suomi

Suomi is the Finnish name for Finland, a Nordic country located in Northern Europe. In Finnish usage, Suomi refers to the country itself; in English the country is usually called Finland. The country lies between Sweden to the west, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with a long Baltic Sea coastline to the south and southeast. It is part of the Fennoscandian region and is known for thousands of lakes, extensive boreal forests, and an archipelago along the coast. Finland covers about 338,000 square kilometers and has a population of roughly 5.5 million. Helsinki is the capital and largest city.

Finland is a parliamentary republic. The unicameral parliament (Eduskunta) has 200 members. The president is head of state with limited executive powers; the prime minister is head of government. The country is a member of the European Union (since 1995) and adopted the euro as its currency in 1999. Finland joined NATO in 2023. The official languages are Finnish and Swedish; Finnish is the majority language, with Swedish as a co-official minority language in some regions. Nationally, many minority languages exist, including Sami languages.

Economy and society are highly developed, with a strong welfare state, high-income per capita, and sectors such as technology, telecommunications, forest products, and metals. The education system emphasizes universal access and high literacy. Finnish culture is noted for design, literature, music, and traditions such as the sauna. Finland has a history of independence since 1917, after centuries under Sweden and then the Russian Empire.