Finland

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Country Name

Finland, or officially the Republic of Finland.

Location

Finland is a Nordic country located in Northern Europe. Finland shares land borders with Sweden to the west, Russia to the east, and Norway to the north and is defined by the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south which is part of the Baltic Sea.

Capital

Helsinki.

Reason for Naming

The earliest written appearance of the name Finland is thought to be on three runestones. Two were found in the Swedish province of Uppland and have the inscription finlonti (U 582). The third was found in Gotland. It has the inscription finlandi (G 319) and dates back to the 13th century. The name can be assumed to be related to the tribe name Finns, which is mentioned at the first known time in AD 98.

Flag

The Flag of Finland was adopted on 29 May 1918. The national flag of Finland is known as the Blue Cross Flag. It is named as such because of the blue Nordic cross that makes up the design of the flag. The Finnish flag consists of two colors: blue and white. The blue color represents the Finnish sky and the many lakes of the nation. the blue cross represents Christianity. The white color represents snow. Finland also has a state flag with a similar design. The only difference is that the flag includes the national coat of arms. The coat of arms includes the colors yellow and red.

*Flag Facts

-The Finnish government has made it illegal to use a state flag without permission. -Finnish flags that are washed must only be dried indoors. -Worn-out flags can be cut into small pieces or burned. Flags can’t be thrown into the sea, buried, or thrown away.