Culture of Finland
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
|
Related e |
|
Featured: |
The culture of Finland combines indigenous heritage, as represented for example by the country's rare Finno-Ugric national language, Finnish, the sauna, with common Nordic and European culture. Because of its history and geographic location Finland has been influenced by the adjacent area's various Finnic, Baltic and Germanic peoples as well as the former dominant powers Sweden and Russia. Finnish culture may be seen to build upon the relatively ascetic environmental realities, traditional livelihoods and a heritage of widespread egalitarianism, (see e.g.: Everyman's right, and universal suffrage)and the traditionally wide spread ideal of self-sufficiency (see, e.g.: Summer cottage).
Today, cultural influences from the United States are prominent. Into the twenty-first century, many Finns have contacted cultures from distantly abroad, such as with those in Asia and Africa. Beyond tourism, Finnish youth in particular have been increasing their contact with peoples from outside Finland by travelling abroad to both work and study.
There are still differences between regions, especially minor differences in accents and vocabulary. Minorities, such as the Sami, Finland Swedes, Romani, and Tatar, maintain their own cultural characteristics. Many Finns are emotionally connected to the countryside and nature, as urbanisation is a relatively recent phenomenon.
