ABSTRACT

Finland is a place with a character all of its own. It is rural by its nature, with vast forests, lakes and rivers, but its towns are tiny by European standards, and it is only the capital, Helsinki, with its surrounding areas that could be called a metropolis in any way with its population of 1 million. Finland is the most sparsely populated country of the EU (15 people per km2), with a total population of 5.1 million and a land area of 336,594 km2. Only 20–25 per cent of the Finns live in rural areas (about 1 million). Finland is a place where East and West merge. The history, culture and religion of the country place the Finns squarely among the peoples of Western Europe, and yet there is a strong eastern influence. Rural policy applies to various levels, concerns both private and public organisations and may be based on either formal or informal structures.