With an area of 338,000 sq km, Finland is the seventh largest country in Europe. Located between Sweden and Russia, with which it shares a 1269km border, it also shares one with Norway's arctic north (716km) and Sweden's north-west (586km). The Gulf of Finland separates southern Finland from Estonia. Forests cover two-thirds of Finland, the arctic zone one-third. Post-glacial lakes are the country's dominant feature, and if marshes and bogs are also counted, water covers about 10% of the country. Finland's highest point, the Halti, rises 1328m above sea level.
Finnish flora is surprisingly rich and varied during the dynamic period between late May and September. Some low-lying valleys in the south resemble jungles by late July. The three main types of forest are pine, spruce and birch. Deciduous forests, of which birch is the most typical, are the most varied in terms of flora. The brown bear is the largest furball you will come across in Finnish forests; other mammals include elks, foxes, lynxes, lemmings and hedgehogs. Reindeer abound in north Finland, and beavers are quite common. There are over 300 species of birds including black grouse, whooper cranes and birds of prey, such as ospreys. Chaf finches and willow warblers are the two most common species in forests.
Finland can get mighty cold - in the south it gets down to -15°C in January and February, while in the north it's often below -30°C during the winter months. It's also dark most of the day during this time. When summer rolls around and the midnight sun does its thing, expect about 15°C in the north and around 20°C in the south (although it can get above 30°C).
Population
5,190,785 (July 2003 est.)
Area
337,030 sq km
Ethnicity/ Race
Finn 93%, Swede 6%, Sami 0.11%, Roma 0.12%, Tatar 0.02%
Major Languages
Finnish 93.4% (official), Swedish 5.9% (official), small Sami- and Russian-speaking minori
Religion
Evangelical Lutheran 89%, Russian Orthodox 1%, none 9%, other 1%
reedexpo.co.ukReed Travel Exhibitions is pleased to announce the host destination of their new exhibition, City Break, which will focus on the increasingly important city break sector. City Break 2006 will take place 12-14 June 2006 in Helsinki, Finland.
Helsinki was selected as one of the European Cities of Culture in the year 2000 and more recently was voted Best Scandinavian Travel Destination at ITB in March 2005.
Mark Walsh, Exhibition Director of City Break, said "City Break will move to a different European destination annually giving all delegates the opportunity to experience a new city each year. Helsinki has been selected to host the first event. It offers quality hotels, interesting visitor attractions, good international access and is a vibrant city fast becoming a top destination amongst 'city breakers'.
"The professionalism of the people at the Helsinki City Tourist and Convention Bureau is second to none," Walsh added, "We are very confident that they will help us deliver a fantastic inaugural event."
Pirkko Nyman, Tourist Director of the Helsinki City Tourist and Convention Bureau, commented, "The city of Helsinki is proud and honoured to host the first ever City Break. Helsinki has already gained a reputation as an important venue for international events and City Break is a unique opportunity for us to demonstrate Helsinki's capacity and quality to international buyers and exhibitors. In mid June, Helsinki will be at its best - the days are long and bright and the sun hardly sets!
"We are excited about this opportunity and, together with our many partners, will do our very best to make this event both enjoyable and successful."
