Finland and Jyväskylä
Land of Many Interesting Contrasts
Suomi - Finland is the second most northern country in the world. A quarter of its total area lies north of the Arctic Circle. Finland shares a common border in the north with Nor-way, in the east with Russia, on the south it is bordered by the Gulf of Finland, and on the west by the Gulf of Bothnia and Sweden. Finland is a modern country with a high standard of living, and population of 5.3 million.
Over 60 per cent of the population has completed post-comprehensive level educa-tional qualifications from upper secondary general schools, vocational education institutes, universities of applied sciences or universities. Finnish higher education consists of two sectors: universities and universities of applied sciences. (Source: Fact Sheet Finland. Virtual Finland. Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland.)
Language
The Finnish language is a member of the Finno-Ugric linguistic family that includes, in one branch, Finnish, Estonian and a number of other Finnic tongues. Finland has two official languages, Finnish and Swedish, the latter spoken as a mother tongue by about 6 per cent of the people. Another indigenous language is Sami, spoken within the small community of Sami people (also known as Lapps) in Lapland. English has become the most popular foreign language and is widely spoken.
(Source: Fact Sheet Finland. Virtual Finland. Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland.)
Weather
The four seasons of the year vary from one another significantly. The temperatures can differ from winters minus 30 degrees Celsius to summers 30 degrees Celsius. The mean annual temperature in the capital, Helsinki, is 5.3 degrees. In the Arctic Circle, the sun does not set for about 73 days, producing the white nights of summer. In the same region, during the winter period, the sun remains below the horizon for 51 days, creating the polar night known in Finnish as kaamos.
(Source: Fact Sheet Finland. Virtual Finland. Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland.)
Jyväskylä in Brief
The city of Jyväskylä is situated in the heart of Finland, 270 kilometres north of the capital, Helsinki, and is surrounded by beautiful lakes, ridges and forests. The Jyväskylä region with a population almost of 170 000 is a modern centre for industry and learning. Its central location makes it easily accessible to other areas and towns in Finland.
Jyväskylä is a place of great natural and architectural beauty and famous for the architecture designed by the renowned Finnish architect Alvar Aalto. Thanks to the short distances and the lively urban centre, Jyväskylä is a "little big city" where all the services, shops, schools and work are close at hand. (Source: Jyväskylä Region. Jyväskylä Human Technology City. City of Jyväskylä.)
Activities
In summer there are numerous attractive beaches in Jyväskylä, and one can fish in the lakes all year round. Jyväskylä is situated next to Lake Päijänne, the second largest lake in Finland. In summer one can also go camping, get on a cruise etc. and choose from many various activities.
The winter season usually starts in December and lasts until March-April. In winter, there are dozens of kilometers of cross-country ski tracks and slalom slopes near the winter sports centre in Laajavuori. These tracks and slopes are floodlit at night. Skating is also a possible activity near the city centre in many places.
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