Finland

The Nordic nation has been named the ‘happiest country in the world’ for the last eight years. Why?

Small communities across Finland, Estonia and even Ukraine keep the Swedish language alive in unexpected corners of Europe

From Belfast hip-hop trio Kneecap to Danish jazz band Alawari, artists took to the stage in Helsinki to condemn “Israel’s horrifying genocide”

Britain has tumbled down the wellbeing rankings – and now it is time to learn from the country at the top

A Finnish comedy trio are among the bookies’ favourites to win the song contest... for Sweden

Hanna Pylväinen’s new novel is a haunting tale of love and conflict set in the Sápmi lands of northern Europe in the 19th century

The artist championing the Arctic’s mistreated, reindeer-raising Sámi people

Alexander Stubb won the presidential election, but now he faces an even bigger challenge – Russia

Finland has rejected the far right, but is the country ready for a gay, Green head of state in Pekka Haavisto?

There was much more to Tove Jansson than the troll family that made her famous

In parts of Sweden and Finland, the practice of changing your surname to make it sound more learned goes back to the 1600s

The Helsinki Biennial event highlights how the climate crisis sparked Finland’s artistic and cultural awakening

Likely new PM Petteri Orpo could help forge a stronger relationship built on defence

Marin, one of Europe’s youngest leaders, has failed to secure a second term in power

The world loves Sanna Marin, but as an election looms, her country may not feel the same

Over two decades since he sent shockwaves through the world’s sullen youth, Ville Valo is back with his debut solo album

ABBA’s back catalogue has found a new iteration thanks to a symphonic metal outfit from Finland

As the Scandinavian countries prepare to apply for membership, with Moldova and Georgia waiting in the wings, how will Russia react - and what hope is there for Ukraine?

Heidi Hautala, now vice-president of the European parliament, questioned Moscow’s democratic credentials in 2006, causing a storm at home. Now, as Finland prepares to apply for Nato membership, she assesses the security situation in Europe

News that you might have missed from around the continent, selected by Steve Anglesey.

Writers have long been drawn to islands. Few have managed to express – and satisfy – that yearning like Tove Jansson, creator of the Moomins  “If I could wish something good for someone, I would wish for them an island with no address.” When Tove Jansson wrote those words sitting in her Helsinki apartment in 1962, the tiny cottage on […]

No country in the world is having a good time right now. But – coronavirus aside – why does Finland keep topping the international happiness charts? According to the old Nordic joke, a Swede goes into a bar in Helsinki. The chirpy Swede takes his drink and says “cheers” to the Finn on the barstool […]

Lahti is leading the way in carbon reduction. So what lessons does it have for other cities? As Finland’s ninth-largest city, with a population slightly smaller than Gloucester’s, Lahti is not used to being a capital. But this year is different. The city – around 100km (60 miles) north of the country’s actual capital, Helsinki – is the European Green […]