Finland

Finland is one of the northern countries of Europe with many hidden treasures for the knowing traveler.
Finland, or Suomi, extends well into the Arctic Circle and as result of this the sun never quite sets in Finland in summer time. On the other hand  it also never quite rises during the winter period. Finland is a scenic country of lakes, islands, forests, pristine wilderness and super-modern technology. This land of contrasts is full of plenty to delight, amuse, inform and enchant the visitor, from its forbidding Swedish castles and onion-domed Russian churches to the reindeer herds of the indigenous Sami people in Lapland in the north.
The history of Finland is foll of almost thousands of years struggle for the acknowledgment of the Finnish nation and country. The lands if Finland were for many centuries dominated by the Swedish from west, while after the Swedish - Russian war in the beginning of the 19th century Finland became part of the Russian empire. Only after the Bolshevik revolution in 1917 Finland was able to fight-off its freedom.
Despite this tough history Finland was able to advance rapidly in the 20th century up to the point of being considered as one of the most hi-tech societies in the world, with Internet connections and mobile coverage per head of population surpassing that of the United States and the United Kingdom. It is the home of the world known Nokia communications company and for many popular design studios that create the trends in many areas.
The lively, modern capital city of Helsinki is packed with galleries, museums and cafes, and provides all the modern attractions of a European capital city. Other interesting cities that are worth visiting in Finland are the industrial center Tampere, birth place of the Nokia company, the southern tourist center and transport hub of Turku, and the northern cities of Rovaniemi and Kuusamo with their unique connection with the Arctic Circle.
And beyond, in the countryside, there are miles of untouched wilderness to explore in rarely clean and clear air. The visitor can dine on reindeer steaks, visit Santa Claus in his northern Arctic home, ski or dog sled across miles of virgin snow, or tap your toes at one of the numerous music and folk festivals held throughout the year. It is not surprising that Finland has been described as the most underrated tourist destination in Europe.
Close to 10% of Finland is covered by water and almost 70% of the country is covered by forests, providing a natural playground for adventurers, trekkers, mountain-bikers, cross-country skiers, fisher-lovers and water-sports enthusiasts. Roughly 8,000 sq km (3,090 sq miles) are protected by the 35 national parks of Finland, providing the unique opportunity to spot birds, reindeer, elks and even bears.
Even the language of Finland is different from the Indo-European languages; it belongs to the Finno-Ugric group of languages together with Estonian and Hungarian. However language barrier is not much of a problem in Finland, because most Finns know some foreign language and many of them speak several. English is the most widespread foreign language and Swedish has the special status of being the country's second official language, also German, French and Russian are not uncommon at bigger towns and tourist centers. The five million Finns themselves may appear reserved at first, but they'll show the friendly face soon after first contact, especially if you show interest in the local culture like sharing a sauna - the country has an impressive 1.6 million of them.