A difficult environment with a harsh Arctic climate has made life for the Finns extremely challenging. But they have overcome more than just their environment. This is the survey of the Finnish geography, history, government, economy, people, and culture. It assists student researchers in investigating this Nordic country.

Finland has a culture defined by its natural landscape and rich history. Finns from this “land of a thousand lakes” enjoy time in nature and learn from one of the most successful educational systems in the world. Readers are introduced to the lifestyles, arts, and traditions of Finland, from the exciting capital city of Helsinki to the vast wilderness of Lapland. They discover the ways city-dwelling Finns live today, as well as how the indigenous Sami people herd reindeer in the north. Photographs, fact boxes, and sidebars add depth to accessible text to give readers an unforgettable tour of Finland.

Finland is a vast, sparsely populated country known for its natural wonders like the northern lights and breathtaking landscapes. In this book, readers will discover the unique culture of the Finns, including their language, customs, foods, and rich history. They will also explore the country’s geography, cities, and everyday life through engaging text, vibrant photographs, and colorful maps.

CultureShock! Finland guides you on a fun-filled crash course on getting to know this rarely explored country. Find out why the Finns are so proud of their motherland and why others fall in love with it from their first visit. From cosmopolitan Helsinki to traditional Lapland, discover the gems of each region and be charmed by the magical winters and the long summer days. Be acquainted with the Finns and find out what lies behind their silence and the desire for personal space. Understand how environmental consciousness and gender equality play an important role in Finnish society and be initiated into the delights of the Finnish sauna. This book also covers a wide range of practical topics to enable you to settle in seamlessly, such as how to set up home, how to conduct business effectively and what leisure activities are available. CultureShock! Finland is the all-encompassing guide that will help you to find your way in Finland and make it your own.

The best-selling book of easy-to-implement classroom lessons from the world’s premier educational system—now available in paperback. Finland shocked the world when its fifteen-year-olds scored highest on the first Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), a set of tests evaluating critical-thinking skills in math, science, and reading. That was in 2001; even today, this tiny Nordic nation continues to amaze. How does Finnish education—with short school days, light homework loads, and little standardized testing—produce students who match the PISA scores of other nations with more traditional “work ethic” standards? When Timothy Walker started teaching fifth graders at a Helsinki public school, he began a search for the secrets behind the successes of Finland’s education system. Highlighting specific strategies that support joyful K–12 classrooms and can be integrated with U.S. educational standards, this book, available in paperback for the first time, gathers what he learned and shows how any teacher can implement many of Finland's best practices. A new foreword by the author addresses the urgent questions of teaching, and living, in these pandemic times.

Lonely Planet: The world’s leading travel guide publisher Lonely Planet Finland is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Shop for the best in Scandinavian design, fizz across Lapland behind a team of huskies, and warm up in a traditional sauna – all with your trusted travel companion. Get to the heart of Finland and begin your journey now! Inside Lonely Planet’s Finland: Colour maps and images throughout Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sightseeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss Cultural insights provide a richer, more rewarding travel experience - covering history, art, literature, music, architecture, landscapes, wildlife, the Sami, Finnish culture, Finnish design Covers Helsinki, Turku & the South Coast, Åland Archipelago, Tampere, Pirkanmaa & Häme, the Lakeland, Karelia, West Coast, Oulu, Kainuu & Koillismaa, Lapland, and more eBook Features: (Best viewed on tablet devices and smartphones) Downloadable PDF and offline maps prevent roaming and data charges Effortlessly navigate and jump between maps and reviews Add notes to personalise your guidebook experience Seamlessly flip between pages Bookmarks and speedy search capabilities get you to key pages in a flash Embedded links to recommendations' websites Zoom-in maps and images Inbuilt dictionary for quick referencing The Perfect Choice: Lonely Planet Finland is our most comprehensive guide to the country, and is designed to immerse you in the culture and help you discover the best sights and get off the beaten track. Looking for wider coverage? Check out Lonely Planet’s Scandinavia guide for a comprehensive look at all the region has to offer. About Lonely Planet: Lonely Planet is a leading travel media company and the world’s number one travel guidebook brand, providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveller since 1973. Over the past four decades, we’ve printed over 145 million guidebooks and grown a dedicated, passionate global community of travellers. You’ll also find our content online, and in mobile apps, video, 14 languages, nine international magazines, armchair and lifestyle books, ebooks, and more. ‘Lonely Planet guides are, quite simply, like no other.’ – New York Times ‘Lonely Planet. It's on everyone's bookshelves; it's in every traveller's hands. It's on mobile phones. It's on the Internet. It's everywhere, and it's telling entire generations of people how to travel the world.’ – Fairfax Media (Australia) Important Notice: The digital edition of this book may not contain all of the images found in the physical edition.

BEST PRACTICES FROM FINLAND'S HIGH-PERFORMING SCHOOL SYSTEM Empowered Educators in Finland is one volume in a series that explores how high- performing educational systems from around the world achieve strong results. The anchor book, Empowered Educators: How High-Performing Systems Shape Teaching Quality Around the World, is written by Linda Darling-Hammond and colleagues, with contributions from the authors of this volume. Empowered Educators in Finland explores Finland's unique approach to teacher training that, combined with a national focus on equity and children, has led to strong student results on the OECD PISA and other international tests. Since the 1930s, every child born in Finland has been provided with a box of clothes, sheets, toys, diapers, and even a small mattress; the box itself can—and often does—serve as a simple crib. Intended to ensure that all Finnish children begin with the essentials, this box also serves as a clear symbol of the nation's emphasis on equality and opportunity. This book describes how what is commonly thought to be "just a part of Finnish culture" is actually the result of strong support for educators at all levels of government. From the Ministry of Education and Culture, to the Finnish National Board of Education, to regional and local policy makers, Finland has made deliberate choices to create and support a strong educational system. While there are unique political, cultural, and societal features of Finland—as with all countries—there are many lessons to be learned and practical ideas to be implemented across the world.

This open access book explores the organization and evolution of Finlands Cold War cultural diplomacy (1945-1975) as the basis for a reflection on the countrys foreign relations, the link between culture and politics, small states autonomy during the Cold War, and the porosity of the East-West divide. The book offers a historical survey of the development of Finlands cultural diplomacy as part of the Finnish states foreign activities. In its empirical parts, it focuses on archives drawn from the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Education in order to explain Finlands cultural diplomacy as the result of the countrys foreign policy orientations, interactions between domestic and foreign policy, and the expansion of state activities in the artistic, educational, and cultural sectors. Various reflections and reports on foreign cultural relations highlight the role of identity concerns, cultural relations, geopolitics and economic imperatives in the development of a specifically Finnish cultural diplomacy. Furthermore, the book focuses on specific aspects and events, considering for instance the organization and evolutions of Finlands cultural relations with the USSR, the role of cultural treaties, academic exchanges and scientific cooperation, "cultural exports" and the marketization of culture, overlaps between cultural relations and high politics. Louis Clerc is Professor in Contemporary History in the Department of Contemporary History, Philosophy and Political Science at the University of Turku, Finland. His current research projects deal with the history of public and cultural diplomacy and the study of diplomatic relations.