Imagine a country that is ranked first in the world's happiness rankings every year. This country is like a cold paradise covered with snow most of the year. The people are incredibly calm, and there is no hustle and bustle.
The country's agenda is not busy with significant events every day. Daily life is peaceful and simple. Everyone is busy with their own business, and there is no chaos.
This country is one of the most amazing countries in Northern Europe and a place many people dream of living. A civilization with a population of 5. 5 million called "A Land of a Thousand Lakes" because it has around 55,000 lakes.
This is Finland! Although Finland may seem small on the map, it is an extraordinary country with an area of 338 thousand square kilometers. Finland's population is relatively low for its area, which increases the country's welfare and per capita incomes.
The annual domestic national income of 310 billion dollars is approximately 60 thousand per person. This is an amount that satisfies the people there financially. However, per capita income is one of many reasons why they are so prosperous.
In addition to being one of the happiest countries, Finland is ranked 3rd on the list of the world's most powerful passports. With this passport, Finns can travel to many countries without a visa. In addition to travel opportunities, a strong passport provides residence permits and business establishment opportunities in other countries.
That's why we can say that Finnish people are free in many ways. In addition, Finland is home to many inventions and brands. Although they have a small population, they are working to make human life more manageable.
For example, Finland is the country that invented the sauna and brought it into society. For this reason, Finland is one of the countries where sauna rooms are most famous. Enjoying the sauna against the snow view is one of the favorite activities that relieve stress.
People from home and abroad enjoy entering Finland's excellent spas and saunas. In this way, their bodies remain vigorous, and their mental well-being continues to be high. Especially in the winter months, there is usually overcast weather in this country.
Sometimes it is 2 hours between sunrise and sunset. Finland actually wasn't a top-rated destination until 30 years ago. However, Finland has always continued to develop slowly, as countries have been deteriorating internally and struggling with new problems.
For example, they created a brand that was popular worldwide, and everyone wanted to have one. NOKIA! They invented the world's most the popular phone, which was very popular 15-20 years ago.
Yes, Nokia is a large Finnish company. I'm sure many people around you once collected coupons from newspapers and saw or used those famous phones like Nokia 32 10. Although the brand lags behind brands such as Samsung and Apple, it still continues production today.
There is even a town called Nokia in the country. Finland is located between Northern Europe and Russia. It is a country that has a coast on the Baltic Sea and borders Russia to the east, Norway to the north, and Sweden to the west.
Finnish people are also thought to be of Central Asian and Siberian descent. Historians state that today's Finnish people are not only of Scandinavian origin but similarly blended with people of Slavic origin from Central Asia and the Siberian region of Russia. Today, the northern part of the country is called Lapland, and the people in the north are called Lapans.
On the whole, more than 90 percent of Finland self identifies as Finnish. The fact that Finland has genetics from northern peoples has made them look physically flawless and beautiful. It is said that the most beautiful people today are in the Northern European countries, led by Finland.
Especially people who migrated to Finland from distant civilizations greatly admire the beauty of the Finns. Physically, they have an incredibly perfect appearance. So far, we have defined Finland by its high income, productivity and genetic beauty.
Apart from these, the country sets an example to the whole world with another feature. Of course, it's education! Finland is known as the best country in the world with its education system.
Education in the country is entirely free and given to everyone under equal conditions. The teaching technique in universities is divided into two, standard and polytechnic. While standard schools focus more on theoretical courses, polytechnic schools train students with practical applied courses.
For example, a person studying Engineering does not prepare for exams by memorising lecture notes. Examinations are held in laboratories and training areas with hands-on experiments. In this way, education is not only on paper but practically transferred to students and becomes permanent.
There is a 9-year compulsory education process in the country and there are no private schools. Lesson hours are limited to only 3-4 hours per day and a maximum of 20 hours per week. Moreover, students do not go to school all day, and there is no concept of homework.
Philosophy and logic courses are taught to students before courses such as mathematics and biology. When children are at school, they feel at home and enter their classrooms by removing their shoes. The aim is to enable children to acquire morality and manners before basic sciences.
In Finland, children blend into society as humble, respectful, punctual and keeping their word. People in Finland are very trustworthy their minds are free and their hearts are conscientious. For this reason, the crime rate in the country is also very low.
For example, in a study conducted in 2018, only 1. 15 percent of crime was found per 100,000 people. In a crime ranking made with 129 countries in 2020, Finland was ranked 118th out of 129 countries with the most crimes.
Today, the safest country is Iceland, while the most dangerous country is Afghanistan. The most important issue in education is that students speak their mother tongue Finnish in the best way. One of the things that will attract your attention the most when you go to Finland is the pine trees.
The country has so many green areas and forests that it is possible to see pine trees everywhere. These trees look very visually pleasing both in summer and winter. Since the country does not aim for rapid industrialization and has less population, green areas do not turn into concrete structures.
Because it is not needed. Since there are many green areas, the country's air is also very clean. First-time travelers to Finland may experience temporary dizziness and even nosebleeds, as their noses will be exposed to high fresh air, especially if they come from an area with bad weather.
Today, Finland, Estonia, Iceland and New Zealand are the countries with the cleanest air in the world. In other words, when you go to Finland, you can have a high-quality life, from the weather to nature, from the living conditions to the culture. If you are to be there for a short time, you should enjoy the tree houses among the pine trees.
Imagine starting the day with such a view! How peaceful it looks! Tourists, who come to this relaxing area in the north of the country, light fires together in the evenings and meet and mingle in the calm nature of Finland.
They eat Finnish food, listen to music and shop. There are also many snow-made restaurants in such areas. This snow-made business culture is quite common in Finland.
Even decades ago, their ancestors built similar shelters for various purposes and survived in these areas. There is another unique activity you can do in Finland. Especially if you will be there for a short time and your budget allows it, you should go on the icebreaker trip in the north of the country.
During the winter, lakes in Finland freeze and are covered with thick ice sheets. This situation has created a different tourism sector in the country. People sail on "ICEBREAKER" ships, frozen lakes, and even the Baltic Sea and experience the beautiful moment.
Similarly, these ships also provide transportation from Finland to Sweden. It's more than just tourism and transportation. Northern European countries also have oil reserves.
Norway, for example, began to prosper with its oil reserves. After discovering oil reserves, these Northern European countries carried out regular sales to various parts of the world and were transported by ships. In winter, these ICEBREAKER ships are needed to transport these oils by ships.
Having so many functions, these ships are a boon for a safe cruise across the frozen Baltic Sea! But nowadays they are mainly used to entertain people. For example, the ship is approaching a shore, and people jump from the ship into the water in freezing waters of -20 degrees.
Of course, they do this with air-filled inflatable suits that protect them from drowning and the cold. Thus, swimming in the ice-covered waters of the Baltic Sea becomes just as enjoyable! If you say that Finland is still not enough for me to be happy despite all this, there is another delightful opportunity in this country.
If you really like winter tourism and want to experience adrenaline in the snow-covered nature, you can dive into the forests with the Siberian wolves called HUSKY and experience the adrenaline of speed. It really makes you feel like you're in a Hollywood movie. The scenery is magnificent, and going into the forest with the HUSKYs adds excitement.
For someone traveling from Siberia to Finland, this may mean little. However, every person from a distant culture should experience these feelings personally. If we look at daily life in Finland, they are a European Union country and use the Euro as their currency.
It is difficult to go to Finland as they are a member of the European Union. You need to get a Schengen Visa even for a short time to go to this country that has come out of a fairy tale. For long-term residence, you must have a good command of Finnish and the second official language, Swedish.
This is one of their essential principles, not only for communication with local people but also for job acceptance. For example, even if you receive a job invitation from Finland, you take the Finnish proficiency exams to practice your profession in that country. You are required to get a good grade on the exam, such as B2.
So the first key to living in Finland is to master their language. Helsinki, the country's capital, is located in the southernmost part of Finland and has a calm and majestic style as the north. You can understand how elegant the city looks even when viewed from above.
Strangely, the rates of depression in this beautiful country are incredibly high. This may seem illogical and strange to you. Why are people depressed in a country with high quality of life, conditions, health services, education, and natural beauty?
Scandinavians, especially those in their 50s, are prone to suicide. You may first think of the idea that the weather in Finland is cold and cloudy almost throughout the year. This is, of course, one of the reasons that make the people there depressed.
But that's not the main reason. In Finland, people achieve what usually requires a lot of effort while still young. Others take a different approach to the cause of the high suicide rates in northern European countries such as Finland.
Some claim that lack of belief is very common in places like Finland, Norway and Sweden, and because there is no belief in an afterlife, people's resistance is quickly broken. Perhaps believing in a religion is an essential factor in people's survival. As a result, because of such reasons, people in their 50s in Scandinavian and Baltic countries reach a point of satisfaction, and life becomes meaningless.
In addition, the inability to accept old age brings them to the point of breakdown. On the other hand, Finland's border connection with Russia confronts them with the fear of a possible nuclear war and of living in bunkers. Today, there are underground shelters in Finland large enough to contain 1 million people, and people will try to hold on to life in these safe shelters in case of a possible disaster.
Finland has recently joined NATO with the approval of Turkey, thus reducing the public's fear of Russia a little bit. Therefore, if Russia launches an operation against Finland, the 30 NATO countries will defend Finland with all their might. Thus, as of today, Finland is safer than ever.
Goodbye.
