Finland: Flag and Facts
Finland's flag is white with a blue cross that reaches the edges, shifted toward the left like the Danish flag.
- Official name
- Republic of Finland
- Capital
- Helsinki
- Region
- Northern Europe
- Population
- 5.6 million (2025)
- Languages
- Finnish, Swedish
- Currency
- Euro
- Area
- 338,424 km² (130,666 sq mi)
- People
- Finnish
- Calling code
- +358
- Highest point
- Halti (alternatively Haltia, Haltitunturi,…) 1,328 m
- Independence
- 6 December 1917 (from Russia)
- National symbols
- lion
About Finland
Snow is the meaning of the white, and lakes, thousands of them, are the meaning of the blue. More than 60,000 lakes dot the country, and together with the Baltic Sea and the North Atlantic Current they keep the climate milder than its northern spot might suggest.
Sweden governed Finland from the 12th century into the 19th, first as a province and later as a grand duchy. After 1809 it was a self-ruling grand duchy under Russia, and full independence followed on 6 December 1917. In World War II, Finland held on to its independence and pushed back Soviet invasions, though it lost some land. Over the following half-century farming and forestry gave way to modern industry. Finland joined the EU in 1995 and was the only Nordic state to adopt the euro at its launch in 1999.
Did you know?
- Halti, the highest point in Finland, reaches 1,328 meters.
- The national anthem is called Maamme, which means Our Land.
- Finland is slightly smaller than Montana.
Want to test yourself? The random flag generator has a quiz mode, and the full flags of the world page shows every flag at once.
Questions about Finland
What languages are spoken in Finland?
Finnish and Swedish are both official.
What is the capital of Finland?
Helsinki, with about 1.338 million people.
Sources
- CIA World Factbook, checked October 8, 2026
- REST Countries data (mledoze/countries), checked October 8, 2026
- Flag artwork: flag-icons (MIT), checked October 8, 2026
Facts are compiled from these open sources and rewritten in our own words. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.