Language/Finnish/Vocabulary/Geography

Finnish Vocabulary - Geography

Hi Finnish learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn the vocabulary related to Geography in Finnish. Geography is an interesting subject that helps us understand the physical and cultural aspects of the world. Learning Finnish geography vocabulary will help you communicate effectively in Finnish when talking about geographical locations, climate, and topography.

Once you've mastered this lesson, take a look at these related pages: Numbers and Counting & Count to 10.

Finnish Regions

Finland is divided into nineteen regions, and each region has a regional council that is responsible for regional development, land use planning, and training.

Finnish	Pronunciation	English
Ahvenanmaa	ɑhvenɑnmɑː	🇬🇧land Islands
Etelä-Karjala	etelæ kɑrjɑlɑ	South Karelia
Etelä-Pohjanmaa	etelæ poːjɑnmɑːɑ	South Ostrobothnia
Etelä-Savo	etelæ sɑvo	South Savo
Kainuu	kɑinuː	Kainuu
Kanta-Häme	kɑntɑ hæme	Tavastia Proper
Keski-Pohjanmaa	keski poːjɑnmɑːɑ	Central Ostrobothnia
Keski-Suomi	keski suomi	Central Finland
Kymenlaakso	kymenlɑːkso	Kymenlaakso
Lappi	lɑpːi	Lapland
Paijat-Hame	pɑijɑt hæme	Päijänne Tavastia
Pirkanmaa	pirkanmɑː	Pirkanmaa
Pohjanmaa	poːjɑnmɑːɑ	Ostrobothnia
Pohjois-Karjala	poːjois kɑrjɑlɑ	North Karelia
Pohjois-Pohjanmaa	poːjois poːjɑnmɑːɑ	North Ostrobothnia
Pohjois-Savo	poːjois sɑvo	North Savo
Satakunta	sɑtɑkuntɑ	Satakunta
Uusimaa	uusimɑː	Uusimaa
Varsinais-Suomi	vɑrsinɑis suomi	Southwest Finland

Dialogue:

• Person 1: Missä asut? (Where do you live?)
• Person 2: Asun Varsinais-Suomessa. (I live in Southwest Finland.)

Climate

Finland has a unique climate with relatively warm summers and cold winters. The Gulf Stream provides some moderation, but the country is still influenced by the Arctic Ocean.

Finnish	Pronunciation	English
ilmasto	ilmɑsto	climate
kesä	kesæ	summer
talvi	talvi	winter
sademäärä	sɑdemææræ	precipitation
lumisade	lumi sɑde	snowfall
lämpötila	læmpøtilɑ	temperature
pouta	pou̯tɑ	sunny spell
sade	sɑde	rain
pilvi	pilvi	cloud

Dialogue:

• Person 1: Kuinka lämmin on ulkona? (How warm is it outside?)
• Person 2: Se on kymmenen astetta. (It's ten degrees.)

Interesting fact: In Finland, there is a word for every type of snow. For instance, "hanki" means "snow that is frozen and hard enough to walk on", "räntä" means "sleet", and "aukko" means "hole in ice".

Topography

Finland is known for its flat landscape and vast forests, which make up more than 70% of the country. The country also has more than 187,000 lakes, making it one of the most lake-rich countries in the world.

Finnish	Pronunciation	English
järvi	jærvi	lake
maa	mɑː	land
metsä	metsæ	forest
vuori	vuori	mountain
kukkula	kukkulɑ	hill
saari	sɑːri	island
niemi	niemi	peninsula
kangas	kɑŋɑs	heathland

Dialogue:

• Person 1: Oletko käynyt Suomen korkeimmalla vuorella? (Have you been to the highest mountain in Finland?)
• Person 2: En, mutta olen kiivennyt muutamalle kukkulalle. (No, but I have climbed a few hills.)

Interesting fact: Finland is sometimes called the "Land of a Thousand Lakes", but in reality, there are more than 187,000 lakes in the country.

Remember to practice these words in context by using them in sentences and paragraphs. To improve your Finnish Find native speakers and ask them any questions. You can also check out the other Finnish vocabulary on Polyglot Club.

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➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎

Other Lessons

• Numbers
• Camping
• How to count in Finnish
• Health
• How to Say Hello and Greetings
• Count to 10
• Parts of the Body
• Colors
• How to say Good Bye?
• Weather

Sources

• Finnish language - Wikipedia