Brown Bear
The brown bear is Finland's national animal and lives in the vast boreal forests, where it can weigh as much as 300 kilograms — heavier than most motorcycles.
Flag of Finland
Field Report
Finland is a northern European country tucked between Sweden, Norway, Russia, and the Baltic Sea — a land of thick forests, thousands of glittering lakes, and winters so dark that the northern lights sometimes dance across the sky. About 5.5 million people live there, and while many grew up with a cultural connection to Christianity, fewer and fewer Finns today have a living, personal faith in Jesus. God loves the Finnish people deeply, and Christians around the world have the privilege of praying that they would come to know Him.
From the Field Notebook
Brown Bear
The brown bear is Finland's national animal and lives in the vast boreal forests, where it can weigh as much as 300 kilograms — heavier than most motorcycles.
Whooper Swan
The whooper swan is Finland's national bird and mates for life, flying thousands of kilometers each year between its Finnish breeding grounds and warmer southern waters.
Eurasian Lynx
The Eurasian lynx is a secretive wild cat with tufted ears that hunts deer across Finland's snowy forests, leaving paw prints as wide as a child's hand.
Rye Bread (Ruisleipä)
Finnish rye bread is dense, dark, and tangy — so central to everyday life that most Finnish families eat it at nearly every meal.
Salmon Soup (Lohikeitto)
This creamy soup is made with fresh salmon, potatoes, and dill, and warms families during the long, cold Finnish winters.
Cinnamon Bun (Korvapuusti)
Finland's version of the cinnamon bun is larger and chewier than most, flavored with cardamom as well as cinnamon, and enjoyed with coffee or warm milk.
Finland has more saunas than cars — there are roughly 3 million saunas for a country of only 5.5 million people, and taking a sauna is considered an ordinary part of daily life, not a luxury.
During midsummer in northern Finland, the sun never fully sets for several weeks, a phenomenon called the Midnight Sun, which means children can technically read outside at midnight without a flashlight.
Finland has over 188,000 lakes — more lakes per square kilometer than almost any other country on Earth, so no matter where you stand, you are rarely more than a few kilometers from one.
Finnish is one of the most grammatically different languages in Europe from English, using 15 different cases to change the ending of a word instead of using separate prepositions like 'in,' 'from,' or 'with.'
Finland was the first country in the world to give women the full right to vote and to run for parliament in the same election, which happened in 1906.
Daily Life
82
Years life expectancy
99%
Kids go to school
Missions Field Report
Finland is home to 26 distinct people groups — 9 of them haven’t yet heard about Jesus.
Most Finland's people follow Christianity (80.4%). Evangelical Christians make up about 10.2% of the population.
What People Believe
Unreached People Groups
These are communities of people who haven’t had the chance to hear about Jesus yet. They need missionaries — and they need kids like you to pray for them.
Somali
22,000 people
Arab, Iraqi
16,000 people
Kurd, Kurmanji
15,000 people
Persian
14,000 people
South Asian, general
11,000 people
Prayer Journal
Tick each one as you pray. God hears every word.