Finnish Geography and Nature

Geography and Nature

169 practice questions, each with the answer and an explanation.

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Random questions from this topic, one at a time. You see the answer and the explanation straight after each one.

All 169 questions

  1. Which is the largest lake in Finland?
  2. Which nickname is often used for Finland?
  3. Which countries share a land border with Finland?
  4. Which Finnish city lies on the Arctic Circle and is known as the home of Santa Claus Village?
  5. Which sea lies between Finland and Estonia?
  6. What does the everyman's right (jokamiehenoikeus) allow in Finland?
  7. Which animal is the national animal of Finland?
  8. Which tree species are the most common in Finnish forests?
  9. What is the polar night, or kaamos, in northern Finland?
  10. Which species of seal lives only in Lake Saimaa and is endangered?
  11. What is the highest point in Finland?
  12. Which is the longest river in Finland?
  13. Why are there so many lakes in Finland?
  14. What is land uplift (post-glacial rebound) in Finland?
  15. What are the Salpausselkä ridges in southern Finland?
  16. Which Finnish site in Helsinki is on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a sea fortress?
  17. Why is the Kvarken Archipelago on the UNESCO World Heritage List?
  18. What is special about the Archipelago Sea off south-west Finland?
  19. What is the midnight sun in Finland?
  20. Which animals are herded semi-wild in northern Finland, mainly by herding families, including the Sámi?
  21. Why is the Baltic Sea brackish, a mix of fresh and salt water?
  22. Which city is the second largest in Finland by population?
  23. Which time zone does Finland use?
  24. Which sea ice phenomenon affects Finnish ports in winter?
  25. Which of these national parks lies in Lapland?
  26. What is the capital of the Åland Islands?
  27. Which is the second largest lake in Finland?
  28. Which is the largest wild land mammal living in Finland?
  29. Why does the sun stay up for weeks in northern Finland in the summer?
  30. Which statement best explains why Finland's climate is milder than that of Siberia at the same latitude?
  31. How can land uplift be seen in the Finnish coastal landscape?
  32. Why do the Salpausselkä ridges mark the position of a halt in the retreat of the ice sheet?
  33. Which pair of facts correctly describes Finland's forests?
  34. Why is the Finnish Lakeland often described as a landscape of both land and water?
  35. Which approach to protecting nature is used by Finland's national parks?
  36. What can be concluded from the fact that Finland's population is concentrated in the south?
  37. Complete the sentence about Helsinki with the correct year: Helsinki, until about ______ known in English by its Swedish name of Helsingfors, is the capital and most populous city in Finland.
  38. Complete the sentence about Helsinki with the correct year: In the Condé Nast Traveler magazine's ______ Readers' Choice Awards, Helsinki was ranked the 4th-friendliest city in Europe.
  39. Complete the sentence about Tampere with the correct year: The city of Tampere was on the western side of the rapids, but the eastern bank was attached to the city in ______.
  40. Complete the sentence about Turku with the correct year: Pope Gregory IX first mentioned the town of Aboa in his Bulla in ______, and this year is now used as the founding year of the city.
  41. Complete the sentence about Turku with the correct year: After the Finnish War, Finland became an autonomous grand duchy of the Russian Empire in ______, and Turku became the capital of the Grand Duch…
  42. Complete the sentence about Lahti with the correct year: The European Commission has named Lahti as the European Green Capital of ______.
  43. Complete the sentence about Lahti with the correct year: On 19 June ______, almost the entire village was burned to the ground.
  44. Complete the sentence about Pori with the correct year: Pori was established in ______ by Duke John, who later became King John III of Sweden.
  45. Complete the sentence about Pori with the correct year: Svinhufvud on December 11, ______, and was later redrawn by Olof Eriksson.
  46. Complete the sentence about Pori with the correct year: The city council reaffirmed the use of the redrawn version on October 27, ______.
  47. Complete the sentence about Joensuu with the correct year: Joensuu was founded in ______ by the Russian Emperor Nicholas I during Grand Duchy of Finland period.
  48. Complete the sentence about Joensuu with the correct year: The coat of arms was designed by Toivo Vuorela, and it was approved by the Joensuu City Council at its meeting on May 10, ______.
  49. Complete the sentence about Joensuu with the correct year: The city of Joensuu, founded by the Czar Nicholas I of Russia in ______, is the regional centre and the capital of North Karelia.
  50. Complete the sentence about Lappeenranta with the correct year: Lappeenranta Airport, opened in ______ and located in the city centre, is Finland's oldest operating airport.
  51. Complete the sentence about Hämeenlinna with the correct year: The current coat of arms was designed by Gustaf von Numers on the basis of the old coat of arms, and was confirmed on September 21, _____…
  52. Complete the sentence about Vaasa with the correct year: During the Finnish Civil War in ______, Vaasa briefly served as the capital of White Finland and hosted the Senate of Finland.
  53. Complete the sentence about Mikkeli with the correct year: The earliest signs of human life in Mikkeli are the Astuvansalmi rock paintings in Ristiina, dating back to 4100-______ BCE.
  54. Complete the sentence about Kotka with the correct year: The new coat of arms was designed by Olof Eriksson in ______, Eriksson kept the new coat of arms as the main emblem of Kotka referring to the n…
  55. Complete the sentence about Kotka with the correct year: Historically, Swedish was the official language in the city until ______.
  56. Complete the sentence about Salo, Finland with the correct year: In ______ it grew to 18 km when areas from neighbouring Uskela and Halikko were annexed to Salo.
  57. Complete the sentence about Salo, Finland with the correct year: The municipalities of Halikko, Kiikala, Kisko, Kuusjoki, Muurla, Perniö, Pertteli, Suomusjärvi and Särkisalo were consolidated with Sal…
  58. Complete the sentence about Kokkola with the correct year: The coat of arms of Kokkola is based on the city seal issued in ______ in connection with the founding of the city.
  59. Complete the sentence about Hyvinkää with the correct year: Hyvinkää is home to several well-known buildings, including the ______ church and the Kytäjä manor house.
  60. Complete the sentence about Hyvinkää with the correct year: Hyvinkää, who still belonged to the Nurmijärvi parish at that time, resigned in ______ as its own parishioner.
  61. Complete the sentence about Lohja with the correct year: Elias Lönnrot, who wrote the Kalevala, was both born and died in Sammatti, which has been part of Lohja since ______.
  62. Complete the sentence about Järvenpää with the correct year: Järvenpää was separated from its parent community Tuusula in ______.
  63. Complete the sentence about Rauma, Finland with the correct year: In ______, the townsmen of Rauma were ordered to relocate to Helsinki, but this was unsuccessful and Rauma continued to grow.
  64. Complete the sentence about Rauma, Finland with the correct year: In ______ Rauma had the largest fleet of sailing ships in Finland, totalling 57 vessels.
  65. Complete the sentence about Kajaani with the correct year: During the Great Northern War it succumbed to Russian forces, who ruined Kajaani Castle in ______.
  66. Complete the sentence about Kajaani with the correct year: Kajaani's church was built in ______ in the Neo-Gothic style by the architect Jac Ahrenberg to replace an earlier church.
  67. Complete the sentence about Kajaani with the correct year: The Kajaani University of Applied Sciences was established in ______.
  68. Complete the sentence about Kajaani with the correct year: Kajaani was one of the cities founded on 6 March ______ by the Swedish Governor General of Finland, Per Brahe.
  69. Complete the sentence about Savonlinna with the correct year: The castle was founded by Erik Axelsson Tott in ______ in an effort to protect Savo and to control the unstable border between the Kingdom…
  70. Complete the sentence about Savonlinna with the correct year: In ______ the municipality of Sääminki was consolidated with Savonlinna.
  71. Complete the sentence about Savonlinna with the correct year: In the beginning of the year ______, the municipalities of Kerimäki and Punkaharju were consolidated with Savonlinna.
  72. Complete the sentence about Naantali with the correct year: The charter was signed by King Christopher of Bavaria, the then ruler of Finland, in ______.
  73. Complete the sentence about Naantali with the correct year: The year ______ saw the founding of the spa at Cape Kalevanniemi, which raised the town's status as a holiday venue.
  74. Complete the sentence about Kemi with the correct year: The hostages were released unharmed on October 11, ______, near Rovaniemi.
  75. Complete the sentence about Tornio with the correct year: The town received its charter from the King Gustavus Adolphus on 12 May ______, and was officially founded on the island of Suensaari.
  76. Complete the sentence about Tornio with the correct year: The church was constructed in ______ by Matti Joosepinpoika Härmä.
  77. Complete the sentence about Mariehamn with the correct year: Mariehamn was founded on 21 February ______ on land that belonged to the village of Övernäs in Jomala.
  78. Complete the sentence about Nuuksio National Park with the correct year: Established in ______, the park spreads over an area of forests and lakes in Espoo, Kirkkonummi and Vihti.
  79. Complete the sentence about Koli National Park with the correct year: The park was established in ______ and is currently governed by the Metsähallitus.
  80. Complete the sentence about Åland with the correct year: The Parliament of Finland granted Åland extensive autonomy under the Act on the Autonomy of Åland of ______.
  81. Complete the sentence about Åland with the correct year: In ______, Danish naval officer Søren Norby captured it during a raid.
  82. Complete the sentence about Lapland with the correct year: The northern and western areas were transferred in ______ to Oulu County, which became Oulu Province.
  83. Complete the sentence about Kemijoki with the correct year: In ______, the plants produced a total of 4.3 TWh, which was about 34.5% of Finland's total hydroelectric production.
  84. Complete the sentence about Gulf of Finland with the correct year: Starting in ______, Russia constructed nineteen artificial islands with fortresses in the gulf.
  85. Complete the sentence about Gulf of Bothnia with the correct year: The first map in which the gulf has been delineated, although without name, is that of Nicolaus Germanus from the year ______.
  86. Complete the sentence about Baltic Sea with the correct year: Denmark gradually gained control over a large portion of the Baltic coast, until it lost many of its possessions after being defeated in t…
  87. Complete the sentence about Halti with the correct year: The reason for the border being the way it is can be traced to a Swedish-Danish border treaty in ______, when Norway belonged to Denmark and Fi…
  88. Complete the sentence about Suomenlinna with the correct year: Construction of the fortress began in ______ under the Swedish Crown as a defense against Russia.
  89. Complete the sentence about Suomenlinna with the correct year: During the Finnish War, Russian forces besieged the fortress in ______.
  90. Complete the sentence about Suomenlinna with the correct year: Despite its formidable reputation as the "Gibraltar of the North", the fortress surrendered after only two months, on 3 May ______.
  91. Complete the sentence about Suomenlinna with the correct year: Under Russian rule, the fortress served as a base for the Baltic Fleet during World War I, and in ______, construction began on the Krepo…
  92. Complete the sentence about Suomenlinna with the correct year: Russian forces abandoned the fortress after Finland declared independence in ______.
  93. Complete the sentence about Suomenlinna with the correct year: Suomenlinna remained under the control of the Finnish Defense Department until ______, when most of it was transferred to civilian admini…
  94. Complete the sentence about Suomenlinna with the correct year: Famous for its bastion fortifications, the fortress was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in ______.
  95. Complete the sentence about Suomenlinna with the correct year: In ______, Peter the Great founded his new capital, Saint Petersburg, in that easternmost corner of the Gulf of Finland.
  96. Complete the sentence about Helsinki Central Station with the correct year: The station building, clad in granite, was designed by Eliel Saarinen and inaugurated in ______.
  97. Complete the sentence about Helsinki Central Station with the correct year: Helsinki Central was chosen as one of the world's most beautiful railway stations by BBC in ______.
  98. Complete the sentence about Kiasma with the correct year: The competition results were announced in ______, and the winning proposal, titled Chiasma by Steven Holl, was selected from the 516 submitted…
  99. Complete the sentence about Ateneum with the correct year: The Ateneum building was designed by Theodor Höijer and completed in ______.
  100. Complete the sentence about Olavinlinna with the correct year: The castle forms a spectacular stage for the Savonlinna Opera Festival, which was held for the first time in the summer of ______.

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