The Republic of Finland (Finnish: Suomen tasavalta, Swedish: Republiken Finland), abbreviated as Finland (Finnish: Suomi, Swedish: Finland), is located in northern Europe, one of the five countries of Northern Europe, bordering Sweden, Norway and Russia, with the Gulf of Finland to the south and the Gulf of Bosnia to the west. With a total land area of 338,000 square kilometers and a coastline of 1,100 kilometers, its inland waters account for 10% of the country's total area. There are about 179,000 islands and 188,000 lakes, making it known as the "Land of 1,000 Lakes". Finland has long cold winters and short mild summers. 1/3 of its land is in the Arctic Circle. It is the only non-Germanic speaking country among the five Nordic countries.
Finland is the hometown of Santa Claus, the earliest residents for the Lapps, so Finland is also called Lapland. The Finns moved in to establish an early state. Finland has been part of Sweden since the twelfth century. It was incorporated into the Kalmar League in 1397 and became independent with Sweden in 1523. After the Russo-Swiss War in 1809, it was annexed by the Russian Empire and became a subordinate Grand Duchy of Finland.
In December 1917, it declared independence, became a republic, and became a permanent neutral country. Finland is a highly developed capitalist country, as well as a highly industrialized and liberalized market economy. Finland is a member of the European Union, but its GDP per capita is well above the EU average and comparable to that of its neighbour Sweden. Its citizens enjoy a high standard of living, and its civil servants are clean and efficient.
Transparency International, an NGO that monitors corruption around the world, has released its 2012 Global Corruption Perceptions Index, ranking Finland as the least corrupt country out of 176 countries and territories. In February 2019, the 2018 World Happiness Index was released, and Finland ranked first. In 2021, Finland retained its position as the world's happiest country
