在欧洲北部，芬兰共和国以其清廉的形象向世人展现。它与瑞典、挪威、俄罗斯相邻，南临芬兰湾，西濒波的尼亚湾。海岸线长达1100公里，而地势则呈现出北高南低的特征。北部和东部地区是高原，其余大部分为丘陵和平原。在这片土地上，有着超过17.9万个岛屿和18.8万个湖泊，因此得名“千湖之国”。全国近三分之一的区域位于北极圈内，属温带海洋性气候。冬季寒冷，只有南部较为温暖，从南至北，一月平均气温约-4℃到16℃；七月则是16℃到13℃。每年的降水量大约在400至600毫米之间，其中三分之一为霰和雪。
早期，这里是拉普人的家园，因此也被称作拉普兰。而后来，又有了来自其他地方的人群迁入，最终建立起了芬兰大公国。大约9000年前，当冰河时期结束时，这里的祖先们从更远的地方迁徙过来。此后，大约在1154年，即瑞典埃里克国王(King Erik)将基督教引入芬兰之后，与瑞典之间就维持了一段700年的关系。在这个过程中，瑞典语成为了行政、教育机构使用的一种语言，而芬兰语直到19世纪才逐渐受到重视。
1808年，由于沙皇亚历山大一世的大军侵占，这片土地成为了俄罗斯帝国的一部分，并一直保持着自治状态直到1917年的独立宣言。此后的1918年，一场短暂但影响深远的内战让整个国家留下了难以磨灭的情感痕迹。在第二次世界大战期间，芬兰与苏联进行了两次交战：1939~1940年的冬季战争，以及随后的1941~1944年的继续战争。这两场战争都对这一地区造成了巨大的破坏。
然而，在1991年苏联解体之后，芬兰终于能够自己决定自己的命运，并且在1995年加入欧盟。这一转变使得这个国家能够更加自由地发展经济并且加强国际合作。
Finland and China: A Growing Partnership
The diplomatic relationship between Finland and China dates back to 1950, when Finland recognized the People's Republic of China and established formal diplomatic ties in 1951. Since then, the two countries have maintained a stable and developing relationship in various fields.
In terms of trade, Finland has been one of China's major trading partners in Northern Europe. In recent years, bilateral trade has experienced steady growth. According to Chinese customs statistics, the total value of Finnish imports into China reached $112.8 billion in 2012, with a year-on-year increase of 0.8%. From January to August 2013, bilateral trade volume dropped by 19.8% compared with the same period last year.
The two countries have also strengthened their cooperation on education exchanges since the early days of their relations. In addition to mutual recognition agreements for higher education diplomas signed by both sides' education departments in June 2006, there are now more than ten pairs of sister universities or institutions between them.
As for cultural exchanges, both sides have signed several memoranda on cultural cooperation over the years. For instance, an agreement on promoting friendly relations between Finnish people was inked during Chinese President Hu Jintao's visit to Helsinki in September 2005.
Finnish attractions:
Rovaniemi: Located at the Arctic Circle is Rovaniemi City which is known as Santa Claus Village where you can see Santa Claus himself! The place offers a unique experience that makes it seem like every day is Christmas Day!
Helsinki: Known as "the white city" due to its snow-white buildings made from light-colored granite stones imported from Russia during Russian rule before independence gained after World War II - Helsinki has stunning architecture combined with beautiful parks along lake shores creating an enchanting atmosphere reminiscent of fairy tales!
Turku: This historic port city boasts numerous architectural gems such as medieval Turku Castle & Cathedral showcasing its rich history attracting millions each year making tourism another pillar industry besides technology!
