Finland is a sovereign country in Northern Europe, in the wider region of Europe. Its full official name is Republic of Finland. Its seat of government is Helsinki.
It covers 338,424 km², which ranks it 67th of the 250 countries and territories in this dataset — just behind Congo and just ahead of Vietnam. That makes it almost exactly the same size as the Philippines.
The population is about 5.6 million, placing it 117th of 250 by population — between Lebanon above it and Liberia below. Measured only against its own subregion, it is 2nd of 16 in size and 4th in population.
The lie of the land
Plotted on a globe it falls at 64.0° north, 26.0° east, which puts it in the northern hemisphere, roughly 7,124 km from the equator, in what geographers would call high-latitude latitudes.
It is one of the countries that the Arctic Circle crosses. Follow that same latitude east or west and you reach Iceland — places that share its distance from the equator but little else.
3 countries share a land border with it: Norway, Sweden and Russia. The largest of them by area is Russia, which is also the most populous. Together those neighbours hold about 159.7 million people.
With both a coast and land borders, it has the trade options a landlocked country does not.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Who lives in Finland
Population divided by land area gives roughly 17 people per square kilometre, which makes it less crowded than the typical entry on this list. Half the entries in this dataset fall below roughly 90 per square kilometre.
It recognises 2 languages: Finnish and Swedish. Finnish is listed for no other entry in this dataset, which makes it effectively unique to Finland.
People from Finland are called Finnish.
Against Europe as a whole it is the 23rd most populous of 53 entries, and it accounts for 5.1% of everyone living in Northern Europe.
Money, codes and practical details
Money there is the Euro (€, EUR). Another 37 entries use the same currency — Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria and Croatia among them — so exchange rates move for reasons that have nothing to do with Finland.
Websites there use the .fi domain. Calls from overseas start with +358. Its ISO codes are fi and FIN, which is what most databases and flag files use.
Helsinki is the seat of government and the answer most quizzes are looking for.
As a sovereign state it is among the 193 UN members listed here. The other 57 entries are territories, dependencies or observers, which is why totals on this site run to 250 rather than the familiar 195.
Neighbouring countries
Finland shares borders with 3 countries:
Fun facts about Finland
- Its full official name is Republic of Finland.
- It lies about 7,124 km from the equator, in high-latitude latitudes.
- Its currency, the Euro, is shared with 37 other entries.
- Population density works out at roughly 17 people per square kilometre.
- Finnish is listed as an official language for no other entry in this dataset.
- The Arctic Circle runs across or very near it.
Finland — frequently asked questions
- What is the capital of Finland?
- The capital of Finland is Helsinki.
- How big is Finland?
- Finland covers 338,424 km², ranking 67th of 250 by land area. That makes it almost exactly the same size as the Philippines.
- Where is Finland located?
- Finland is in Northern Europe, part of Europe. Its reference coordinates are 64.0° north and 26.0° east, roughly 7,124 km from the equator in high-latitude latitudes.
- Is Finland a country?
- Yes. Finland is a sovereign state and one of the 193 UN members listed on this site.
- Which countries border Finland?
- Finland borders 3 countries: Norway, Sweden and Russia. Russia is the largest of them by area.
- What language is spoken in Finland?
- Finland lists 2 official languages: Finnish and Swedish. Finnish does not appear as an official language anywhere else in this dataset.
- What is the population of Finland?
- Finland has a population of about 5.6 million, which makes it the 117th most populous of the 250 countries and territories listed on this site. Lebanon sits just above it and Liberia just below.
- What currency does Finland use?
- Finland uses the Euro, written € (currency code EUR). It is shared with 37 other entries.
