Top 10 Facts People From Finland Want You To Know

Don’t believe us? Hear us out! Finland operates two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time, while neighboring Sweden is only one hour ahead of GMT. Are you following? That means that on New Year’s Eve, Finns can do their countdown twice if they quickly cross the border into Sweden after celebrating at home. And because travel between countries is much simpler in Europe, you won’t have to worry about making declarations to any pesky border guards while you’re travelling through time. No time machine required!

Like we said, Finland gained independence from Russia on December 6, 1917, but after that they had to figure out how they were going to rule themselves. Initially, they decided to function as a republic but some members of parliament were still monarchists and a civil war ensued. After the Social Democratic Party was ousted, a monarchy was established but since there was no line of succession, a king had to be voted in. They chose the German Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse on October 9th, 1918 but by December of that same year, without ever having set foot in Finland, he stepped down.

You think you need coffee to get out of bed in the morning? Well no one on earth is as hooked on caffeine as the Finns: they rank first in terms of coffee drinking countries worldwide. You’d think places that famously produce coffee beans, like Colombia or Brazil, would beat them, or even countries like Italy that have become synonymous with espresso-based beverages. In 2017, the International Coffee Organization (because apparently that’s a thing) established that on average, every Finnish citizen goes through 12kg of coffee per person per year. That’s roughly 26 and a half pounds. Plus, other Scandinavian countries come in right behind Finland, with Norway, Iceland and Denmark ranking second, third and fourth.

Lapland, the northern region of Finland, is one of the best places in the world to view the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights. On clear nights from late August to April, you can get a spectacular view of the beautifully lit night sky. Oh, and you know those glass-roofed igloos that you’ve probably seen on every travel bucket list ever made since the advent of the internet? Yup, those are in Finland. Staying in one is pretty pricey, but it’s undoubtedly a once in a lifetime experience. Also, if you visit in the summer, make sure to stay up to see the midnight sun!

The Finns specialize in many things, and one of them is gaming. In fact, per capita, Finland has produced more successful video games than any other country in the world. They’re responsible for giving us mega hits like the Max Payne franchise, Clash of Clans and Boom Beach as well as the crazy popular Angry Birds. Some of the industry’s biggest gaming studios are situated in Finland, with many focusing specifically on mobile games that have topped the charts for iPhone and iPad.

Another way Finns are topping the charts? With their heavy metal bands. Website Gis Lounge created a world map that charts the density of metal bands from every country and established that Finland boasts a shocking 53.2 heavy metal bands per 100,000 residents. Bands like Children of Bodom, HIM and Before the Dawn all hail from Finland, and in fact the country more than doubles the number of metal bands per capita of the runners up, Sweden and Norway. Why do the Scandinavian countries produce such dark music? Maybe it’s the cold and lack of sunlight...

Sure they’re not bad at ice hockey, and some pretty good Formula 1 and rally drivers have come out of the country, but the Finns don’t always like to compete on other people’s playing fields. In fact, they’re pretty good with coming up with games and sports on their own, and that suits them just fine. In Finland you can compete in a good old fashion swamp soccer game, or if you’re irked with your iPhone sign up for the Mobile Phone Throwing Competition. But don’t get too tuckered out before prepping for your wife-carrying race! And of course, the Air Guitar World Championships also take place in Finland. Did you expect anything less?

In America, saunas are a luxury you partake in at a spa, or maybe your friend’s rich and quirky parents have one their house; it’s certainly not something that is used with any regularity. In Finland however, saunas are pretty much a way of life. The numbers may have changed slightly, but as of 2013 the population of Finland was 5.3 million people...and there are 3.3 million saunas. That means that there’s essentially a sauna for every household. In fact, the word sauna is actually Finnish, and it’s the only word from their language to be used regularly in English.

For years now, Finnish students have been topping global rankings in terms of academic success, and the rest of the world has taken notice. The education system in Finland was reformed decades ago, and ever since their students’ results have been skyrocketing. So what are their secrets? Kids don’t start going to school until they’re 7, and until they’re teenagers they’re given essentially zero homework. Standardized testing isn’t really a thing, with only one major test taken at the age of 16. Private schools are nearly non-existent, which means that all students are integrated together regardless of their family income. All of this makes for a higher quality education that every citizen can benefit from.

We’ve already talked about their crazy sports, their education system and their metal bands, but this Nordic country is the best at so many other things. Finland was ranked among the least corrupt countries in the world by the Corruption Perception Index and it’s also considered the best country in which to be a mother, making headlines with their popular baby box concept. All of this contributes to overall quality of life, and year after year Finland has ranked among the happiest countries in the world – alongside their Scandinavian neighbors.