The People

In 1991 Finland had a population of 5,029,002. The population density, about 39 persons per square mile (15 per km2), was one of the lowest in Europe and about 55 per cent that of the United States. Most of the people live in southern Finland. The rural population, living mostly on scattered farms and in small villages, makes up about two-fifths of the country's total. The urban population is concentrated in cities on or near the coast.

The Finns are descended mainly from a people of Finno-Ugric language stock who migrated into the area perhaps as early as 1000 B.C. Later there was some intermingling with other Nordic and East Baltic peoples. Finns are generally of light complexion, with fair hair and blue or gray eyes. There is also a small Lapp population.

Finnish and Swedish are the official languages. Most of the people speak Finnish, a Finno-Ugric language akin to Estonian and Hungarian. Swedish is spoken as a mother tongue by only about 6 per cent of the people. The Lapps have their own language, also of Finno-Ugric origin.

Since 1923 there has been complete religious freedom. About 90 per cent of the people belong to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. Chief among the minority faiths is the Eastern Orthodox Church.

Nearly all Finns are literate. A nine-year comprehensive school program is compulsory for all children. There are also upper secondary schools and vocational schools.

Helsinki University is Finland's largest institution of higher learning. It was founded in 1640 at Turku and transferred in 1828 to Helsinki. There are several other universities, as well as a number of institutions of higher learning that provide technical, commercial, and teacher-training courses.