In a few figures
Finland has an area of 338,452 km2, of which 86% is forest. The rest is water and cultivated land. There are 40 national parks in total covering 10,000 km2, and no less than 187,888 lakes! Mount Halti, its highest point, rises to 1,324 m.
The "Land of a Thousand Lakes
The Finnish relief, generally very low, was formed during the Quaternary glacial period, of which the moraine deposits and ridges are the obvious evidence. Finland is also known as the Land of a Thousand Lakes, with thousands of shallow lakes, usually between 5 and 20 metres deep. Unforgivable underestimation: there are at least 187,888 of them! They cover a quarter of the country's centre. Rivers and canals also connect the larger lakes. These lake regions with a tormented configuration are characterized by multiple lakes and numerous islands separated by narrow channels. The Great Saimaa is the largest and most complex of these lake systems. At the same time, the country's poor drainage favours marshy soils covered by a thick mantle of peat bogs. The Finnish name for Finland, Suomi, is said to mean "swamp". Forests occupy the dry soils and cover almost 70% of the land. The few large rivers, such as the Torneäly and Kemijoki, are mainly located in the north. Southern Finland is gently undulating, with gradients rarely exceeding 100 metres. Most of the large cities inspired by Nordic architecture and organisation are located in the south. They are well planned and integrated into the surrounding landscape and nature.
The last virgin spaces in Europe
Lapland, which occupies almost a third of Finland, has only two inhabitants per square kilometre. The low population density is both one of the country's strengths and weaknesses. If France had the same population density, its population would not reach two million! Eastern Finland, on the other hand, has some of the last remaining open spaces in Europe. The region of large forests and high wooded hills begins north of the lakes where the rivers and foaming rapids flow. The forest, which occupies almost 70% of Finland's land area, corresponds to the gallery forest types with huge trunks reaching up to the sky. Pines (45%), firs (37%) and birches (18%) form the large arctic and subarctic forest. In places, the tall silver birches with their white trunks are reminiscent of the vast boreal forests of nearby Russia. In Lapland, the tundra makes its mark on an unforgettable landscape.
National parks
The national parks (40 in total over 10,000 km2) are very well equipped and offer a large number of itineraries to be undertaken on foot or on skis. To embark on an adventure, you need a minimum of information (www.nationalparks.fi, the Finnish Forestry and Park Authority's detailed website), so as not to turn the pleasure into a nightmare, even if the hikes are generally very well indicated and signposted. Nature is not only grandiose, it can also be hostile.
