Finns
suomalaiset

Total population
6.5 million
Regions with significant populations
Finland:       approx. 5,400,000[1] Other significant population centers:
United States 700,000[2]  Sweden 470,000  Canada 131,040[3]  Russia 34,300 (with Ingrian Finns) [4] or 127,600 (with all Karelians)  Australia 20,988 (in 2006)[5]  Germany 16,000 (in 2002)[6]  Norway 15,000-60,000 including Forest Finns and Kvens[7][8]  United Kingdom 11,228[9]  Estonia 11,000[10]  France 6,000 (in 2005)  Spain 5,000 (in 2001)[6]  Switzerland 2,656 (in 2002)[11]  Netherlands 2,087 (in 2006)[12]  Denmark 2,084 (in 2002)[11]  United Arab Emirates 900 (in 2010)[13]
Languages
Finnish Swedish Languages related to Finnish include Estonian, Karelian, Vepsian, Võro and, more distantly, all Uralic languages.
Religion
Finnish Paganism and Roman Catholicism from 1050 until 16th century[14] Today predominantly Protestant (mainly Lutheran); Orthodox Christian, Roman Catholic and neopagan minorities.

The terms Finns and Finnish people (Finnish: suomalaiset, Swedish: finnar (ethnic Finns), finländare (citizens of Finland)) are used in English to mean "a native or inhabitant of Finland". They are also used to refer to the ethnic group historically associated with Finland or Fennoscandia, and they are only used in that sense here.^[15][16]

As with most ethnic groups, the definition of Finns may vary. In every definition, the term includes the Finnish-speaking population of Finland. The group can also be seen to include the Finnish-speaking population of Sweden and the traditionally Swedish-speaking population of Finland, although the inclusion of the latter into the Finnish ethnicity is a subject of discussion. Smaller populations that may or may not be seen to fall under the term Finns include the Kvens in Norway, the Tornedalians of Sweden and the Ingrian Finns of Russia. Finns can be divided according to dialect into subgroups sometimes called heimo (lit. tribe), but such divisions have become less important with internal migration.

Linguistically, Finnish, spoken by most Finns, is part of the Uralic language family and is most closely related to other Finnic languages such as Karelian and Estonian, while Swedish, spoken by Swedish-speaking Finns, is unrelated to the Finnish language and a member of the Indo-European language family. Finnish has loanwords from Swedish, other Germanic and broader Indo-European languages in different chronological layers while Swedish has few loan words from the Finnic languages. Some scholars have argued that, genetically, Finns "have been shown to differ strikingly from other European populations".^[17] However, they have a close genetic affinity to other Europeans; their idiosyncratic findings being attributable to low population density in prehistory.[18]

Definition[link]

The Finnish Population Registry Center maintains information on the place of birth, citizenship and mother tongue of the people living in Finland, but does not specifically categorize any as Finns by ethnicity.^[18] Like all ethnicities, Finns are subject to ethnogenesis. Language—both active and lost—has traditionally been seen as a key element when defining a people or its descendants.

Finnish-speaking Finns[link]

The majority of people living in the Republic of Finland consider Finnish as their first language. According to Statistics Finland, of the country's total population of 5,300,484 at the end of 2007, 91.2% (or 4,836,183) considered Finnish as their native language.^[19] It is not known how many of the ethnic Finns living outside Finland speak Finnish as their first language.

In addition to the Finnish-speaking inhabitants of Finland, also Kvens (people of Finnish descent in Norway), Tornedalians (people of Finnish descent in northernmost Sweden), and Karelians in the historic Finnish province of Karelia and Evangelical Lutheran Ingrian Finns (both in the northwestern Russian Federation), as well as Finnish expatriates in various countries are usually considered as Finnish people.^{[dubious – discuss]}

Finns have been traditionally divided in sub-groups (heimot in Finnish) on regional, dialectical and ethnographical grounds. These include the people of Finland Proper (varsinaissuomalaiset), Satakunta (satakuntalaiset), Tavastia (hämäläiset), Savo (savolaiset), Karelia (karjalaiset) and Ostrobothnia (pohjalaiset). These sub-groups express regional self-identity with varying frequency and significance.

There is a number of distinct dialects (murre s. murteet pl. in Finnish) of the Finnish language spoken in Finland, although the use of only the standard Finnish (yleiskieli) both in its formal written (kirjakieli) and more casual spoken (puhekieli) form at the Finnish school system and within media and popular culture, as well as internal migration and urbanization, have all contributed to the subduing of the regional varieties considerably, especially in the latter half of the 20th century. The first three historical dialects were the South-Western (Lounaismurteet), Tavastian (Hämeen murre), and Karelian (Karjalan murre), which were later mixed up with each other and/or neighboring languages as the population expanded geographically to form the Southern Ostrobothnian (Etelä-Pohjanmaan murre), Central Ostrobothnian (Keski-Pohjanmaan murre), Northern Ostrobothnian (Pohjois-Pohjanmaan murre), Far-Northern (Peräpohjolan murre), Savonian (Savon murre), and South-Eastern (Kaakkois-Suomen murteet) aka South Karelian (Karjalan murre) dialects.

Finland Swedes[link]

The area of modern Finland was part of the Swedish kingdom for several hundred years, and about 360,000 present-day individuals with Finlands citizenship speak Swedish as their mother tongue. In Finland, language is typically considered the basic, but not the only criterion that distinguishes the Finnish-speakers and the Swedish-speakers from each other.^[20] In general, Finland swedes consider themselves to be just as much Finnish as the Finnish-speaking majority, but they have their own special identity distinct from that of the majority, and they wish to be recognized as such. In a 2005 survey by Svenska Finlands Folkting carried out among the Swedish speakers, when asked about the meaning of their identity, 82% of the respondents answered: "Both to belong to an own culture but also to be Finnish amongst the rest."^[21]

On the other hand, the Finland-Swedish minority have been seen to fulfill the major criteria for a separate ethnic group: self-identification, language, social structure, and ancestry.^[22] It is also sometimes suggested that the Swedish-speaking Finns have a special relationship with Sweden, constituted of shared language and culture.

Sweden Finns[link]

These include recent immigrants from Finland and (at least originally) Finnish-speaking people that have lived in Sweden for centuries. An estimated 450,000 first- or second-generation Finns live in Sweden, of which approximately half speak Finnish. The majority moved from Finland to Sweden following the Second World War, with a peak in 1970 and declining thereafter. There are also historical Finnish-speaking minorities in Sweden, for example the Tornedalingar (Torne Valley Finns) and the Finns of Dalecarlia. As a result, the Finnish language has an official status as one of five minority languages in Sweden.^[23]

Other groups[link]

In some texts in the past, the term 'Finns' may have also been employed generally for other Finnic peoples, including Izhorians in Ingria, Karelians and Veps.

In Russia, where most Finns (Karelians not counted) are Ingrians, the 2002 Census demonstrates that they have refused their distinct Ingrian identities and now identify themselves as ethnic Finns.^[24]

Terminology[link]

The Finnish term for Finns is suomalaiset (sing. suomalainen).

The Finnish and Swedish terms for the Swedish-speaking population of Finland are the expressions suomenruotsalaiset and finlandssvenskar respectively, which translate literally with regard to each other. In Finland Swedish usage and mindset the following distinctions are usually made: The nation (people) consists of Finnish speakers (Finland Swedish: finnar) and Swedish speakers (Finland Swedish: finlandssvenskar) who together with smaller minorities constitute the people of Finland (Finland Swedish: finländare). In Swedish spoken outside of Finland, in particular in Sweden, the term finländare is less known, and these distinctions are not always made.

Translating this terminology accurately into foreign languages, including Sweden's Swedish, is a tricky matter because the terminology closely reflects the nation's entire language issue, which played an intricate part in the process of the crystallisation of the nation's self-perception and in the interpretation of its history, and because it still affects these. Indeed, one of the very first domestic matters addressed during the process of national awakening in the 19th century was the language question.

It is therefore debatable which English terms best match the Finnish and (Finland-)Swedish terms suomalaiset (finländare, finnar) and finlandssvenskar (suomenruotsalaiset). Nevertheless, Swedish-speaking Finns seems to be the English term most commonly used today for^[25] and by^[26] the Swedish-speaking population of Finland, although the term Finland Swedes is in wide use too, at least in English written by non-native speakers in Scandinavia.

Similarly debatable is how to best designate the people living in Sweden who are current Finnish speakers or have Finnish or Finnish-speaking ancestors. The terms used include the traditional Sweden Finns and the more modern Finnish Swedes, instead of which it may be preferable to differentiate between (recent) Finnish immigrants and the indigenous Finnish ethnic minority in Sweden.^[27]

As the meanings of these terms have changed in time, these terms may well be used with other meanings than those given above, particularly in foreign and older works.

Etymology[link]

Historical references to Northern Europe are scarce, and the names given to its peoples and geographic regions are obscure. Therefore, the etymologies of the names remain equally sketchy. Such names as Fenni, Phinnoi, Finnum, and Skrithfinni / Scridefinnum appear in a few written texts starting from about two millennia ago in association with peoples located in a northern part of Europe, but the real meaning of these terms is debatable. The earliest mentions of this kind are usually interpreted to have meant Fennoscandian hunter-gatherers whose closest successors in modern terms would be the Sami people.^[28] It has been suggested that this non-Uralic ethnonym is of Germanic language origin and related to such words as finthan (Old High German) 'find', 'notice'; fanthian (Old High German) 'check', 'try'; and fendo (Old High German) and vende (Old Middle German) 'pedestrian', 'wanderer'.^[29] Another etymological interpretation associates this ethnonym with fen in a more toponymical approach. Yet another theory postulates that the words finn and kven are cognates. The Icelandic Eddas and Norse sagas (11th to 14th centuries), some of the oldest written sources probably originating from the closest proximity, use words like finnr and finnas inconsistently. However, most of the time they seem to mean northern dwellers with a mobile life style.

An etymological link between the Sami and the Finns exists in modern Uralic languages as well. It has been proposed that e.g. the toponyms Sapmi (Sami for Lapland), Suomi (Finnish for Finland), and Häme (Finnish for Tavastia) are of the same origin,^[29] the source of which might be related to the proto-Baltic word *žeme / Slavic земля (zemlja) meaning 'land'.^[29] It has been proposed that these designations started to mean specifically people in Southwestern Finland (Finland Proper, Varsinais-Suomi) and later the whole area of modern Finland. But it is not known how, why, and when this occurred.

Petri Kallio has suggested that the name 'Suomi' may bear even earlier Indo-European echoes with the original meaning of either ’land’ or ’human’.^[30]

Among the first written documents possibly designating western Finland as the land of Finns are two rune stones. One of these is in Söderby, Sweden, with the inscription finlont (U 582 †), and the other is in Gotland, a Swedish island in the Baltic Sea, with the inscription finlandi (G 319 M) dating from the 11th century.^[31]

History[link]

A peasant girl and a woman in traditional dress from Ruokolahti, eastern Finland, as depicted by Severin Falkman in 1882.

With regard to the ancestry of the Finnish people, the modern view emphasizes the overall continuity in Finland's archeological finds^[32] and (earlier more obvious) linguistic surroundings. Archeological data suggest the spreading of at least cultural influences from many sources ranging from the south-east to the south-west following gradual developments rather than clear-cut migrations.

Just as uncertain are the possible mediators and the timelines for the development of the Uralic majority language of the Finns. On the basis of comparative linguistics, it has been suggested that the separation of the Finnic and the Sami languages took place during the 2nd millennium BC, and that the proto-Uralic roots of the entire language group date from about the 6th to the 8th millennium BC. When the Uralic languages were first spoken in the area of contemporary Finland is debated but current opinion leans towards the Stone Age.^{[32][not in citation given]}

Because the Finnish language itself reached a written form only in the 16th century, little primary data remains of early Finnish life. For example, the origins of such cultural icons as the sauna, the kantele (an instrument of the zither family), and the Kalevala (national epic) have remained rather obscure.

Agriculture supplanted by fishing and hunting has been the traditional livelihood among Finns. Slash-and-burn agriculture was practiced in the forest-covered east by Eastern Finns up to the 19th century. Agriculture, along with the language, distinguishes Finns from the Sami, who retained the hunter-gatherer lifestyle longer and moved to coastal fishing and reindeer herding. Following industrialization and modernization of Finland, most Finns were urbanized and employed in modern service and manufacturing occupations, with agriculture becoming a minor employer (see Economy of Finland). Western and southern coastal regions and islands have concentrations of the Finland-Swedish; although differences occupational structure are minor in modern times, the most Finland-Swedish profession is still fisherman.

Finland's Swedish speakers descend from peasants and fishermen who settled coastal Finland ca. 1000–1250,^[26] from the subsequent immigration during Swedish sovereignty over Finland,^[33] and from Finns and immigrants who adopted the Swedish language.^[26] Fennomania in the 19th and early 20th century led to some minor language change into Finnish, but this was of little consequence in comparison to ordinary demographic trends, which reduced the proportion of Swedish-speakers during the entire 20th century from 12.9% (1900) to 5.6% (2003).

Subdivisions[link]

Finns are traditionally assumed to originate from two different populations speaking different dialects of Proto-Finnic (kantasuomi). Thus, a division into West Finnish and East Finnish is made. Further, there are subgroups, traditionally called heimo,^[34][35] according to dialects and local culture. Although ostensibly based on late Iron Age settlement patterns, the heimos have been constructed according to dialect during the rise of nationalism in the 19th century.

• Western^[36]
  • Häme: Tavastians or Häme people (hämäläiset)
  • Ostrobothnia: Ostrobothnians (pohjalaiset)
    • Southern Ostrobothnians (eteläpohjalaiset) have a particularly distinct identity and dialect
    • Central Ostrobothnians (keskipohjalaiset)
    • Northern Ostrobothnians (pohjoispohjalaiset)
      • Norrbotten, Sweden: speakers of Meänkieli, a Far Northern dialect of Finnish
  • Southwestern Finland: varsinaissuomalaiset

• Eastern
  • Ingria: Ingrian Finns (inkerinsuomalaiset)
  • Karelia: Karelian Finns (karjalaiset); Karelian dialects of Finnish are distinct from the Karelian language spoken in Russia, and most of Northern Karelia actually speak Savonian dialects
  • Savo: Savonian people (savolaiset), speak the Savo dialect

• Emigrants
  • Forest Finns (Metsäsuomalaiset) of Sweden
  • Finnish immigrants to Sweden (ruotsinsuomalaiset)
  • Kvens (kveenit) of Finnmark, Norway
  • Other emigrant Finns (ulkosuomalaiset)

• Swedish-speakers also have several dialectal subdivisions.

The historical provinces of Finland and Sweden can be seen to approximate some of these divisions. The regions of Finland, another remnant of a past governing system, can be seen to reflect a further manifestation of a local identity.

Today's (urbanized) Finns are not usually aware of the concept of 'heimo' nor do they typically identify with one, although the use of dialects has experienced a recent revival. Urbanized Finns do not necessarily know a particular dialect and tend to use standard Finnish or city slang but they may switch to a dialect when visiting their native area.

Genetics[link]

Recently, the use of mitochondrial (female lineage) and Y-chromosomal (male lineage) DNA-markers in tracing back the history of human populations has been started. For the paternal and maternal genetic lineages of Finnish people and other peoples, see, e.g., the National Geographic Genographic Project and the Suomi DNA-projekti. In essence, the types of mtDNA markers of Finnish people do not differ from those of other European ethnicities.^[37] For example, Haplogroup U5 is estimated to be the oldest mtDNA haplogroup in Europe and is found in the whole of Europe at a low frequency, but seems to be found in significantly higher levels among Finns, Estonians and the Sami.^[38] Of modern nationalities, Finns are closest to Cro-Magnons in terms of anthropological measurements.^[39]

With regard to the Y-chromosome, the most common haplogroups of the Finns are N1c (58%), I (29%), R1a (7.5%) and R1b (3.5%).^[40] Haplogroup N1c, which is found only in a few countries in Europe (Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Sweden and Russia), is a subgroup of the haplogroup N (Y-DNA) distributed across northern Eurasia and estimated in a recent study to be 10,000–20,000 years old and suggested to have entered Europe about 12,000–14,000 years ago from Asia.^[41]

According to an earlier study conducted by four scientists, including Cavalli-Sforza LL:

Principal coordinate analysis shows that Lapps/Sami are almost exactly intermediate between people located geographically near the Ural mountains and speaking Uralic languages, and central and northern Europeans. Hungarians and Finns are definitely closer to Europeans. An analysis of genetic admixture between Uralic and European ancestors shows that Lapps/Sami are slightly more than 50% European, Hungarians are 87% European, and Finns are 90% European. There is basic agreement between these conclusions and historical data on Hungary. Less is known about Finns and very little about Lapps/Sami.^[42]

Recent autosomal (genomewide, 10,000 markers instead of few looked at Y-DNA and MtDNA) studies give distinct picture of Finnish genes. Finns show very little if any Mediterranean and African genes but on the other hand almost 10% of Finnish genes seem to be shared with some Siberian populations. Nevertheless more than 80% of Finnish genes are from a single ancient North-European population, while most Europeans are a mixture of 3 or more principal components.^[43]

Variation within Finns is, according to fixation index (F_ST) values, greater than anywhere else in Europe. Greatest intra-Finnish F_ST distance is about 60, greatest intra-Swedish F_ST distance about 25.^[44][45] F_ST distances between for example Germans, French and Hungarians is only 10, and between Estonians, Russians and Poles it is also 10.^[46] Thus Finns from different parts of the country are more remote from each other genetically than are many European peoples from each other.^[47] The closest genetic relatives for Finns are Estonians (F_ST to Helsinki 40 and to Kuusamo 90) and Swedes (F_ST to Helsinki 50 and to Kuusamo 100).

Genetics of the Swedish-speaking Finns[link]

In a recent study (2008) a joint analysis was performed for the first time on Swedish and Finnish autosomal genotypes. Swedish-speakers from Ostrobothnia (reference population of the study representing 50% of all Swedish-speakers in Finland) did not differ significantly from the Finnish-speaking population of western Finland, but when Swedish samples were used as reference the Swedish-speaking Finns' samples clustered with the Swedes.^[48] Moreover, according to a recent Y-DNA study (2008) Swedish-speaking reference group from Larsmo, Ostrobotnia, differed significantly from the Finnish-speaking sub-populations in the country in terms of Y-STR variation.^[49]

Theories of the origin of Finns[link]

Modern distribution of the Uralic people.

In the 19th century, the Finnish researcher Matthias Castrén prevailed with the theory that "the original home of Finns" was in west-central Siberia.^[50] But later, it was considered more credible that an ancient homeland of all Finno-Ugric speaking peoples situated in a region between the Volga and Kama rivers in the European part of Russia. Grouping Altaic with Finnic ("Turanian") was popular in the 19th century, and much serious research was made by Finnish researchers in an attempt to link Finns with Altaic-speaking peoples such as Mongolians.

Until the 1970s, most linguists believed that Finns arrived in Finland as late as the first centuries AD. But accumulating archaeological data suggested that the area of contemporary Finland had been inhabited continuously since the ice-age, contrary to the earlier idea that the area had experienced long uninhabited intervals. However, there's no certainty to which ethno-linguistic culture the first dwellers within the borders of contemporary Finland belonged. The hunter-gatherer Sami were pushed into the more remote northern regions.^[51]

A recent and controversial theory is that the ancestors of the Finns lived during the Ice Age in one of three habitable areas of southern Europe, so-called refugia, while the other two habitable areas were occupied by the speakers of Indo-European and Basque languages. This was proposed in the 1990s by Kalevi Wiik, a professor emeritus of phonetics at the University of Turku. According to this theory, Finno-Ugric speakers spread north as the ice melted. They populated central and northern Europe, while Basque speakers populated western Europe. As agriculture spread from the south-east into Europe, the Indo-European languages spread among the hunter-gatherers. In this process, both the hunter-gatherers speaking Finno-Ugric and those speaking Basque learned how to cultivate land and became Indo-Europeanized. According to Wiik, this is how the Celtic, Germanic, Slavic, and Baltic languages were formed. The linguistic ancestors of modern Finns did not switch their language due to their isolated location.^[52] The main supporters of Wiik's theory are Professor Ago Künnap (Univ. of Tartu), Professor Kyösti Julku (Univ. of Oulu) and Associate Professor Angela Marcantonio (Univ. of Rome). Wiik has not presented his theories in peer-reviewed scientific publications. Many scholars in fenno-ugrian studies have strongly criticized the theory. Especially Professor Raimo Anttila, Petri Kallio and brothers Ante and Aslak Aikio have renounced Wiik's theory with strong words, hinting strongly to pseudoscience and even at right-wing political biases among Wiik's supporters.^[51][53] Moreover, some dismissed the entire idea of refugia, due to the existence even today of arctic and subarctic peoples. The most heated debate took place in the Finnish journal Kaltio during autumn 2002. Since then, the debate has calmed, each side retaining their positions.^[54]

See also[link]

• Finnic (disambiguation)
• Finnish (disambiguation)
• Finnish language
• Finnish Americans
• Finnish immigration to North America
• List of Finns
• Mandatory Swedish
• Swedish-speaking Finns

References[link]

External links[link]

• FTDNA Finland Geographic DNA Project
• The Finnish Heritage Museum of Fairport Harbor, Ohio, USA
• Folktinget
• Åbo Akademi
• Finno-Ugric media center

lez:Финар

This is a list of people from Finland, i.e. of noted Finns:

Actors[link]

• Ida Aalberg (1858 – 1915)
• Aino Ackté (1876 – 1944)
• Jouko Ahola
• Olavi Ahonen
• Irina Björklund
• Anna Easteden
• Peter Franzén
• George Gaynes
• Gina Goldberg
• Ville Haapasalo
• Anna-Leena Härkönen
• Ansa Ikonen
• Anni-Kristiina Juuso
• Kata Kärkkäinen
• Marta Kristen
• Vesa-Matti Loiri
• Masa Niemi
• Maila "Vampira" Nurmi
• Kati Outinen
• Tauno Palo (1905 – 1982)
• Pertti "Spede" Pasanen (1930 – 2001)
• Matti Pellonpää (1951 – 1995)
• Lasse Pöysti
• Pentti Siimes
• Maria Silfvan – Finland's perhaps first actress. (1800–1865)
• Markku Toikka
• Samuli Edelmann

Architects[link]

• Aino Aalto (1894 – 1949)
• Alvar Aalto (1898 – 1976)
• Marco Casagrande (1971 – )
• Carl Ludvig Engel (1778 – 1840)
• Juha Leiviskä (1936 – )
• Yrjö Lindegren (1900 – 1952)
• Juhani Pallasmaa (1936 – )
• Reima Pietilä (1923 – 1993)
• Viljo Revell (1910 – 1964)
• Aarno Ruusuvuori (1925 – 1992)
• Eero Saarinen (1910 – 1961)
• Eliel Saarinen (1873 – 1950)
• J. S. Sirén (1889 – 1961)
• Lars Sonck (1870 – 1956)
• Josef Stenbäck (1854 – 1929)
• Martti Välikangas (1893 – 1973)

Visual artists[link]

• Wäinö Aaltonen – sculptor (1894 – 1966)
• Eija-Liisa Ahtila – photographer, video artist (1959 –)
• Helena Arnell – painter (1697 – 1751)
• Margareta Capsia – painter (1682 – 1759)
• Albert Edelfelt – painter (1854 – 1905)
• Magnus Enckell – painter (1870 – 1925)
• Akseli Gallen-Kallela – painter (1865 – 1931)
• Jorma Gallen-Kallela – painter (1898 – 1939)
• Pekka Halonen – painter (1865 – 1933)
• Edvin Hevonkoski – sculptor
• Eila Hiltunen – sculptor (1922 – 2003)
• Tove Jansson painter, illustrator, and cartoonist of Moomin
• Antti Jokinen – video director in Hollywood
• Eero Järnefelt – painter (1863 – 1937)
• Rudolf Koivu – illustrator (1890 – 1946)
• Mauri Kunnas
• Touko Laaksonen (Tom of Finland) – fetish artist (1920 – 1991)
• Kari T. Leppänen – cartoonist
• Totte Mannes – painter
• Arno Rafael Minkkinen – photographer
• Helvi Mustonen – painter
• Kalervo Palsa – painter (1947 – 1987)
• Tuulikki Pietilä – graphic artist
• Helene Schjerfbeck – painter (1862 – 1946)
• Hugo Simberg – painter (1873 – 1917)
• Kaj Stenvall – painter (1951 – )
• Kari Suomalainen – painter and cartoonist (1920 – 1999)
• Reidar Särestöniemi – painter (1925 – 1981)
• Kain Tapper – sculptor (1930 – 2004)

Business beebol[link]

• Sari Baldauf – former Nokia executive
• Jorma Eloranta – CEO of Metso
• Aatos Erkko – minister, billionaire and major owner of Sanoma
• Harry Harkimo – a businessman in ice hockey business
• Antti Herlin – Chairman of the Board of KONE, the richest man in Finland with assets worth over 1 billion euros in KONE stock owned through his holding companies.
• Fredrik Idestam – industrialist, founder of Nokia
• Kari Kairamo – ex-CEO of Nokia (1932 – 1988)
• Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo – former CEO of Nokia
• Lasse Kurkilahti – CEO of Kemira
• Jorma Ollila – ex-CEO of Nokia
• Kirsti Paakkanen, – former CEO of Marimekko
• Karl Stockmann – Founder of the Stockmann department store
• Björn Wahlroos – CEO of Sampo
• Rudolf Walden – founder of United Paper Mills (1878 – 1946)

Computer bioneers[link]

• Johan Helsingius – creator and operator of The Penet remailer
• Jarkko Oikarinen – creator of Internet Relay Chat (IRC)
• Linus Torvalds – Initial creator of Linux kernel
• Michael Widenius – creator of MySQL
• Tatu Ylönen – creator of SSH
• Aapo Kyrölä - creator of Sulake

Designers[link]

• Eero Aarnio
• Erik Bruun
• Kaj Franck (1911 – 1989)
• Maija Isola – designer for Marimekko
• Stefan Lindfors
• Vuokko Nurmesniemi – textile designer for Marimekko
• Timo Sarpaneva – glass designer
• Tapio Wirkkala – designer, sculptor (1915 – 1985)

Filmmakers[link]

• Jörn Donner
• Renny Harlin (1959 –)
• Klaus Härö
• Risto Jarva (1934 – 1977)
• Matti Kassila
• Aki Kaurismäki
• Mika Kaurismäki
• Ere Kokkonen
• Edvin Laine
• Armand Lohikoski (1912 – 2005)
• Rauni Mollberg
• Visa Mäkinen
• Risto Orko (1899 – 2001)
• Spede Pasanen (1930 – 2001)
• Mauritz Stiller (1883 – 1928)
• Samuli Torssonen
• Mika Taanila
• Casper Wrede (1929 – 1998, also theatre & TV director)

Musicians[link]

Opera[link]

• Aino Ackté – soprano
• Monica Groop – mezzosoprano
• Jorma Hynninen – baritone
• Soile Isokoski – soprano
• Karita Mattila – soprano
• Matti Salminen – bass
• Martti Talvela – bass
• Tarja Turunen – soprano

Classical[link]

• Kalevi Aho – composer
• Paavo Berglund – conductor
• Linda Brava – violinist
• Mikko Franck – conductor
• Ralf Gothóni – pianist (father of Maris)
• Olli Mustonen – pianist
• Sakari Oramo – conductor
• Jorma Panula – conductor and conducting educator pioneer
• Einojuhani Rautavaara – composer
• Kaija Saariaho – composer
• Esa-Pekka Salonen – conductor
• Jukka-Pekka Saraste – conductor
• Jean Sibelius – composer
• John Storgårds – conductor

Folk music[link]

• Islaja – acid folk singer
• Konsta Jylhä – folk musician
• Sanna Kurki-Suonio – folk music singer
• Lau Nau – acid folk singer
• Gösta Sundqvist – folk music singer- Leevi and the Leavings' singer
• Jenny Wilhelms – folk music singer
• Maria Kalaniemi – folk music accordion player

Electronic music[link]

• Miika Eloranta & Janne Mansnerus – musicians, producers (as Super8 & Tab)
• Jori Hulkkonen – DJ, musician, producer
• Erkki Kurenniemi – musician, inventor
• Lassi Lehto aka. Jimi Tenor – acid jazz musician
• Lassi Nikko aka. Brothomstates aka. Dune – musician
• Sasu Ripatti aka. Vladislav Delay – musician, DJ
• Esa Juhani Ruoho aka. Lackluster – musician
• Jaakko Salovaara aka. JS16 – musician, producer – musician, producer
• Mika Vainio – musician, member of Pan Sonic
• Ville Virtanen aka. Darude
• Ilpo Väisänen – musician, member of Pan Sonic

Other[link]

• Marko Saaresto – lyricist, lead singer of rock band Poets of the Fall
• Olli Tukiainen – lead guitarist of rock band Poets of the Fall
• Markus Kaarlonen – "Captain" keyboardist and producer of rock band Poets of the Fall
• Jaska Makinen – rhythm guitarist of rock band Poets of the Fall
• Jani "Hellboy" Snellman – bass guitarist of rock band Poets of the Fall
• Jari Salminen – drummer of rock band Poets of the Fall
• Antti Boman – guitarist and vocalist of Demilich
• Ismo Alanko – rock musician
• Carola – jazz and pop singer
• Kirill Babitzin (1950 – 2007)
• Elastinen – rap musician, half of the rap duo Fintelligens
• Irwin Goodman aka Antti Hammarberg – Protestsinger (1943 – 1991)
• Hector
• Aki Hakala – drummer of The Rasmus
• Eero Heinonen – bassist of The Rasmus
• Reino Helismaa (1913 – 1965)
• Marco Hietala – bassist of Nightwish
• Sami Hinkka – bassist and lyricist of Ensiferum
• Tuomas Holopainen – composer, songwriter & keyboardplayer of Nightwish
• Tony Kakko – vocalist, composer and songwriter of Sonata Arctica
• Jari Kainulainen – ex-bassist of Stratovarius
• Maria Kalaniemi
• Mika Karppinen – Drummer from the band HIM
• Perttu Kivilaakso – cellist of cello-metal band Apocalyptica
• Viktor Klimenko
• Samuli Kosminen
• Timo Kotipelto – Lead Singer of Stratovarius
• Sakari Kukko
• Mikko Kuustonen – Singer-songwriter
• Ville Laihiala – frontman of Sentenced and Poisonblack
• Alexi Laiho – frontman and lead guitarist of Children of Bodom
• Jonne Aaron – frontman of Negative
• Roope Latvala – guitarist of Children of Bodom
• Juice Leskinen – rock musician
• Jani Liimatainen – Former guitarist for Sonata Arctica
• Petri Lindroos – Guitarist and main vocalist of Ensiferum and former Norther
• Mikko Lindström – Guitarist from the band HIM
• Jyrki Linnankivi – lead singer of the 69 Eyes
• Tommy Mansikka-Aho
• Jarkko Martikainen
• Jari Mäenpää – Composer, singer and guitarist of Ensiferum and Wintersun
• Andy McCoy –former guitarist of Hanoi Rocks, rock musician
• Michael Monroe – former singer of Hanoi Rocks, rock musician
• Jukka Nevalainen – drummer of Nightwish
• Sara Nunes – singer
• Anne Nurmi – vocalist and keyboard player of Lacrimosa
• Tuomari Nurmio
• Mikko Paananen – Bass player for the band HIM
• Janne Parviainen – drummer of Ensiferum, Sinergy and Barathrum
• Hanna Pakarinen – Finland's first Idols winner, pop singer
• Paleface – rap musician
• Maukka Perusjätkä – punk rocker
• Mika Pohjola – Jazz pianist and composer
• Pekka Pohjola
• Kimmo Pohjonen
• Lauri Porra
• Tomi Putaansuu – frontman and singer of Lordi
• Janne Puurtinen – Keyboard player from the band HIM
• Jaska Raatikainen – drummer for Children of Bodom
• Sami Raatikainen – guitarist for Necrophagist
• Iiro Rantala
• Pauli Rantasalmi – guitarist of The Rasmus
• Tapio Rautavaara
• Henkka Seppälä – bassist for Children of Bodom
• Jari Sillanpää – Finnish "tango king", singer
• Sir Christus – former guitarist for the band Negative
• Aki Sirkesalo – singer (1962 – 2004)
• Emmi Silvennoinen – keyboardist of Ensiferum
• Topi Sorsakoski – schlager and rock'n'roll singer
• Gösta Sundqvist
• Jonna Tervomaa – pop singer
• Markus Toivonen – founder, guitarist, songwriter and backing vocalist of Ensiferum
• Timo Tolkki – Guitarist and Ex. Singer of Stratovarius
• Jukka Tolonen
• Eicca Toppinen – cellist of cello-metal band Apocalyptica
• Antti Tuisku – pop musician, Idols star
• Tellu Turkka
• Tarja Turunen – former lead singer of the symphonic metal band Nightwish.
• Petri Walli (1969 – 1995)
• Juha Watt Vainio
• Ville Valo – lead singer of HIM
• Jussi Heikki Tapio Vuori-drummer of the 69 Eyes
• Olavi Virta – singer
• Laura Voutilainen – pop singer
• Emppu Vuorinen – guitarist of Nightwish
• Maija Vilkkumaa – pop/rock singer
• Janne Wirman – keyboard player of Children of Bodom
• Lauri Ylönen – lead singer of The Rasmus
• A. W. Yrjänä – rock singer, bass guitarist, songwriter, poet

Philosophers[link]

• Timo Airaksinen
• Lili Alanen
• Anders Chydenius
• Arto Haapala
• Jaakko Hintikka
• Pekka Himanen – philosopher, technologist
• Matti Häyry
• Eino Kaila (1890 – 1958)
• Raili Kauppi
• S. Albert Kivinen
• Pentti Linkola
• Eeva-Liisa Manner
• Ilkka Niiniluoto
• Esa Saarinen
• J. V. Snellman
• Eero Tarasti
• Raimo Tuomela
• Thomas Wallgren
• Edward Westermarck
• Georg Henrik von Wright

Politicians[link]

See also: Prime Minister of Finland, President of Finland

• Esko Aho – prime minister 1991–1995
• Martti Ahtisaari – UN diplomat, Nobelist, president 1994-2000
• Karl-August Fagerholm – politician (1901 – 1984)
• Tarja Halonen – first female president, 2000–2012
• Satu Hassi – MEP
• Heidi Hautala – MEP
• Harri Holkeri – prime minister and UN diplomat
• Ville Itälä – MEP
• Max Jakobson – UN diplomat
• Anneli Jäätteenmäki – prime minister 2003
• Kyösti Kallio – president 1937–1940 (1873 – 1940)
• Urho Kekkonen – president 1956–1982 (1900 – 1986)
• Mari Kiviniemi – prime minister 2010–
• Mauno Koivisto – president 1982–1994
• Hertta Kuusinen – communist politician (1904 – 1974)
• Otto Ville Kuusinen – head of the communist Terijoki Government, later Soviet politician (1881 – 1964)
• Axel Lille – founder of the Swedish People's Party (1848 – 1921)
• Paavo Lipponen – prime minister 1995–2003, the 1st speaker of the Finnish Parliament 2003-2007
• Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim – commander-in-chief, regent, president 1944-1946 (1867 – 1951)
• Martti Miettunen – prime minister 1961–1962 and 1975–1977
• Sauli Niinistö
• Juho Kusti Paasikivi – president 1946–1956 (1870 – 1956)
• Lauri Kristian Relander – president 1925–1931 (1883 – 1942)
• Elisabeth Rehn – politician
• Heikki Ritavuori – assassinated minister (1880 – 1922)
• Risto Ryti – president 1940–1944 (1889 – 1956)
• Miina Sillanpää – first female minister
• Taisto Sinisalo – communist politician
• Helvi Sipilä – UN diplomat
• Johan Vilhelm Snellman – writer and senator (1806 – 1881)
• Osmo Soininvaara – minister
• Kalevi Sorsa – prime minister (1930 – 2004)
• Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg – president 1919–1925 (1865 – 1952)
• Ulf Sundqvist
• Pehr Evind Svinhufvud – regent and president 1931-1937 (1861 – 1944)
• Väinö Tanner – prime minister 1926–1927 (1881 – 1966)
• Oskari Tokoi – prime minister 1917 (1873 – 1963)
• Erkki Tuomioja – foreign minister 2000–2007
• Martti Turunen – Japanese Diet member of Finnish origin 2001-
• Matti Vanhanen – prime minister 2003–2010
• Johannes Virolainen – prime minister in 1964–1966 (1914 – 2000)
• Hella Wuolijoki

Scientists[link]

• Lars Valerian Ahlfors – mathematician, Fields Medalist 1936 (1907 – 1996)
• Väinö Auer – explorer, geologist, geographer (1895 – 1981)
• Anders Chydenius – classical liberal (1729 – 1803)
• Kari Enqvist – cosmologist
• Johan Gadolin – chemist (1760 – 1852)
• Ragnar Granit – medicine, Nobelist (1900 – 1991)
• Hilma Granqvist – anthropologist (1890 – 1972)
• Ilkka Hanski – Crafoord Prize winning ecologist
• Pehr Kalm – botanist (1716 – 1779)
• Teuvo Kohonen – neurocomputing pioneer
• Jussi V. Koivisto – economist
• Anders Johan Lexell – mathematician, astronomer (1740 – 1784)
• Ernst Lindelöf – mathematician, researcher of function theory and topology (1870 – 1946)
• Olli Lounasmaa – physicist, researcher of low-temperature physics (1930 – 2002)
• Hjalmar Mellin – mathematician (1854 – 1933)
• Risto Näätänen – psychologist and neuroscientist (born 1939)
• Rolf Nevanlinna – mathematician (1895 – 1980)
• Nils Gustaf Nordenskiöld – mineralogist (1792 – 1866)
• Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld polar explorer, political refugee in Sweden (1832–1901)
• Gunnar Nordström theoretical physicist (1881–1923)
• Liisi Oterma – astronomer (1915 – 2001)
• Leena Palotie – gene scientist
• Simo Parpola – orientalist, assyriologist
• Helena Ranta – pathologist, forensic dentist
• Eric Tigerstedt – inventor, Thomas Edison of Finland (1887 – 1925)
• Kari S. Tikka – justice and finance professor (1944 – 2006)
• Esko Valtaoja – astronomer
• Tatu Vanhanen – political scientist (born 1929)
• Artturi Ilmari Virtanen – chemist, Nobelist (1895 – 1973)
• Vilho Väisälä – mathematician, inventor of meteorological instruments (1889 – 1969)
• Yrjö Väisälä – astronomer, meteorologist (1891 – 1971)
• Edvard Westermarck – philosopher, sociologist (1862 – 1939)
• Arvo Ylppö – pediatrician (1887 – 1992)

Soldiers[link]

• Aksel Airo – general (1898 – 1985)
• Adolf Ehrnrooth – general (1905 – 2004)
• Axel Heinrichs – general (1890 – 1965)
• Simo Häyhä – first lieutenant, sharpshooter 505 confirmed sniper kills (1905 – 2002)
• Eino Ilmari Juutilainen – pilot, twice knight of Mannerheim cross
• Jorma Karhunen – pilot, aviation writer
• Jussi Kekkonen – major, younger brother of president Urho Kekkonen (1910 – 1962)
• Ruben Lagus – major general (1896 – 1956)
• Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim – marshal of Finland (1867 – 1951)
• Vilho Petter Nenonen – general (1883 – 1960)
• Karl Lennart Oesch – lieutenant general (1892 – 1978)
• Mika Peltonen – Brigadier General (2005 –)
• Jorma Sarvanto – fighter pilot, World War II ace
• Ensio Siilasvuo – general (1922 – 2001)
• Hjalmar Siilasvuo – general (1892 – 1947)
• Georg Magnus Sprengtporten – general (1740 – 1819)
• Torsten Stålhandske – commander of Hakkapelites (1594 – 1644)
• Paavo Susitaival – lieutenant colonel (1896 – 1993)
• Lauri Sutela – general
• Paavo Talvela – general (1897 – 1973)
• Lauri Törni (Alias Larry Throne) – captain (1919 – 1965)
• Rudolf Walden – general (1878 – 1946)
• Kurt Martti Wallenius – major general (1893 – 1984)
• Hans Wind – pilot, twice knight of Mannerheim cross
• Harald Öhquist – lieutenant general (1891 – 1971)
• Hugo Österman – lieutenant general (1892 – 1975)

Sportspersons[link]

Athletics[link]

• Asprihanal Pekka Aalto – Ultramarathoner and Extreme Endurance Athlete
• Arto Bryggare – hurdling athlete
• Sari Essayah – race walker, World champion
• Tommi Evilä – long jumper
• Arsi Harju – shot putter, Olympic champion
• Eduard Hämäläinen – decathlete
• Arto Härkönen – javelin thrower, Olympic champion
• Gunnar Höckert – runner, Olympic champion (1910 – 1940)
• Volmari Iso-Hollo – runner, two Olympic gold medals (1907 – 1969)
• Akilles Järvinen – decathlete (1905 – 1943)
• Matti Järvinen – javelin thrower, Olympic champion (1909 – 1985)
• Verner Järvinen – discus thrower, Olympic champion (1870 – 1941)
• Kaarlo Kangasniemi – weightlifter, Olympic champion 1968 Mexico
• Olli-Pekka Karjalainen – hammer thrower
• Veikko Karvonen – marathon runner (Boston Marathon winner 1954)
• Elias Katz – runner, Olympic champion (3,000-m team steeplechase) and silver (3,000-m steeplechase) (1901 – 1947)
• Jukka Keskisalo – runner
• Kimmo Kinnunen – javelin thrower, World champion
• Hannes Kolehmainen – runner, four Olympic gold medals (1889 – 1966)
• Valentin Kononen – race walker, World champion
• Tapio Korjus – javelin thrower, Olympic champion
• Teodor Koskenniemi – runner, Olympic champion (1887 – 1965)
• Paavo Kotila – marathon runner (Boston Marathon winner 1960)
• Harri Larva – runner, Olympic champion (1906 – 1980)
• Lauri Lehtinen – runner, Olympic champion (1908 – 1973)
• Eero Lehtonen – pentathlete, two Olympic gold medals (1898 – 1959)
• Heikki Liimatainen – runner, two Olympic gold medals (1894 – 1980)
• Tiina Lillak – javelin thrower, World champion
• Toivo Loukola – runner, Olympic champion (1902 – 1984)
• Taisto Mäki – long-distance runner, multiple world record holder (1910 – 1979)
• Jonni Myyrä – javelin thrower, two Olympic gold medals (1892 – 1955)
• Pauli Nevala – javelin thrower, Olympic champion
• Elmer Niklander – discus thrower and shot putter, Olympic champion (1890 – 1942)
• Paavo Nurmi – runner, nine Olympic gold medals (1897 – 1973)
• Eino Oksanen – marathon runner (Boston Marathon winner 1959, 1961,1962)
• Aki Parviainen – javelin thrower, World champion
• Tero Pitkämäki – javelin thrower
• Ville Pörhölä – shot putter, Olympic champion (1897 – 1964)
• Heli Rantanen – javelin thrower, Olympic champion
• Tapio Rautavaara – javelin thrower, Olympic champion (1915 – 1979)
• Ville Ritola – runner, five Olympic gold medals (1896 – 1982)
• Seppo Räty – javelin thrower
• Julius Saaristo – javelin thrower, Olympic champion (1891 – 1969)
• Ilmari Salminen – runner, Olympic champion (1902 – 1986)
• Albin Stenroos – marathon runner, Olympic champion (1889 – 1971)
• Olavi Suomalainen – marathon runner (Boston Marathon winner 1972)
• Armas Taipale – discus thrower, Olympic champion (1890 – 1976)
• Juha Tiainen – hammer thrower, Olympic champion
• Vilho Tuulos – triple jumper, Olympic champion (1895 – 1967)
• Pekka Vasala – runner, Olympic champion
• Lasse Virén – runner, four Olympic gold medals
• Paavo Yrjölä – decathlete, Olympic champion

Football[link]

• Alexei Eremenko Jr.
• Roman Eremenko
• Mikael Forssell
• Sami Hyypiä
• Jonatan Johansson
• Jussi Jääskeläinen
• Joonas Kolkka
• Shefki Kuqi
• Jari Litmanen
• Antti Niemi
• Petri Pasanen
• Juhani Peltonen
• Roni Porokara
• Aki Riihilahti
• Aulis Rytkönen
• Teemu Tainio
• Hannu Tihinen
• Mika Väyrynen
• Mika Ääritalo

Ice hockey[link]

• Antti Bruun
• Aki Berg
• Sean Bergenheim
• Niklas Bäckström
• Valtteri Filppula
• Mikael Granlund
• Matti Hagman
• Niklas Hagman
• Riku Hahl
• Raimo Helminen
• Kim Hirschovits
• Jarkko Immonen
• Jussi Jokinen
• Olli Jokinen
• Jan-Mikael Juutilainen
• Niko Kapanen
• Sami Kapanen
• Miikka Kiprusoff
• Mikko Koivu
• Saku Koivu – current IOC member
• Lasse Kukkonen
• Jari Kurri
• Antti Laaksonen
• Jere Lehtinen
• Kari Lehtonen
• Mikko Lehtonen
• Jyrki Lumme
• Toni Lydman
• Pentti Lund
• Jussi Markkanen
• Antti Miettinen
• Antti Niemi
• Ville Nieminen
• Janne Niinimaa
• Antero Niittymäki
• Petteri Nokelainen
• Mika Noronen
• Fredrik Norrena
• Petteri Nummelin
• Teppo Numminen
• Ville Peltonen
• Tuomas Pihlman
• Joni Pitkänen
• Timo Pärssinen
• Karri Rämö
• Tuukka Rask
• Pekka Rinne
• Jani Rita
• Reijo Ruotsalainen
• Christian Ruuttu
• Jarkko Ruutu
• Tuomo Ruutu
• Tony Salmelainen
• Sami Salo
• Tommi Santala
• Teemu Selänne
• Ilkka Sinisalo
• Petri Skriko
• Esa Tikkanen
• Kimmo Timonen
• Vesa Toskala
• Ossi Väänänen

Motorsports[link]

• Mika Ahola – enduro rider (1974 – 2012)
• Pentti Airikkala – rally driver
• Markku Alén – rally driver
• Samuli Aro – enduro rider
• Toni Gardemeister – rally driver
• Marcus Grönholm – rally driver. 2 time World Champion
• Mikko Hirvonen – rally driver
• Mika Häkkinen – Formula One driver 2 time World Champion
• Mika Kallio – motorcycle racer
• Juha Kankkunen – rally driver. 4 time World Champion
• Leo Kinnunen – Formula One driver
• Heikki Kovalainen – Formula One driver
• Teuvo Länsivuori – motorcycle racer
• Jari-Matti Latvala – rally driver
• JJ Lehto – Formula One driver
• Jukka-Pekka Mattila – Offshore One driver
• Hannu Mikkola – rally driver
• Heikki Mikkola – motocross racer
• Timo Mäkinen – rally driver
• Tommi Mäkinen – rally driver. 4 time World Champion
• Kauko Nieminen – speedway racer
• Taru Rinne – female motorcycle racer
• Keke Rosberg – Formula One driver, World Champion 1982
• Nico Rosberg – Formula One driver
• Harri Rovanperä – rally driver
• Kimi Räikkönen – Formula One driver, World Champion in 2007; rally driver
• Jarno Saarinen – motorcycle racer (1945 – 1973)
• Juha Salminen – enduro rider
• Mika Salo – Formula One driver
• Timo Salonen – rally driver
• Kari Tiainen – enduro rider
• Henri Toivonen – rally driver (1956 – 1986)
• Ari Vatanen – rally driver

Winter sports[link]

• Janne Ahonen – ski jumper
• Antti Autti – snowboarder
• Veikko Hakulinen – cross-country skier, three Olympic gold medals
• Janne Happonen – ski jumper
• Heikki Hasu – Nordic combined, two Olympic gold medals
• Matti Hautamäki – ski jumper
• Antti Hyvärinen – ski jumper
• Kalevi Hämäläinen – cross-country skier
• Risto Jussilainen – ski jumper
• Marjatta Kajosmaa – cross-country skier
• Veikko Kankkonen – ski jumper
• Jouko Karjalainen – Nordic combined
• Klaes Karppinen – cross-country skier
• Kalle Keituri – ski jumper
• Harri Kirvesniemi – cross-country skier
• Marja-Liisa Kirvesniemi – cross-country skier, three Olympic gold medals
• Anssi Koivuranta – Nordic combined
• Kiira Korpi – figure skater
• Markku Koski – snowboarder and Olympic bronze medalist (Men's Snowboarding Halfpipe)
• Kai Kovaljeff – ski jumper
• Hilkka Kuntola – cross-country skier
• Risto Laakkonen – ski jumper
• Janne Lahtela – freestyle skier
• Mika Laitinen – ski jumper
• Samppa Lajunen – Olympic gold medalist (Nordic combined) and (sprint)
• Ville Larinto – ski jumper
• Hannu Manninen – Nordic combined
• Marjo Matikainen-Kallström – cross-country skier
• Juha Mieto – cross-country skier
• Olli Muotka – ski jumper
• Kaija Mustonen – speed skater
• Mika Myllylä – cross-country skier
• Eero Mäntyranta – cross-country skier, three Olympic gold medals
• Toni Nieminen – ski jumper, two Olympic gold medals
• Ari-Pekka Nikkola – ski jumper, two Olympic gold medals
• Matti Nykänen – ski jumper, four Olympic gold medals, one Olympic silver medal
• Harri Olli– ski jumper
• Kalle Palander – skier
• Peetu Piiroinen – snowboarder, one Olympic Silver Medal (halfpipe)
• Tanja Poutiainen – skier
• Jari Puikkonen – ski jumper
• Siiri Rantanen – cross-country skier
• Marjut Rolig – cross-country skier
• Mikko Ronkainen – freestyle skier
• Janne Ryynänen – Nordic combined
• Veli Saarinen – cross-country skier
• Julius Skutnabb – speed skater
• Jani Soininen – ski jumper
• Helena Takalo – cross-country skier
• Jaakko Tallus – Nordic combined
• Clas Thunberg – speed skater, five Olympic gold medals
• Jouko Törmänen – ski jumper
• Tuomo Ylipulli – ski jumper

Other[link]

• Paavo Aaltonen – gymnast, three Olympic gold medals (1919 – 1962)
• Jouko Ahola – World's strongest man champion twice
• Patrik Antonius – High stakes poker player
• Kalle Anttila – wrestler, two Olympic gold medals (1887 – 1975)
• Connie Garner - née Spannari – Miss World Fitness
• Veikka Gustafsson – mountain climber
• Yrjö Hietanen – rower, two Olympic gold medals
• Veikko Huhtanen – gymnast, three Olympic gold medals (1919 – 1976)
• Robin Hull – snooker player
• Mikko Ilonen – golfer
• Pertti Karppinen – rower, three Olympic gold medals
• Antti Kasvio – swimmer
• Marko Kemppainen – skeet shooter
• Mika Koivuniemi – ten-pin bowler
• Väinö Kokkinen – wrestler, two Olympic gold medals (1899 – 1967)
• Petteri Koponen – basketball player, first Finnish first round pick in NBA Draft
• Pentti Linnosvuo – sport shooter, two Olympic gold medals
• Lasse Lintila – ten-pin bowler
• Hanno Möttölä – basketball player, first Finnish NBA player
• Jarkko Nieminen – tennis player
• Lauri "Tahko" Pihkala – inventor of Finnish baseball (1888 – 1981)
• Kustaa Pihlajamäki – wrestler, two Olympic gold medals (1902 – 1944)
• Jarno Pihlava – swimmer
• Arto Saari – pro skateboarder
• Ale Saarvala – gymnast, two Olympic gold medals
• Kasperi Salo – badminton player
• Heikki Savolainen – gymnast, two Olympic gold medals (1907 – 1998)
• Hanna-Maria Seppälä – swimmer
• Jani Sievinen – swimmer
• Markku Uusipaavalniemi – curler
• Antti Viitikko – badminton player
• Janne Virtanen – World's strongest man champion
• Emil Väre – wrestler, two Olympic gold medals (1885 – 1974)
• Verner Weckman – wrestler, two Olympic gold medals (1882 – 1968)
• Kurt Wires – rower, two Olympic gold medals (1919 – 1991)

Theologians, clergymen[link]

• Mikael Agricola
• Bishop Henry
• Lauri Ingman
• Markku Koivisto
• Lars Levi Læstadius
• Leo
• Kari Mäkinen
• Jukka Paarma
• Paavo Ruotsalainen
• John Vikström

Writers[link]

• Juhani Aho – first professional writer
• Minna Canth – first notable woman author (1844 – 1897)
• Bo Carpelan
• Marco Casagrande
• Jörn Donner – author and politician
• Pentti Haanpää
• Aarne Haapakoski – pulp writer with pseudonym Outsider
• Paavo Haavikko
• Saima Harmaja – poet (1913 – 1937)
• Laila Hietamies
• Veikko Huovinen
• Antti Hyry
• Anna-Leena Härkönen
• Risto Isomäki – science fiction writer
• Tove Jansson – children's author of Moomin fame (1914 – 2001)
• Maria Jotuni (1880 – 1943)
• Markus Kajo – comedy writer (1957 –)
• Taito Kantonen
• Volter Kilpi
• Marko Kitti
• Aleksis Kivi – first significant author in Finnish (1834 – 1872)
• Leena Krohn
• Torsti Lehtinen – writer and philosopher
• Joel Lehtonen
• Kimmo Lehtonen – science fiction novelist
• Eino Leino (1878 – 1926)
• Rosa Liksom
• Väinö Linna – author of The Unknown Soldier (1920 – 1992)
• Johannes Linnankoski
• Elias Lönnrot – Compiled the Kalevala (1802 – 1884)
• Veijo Meri
• Pertti Nieminen
• Sofi Oksanen
• Arto Paasilinna
• Erno Paasilinna
• Olavi Paavolainen
• Onni Palaste – war novelist (1917 – 2009)
• Antti Puhakka – national romantic poet & politician (1816 – 1893)
• Kalle Päätalo (1919 – 2000)
• Johan Ludvig Runeberg – national poet (1804 – 1877)
• Pentti Saarikoski
• Frans Emil Sillanpää – Nobelist (1888 – 1964)
• Johanna Sinisalo
• Tommy Tabermann – also known from TV-series Have I Got News For You aka Uutisvuoto
• Marton Taiga – pseudonym of Martti Löfberg
• Jari Tervo – also known from TV-series Have I Got News For You aka Uutisvuoto
• Märta Tikkanen
• Zacharias Topelius – author and historian (1818 – 1898)
• Jouko Turkka
• Antti Tuuri
• Kaari Utrio
• Hella Wuolijoki
• Mika Waltari (1908 – 1979)
• Kim Weckström
• Lauri Viita – poet and novelist known for extreme rhyme skill
• Kjell Westö
• Walter Famous writer on the EA FIFA section.

Other notables[link]

• Simo Aalto – stage magaician
• Ior Bock – eccentric
• Donner family
• Karl Fazer – confectionery manufacturer
• Janina Frostell – model, sex symbol and singer
• Tony Halme – show wrestler (stage name Ludwig Borga), politician
• Erkki Hartikainen – atheist activist
• Jukka Hilden – part of The Dudesons
• Toni Jerrman – science fiction critic
• Kuikka-Koponen – trickster and conjurer
• Armi Kuusela – Miss Universe 1952
• Jarno Laasala – part of The Dudesons
• Aarne Lakomaa – aircraft designer (1914 – 2001)
• Jarno "Jarppi"/"Jarno2" Leppälä – part of The Dudesons
• Arvi Lind – newscaster
• Fanni Luukkonen – leader of Lotta Svärd (1882 – 1947)
• Sophie Mannerheim – nurse (1863 – 1928)
• Väinö Myllyrinne – the tallest Finn, 248 cm (1909 – 1963)
• Larin Paraske – poem singer
• Hannu-Pekka "HP" Parviainen – part of The Dudesons
• Arndt Pekurinen – pacifist (1905 – 1941)
• Anne Marie Pohtamo – Miss Universe 1975
• Krisse Salminen – comedian and talk show hostess
• Santa Claus
• Eugen Schauman – assassin who killed Nikolai Ivanovich Bobrikov (1875 – 1904)
• Tabe Slioor – socialite, reporter, photographer; founded the first gossip magazine in Finland
• Nils Torvalds – journalist
• Ole Torvalds – journalist (1916 – 1995)
• Nils-Aslak Valkeapää – Sami activist (1943 – 2001)
• Folke West – traveller
• Riku Rantala – starring in the Finnish TV-program Madventures
• Tuomas "Tunna" Milonoff – starring in the Finnish TV-program Madventures

See also: List of Swedish-speaking Finns, List of people by nationality

Timo Soini
Member of Finnish Parliament for Uusimaa
Incumbent
Assumed office 10 April 2011
In office 19 March 2003 – 13 July 2009
Succeeded by	Pietari Jääskeläinen
Member of the European Parliament
In office 13 July 2009 – 19 April 2011
Succeeded by	Sampo Terho
Leader of True Finns Party
Incumbent
Assumed office 1997
Preceded by	Raimo Vistbacka
Personal details
Born	Timo Juhani Soini (1962-05-30) 30 May 1962 (age 50) Rauma, Finland
Nationality	Finnish
Political party	True Finns
Alma mater	University of Helsinki
Occupation	Politician
Religion	Roman Catholic
Website	timosoini.fi

Timo Juhani Soini (born 30 May 1962) is a Finnish politician, and co-founder and current leader of the True Finns party. He was a member of the European Parliament from 2009 until 2011, when he returned to the Parliament of Finland. Well known as an EU-sceptic populist,^[1] he was elected a member of the Espoo city council in 2000 and the Parliament of Finland in 2003. In the 2009 European Parliament election he won a seat in the European Parliament with Finland's highest personal vote share (nearly 10% of all votes), becoming the first True Finn in the European Parliament.^[1][2]

In the 2011 parliamentary election, his party won 19.1% of the votes, which was described as "shocking" and "exceptional" by the Finnish media.^[3] Soini himself won the most votes of all candidates,^[4] leaving behind the Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb and the Minister of Finance Jyrki Katainen in their Uusimaa electoral district.^[5] Helsingin Sanomat concluded that "Timo Soini rewrote the electoral history books".^[6]

Soini has become one of the internationally best-known critics of European Union bailouts and safety mechanisms. Soini's column "Why I Don't Support Europe's Bailouts" in the Wall Street Journal was the most read and emailed article of the magazine's daily European edition.^[7]

Personal background[link]

Timo Soini worked for the food company Linkosuo Oy for two summers in 1981 and 1982 and was Secretary General and Chairman of the Kehittyvän Suomen Nuorten Liitto (Youth league of developing Finland) from 1983 to 1992. He graduated as Master of Political Science from the University of Helsinki in 1988, majoring in political theory. His military rank is Corporal.^[8][9] He is a devout Roman Catholic, which he became as a result of his experiences on his many trips to Ireland.^[10] He was also influenced by the pope's anti-communism and anti-atheism.^[11] Soini has also publicly announced that he is a cordial friend of the state of Israel.^[12] According to the BBC, Soini is "a die-hard supporter" of English football club Millwall FC.^[13] Soini currently lives in the Kaitaa district of Espoo, in the Greater Helsinki area. He is married and has two children.^[8]

Political career[link]

Soini was a member of the Finnish Rural Party, and was its Secretary General from 1992. After the Rural Party dissolved following the March 1995 elections, Soini and two others filed paperwork, in mid-May 1995, to create a new political party, initially to be called the Pure Finnish Association. It was, instead, founded as the True Finns Party and two years later Soini succeeded Raimo Vistbacka as Chairman, a position he has held ever since. He ran for a seat in parliament in the spring 1999 elections, but lost. He was first elected to the parliament in 2003. Soini was his party's candidate in the 2006 Presidential election, finishing fifth out of the eight candidates in the first round, with a vote share of 3.4%. In March 2008, Soini wrote an autobiographical book called Maisterisjätkä, published by Tammi.

In 2011 he visited the party conference of UKIP, the British political party with which he has had a long friendship. He was also invited to speak at the UK Conservative Party Conference in 2011.

Parliamentary election 2011[link]

The True Finns obtained 39 seats in the 2011 election, making them the third largest party. Soini received 43 437 personal votes, the highest amount of all of the candidates.^[4] Soini managed to raise the popularity of the party from 4.1% to 19.1% in four years. Helsingin Sanomat opined in an editorial that Soini "rewrote the electoral history books".^[6] According to the BBC, behind Soini's success was "brain, wit and charisma".^[14] A political analyst^[who?] and university professor^[who?] pointed to Soini's oratorical skills and ability to appeal to common people and make complicated things look easy.^[14] The election result was also referred to as "shocking" and "exceptional".^[3] During the government negotiations following the election the True Finns decided against participating in Katainen's coalition cabinet, citing greatly differing stances on the EU, especially regarding bailouts for debt-ridden euro countries.

Political positions held[link]