Syntymämaata

Syntymämaa, in Finnish, refers to the country in which a person was born. In English it is commonly translated as birth country or birthplace. The term is used in official documents, demographic statistics, and other forms of identification to indicate where a person entered the world.

The word is a compound of syntymä, meaning birth, and maa, meaning country or land. In sentences it is declined like other Finnish nouns, with forms such as syntymämaa in the base form, syntymämaan in the genitive, and syntymämaata in certain cases, depending on the sentence structure.

Usage and significance vary by context. Syntymämaa identifies birthplace and is not a direct indicator of citizenship, which in Finnish is kansalaisuus. It is commonly recorded in population registers, passports, and administrative forms, and it can influence demographic statistics, eligibility for certain programs, or identity verification in international contexts. In many cases, a person’s syntymämaa may be Finland if born there, while individuals born abroad retain the birth country of their origin.

In international and comparative contexts, the concept is equivalent to “birth country” or “place of birth.” It is distinct from current residence (asuinmaa) and from nationality (kansalaisuus). Some individuals may have a syntymämaa different from their current country of residence or citizenship.

See also: place of birth, birthplace, nationality, residence country.