Editing Finland (section)

=== Language ===
{{Main|Finnish language|Finland Swedish|Languages of Finland}}
{{See also|List of municipalities of Finland in which Finnish is not the sole official language}}

[[File:Languages of Finnish municipalities (2016).svg|thumb|Municipalities of Finland: {{legend|#EEEEC1|unilingually Finnish}}{{legend|#37ABC8|bilingual with Finnish as majority language, Swedish as minority language}}{{legend|#0055D4|bilingual with Swedish as majority language, Finnish as minority language}}{{legend|#000080|unilingually Swedish}}{{legend|#800033|bilingual with Finnish as majority language, Sami as minority language}}]]

[[Finnish language|Finnish]] and [[Swedish language|Swedish]] are the official languages of Finland. Finnish predominates nationwide while Swedish is spoken in some coastal areas in the west and south (with towns such as [[Ekenäs, Finland|Ekenäs]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://theculturetrip.com/europe/finland/articles/the-10-most-beautiful-towns-in-finland/|title=The 10 Most Beautiful Towns in Finland|first=Lani|last=Seelinger|website=Culture Trip|date=16 June 2015|access-date=23 April 2021|archive-date=23 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210423195917/https://theculturetrip.com/europe/finland/articles/the-10-most-beautiful-towns-in-finland/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Pargas]],<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.helsinkitimes.fi/finland/finland-news/domestic/18417-twice-a-minority-foreign-immigration-to-swedish-speaking-communities-in-finland.html|title=Twice a minority: foreign immigration to Swedish-speaking communities in Finland|website=helsinkitimes.fi|date=12 December 2020|access-date=23 April 2021|archive-date=9 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210509230145/https://www.helsinkitimes.fi/finland/finland-news/domestic/18417-twice-a-minority-foreign-immigration-to-swedish-speaking-communities-in-finland.html|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Närpes]],<ref name="auto1"/> [[Kristinestad]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.helsinkitimes.fi/themes/themes/travel/12675-discovering-swedish-speaking-municipalities-kristinestad.html|title=Discovering Swedish-speaking municipalities: Kristinestad|website=helsinkitimes.fi|date=8 November 2014|access-date=23 April 2021|archive-date=23 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210423121854/https://www.helsinkitimes.fi/themes/themes/travel/12675-discovering-swedish-speaking-municipalities-kristinestad.html|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Jakobstad]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.helsinkitimes.fi/themes/themes/travel/13124-discovering-swedish-speaking-municipalities-jakobstad.html|title=Discovering Swedish-speaking municipalities: Jakobstad|website=helsinkitimes.fi|date=8 January 2015|access-date=23 April 2021|archive-date=23 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210423121854/https://www.helsinkitimes.fi/themes/themes/travel/13124-discovering-swedish-speaking-municipalities-jakobstad.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Nykarleby]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.helsinkitimes.fi/themes/themes/travel/12953-discovering-swedish-speaking-municipalities-nykarleby.html|title=Discovering Swedish-speaking municipalities: Nykarleby|website=helsinkitimes.fi|date=4 December 2014|access-date=23 April 2021|archive-date=23 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210423121854/https://www.helsinkitimes.fi/themes/themes/travel/12953-discovering-swedish-speaking-municipalities-nykarleby.html|url-status=live}}</ref>) and in the autonomous region of [[Åland]], which is the only monolingual Swedish-speaking region in Finland.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.norden.org/en/info-norden/swedish-language-courses-foreigners-aland|title=Swedish language courses for foreigners in Åland &#124; Nordic cooperation|website=norden.org|access-date=25 July 2020|archive-date=26 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726065442/https://www.norden.org/en/info-norden/swedish-language-courses-foreigners-aland|url-status=live}}</ref> {{As of|2024}}, the [[native language]] of 84.1% of the population was Finnish,<ref name="statistics-finland-population-2024-final"/> which is part of the Finnic subgroup of the [[Uralic languages|Uralic language]]. The language is one of only four official [[Languages of the European Union|EU languages]] not of [[Indo-European languages|Indo-European]] origin, and has no relation through descent to the other [[North Germanic languages|national languages]] of the [[Nordic countries|Nordics]]. Conversely, Finnish is closely related to [[Estonian language|Estonian]] and [[Karelian language|Karelian]], and more distantly to [[Hungarian language|Hungarian]] and the [[Sami languages]].

Swedish is the native language of 5.1% of the population ([[Swedish-speaking population of Finland|Swedish-speaking Finns]]).<ref name="statistics-finland-population-2024-final"/> Swedish is a compulsory school subject and general knowledge of the language is good among many non-native speakers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_243_en.pdf|title=Europeans and their languages, the situation in 2005|publisher=European Commission|access-date=5 January 2021|archive-date=14 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160414102658/http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_243_en.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> Likewise, a majority of Swedish-speaking non-Ålanders can speak Finnish.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hbl.fi/artikel/finlandssvenska-ungdomar-talar-sallan-finska-sarskilt-pa-natet-ar-finskan-ovanlig/|title=Finlandssvenska ungdomar talar sällan finska – särskilt på nätet är finskan ovanlig|publisher=Hufvudstadsbladet|last=Piippo|first=Mikael|date=12 December 2018|access-date=5 January 2021|archive-date=8 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308121149/https://www.hbl.fi/artikel/finlandssvenska-ungdomar-talar-sallan-finska-sarskilt-pa-natet-ar-finskan-ovanlig/|url-status=dead}}</ref><!-- the complete report at http://magma.fi/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/111.pdf --> The Finnish side of the land border with Sweden is unilingually Finnish-speaking. The Swedish across the border is distinct from the Swedish spoken in Finland. There is a sizeable pronunciation difference between the varieties of Swedish spoken in the two countries, although their [[mutual intelligibility]] is nearly universal.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.infofinland.fi/sv/livet-i-finland/finska-och-svenska-spraket/det-svenska-spraket-i-finland|title=Det svenska språket i Finland|publisher=InfoFinland|language=sv|access-date=5 January 2021|archive-date=6 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210106222638/https://www.infofinland.fi/sv/livet-i-finland/finska-och-svenska-spraket/det-svenska-spraket-i-finland|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Finnish Kalo language|Finnish Romani]] is spoken by some 5,000–6,000 people; there are 13,000-14,000 Romani people in Finland<ref>{{Cite web |title=Romanit ovat etninen vähemmistö {{!}} Näin se näkyy meillä |url=https://romanit.fi/ |access-date=9 February 2024 |website=Romanit.fi |language=fi |archive-date=14 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240214124437/https://romanit.fi/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Romani and [[Finnish Sign Language]] are also recognized in the constitution. There are two sign languages: Finnish Sign Language, spoken natively by 4,000–5,000 people,<ref>{{cite web |title=Forskningscentralen för de inhemska språken—Teckenspråken i Finland |language=sv |url=http://www.kotus.fi/index.phtml?l=sv&s=206 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150318084839/http://www.kotus.fi/index.phtml?l=sv&s=206 |archive-date=18 March 2015 }}</ref> and [[Finland-Swedish Sign Language]], spoken natively by about 150 people. [[Mishar Tatar dialect|Tatar]] is spoken by a [[Finnish Tatars|Finnish Tatar]] minority of about 800 people whose ancestors moved to Finland mainly between the 1870s and 1920s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://forum.hunturk.net/national-minorities-of-finland-the-tatars-2491.html |title=National Minorities of Finland, The Tatars |publisher=Forum.hunturk.net |access-date=6 December 2011 |archive-date=11 December 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111211121203/http://forum.hunturk.net/national-minorities-of-finland-the-tatars-2491.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

The [[Sámi languages]] have an official status in parts of Lapland, where the [[Sámi people#Finland|Sámi]], numbering over 10,000<ref>{{Cite web |date=30 July 2017 |title=Saamelaisten määrä Sisä-Suomessa |url=https://barbmu.wordpress.com/mika-barbmu/saamelaisten-maara-sisa-suomessa/ |access-date=9 February 2024 |website=bárbmu ry/rs |language=fi |archive-date=18 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220118044435/https://barbmu.wordpress.com/mika-barbmu/saamelaisten-maara-sisa-suomessa/ |url-status=live }}</ref> are recognized as an [[Indigenous peoples|indigenous people]]. About a quarter of them speak a Sami language as their mother tongue.<ref name="Population 2006-12-31">{{cite web |url=http://tilastokeskus.fi/til/vaerak/2006/vaerak_2006_2007-03-23_tie_001_en.html |title=The population of Finland in 2006 |work=Statistics Finland |date=31 December 2006 |access-date=4 September 2007 |archive-date=13 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230913065123/https://tilastokeskus.fi/til/vaerak/2006/vaerak_2006_2007-03-23_tie_001_en.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The Sami languages that are spoken in Finland are [[Northern Sami]], [[Inari Sámi language|Inari Sami]], and [[Skolt Sami language|Skolt Sami]].{{refn|group=note|The names for Finland in its Sami languages are: {{lang|se|Suopma}} ([[Northern Sami]]), {{lang|smn|Suomâ}} ([[Inari Sámi language|Inari Sami]]) and {{lang|sms|Lää'ddjânnam}} ([[Skolt Sami language|Skolt Sami]]). See [https://www.geonames.de Geonames.de.]}} The rights of minority groups (in particular Sami, Swedish speakers, and Romani people) are protected by the constitution.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.finlex.fi/fi/laki/kaannokset/1999/en19990731.pdf |title=The Constitution of Finland, 17 § and 121 § |work=FINLEX Data Bank |access-date=4 September 2007 |archive-date=13 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131113222833/http://www.finlex.fi/fi/laki/kaannokset/1999/en19990731.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> The [[Nordic countries#Languages|Nordic]] languages and [[Karelian language|Karelian]] are also specially recognized in parts of Finland.

{{As of|2024}}, the most common foreign languages are [[Russian language|Russian]] (1.8%), [[Estonian language|Estonian]] (0.9%), [[Arabic]] (0.8%), [[Ukrainian language|Ukrainian]] (0.7%) and [[English language|English]] (0.7%).<ref name="statistics-finland-population-2024-final"/>

English is studied by most pupils as a compulsory subject from the first grade (at seven years of age), formerly from the third or fifth grade, in the comprehensive school (in some schools other languages can be chosen instead).<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.helsinkitimes.fi/finland/finland-news/domestic/15462-finland-s-first-graders-to-start-learning-foreign-language-in-spring-2020.html|title=Finland's first-graders to start learning foreign language in spring 2020|last=Teivainen|first=Aleksi|date=13 April 2019|work=[[Helsinki Times]]|access-date=1 May 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite thesis|last=Yang|first=Junyi|title=Teachers' Role in Developing Healthy Self-esteem in Young Learners: A study of English language teachers in Finland|date=Spring 2018|degree=Master's Degree Program in Early Language Education for Intercultural Communication|publisher=University of Eastern Finland|url=http://epublications.uef.fi/pub/urn_nbn_fi_uef-20180513/urn_nbn_fi_uef-20180513.pdf|access-date=1 May 2019|archive-date=23 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190523084242/http://epublications.uef.fi/pub/urn_nbn_fi_uef-20180513/urn_nbn_fi_uef-20180513.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://finlandtoday.fi/finland-places-among-the-top-four-english-speaking-countries-in-the-world/|title=Finland Places Among the Top Four English-Speaking Countries in the World|first=Tony|last=Öhberg|access-date=25 July 2020|archive-date=25 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200725213602/https://finlandtoday.fi/finland-places-among-the-top-four-english-speaking-countries-in-the-world/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://yle.fi/uutiset/osasto/news/finland_ranks_sixth_in_english_skills_early_instruction_crucial/10071036|title=Finland ranks sixth in English skills, early instruction crucial|website=Yle Uutiset|date=12 February 2018|access-date=25 July 2020|archive-date=25 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200725215547/https://yle.fi/uutiset/osasto/news/finland_ranks_sixth_in_english_skills_early_instruction_crucial/10071036|url-status=live}}</ref> German, French, Spanish and Russian can be studied as second foreign languages from the fourth grade (at 10 years of age; some schools may offer other options).<ref>{{Cite conference|last=Nuolijärvi|first=Pirkko|date=Fall 2011|title=Language education policy and practice in Finland|url=http://www.efnil.org/documents/conference-publications/london-2011/the-role-of-language-education-in-creating-a/15-Pirkko-Nuolijarvi.pdf|conference=European Federation of National Institutions for Language|access-date=1 May 2019|archive-date=22 December 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221222175213/http://efnil.org/documents/conference-publications/london-2011/the-role-of-language-education-in-creating-a/15-Pirkko-Nuolijarvi.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>