1, There Are More Than 3 Million Saunas In Finland
The Finnish sauna is an integral part of the culture in Finland. There are over 3 million saunas for the country’s 5 million inhabitants. A sauna in Finland is a place to relax and socialize with family and friends. For Finns, a sauna is a necessity, and in the past, most Finnish women gave birth in a sauna.
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2, Finland Is the Only Home of the Endangered Saimaa Ringed Seal
A highly threatened seal species, the Saimaa ringed seal is found in Lake Saimaa, Finland. Only about 380 individuals of the species live in the lake today. The seals began inhabiting the lake when the land rose and cut off the lake from the sea after the last ice age. For about 9,500 years, this species of seal evolved separately and is one of the few freshwater seal species living today.
3, Finland Celebrates a ‘Day for Failure’
Finland celebrates failure on the 13th of October each year. The first such day was held in 2010 by Finnish university students. It soon became very popular and attracted big names in Finnish society. Today, many famous politicians, artists, media personalities, and others support the Day for Failure and share their own stories of failure and how they overcame the problems. The day is celebrated to allow people to open up about their problems in life and gather encouragement from society and others who have suffered similar fates but still managed to persevere.
4, Finland Is Europe’s Prison-Break Capital
While Finland is praised for its progressive “open-prison” system, it also suffers from drawbacks of the system. In Finland, prisoners are allowed to circulate in the surrounding community during the daytime. They can study, work, or shop like other free individuals. Such a system is considered to be cost-effective and is also believed to lower reoffending rates. However, the system also makes it easy for prisoners to escape. Finland’s prisoners have an escape rate of 1,084 per 10,000 inmates, which is the highest in Europe.
5,Finland Has One of the World’s Most Powerful Passports
Individuals with a Finnish passport can access 175 countries around the world without a visa. It is the worlds third most powerful passport, after those of Germany and Singapore.