Why is Finland considered one of Europe’s most northern and remote countries?

Finland is recognized as one of the world’s most northern and geographically remote countries due to its high-latitude location and its position on the periphery of the European continent.12

A significant portion of the country—nearly one-third of its territory, including most of the region of Lappi—lies north of the Arctic Circle. This extreme northern positioning results in a harsh climate characterized by prolonged, severe winters and the phenomenon of the polar night, which lasts for more than 50 days in the northernmost areas.341

Furthermore, Finland’s status as a remote country is reinforced by its geography. It serves as a symbolic northern border between western and eastern Europe, defined by dense wilderness and Russia to the east, and the Gulf of Bothnia and Sweden to the west. This landscape, dominated by extensive forests and water, contributes to the country's distinct sense of isolation from the more densely populated regions of continental Europe.125