Why do Finns call themselves and their country Suomi? Inhabitants of Finland - population, nationalities, mentality, traditions How the Finns themselves call their country.

There are many different countries and nationalities in the modern world. Each nation, state has its own history, culture, customs and many more interesting things. If you get together and travel to all countries of the world, it will take a lot of time, but the journey will be very interesting.

One of the most beautiful historical countries is Finland, which is close to us. The inhabitants of Finland are one of the happiest people on the planet, as in recent years the country has been confidently leading the list of the happiest countries. All conditions for a good life of people are created here!

Population and features of mentality

Finland is not a big country and the population is also small compared to Russia. The current population is five and a half million.

Like any nation, the Finnish have their own characteristics and customs. Any Russian person immediately comes to mind sauna, thinking about Finland. But there are many interesting moments that many have not heard of.

Here is some of them:

1. Finns are very fond of reading newspapers. The country occupies a leading position in terms of the total circulation of the press to the population. In addition, the Finns are the complete opposite of the chatty Italians, they are silent lovers.
2. The inhabitants of this state are very fond of coffee and, according to statistics, drink one liter per month. Perhaps the reason for this is the climate, in this country from autumn to spring there is a very short daylight hours, besides, most of the year is cold - the release of coffee will warm and give cheerfulness.
3. The Finns are a reserved and modest people, they do not recognize familiarity, familiarity.
4. Almost all of the Finnish people love to sing - in chorus! This is a national feature of this people since the 12th century. Choirs here are a variety of male and female, mixed, children's, student, church, military, professional and amateur.
5. A feature that is inherent in the Finns is that they easily tolerate frost and cold. If a slight thaw sets in, the population is in a hurry to undress immediately, without fear of a cold.
6. An exceptionally national Finnish delicacy is licorice lozenges. They are black in color and are made from licorice root.

It can also be added to the characteristics of the Finnish mentality that the inhabitants of this northern country do not like to rush - everyone knows the Finnish slowness!

An extra point in favor of this nation for pedantic punctuality. In the blood of this people - a bad tone, if you are somewhere late.

The people of Finland are very responsible and reliable. And this is a very valuable quality for business relationships in business.

Name of people in Finland

And how to write "inhabitant of Finland" Finn or Finn correctly? Inhabitants of Finland are correctly called - Finns, and a man and a woman: Finn and Finn. That's what it says on Wikipedia.

Previously, the inhabitants of the country were called by the name of the country - Finnish and Finnish and Finnish.

Finns call their country Suomi. Suomma - there are several versions of the translation of this word: a swamp or fish scales, or even the name of a small people living in Lapland and in northern Norway.

The inhabitants of Suomi are nomadic tribes of reindeer herders with their own language and customs. From the Swedish translation finnland is a beautiful land.

Language composition

It will be very unexpected to find out that until the beginning of the 19th century only Swedish was spoken in the state. For almost seven hundred years Finland was ruled by Sweden. And after joining the Russian Empire in 1809, the Russian language was added. After the issuance of an imperial decree in 1863. before the 1917 revolution. There were three official languages ​​in the Principality of Finland:

• Swedish;
• Russian;
• Finnish.

After gaining independence in 1922. and there are still two official languages: Finnish and Swedish.

Nowadays, almost all of Finland, the main part of the country - about 92% speaks Finnish. Slightly more than 5% are native Swedish speakers, while 1% each speak Russian and Estonian.

Culture and art

Finland is a country where traditions and national customs are loved and respected. In culture, however, there is the influence of Sweden, and there is very little Russian culture.

After secession from Russia, national patriotism intensified in Finland. Finns love everything domestic: from manufacturers to ethnic folk holidays.

Popular and interesting in culture:

1. Many literary works have received worldwide fame. The most popular of them is about the fabulous creatures of the Moomin trolls, the wonderful writer, artist Tove Janson. Mummy troll fan clubs exist all over the world, and there is even a park of the same name in the country.
2. The pride of the country is the famous Kalevala epic, based on which filmmakers and artists have been inspired for their work over the past century. And the country hosts the beloved Kalevala carnival, with an ethnic theme.
3. Finns of the 21st century adore everything related to the Middle Ages, Scandinavian myths. And of course, that's why there are many themed festivals on the Middle Ages.
4. The pride of the Finns is the founder of the Scandinavian style - designer Alvar Aalto, who created the famous Paimio chair in 1933. It is relevant to this day. Ero Aarnio, another famous designer in the 60s of the last century, conquered the world with his ball chair. And now Finnish furniture, design is popular and respected in the world.
5. Fashion designers are also popular in Europe and the US. Original things with traditional thematic ornaments are always in demand!
6. The culture of Finland is well developed, only in the capital of Helsinki it is possible to visit twenty theaters with classical and modern repertoire, as well as opera. As a rule, in any large city there is a symphony orchestra.
7. Finnish museums exhibit canvases by domestic artists, and painting in the country began to develop only in the middle of the 19th century.
8. Finns are very musical people. There are annual festivals of both classical and rock, jazz, pop music. Among the Finnish contemporary musicians, Apocalyptica is famous for playing metal on the cellos!

Education. Religion

Finland has a very high level of education. According to OECD research in 2013, the Finnish population over school age ranks second in terms of knowledge after Japan and Sweden. But, unfortunately, fourth-grade students began to read much less (possibly due to gadgets), which corresponds to 45th place among countries, and these are the bottom lines of the ranking.

Why do Finns call their country Suomi? and got the best answer

Answer from Siddhh[guru]
Because the Swedes called them Finns, we are a miracle and Chukhons.

Answer from Andrey Sevastyanov[guru]
Finland (fin. Suomi, swed. Finland;
These citizens know better what to call themselves.

Answer from Vladimir Shuvalov[guru]
Suomi is the country of 1000 lakes, so the Finns call their country

Answer from Evgeniy[guru]
Suomi is feminine, that's all I can say.

Answer from Alexey Kuznetsov[guru]
It seems like in their translation it is "thousand lakes". That's what the press often says.

Answer from Mikhail Bobreshov[active]
Finland -Finland - Finnish land (land). Suomi - sumi - Suomi - with Omi (rivers in Russia, flowing into the Irtysh River - in ancient times part of the territory of Belovodye). Finns used to be called dates. And the date palm and dates (people) this name comes from the color of the sails on their ships - purple. And the Greeks with whom they fought called them that. Therefore, they are cruel and robbers and pirates and slave traders - which in fact was not. And the name dates or Phoenicians is only Greek. Other peoples called them differently: Canaanites, Scythians, Sarmatians, Huns, Polovtsians, etc. - these are all Slavs. This all shows how non-Slavs are made from Slavs. The example of today's Ukraine (for 2016) clearly shows this. And their path to Europe: Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland ran through the territory of present-day Ukraine from the Middle East and Asia Minor, where they are now gone. The Finns, or as the Greeks called them in ancient times, the dates had colony cities throughout the Mediterranean Sea. In the territory of the current countries: Spain, Italy, Tunisia, Lebanon, Turkey (between the cities of Demre and Kumludzha there is a small city - Finike, a remnant of the area, which, as the Greeks believed, was occupied by the Phoenicians, they are also dates), etc. In 1697, the Swedish court master of ceremonies Sparvenfeld, in an official speech, called himself "a true bitter-hearted date."

Answer from 2 answers[guru]

Hello! Here is a selection of topics with answers to your question: Why do Finns call their country Suomi?

Finland is a small northern country with a unique flavor. The birthplace of Santa Claus, the land of a thousand lakes - such associations arise at the mention of Finland. As well as a sauna, fishing, and special Finnish humor.

However, few people know that "Finland" is not a Finnish word at all. What do Finns call their country if not Finland? Suomi is the name of the state. Let's figure out where it came from.

A bit of history. State formation

For almost seven centuries Finland was ruled by Sweden. All this time, the Russian Empire fought for the Finnish lands. Only at the beginning of the 19th century, Finland was ceded to Russia, and gained independence in 1917. Nevertheless (or maybe that's why), the Finns are very sensitive to the issue of self-determination and national identity. Reverently, but patiently, accepting the fact of a multilingual and multinational society. Swedish has the status of a second state language, and Russian, although not officially recognized, is studied in many schools and used in everyday life. Pointers, price tags in shops, announcements in Russian are the norm, especially in border areas.

Why Suomi?

The way Finns call their country has several interpretations. According to one version, the name comes from the word "suomaa" - swamp, swampy land. On the other - from the word "suomu" - fish scales.

In modern Russian there is also a consonant word "Saami", the name of a small people living in Lapland, as well as in the northern part of Norway. The Saami are a nomadic tribe of reindeer herders who have retained their language (in Norway it is the second state language), traditions and customs.

If you dig deeper, the root of the word "suomi" echoes the Baltic "zeme", which simply means "land".

Finland vs Suomi. What do Finns think?

There is no clear explanation of where the word Finland comes from. Historians agree only that it is rooted in the days of Swedish rule. The Scandinavian word "finnland" literally means "beautiful land". This is how the Swedes called part of the territory of modern southwestern Finland back in the 12th century.

The Finns themselves, with their characteristic equanimity, accept both names. Loving your country is a national trait. Moreover, this love is deep, not subject to a sense of false patriotism. What is the Finnish country? Homeland for Finns is thousands of lakes, endless forests, northern lights and self-esteem. What word it is called outside the country is a secondary thing.

The national idea is not a political system or territorial integrity. For Finns, this is, first of all, silence, peace and respect for nature.

No one knows exactly where this name came from and why it has been preserved, despite the fact that the whole world has been calling thiscountry of Finland.

Image copyright Getty Images

I'm not really into hockey, but watching the Finland-Canada match in one of the Helsinki bars, it's hard to remain indifferent to the atmosphere of the game.

Ice hockey is one of the most popular sports in this northern European country and Finns are very proud of their national team.

One of the players of the Finnish national team was shown on the screen in close-up, and I saw the inscription SUOMI on his uniform. At first I thought that this was the name of a hockey player, but later I noticed that the jerseys of the entire team were equipped with the same word.

"What does "Suomi" mean?" I asked my friend Krista Fransman, a resident of Helsinki.

"Finland," she answered curtly. Finns are not very talkative.

"Isn't Finland in Finnish "Finland"?" - I was surprised.

"No," my companion smiled.

During the break, Fransman clarified that the name "Finland" is not of Finnish origin. In fact, the original Finnish alphabet did not even have the letter F - it was later brought into the language by loanwords.

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Finns call themselves, their language and country Suomi

According to one theory, the name "Finland" comes from the Old English word finna - a general term once adopted in relation to the Scandinavian peoples.

Some other historians believe that the name originated in Swedish, where the words "finlonti" and "finlandi" were used as early as the 12th century to refer to the lands that are now part of the southwestern part of Finland.

Despite the fact that all neighbors since the Middle Ages call them "Finns", they themselves use another word for their country and language - "Suomi".

So I thought, where does this name come from and does it affect the national consciousness of modern Finns?

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In search of an answer, I went to the National Museum of Finland, where a new exhibition dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the country's independence has recently opened.

After almost 700 years of being ruled by Sweden, in 1809 the Grand Duchy of Finland was ceded to the Russian Empire.

For many centuries, these two northern nations have been fighting for Finnish lands. The revolution in Russia eventually paved the way for Finnish independence, which they proclaimed on December 6, 1917.

Image copyright Ilja Dubovskis / Alamy Stock Photo Image caption The exhibition "History of Finland" at the National Museum of Finland is dedicated to the difficult process of gaining independence by the country

The exhibition tells about the first years of the formation of a democratic society in Finland.

In 1906, the Finns, for example, became the first European country to grant the right to vote to all its adult citizens.

However, I did not find any explanation for the name "Suomi".

"Perhaps it is derived from the word 'suomaa', which means marshy land in Finnish," says museum curator Satu Frondelius.

"Others suggest that the name is based on the noun suomu -" fish scales ". The Finns could be called that because they wore clothes made from fish skins," adds Frondelius.

The third theory led me to Finnish Lapland, where the Sami live, a nomadic tribe of reindeer herders.

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption According to one version, "Suomi" means "country of swamps" (suo - swamp, maa - land)

As Klaas Ruppel, an etymologist at the Finnish Institute of Languages, explains, both the words "Saami" and "Suomi" come from the Baltic źemē (a word from the language of the ancient Balts. - Ed.), that is, "land", "lands", as well as the names of the people who lived there.

Lapland in winter resembles an illustration to a fairy tale. Endless lands covered with snow and ice, the arctic wind gave them bizarre shapes. Everything around is somehow dazzling white, so epithets immediately come to mind: a charming, magical, beautiful country.

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Against the backdrop of this unique landscape, I meet sixth-generation reindeer herders Juha Kuyala and his 19-year-old son Oskari. Their family farm is located near Ruka, 800 km north of Helsinki.

I pass through the wooden gate and enter the courtyard, where the reindeer immediately surround me. They sniff my purse, and the more daring ones even try to look inside for something tasty.

Oskari laughs and introduces me to the herd.

"This deer is the mother of that deer over there, and this is Oskari pushing another curious animal away from my leg - her sister."

"I know everyone. They are family members for us," the guy adds.

Image copyright Nadia Isakova / Alamy Stock Photo Image caption Some linguists believe that the words "Saami" and "Suomi" come from the Baltic źemē, that is, "land" or "land"

This reverent attitude towards deer Oskari inherited from his ancestors. Although he is studying at university to become a sports coach, Oskari says his future is here on the farm.

"It's his choice," explains Kujala. "When I was younger, I also explored the world, but ended up coming back here."

Although this Finno-Ugric people consider themselves initially Sami and only then Finns, such a strong connection with nature is very reminiscent of the attitude of the Finns to their land.

According to the Yale Center for Environmental Policy and Law, Finland annually receives the status of one of the most environmentally friendly countries in the world. Recently, the 40th national park was opened in the country.

Obviously, this connection with nature is of great importance to Finns, or rather suomi.

"Because for most of our history we have been ruled by either the Swedes or the Russians, it's only for the last 100 years that we can fully consider ourselves suomi," Fransman says.

Krista and I met again after my return from Lapland and decided to go to the sauna - a favorite pastime of the Finns.

Krista admitted that it is not easy for her to determine her national identity, "because the history of Finland is closely connected with the history of Sweden and Russia."

Image copyright Alamy Stock Photo Image caption Krista Fransman: "Being Finn means appreciating silence, freedom and nature"

"Do you feel more Finnish when you use the word 'Suomi'?" - I asked, splashing water on the hot stones, after which we plunged into a cloud of steam.

"I think that in our multinational world, lesser known languages, such as Finnish, can enrich the country's culture," she replied.

"Finnish is our language and Suomi is the Finnish word for 'Finland'. So why don't we use the name of our country in our native language?" - explained the woman.

Fransman, however, adds that he doesn't give much thought to national identity, whatever word it is defined.

"Being Finnish means appreciating the silence, freedom and nature around us," she adds.

After these words, I also plunge into silence, enjoying the peace that the sauna gives.

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