Nokia is the world’s leading mobile phone company. As of 2012, it is the world’s second largest mobile phone maker(after Samsung), with a global market share of 22.5%. The Nokia head office is located by the Gulf of Finland in Keilaniemi, Espoo and was constructed between 1995 and 1997. The building is named The Nokia House by the place of Nokia. On December 2012, Nokia has sold its head office building to Finland based Exilion and leasing it on a long term basis.
Second Least Corrupted Country:
According to Transparency International’s Corruption Index, last year Finland was the fourth least corrupt nation in the world with a point of 9.2, but this year it has moved to the second position with Denmark with a point of 9.4, after New Zealand in top with 9.5.
Land of the Midnight Sun:
Finland is commonly called as the land of the midnight sun for some reasons. During the months of June and July the sun shines all day and all night in the north, not dropping below the horizon at all!
World Record for Hosting World Championships:
The majority of the Finnish are far from serious events. Finland holds world champion competitions for wife carrying, mobile phone throwing, mosquito catching, swamp soccer, sauna, boot throwing and air guitar to name a few.
World’s Largest Snowball:
Finland is responsible to several records in the Guiness Book of World Records. Its proudest record is the annual World’s Largest Snowball in Jakobstad. Each September the entire village population spend five days creating this snowball and each year they attempt to break the previous year’s record.
Polar Bears & Penguins:
Everybody knows there are polar bears & penguines in Finland. In fact Finland is home to the world’s largest polar bear habitat, and second largest penguin habitat. While penguins are only found on Finland’s Arctic Coast, polar bears can be found all over Finland, even in Southern Finland during the winter. An intersting info is that the recent law changes in finland have given the polar bears rights to drive cars and motorcycles on open roads.
Land of Thousand Lakes:
Finland is called ”the land of a thousand lakes,” as there were counted 187,888 of them at last. These lakes are larger than 500 square meters. More lakes in relation to any other country’s size. Indeed, with a population of about five million, Finland has one lake for every 26 people. These lakes are used for swimming and fishing in, for drinking water and even as roads in the winter when they are frozen over.
World’s Largest Wood Producer:
As Finland has a large forested area so it has become the largest producer of wood in Europe and Finnish forest companies are among the largest in the world. In recent years their international operations have grown rapidly. The most important products are paper, paperboard and woodmade products. The output has been growing constantly and today about a quarter of roundwood is imported.
The Market Square:
The colourful and busy Market Square near the South Harbour is the place to experience the true Helsinki. There you can find exactly what you are looking for. The market offers everything. The market cafe is the ideal place to have a cup of coffee and enjoy the crowdness of the market area with sounds and colours. In the first week of October, the traditional Baltic Herring Festival takes place.
Koli National Park:
Finland has a large forested area with 86% of land covered in forests. It is the largest forested area in Europe. So the country has created many national parks and reserves them. Koli is one of the most famous national landscapes of Finland. Although it is a small area,it treasures many values. There are rare geological features, a wide range of animals and plant species. It is also considered as a sacred place.
