What makes you proud to be Finnish?
I am proud of Finland because my country is clean and safe. The environmental awareness is on a very high level and I am for example used to recycling plastic and glass bottles, paper and board, cans and biowaste. I am proud that we take a good care of our nature.
I am also happy that Finland is a safe country. It is normal in Finland that children can go safely to school and hobbies alone without parent’s transportation.
I am also very proud of the ranking we recently got in an international evaluation — we are the fifth-happiest country in the world.
Education and health care are on a very high level in Finland and available for all without any charge.
What is your hometown like?
My hometown is Nokia. Believe or not, there is a town with a name of Nokia in Finland. It is located in Southern Finland, about 150km north of the capital, Helsinki. My hometown is beautiful and surrounded by big lakes, a river and a lot of forests. It is an industrial town from where the Nokia story begun.
What is unique about Finland?
Our knowledge-based economy. We do not have too many natural resources and perhaps our most valuable resource is intelligent, innovative people. We are a nation with a high spending in research and develoipment, and a large number of innovations and start-ups.
And I also have to mention our beautiful, clean nature and four seasons.
What is the Finnish cultural identity?
The Finnish cultural identity is above all Nordic. We belong to the Nordic countries geographically and culturally.
What’s your favourite Finnish food?
I love freshwater fish, which we have a lot in Finland. I also adore berries, which we grow in almost all gardens — raspberries, strawberries, black currants and red currants. They are so sweet and tasty when they grow in an open air under the sun. I also like very much berries that grow in the forests, like blueberries, lingonberries and cloudberries.
Which stereotypes about Finns are true/not true?
We Finns are honest people. If we promise something, we keep our word. We are also a hardworking nation. We are not as isolated as is often believed; we are an essential part of Europe.
What sights or experiences in your country are not to be missed?
If you travel to Finland, you should definitively see the Northern Finland, Lapland with its mountains and a specific flora. Also don’t miss our Lake District — Finland is called the country of thousand lakes, and with good reason.
