tory, called Lapland, stretches across
northern Finland, Sweden, Norway, and
Russia. More than 85 percent of the
people are Christians, mainly Lutherans.
Most people live in cities in the southern
third of the country.
Economy
Finland has a diverse economy centered
around manufacturing and services,
which include banking, communications,
education, and health care. Manufacturers
produce electronics, paper and
wood products, machinery, metals, processed
food, and chemicals. Finland’s
forests provide timber. Its mines provide
chromite, zinc, and gold.
Agriculture plays a small role in the
economy.Major crops include barley,
oats, sugar beets, potatoes, and wheat.
Pigs and cattle are the main livestock.
Reindeer herding is important in the
north. Finland’s waters offer good fishing.
History
The first settlement of Finland began
about 10,000 years ago. The settlers
included the ancestors of the Sami. In
the 1100s the Swedes began to convert
the Finns to Christianity. Sweden and
Russia fought for political and religious
control of the region for many years.
The Swedes took over Finland in 1323.
Russia defeated the Swedes in 1721, but
Sweden did not officially surrender Finland
to Russia until 1809. In 1917 the
Russian Empire collapsed as a result of
the Russian Revolution. Finland
declared itself independent that year. It
became a republic in 1919.
WorldWar II (1939–45) was disastrous
for Finland. The country lost large
pieces of territory to the Soviet Union at
the beginning of the war. In 1941 Finland
sided with Germany against the
Soviet Union and won back its lost territory.
However, Soviet forces again
defeated Finland in 1944. Finland was
forced to give up more territory.
After the war, the economy grew and
social conditions improved. Finland
joined the European Union in 1995. In
2000 Tarja Halonen was elected Finland’s
first woman president.
..More to explore
European Union • Helsinki
Olavinlinna Castle in Finland is on an island near the border with Russia.
Facts About
FINLAND
Population
(2008 estimate)
5,310,000
Area
130,559 sq mi
(338,145 sq km)
Capital
Helsinki
Form of
government
Republic
Major cities
Helsinki, Espoo,
Tampere, Vantaa,
Turku, Oulu
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Finland 23
Fir
Firs are evergreen trees of the pine family.
They are valued for their wood and
are popular as Christmas trees. There are
more than 40 species, or types, of fir.
They belong to the group that scientists
call Abies.
Firs grow in moist, cool areas of North
and Central America, Europe, Asia, and
northern Africa. In North America
many firs grow in the mountains of the
West. The balsam fir is a well-known
type in eastern North America.
Fir trees can be anywhere from 17 feet
(5 meters) to 200 feet (60 meters) tall
when fully grown. The leaves are like
needles. Each needle grows singly from
the branch. This makes firs different
from pines, which have needles that
grow in bundles. Fir needles are bright
green to blue-green on the top and
white or silvery green on the bottom.
They are flat and usually have rounded
tips.
Firs belong to the group of plants called
conifers. Conifers have cones that hold
their seeds. Fir cones stand up on the
branches like candles. They may be
purple, brown, or green.
Many evergreen trees that do not belong
to the group Abies are also called firs. For
example, Douglas firs belong to the
group Pseudotsuga. Unlike the true firs,
Douglas firs have cones that hang down.
These trees are common in North
America along the coast of the Pacific
Ocean. They are a valuable timber tree.
#More to explore
Conifer • Pine • Tree
Fire
Humans have controlled and used fire
for more than 1 million years. Civilization
would not be possible without fire.
Firs have needlelike leaves that
grow directly from the branch.
Many people have fireplaces in their
homes. They enjoy looking at the fire as
well as the warmth that it provides.
24 Fir BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
However, fire is dangerous. It always
must be used very carefully.
How Fire Happens
Fire comes about when oxygen combines
in a certain way with some other
substance. Oxygen is a gas that is a part
of air. The other substance is called the
fuel. For the fuel to combust, or burn, it
must be heated to a temperature called
the ignition point. Every kind of fuel has
its own ignition point.
A flame is created when heat forces gases
from a burning substance. When the gas
from a candle’s hot wax meets the air,
for example, a flame is made. A substance
that does not release gas when
heated will burn without flames. When
the oxygen is used up, the fire will go
out. For example, when a candle’s flame
is covered, the flame will go out after it
has used the remaining oxygen in the
space beneath the cover.
History
Human beings have known how to control
fire for almost 1.5 million years. But
for many thousands of years after that,
people still found it difficult to start a
fire. One method they used was to strike
one hard mineral against another to
make sparks. A second method was to
twirl one piece of wood against another
until the wood heated up to its ignition
point.
Early humans had many uses for fire.
