder, drained before and during World War II\u2014are used mostly for agriculture. The two polders reclaimed in the 1950s and \u201960s\u2014South Flevoland Polder (Zuidelijk) and East Flevoland Polder (Oostelijk)\u2014are used for residential, industrial, and recreational purposes. Among the cities that have developed there are Lelystad and Almere. Netherlands: Delta Works flood-control project Netherlands: Delta Works flood-control project Learn about flood control in the Netherlands. See all videos for this article  In the southwest, the disastrous gales and spring tide of February 1, 1953, which flooded some 400,000 acres (162,000 hectares) of land and killed 1,800 people, accelerated the implementation of the Delta Project, which aimed to close off most of the sea inlets of the southwestern delta. These delta works were designed to shorten the coastline by 450 miles (725 km), combat the salination of the soil, and allow the development of the area through roads that were constructed over 10 dams and 2 bridges built between 1960 and 1987. The largest of these dams, crossing the five-mile- (eight-km-) wide Eastern Schelde (Oosterschelde) estuary, has been built in the form of a storm-surge barrier incorporating dozens of openings that can be closed in the event of flood. The barrier is normally open, allowing salt water to enter the estuary and about three-fourths of the tidal movement to be maintained, limiting damage to the natural environment in the Eastern Schelde. In the interest of the commerce of the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp, no dams were constructed in the New Waterway, which links Rotterdam to the North Sea, or the West Schelde, an approach to Antwerp, Belgium. The dikes along these waterways consequently had to be strengthened.  A region with a very specific character has been formed by the great rivers\u2014Rhine, Lek, Waal, and Maas (Meuse)\u2014that flow from east to west through the central part of the country. The landscape in this area is characterized by high dikes along wide rivers, orchards along the levees formed by the rivers, and numerous large bridges over which pass the roads and railways that connect the central Netherlands with the southern provinces. Soils Keukenhof Gardens Keukenhof Gardens Keukenhof Gardens, near Lisse, Netherlands.  In the late Pleistocene Epoch (from about 126,000 to 11,700 years ago), the Scandinavian ice sheet covered the northern half of the Netherlands. After this period, a large area in the north of what is now the Netherlands was left covered by moraine (glacial accumulation of earth and rock debris). In the centre and south, the Rhine and Maas rivers unloaded thick layers of silt and gravel transported from the European mountain chains. Later, during the Holocene Epoch (i.e., the past 11,700 years), clay was deposited in the sheltered lagoons behind the coastal dunes, and peat soil often subsequently developed in these areas. If the peat soil was washed away by the sea or dug away by humans (for the production of fuel and salt), lakes were created. Many of these were reclaimed in later centuries (as mentioned above), while others now form highly valued outdoor recreational areas. Climate  The climate of the Netherlands is temperate, with gentle winters, cool summers, and rainfall in every season. Southerly and westerly winds predominate, and the sea moderates the climate through onshore winds and the effect of the Gulf Stream. Koninck, Philips: View over a Flat Landscape Koninck, Philips: View over a Flat Landscape View over a Flat Landscape, oil on canvas by Philips Koninck, 1664; in the Museum Boymans-van Beuningen, Rotterdam, Netherlands.  The position of the country\u2014between the area of high-pressure air masses centred on the Azores and the low-pressure region centred on Iceland\u2014makes the Netherlands an area of collision between warm and polar air masses, thus creating unsettled weather. Winds meet with little resistance over the flat country, though the hills in the south significantly diminish the velocity of the potent wind that prevails along the coast. On average, frost occurs 60 days per year. July temperatures average about 63 \u00b0F (17 \u00b0C), and those of January average 35 \u00b0F (2 \u00b0C). Annual rainfall averages about 31 inches (790 mm), with only about 25 clear days per year. The average rainfall is highest in summer (August) and autumn and lowest in springtime. The country is known\u2014not least through the magnificent landscapes of Dutch painters\u2014for its heavy clouds, and on an average day three-fifths of the sky is clouded. Plant and animal life  Most wild Dutch plant species are of the Atlantic district within the Euro-Siberian phytogeographic region. Gradients of salt and winter temperature variations cause relatively minor zonal differences in both wild and garden plants from the coast to more continental regions. The effects of elevation are negligible. Vegetation from coastal sand dunes, muddy coastal areas, slightly brackish lakes, and river deltas is especially scarce in the surrounding countries. Lakes, marshes, peatland, woods, heaths, and agricultural areas determine the general floral species. Clay, peat, and sand are important soil factors for the inland vegetation regions.  Animal life is relegated by region according to vegetation. Seabirds and other sea life, such as mollusks, are found especially in the muddy Waddenzee area and in the extreme southwest. Migrating birds pass in huge numbers through the Netherlands or remain for a summer or winter stay. Species of waterbirds and marsh and pasture birds are numerous. Larger mammals, such as roe deer, red deer, foxes, and badgers, are mostly restricted to nature reserves. Some species, such as boars, beavers, fallow deer, mouflons, and muskrats, have been introduced locally or reintroduced. Some reptiles and amphibians are endangered. Numerous species of river fish and river lobsters have become scarce because of water pollution. There is a diversity of brackish and freshwater animals inhabiting the many lakes, canals, and drainage ditches, but the vulnerable species of the nutritionally deficient waters have become rare.  Nature reserves have been formed by governmental and private organizations. Well-known reserves include the Naardermeer of Amsterdam, the Hoge Veluwe National Park, and the Oostvaardersplassen in the centre of the country. Some endangered species are protected by law.\">Encyclopedia Britannica<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Finland Free Tour Helsinki Free Tour Rovaniemi Free Tour Information: Finland, country located in northern Europe. Finland is one of the world\u2019s most northern and geographically remote countries and is subject to a severe climate. Nearly two-thirds of Finland is blanketed by thick woodlands, making it the most densely forested country in Europe. 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