Geography of Finland includes primarily the location and the topography of the land. Located in Northern Europe, Finland is bordered by the Baltic Sea. There are two gulfs in the region two one of which is the, Gulf of Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland. Finland is exactly located between Sweden and Russia. It is this unique Geography of Finland which influenced the political history of the realm.
Latitudinally and longitudinally, Finland lies in 64 00 N, 26 00 E. The total area that Finland covers is approximately 338,145 sq km. Out of which 304,473 sq km is land area and the rest is water bodies. Its coastline extends to a length of 1,250 km. As far as the topography of Finland is concerned, it is a land of islands and lakes. There are a total of 187,888 lakes and 179,584 islands. Lake Saimaa, is the largest among them and fifth largest in Europe.
A thorough study of the topography and the Geography of Finland shows that the landscape consists of plains with few hills. Halti is the highest point and is situated at a height of 1,324 meters. It is located in the extreme north of Lapland at the border between Finland and Norway. Coniferous taiga forests occupy most of the land area. The most common type of rock that is found here is the granite. Moraine or till are the most common soil types.
While considering the Geography of Finland it is impossible to ignore the wealth of biodiversity in this region. It is home to over 1,200 species of vascular plants, 800 bryophytes and 1,000 lichen species. Oak and maple grow in the southern part of Finland where the temperatures are mild. Many plant species have been imported from the neighboring regions like Norway. Some such plants are Scots Pine, spruce and birch.
There are at least sixty native mammalian species in the Finnish realm. Here you will also find 248 breeding bird species and over seventy fish species and eleven reptile and frog species present today.
Finland's geography considerably influences the weather of the place. The Arctic Circle crosses the land, dividing it into two. The northern half enjoys a sub-arctic climate while the southern half is the temperate kind of climate. The weather also fluctuates with the change in the direction of the westerly winds.
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