A Field Trip Through Finland Trivia Quiz

Answer: North Sea

Finland is situated on the northern part of the Baltic Sea, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean, which serves as an important marine resource for Finland. In 2017 the government of Finland approved a plan to make the Baltic Sea a sustainable region of the country.

The Gulfs of Bothnia and Finland, which are both arms of the Baltic Sea, are also important fishing areas. Because areas of both gulfs are low in salinity, the water can freeze during cold weather.

Answer: Kemijoki

The Kemijoki River is approximately 340 miles (550 km) long, and produces close to 35% of Finland's hydroelectric power. There are, nevertheless, areas of the river where fishing is a very popular sport, where anglers catch salmon and trout, as well as other species of fish. Beginning in the northeastern part of the country, the Kemijoki empties into the Gulf of Bothnia.

In most years the river freezes in November and does not thaw until May; it is, however, an important route for the country's logging industry.

Answer: Glaciers

This may seem surprising, because there are no glaciers in Finland today! Finland's nickname, The Land of a Thousand Lakes, is somewhat misleading. Thousands of years ago, ice sheets moving across the land created holes and craters that began filling with water about 12,000 years ago when the glaciers began to melt.

It is difficult to ascertain the exact number of lakes - areas of water that are 5-20 acres in size - in the country because some of them are located in very remote areas, but one source stated there are 187,888. An estimated 10% of Finland's land area is comprised of lakes.

Answer: Lapland

Finland is divided into 19 counties or maakunta, and Lapland is its northernmost. Its highest point is a slope of Mount Halti at 4478 feet (1365 meters); the peak of the mountain, which is typically called a fell in Finland, is actually in Norway, less than a mile from its border with Finland. Although there was some discussion in Norway to give the peak to Finland in 2017 as a way to help celebrate its one hundred years of independence from the Russian Empire, it was ultimately decided that the land of Norway could not be divided. The highest peak entirely in Finland is the extremely remote Ridnitsohkka, which has an elevation of 4321 feet (1317 meters).

Lapland is the country's northernmost maakunta and its largest. Even though the area experiences a long winter season, it is an important tourist destination. Approximately 3% of Finland's population lives there.

Answer: Daughter of the Baltic

Also called the Pearl of the Baltic, Helsinki is located on the tip of a peninsula, as well as on many small islands. It is surrounded by the sea on three sides, and, over time, has become an important maritime center. Originally founded in 1550 as a trading post to rival the Hanseatic League's trade center, Reval (Tallinn), the city became Finland's capital in 1812. Ruled by Czar Alexander I at the time, the city did not really begin to grow until 1827, when the Royal Academy of Turku was relocated there after a destructive fire.

Some sources also call Helsinki the White City of the North, presumably due to the use of lightly colored native granite for its buildings.

Answer: Santa Claus

Rovaniemi, the capital of Lapland, is called the Official Hometown of Santa Claus. Santa Claus Village, which is an amusement park, is found there. Places to visit include Santa Claus's Office and Santa's House of Snowmobiles, but there are also natural sights to enjoy, such as the line in town that denotes the Arctic Circle, and the Northern Lights that can be viewed from mid-August to April.

Another tourist destination is SantaPark, which is open from mid-June through August in the summer, and late November through January in the winter. Visitors may enjoy viewing Santa's Office, the Elf Workshop, the Magic Train, and several other attractions there.

Answer: False

Finland actually has four seasons, with, of course, winter being the longest. There is, however, a great variance in seasons between the northern and southern parts of the country, which can be somewhat confusing! Spring is the shortest season, beginning sometime in April in most parts of the country, and May in the north.

It typically lasts 45-65 days, giving way to summer in late May in southern areas. In northern regions summer begins a month later and ends a month earlier. It is the time of the polar days, and in some parts of Finland the sun does not set. July 20 is said to be the warmest summer day of the year in Finland. Autumn begins at the end of August/beginning of September, and lasts until November in most areas, however, the winter period begins in the north in mid-October, but does not reach the southern islands of the country until December.

It lasts for about 200 days in the north and about 100 days in the south. It is the time of the polar nights, when the sun does not rise at all in some regions for 51 days.

Answer: Wooden architecture

Rauma is one of the few remaining medieval towns in Finland, and Old Rauma, the city center, has wooden buildings and a medieval layout that is well preserved. Fires destroyed many of the wooden buildings in 1640 and 1682, so the buildings that exist today date from the 1700s, but were built in the old style. About 800 people live in Old Rauma, and their one-story houses are a prominent feature on main street.

There is also the Church of the Holy Cross, built in 1512, that survived the fires and still contains medieval paintings.

Answer: Visit it

Approximately 20% of the Finns are believed to own their own mökki, or cottage, by one of the many lakes in Finland. There are an estimated 1.8 million mökkis in a country with only 5.5 million people! The cottages are built of wood, and typically do not have running water or electricity! Why are they so popular? In recent years, more Finns have been moving to urban areas, and the mökki allows them to return to nature.

The vacation at the mökki, typically during midsummer, is viewed as being a private place to enjoy family time and relax.

Answer: Most heavily forested country in Europe.

There are different estimates, but most sources say that 70-75% of Finland is covered with forest land; most of the taiga consists of coniferous trees, such as spruce, pine, or birch, with the silver birch being the country's national tree. Although logging and wood products are important industries, forest resources are carefully conserved in Finland, and the country ranks fifth in Europe in the production of wood.