How Finnish people live and adapt to a particular external environment

Résumé du document

To begin, we have to underline that the point that will be developed here is that Finnish people are strongly connected with nature. First of all, more than a quarter of the country is northern than the polar circle: Finland is the most septentrional country in Europe... Then, Finland is known as the land of the'' thousands lakes '', but in reality the number is even higher: there are 187 888 lakes approximately in Finland. If you add to this the fact forests cover three quarters of the country's surface area of 338000 sq. km, you understand why the fins have a lot of empty spaces accessible. They can easily remain alone for some days and feel completely free in deep nature. Finland has 5 M inhabitants and has an average population density of 17 inhabitants per square kilometre. That makes it, after Norway and Iceland, the most sparsely populated country in Europe. To compare we can say that if France had the same population density there would be less than 2 millions of inhabitants in the whole country. In Lapland, there are only two inhabitants per square kilometre. We have now, one of the main particularities of Finnish bodies: they are often and easily alone. They can feel around them a space of independence, where they are only in contact with nature.

Extraits

[...] So, we have to underline that Finnish people are keen on facing nature. For example, after a sauna they may practice swimming. That is an evidence of an other particular link between Finnish bodies and nature. Even if the nature is not so welcoming with them (because of low temperatures, long winters and snow) they often challenge it. It is another way of experiencing nature and maybe of proving to themselves that they are able to bear difficult conditions. [...]

[...] To conclude, here we can say that it is a cultural specificity in Finland that people are much more sensible to the protection of environment. The fact to throw papers in garbage or to recycle bottles is completely integrated in daily life. Even when they live in big cities like Helsinki, they keep a typical feeling and contact with nature. But even if the fins are educated to those problems and are very linked to nature, efforts remain necessary. A WWF study has show that Finnish citizens have an ecological footprint of 7.6 hectares. [...]

[...] How Finnish people live and adapt to a particular external environment Evolving in space and nature To begin, we have to underline that the point that will be developed here is that Finnish people are strongly connected with nature. First of all, more than a quarter of the country is northern than the polar circle: Finland is the most septentrional country in Europe . Then, Finland is known as the land of the'' thousands lakes but in reality the number is even higher: there are lakes approximately in Finland. [...]

[...] They can really measure the consequences of the climate changes for example with the global warming, or the pollution of the Baltic Sea. One of the best examples of the attention given to the protection of environment is the 32 national parks. The purpose is to protect the diversity of Finnish environment for today and for future generations. National parks, nature reserves, and other protected areas form a national zone in which special regulations are respected. One of the other aims is to educate citizens and visitors: those national parks are an opportunity to increase the familiarity with nature. [...]

[...] In 1886, the first law concerning environment was voted. The main principle in this law was that forest shall not be destroyed, and its utilisation shall allow its regeneration. A mention was made about the necessity to protect trees and vegetative cover, and to ensure the soil conservation. Then the people working in the harvesting of wood have always been controlled in a forest management plan organized by the National Forest Service, created in 1863. Finland's low population density and comparatively unspoilt natural environment also facilitate nature conservation. [...]