Landscapes
The special character of Finland’s nature is due to the Ice Ages, the country’s location, and the structure of the bedrock. Finland has been buried beneath glaciers several times – the last time just over ten thousand years ago. The same phenomenon occurred over the whole of Northern Europe, as well as over much of North America.
Finland's isolated location and old bedrock is the two main factors that is influencing its relief and landscapes today. The entire peninsula of Fennoscandia, i.e. Norway, Sweden and Finland, is rather isolated from the rest of Continental Europe; only a relatively narrow strip of land in Russia from the White Sea via Lake Ladoga to the Baltic Sea connects the area with the large Eurasian continent. Finland’s foundations consist of extremely old bedrock from the Fennoscandian shield and the eroded bases of the ancient Karelidic mountains. The bedrock is composed chiefly of granite and gneiss and other acidic rock types. Only in a few places do calcium-containing rock types favourable to plant life occur. Most of these lie in eastern and northern Finland.
Finland can be divided into ten larger landscape units:
1. Southern coast area
This area is mainly cultivated fields, some smaller lake districts.
Henrik Lund photo gallery (Nature photos from Southern Finland)
2. Western area
This area is mainly cultivated fields, lake areas, archipelago and coast areas. Choose Gallery up on the page to see some photos.
The archipelago is an experience
3. Häme cultivated and lake district
Read and take a look at the photos on the homepage of the Ox road:
4. Eastern Lake-Finland
The Eastern Lake-Finland is dominated by the lakes. Take a look at pictures from the river Vuoksen.
5. Karelia mountain area
The Karelia mountain area is mainly forest areas with small cultivated field areas. Take a look at some photos: Click the first picture and the next picture you will get by clicking "Seuraava kuva". There are two set of pictures, the next set you find under "Seuraava valikoima".
6. Suomenselkä area
The Suomenselkä area is diverse in altitudes, mountains and valleys, barren area with forests and bogs.
7. Oulujärven area
The Oulujärven area is mainly forests, bogs and lakes with rivers.
8. Ostrobothnia
Ostrobothnia has cultivated large field areas, coast areas with cost meadows, river areas. Farm buildings as a part of the landscape in Ostrobotnhina.
9. Kainuu and Kuusamo mountain areas
Nature photos taken in Kuusamo:
10. Northern Finland and - Lapland
The Northern Finland is a mountain and river areas. Use the searhc words "photos from Ylläs in google and you find photos from that area.