Suomi, Also Known as Finland Trivia Quiz

Answer: wetlands

One of the suggested etymologies for the name "Suomi" is the Finnish word "suomaa", meaning "marshland" - which would be rather fitting for a country in which water plays such a huge role. In the same way, the word "Finn" (denoting someone native to the country, the "land of the Finns") has been interpreted as related to "fen", a word of Germanic origin that also describes a kind of wetland. The earliest mention of a people called "Fenni" is found in "Germania" by Roman historian Tacitus (98 AD), where they are described in rather uncomplimentary terms.

Even now, an estimated 30% of Finland's territory is covered by bogs and other wetlands, which need to be drained regularly especially in farming and forested areas. Peat extraction is still relevant economically, in spite of its effects on the environment in terms of CO2 emissions.

There are multiple other theories on the origin of both of the country's names. Suomi has been variously interpreted as related to "Sápmi" (the native name of Lapland), or derived from "suomu" ("scale"), referring to clothing made of fish skins supposedly worn by Finland's ancient peoples. In the Middle Ages, Suomi denoted the southern part of the country, especially the southwestern region known as "Varsinais-Suomi" (Finland Proper).

Answer: words are formed by stringing smaller units together

As its name suggests, Uralic (or Finno-Ugric) languages are believed to have originated in the region of the Ural Mountains, the boundary between Europe and Asia. The family comprises 38 languages, spoken mainly in northern Eurasia by about 25 million people. Hungarian accounts for about 60% of this figure, Finnish for 26%, and Estonian for 5.5%. Sami, the language spoken in Lapland, is also a Uralic language, and enjoys semi-official status in Finland.

Though Uralic languages differ from each other in various aspects, they share some distinctive grammatical features - the most relevant of which is agglutination (from the Latin for "gluing together"), the extensive use of independent suffixes that indicate separate syntactic features. To give a practical example, while in English we would say "in my house", in Finnish the same phrase is expressed by a single word - "talossani" - containing three morphemes: "talo" ("house"), the case ending "-ssa" (a locative case indicating "in" or "at"), and the possessive suffix "-ni", indicating "my". Uralic languages also have a large number of grammatical cases (Finnish has 15), but no grammatical gender. Turkic languages are also agglutinative, as are Mongolian, Korean, and Japanese.

Finnish is an exceedingly difficult language to learn, not only on account of its grammar, but also of its vocabulary, in spite of the many borrowings from Indo-European languages. However, it does not have daunting consonant clusters like some Slavic languages: in fact, Finnish has a rather high ratio of vowels to consonants, and is phonetically much more similar to Italian or Spanish than German or Russian.

The photo shows the first page of Bishop Mikael Agricola's "ABC-kirja" (1543), a primer meant to teach the basics of reading and writing, and the first book published in the Finnish language.

Answer: Karelia

Stretching from the Gulf of Finland to the White Sea, Karelia ("Karjala" in Finnish) is a vast area that has historically been divided between Finland and Russia. The province of Finnish Karelia was ceded to the Soviet Union in 1940, during the Winter War; later freed by Finnish troops, it was occupied by the Red Army in 1944. It is now for the most part a Russian federal subject (Republic of Karelia), whose capital is the historic city of Vyborg (Viipuri in Finnish). The only parts that still belong to Finland are the regions of South Karelia and North Karelia, known for their lakes and densely forested landscape. The photo shows a richly embroidered version of Finnish Karelia's coat of arms, dating from the 17th century.

Jean Sibelius's "Karelia Suite, Op. 11" is a collection of pieces from a longer composition, titled "Karelia Music", written in 1893, and premiered at the Imperial Alexander University (now University of Helsinki) on 23 November of the same year. One of the composer's early works, "Karelia Suite" was inspired by the time spent in Karelia by Sibelius and his wife Aino on their honeymoon. The composition is considered as one of the cornerstones in the development of a Finnish national identity at the turn of the 20th century.

While the original "Karelia Music" (most of which was burned by Sibelius in 1945) consisted of an overture and eight tableaux, the suite is divided in three movements: "Intermezzo", "Ballade", and "Alla Marcia". The time spent in Karelia also inspired Sibelius's compositions based on the "Kalevala", the Finnish national poem, which had its origins in the region.

Ruthenia was an area corresponding to modern Western Ukraine, while Moldova is a sovereign nation in Eastern Europe, and Ossetia a region in the Caucasus.

Answer: architecture

Born in the western region of Ostrobothnia, Alvar Aalto (1898-1976) was one of the 20th century's leading architects and designers. During his lifetime, he attained international fame for his work in Finland and abroad - especially after the enthusiastic critical reception of the Finnish Pavilion he had designed for the 1939 World's Fair in New York. His approach to architectural design reflected his deep connection to his native country's natural world, as well as a desire to create buildings and objects that would be functional, but also aesthetically pleasing.

Finland boasts many of Aalto's most iconic buildings - such as Villa Mairea in Noormarkku (1937-1939), the Main Building of the University of Jyväskylä (1952-1954), the House of Culture (1952-1958) and Finlandia Hall in Helsinki (1962-1971), the city centre of Seinäjoki (1957-1967), and the municipal library in Rovaniemi (1965). Aalto also designed buildings in other European countries and the US: among them, Baker House, a co-ed dormitory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1947-1948), the Nordic House in Reykjavik (1965-1968), and the Opera House in Essen, Germany (1959, completed after the architect's death).

Aalto's contribution to the development of modern design was no less influential. His simple yet elegant lines and innovative handling of materials, especially the bent wood that is such a distinctive component of his furniture, reflect his conception of design as a "total work of art". The Aalto Vase (shown in the photo in various sizes), created for Helsinki's Savoy Restaurant in 1936, was the result of an experimental glass-blowing technique that resulted in the artifact's distinctive wavy outline. Interestingly, the word "aalto" means "wave" in Finnish. Another of the iconic design items created by Aalto is the cantilevered Paimio chair (1932), which is still produced by the Artek furniture company founded in 1935 by Aalto and his first wife Aino.

Answer: Upper Midwest

The earliest migration of people from Finland and the rest of Scandinavia to North America dates from the 17th century. One of the Founding Fathers of the US, John Morton, was the great-grandson of Martti Marttinen, a Finnish settler who, in 1654, had moved to the colony of New Sweden in the Delaware Valley. However, this phenomenon remained sporadic until the mid-19th century, when a series of weather-related setbacks hit the rural areas of Finland. The most serious of these was the Great Famine of 1866-1868 - the last major naturally-caused famine in Europe - in which over 250,000 people perished.

What is referred to as the Great Migration lasted about 60 years, from 1870 to 1930. In addition to the difficulties caused by the unpredictable weather, another driver of large-scale migration was the repressive climate created by the Russification of Finland (1899-1905). Attracted by the seemingly endless work prospects, thousands of Finns left their home country for North America. Though a number of them settled in the Northeast and the Pacific Northwest, the vast majority opted for the Upper Midwest, especially the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (hence the mittens in the photo), northeastern Minnesota, and northern Wisconsin - an area known as "Finn Hook", where the migrants found work in mining and agriculture.

There are now an estimated 650,000 people of Finnish ancestry living in the US. The largest concentration is found in the Upper Peninsula, where Finnish Americans are about 16% of the total population. The city of Hancock on Lake Superior is considered the capital of Finnish-American culture: some street signs are written in both English and Finnish, and on 19 January a festival known as "Heikinpäivä" ("Henry's Day") celebrates the feast of St. Henry, the patron saint of Finland. Hancock is also the seat of Finlandia University, a private Lutheran college founded in 1896 by the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church of America.

Answer: a mill

Unlike other national epics, the "Kalevala" is a relatively recent work - having been compiled from oral sources by Elias Lönnrot in the first half of the 19th century. A native of southern Finland, Lönnrot (who was a physician) made extensive field trips to various parts of Finland and Karelia to gather the folk poetry on which the poem is based. The "Kalevala" was published in two different versions: the "Old Kalevala" in 1835, and the longer "New Kalevala" in 1849. The poem has been translated several times into English, though only the two oldest translations (1888 and 1907) follow its original metre - which was adopted by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow for his "Song of Hiawatha" (1855).

Though the "Kalevala" contains a number of different storylines, the Sampo functions as a pivotal element of the narration - its very existence influencing the actions of many of the poem's characters. Its forging by divine blacksmith Ilmarinen - who intended it as a bridal gift - is described in the poem's Canto ("Runo") 10: what is not described, however, is the actual nature of this magical artifact. All that is mentioned is its "lid of many colours" and its three sides, each of which grinds a valuable substance - flour, salt, and gold. Because of that, the mysterious object has often been identified with a mill - similar to the Norwegian folktale "Why the Sea Is Salt", which features a magic mill that creates whatever its owner wants. In the "Kalevala", the Sampo becomes the object of the struggle between the poem's main characters, Ilmarinen and the old, immortal bard Väinämöinen, and Louhi, the evil witch-queen of Pohjola.

The painting in the photo, depicting "The Forging of the Sampo" (1893), is one of Akseli Gallén-Kallela's many works based on the "Kalevala". In Finland, Kalevala Day is celebrated on 28 February - the date of the publication of the first version of the poem in 1835.

Answer: birch

Finnish sauna (a word that refers both to the bathhouse and the bath itself) is believed to have originated thousands of years ago. The earliest saunas were smoke saunas ("savusauna"), in which the stones in the fireplace ("kiuas") were heated by burning wood for 6-8 hours, then the smoke was let out before people entered the room. Modern saunas are generally heated by electric stoves, but in rural areas saunas heated by wood stoves are quite common. The hot, wet steam produced by throwing water on the hot stones is called "löyly" - a term that originally meant "breath" or "soul".

In one of the earliest recorded mentions of sauna, dating from the 12th century, the author wrote of naked bathers beating themselves with branches. This custom survives in present-day Finland: leafy boughs of young silver birch are gathered together in a bunch (called "vihta" or "vasta"), and used to gently beat oneself in order to improve circulation, relax the muscles, and soothe mosquito bites (all too frequent in Finnish summers, especially near water). The silver birch (Betula pendula) has been Finland's national tree since 1988.

In Finland, every building has a sauna - from single-family homes, apartments and hotels to corporate headquarters and government buildings. There are even mobile saunas available for rent. In December 2020, this integral part of Finnish culture was inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists.

Answer: spitz

The Finnish Spitz is believed to be a very old breed, developed from dogs that were brought to Finland from central Russia over 3,000 years ago by small clans of migrant woodmen whom the dogs helped to obtain food. In fact, these dogs were originally trained to hunt various kinds of game, including bears. The present-day Finnish Spitz is the result of over a century of selective breeding - begun in the late 19th century by two Helsinki-based sportsmen, Hugo Roos and Hugo Sandbery, who had seen purebred specimens hunting in the northern forests, and wanted to save the breed from impending extinction.

The Finnish Spitz (also known as "Finkie") is characterized by its thick double coat, of a beautiful golden-red shade, and plumed tail. It has been described as a "bark pointer" - that is, a dog whose bark will attract the prey's attention, and at the same time direct the hunter to the prey's location. With its friendly, inquisitive temperament, the Finnish Spitz has also been proved to be an outstanding therapy dog. The German word "Spitz" means "point", and refers to these dogs' pointed ears and muzzles. Many spitz-type dogs, distinguished by their rather wolf-like appearance, originate from cold regions such as Alaska, Siberia and Scandinavia - though there are also spitzes from India, Thailand, and Indonesia.

Finland's national animal is the brown bear, which is also the symbol of neighbouring Russia. The country also has a national horse (Finnhorse), a national bird (whooper swan), a national fish (European perch), a national insect (seven-spot ladybird), and a national butterfly (holly blue).

Answer: rye

Though Finnish cuisine has a lot in common with other Scandinavian cuisines - especially that of neighbouring Sweden - it also has its share of unique dishes that may sound rather unusual to people from other countries. Many traditional Finnish dishes are hearty country fare made with fresh ingredients, such as fish, game, berries, and mushrooms sourced from local lakes and forests.

Widely cultivated in Northern, Central and Eastern Europe, rye is one of the staple ingredients of Finnish cuisine: "limppu", or dark rye bread (not spiced or sweetened as in Germany or Sweden), is Finland's national food. Rye is also eaten as porridge ("puuro"), and used for drinks, both non-alcoholic ("kotikalja", similar to Russian "kvass") and alcoholic ("sahti", or farmhouse ale). However, none of these uses of the grain is as distinctive as in the making of "mämmi", the traditional Finnish Easter dessert.

A pudding of likely medieval origin, mämmi is made by mixing rye flour and powdered malted rye with water, salt, and powdered Seville orange zest. Before it is baked in the oven, the mixture is left to became naturally sweet - unlike commercial mämmi, which usually contains added sugar or molasses. The dessert's characteristic deep brown colour and its aromatic flavour are due to the Maillard reaction (caramelization) occurring in the oven. Mämmi is then chilled for a few days before it is served with milk or cream, as shown in the photo.

Answer: December

Independence Day ("Itsenäisyyspäivä") is one of Finland's most important public holidays, though definitely more solemn than Christmas, May Day, or Midsummer. It is celebrated on 6 December, the day on which, in 1917, the declaration of independence of Finland from Russia was adopted by the Finnish Parliament. Finland took advantage of the disruptions caused by WWI and the Russian Revolution to finally free itself from a yoke that, since the beginning of Russification in 1899, had become intolerable.

Like other Northern European countries, Finland has a number of flag flying days ("liputuspäivät") during the year, on which the national flag is flown from public and private buildings. Of these, Independence Day is by far the most important: as shown by the decorated cookies in the photo, the day is a veritable celebration of the Finnish flag and its colours, blue and white (representing the sky and the snow). On 6 December, the flag is raised at 8 am, and lowered at 8 pm - rather than at sunset as on other flag days. On 6 December 2017, the 100th anniversary of Finnish independence was celebrated by blue-and-white illuminations held in many famous world sites - such as the Colosseum in Rome, the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, and the Canadian side of Niagara Falls.

A tradition observed by many families involves lighting two candles - one white, one blue - in each window, and leaving them to burn all evening, providing a welcome source of light on one of the shortest days of the year. More formal Independence Day events are the military parade held annually by the Finnish Defense Forces in Helsinki, and the highly awaited "Castle Ball" ("Linnanjuhlat"), a reception held at the Presidential Palace for about 2,000 guests, which is broadcast on national TV.