Finland is the fifth largest country in the European Union (EU) and is the most northerly state on the mainland of Europe. Approximately 130,500 square miles (338,000 sq. km), Finland is similar in size to the state of Montana. However, it is narrower and longer with 690 miles (1100 km) stretching between its southern and northern tips.

A third of Finland’s total area lies within the Arctic Circle, a far higher proportion than for its Scandinavian neighbors Sweden and Norway. Despite sharing the same latitudinal location as Alaska, the North Atlantic Drift makes Finland far milder than its North American counterpart. The alteration between overwhelming lightness during summer and obscurity in winter, however, is the same as in Alaska.

An abundance of lakes and forests characterize much of Finland’s landscape. Between 60,000 - 200,000 lakes have been counted and cover one-tenth of the country; the water in them cited among the cleanest in Europe. A wealth of forests occupies more than 60 percent of Finland’s land surface. The most prominent trees include pine, spruce, and the national tree: birch.