Finland: 100 years of stunning progress

Finland’s Independence Day is a national public holiday held on 6 December to celebrate Finland’s declaration of independence from the Russian Republic in 1917.

During the early decades of independence, Independence Day was a very solemn occasion marked by patriotic speeches and special church services. From the 1970s onwards, however, Independence Day celebrations have taken livelier forms, with shops decorating their windows in the blue and white of the Finnish flag and bakeries producing cakes with blue and white icing.

It is traditional for Finnish families to light two candles in each window of their home in the evening.

Ever since gaining its independence, Finland has been shinning in many areas, wood industry, environment, education, hi-tech innovation, design trends and so on.

Finland is famous for its forests and thriving wood-based industries. Finland is Europe’s most heavily forested country with 86% of its land area – 23 million hectares – under forest cover. In fact, Finland’s historical development into one of the world’s most prosperous countries is to a great degree based on the country’s ability to utilize this renewable natural resource, the green gold. Today Finland’s innovative and dynamic forest industry cluster consists of more than 50 pulp and paper mills and over 240 other production sites for wood products. The biggest Finnish forest industry companies are global players and lead the development and production of new, higher value added bio-based products.

Education has played a major role in Finland’s economic success. Free basic education and accessible higher education has ensured that the workforce is highly skilled and competent. Finland is also famous for numerous technological innovations and a thriving start-up culture. For example, digital services, cleantech, and healthcare technology are among the rising industries in Finland.

Advanced data communication technology, people casually utilizing modern technology and applications in their daily life, and ubiquitous internet connections makes Finland one of the front row sites of the ongoing tide of digitalization.

Finland is getting near to its centennial, marking 99 years of independence today, December 6, 2016. Starting January, the country will enter an anniversary year by celebrating a century of independence and amazing progress all through 2017.