Physical Geography

Finland is a low-lying country that was covered by glaciers during the last Ice Age. On retreating, the glaciers left the country flat to hilly and studded with lakes. The land rises from a coastal plain in the south and southwest to a rolling plateau, with elevations from 300 to 600 feet (90 to 180 m) in the south-central section. Uplands of more than 600 feet (180 m) in elevation extend northward to Finnish Lapland, the northernmost part of the country. Here rise small arctic mountains, called fells. The highest point is Mount Haltia, on the Norwegian border, which reaches 4,344 feet (1,324 m).

Thousands of islands, most of them small, dot the 690-mile (1,110-km) coast. The largest is Åland, the principal island of the Åland Islands, which lie off the southwest coast.

On the plateau in south-central Finland are many of the country's 60,000 lakes, including most of its large ones. Among the largest are Saimaa, Päijänne, Näsi, Keitele, Kalla, and Pielinen. Other large lakes include Oulu Lake, in central Finland, and Lake Inari, in Lapland. Among the rivers are the Vuoksi, Kymi, and Kokemäen, draining much of the plateau; the Oulu, draining Oulu Lake; and the Kemi, draining much of the north.

Finland has a subpolar type of climate, which increases in severity toward the north. In the south the climate is tempered by the sea. Winters are long and cold—average February temperatures vary from about 5° F. (-15° C.) in the north to 20° F. (-7° C.) in the south. Summers are short and cool—July temperatures average about 55° F. (13° C.) in the north and 63° F. (17° C.) in the south.

Finland's annual precipitation varies from 20 to 25 inches (510 to 630 mm). Snow cover lasts from about 90 days in Åland to 250 days above the Arctic Circle.

Daylight hours are extremely long in summer and short in winter. Above the Arctic Circle there are more than 50 days of uninterrupted winter night and more than 70 days of continuous summer daylight. This part of Finland is within the region often called the Land of the Midnight Sun.

Forests, mainly coniferous, cover about two-thirds of Finland. Pine and spruce are the predominant species. Intermixed among the conifers in the south are such hardwoods as aspen, birch, and alder. A treeless tundra region of mosses, lichens, and grass lies beyond the Arctic Circle.