ABOUT FINLAND

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 919, 12 March 1930, Page 11

ABOUT FINLAND

THREE FINE VOLUMES PREPARED WORK OF DISTINGUISHED MEN | Finland. the land of a thousand : lakes and wide forests, is perhaps one jof the most interesting countries in j the world. Its geological situation is one of the contributing factors. Finland divides | Soviet Russia from Scandinavia, and ! stretches from the Arctic regions I down to the more temperate climate j along the shores of the Baltic Sea. Timber and occasional political disI turbances are the only subjects the j average New Zealander knows of Fin- ! land. Occasionally tourists from the j Dominion visit the country, but they touch only at one or two of the more important centres. It is a country, however, which is worthy of a long stay by the traveller. Its scenery, in many respects, is unrivalled in the world. Tlio avhole country is dotted with the most beautiful lakes, thousands and thousands of them, and 1 forest-clad mountains add their grandeur to the splendid landscape. Finland should become better known through the activities of its geographical society, which has just published three magnificent volumes dealing with this interesting country. One is a large atlas, which deals very thoroughly with every depart- \ ment of the country. There are 3S double-page plates—each of which deals with a different subject. To j show how thoroughly the society has performed its great work, the subjects j are as follow: Situation and extent, | population and boundaries, survey of t Finland, land heights and marine depths, ancient rocks, superficial deposits, climate and terrestrial magnetism. the sea, inland waters, vege- j tation and distribution of population, i flora and fauna, forests, geographical regions (in three parts), statistics of population, anthropology, languages and ethnography, agriculture and fisheries (three parts), State forests, | forestry, mining and industry (two parts), foreign trade and shipping, j agricultural organisations and bank- j ing, co-operation, post and telegraph and tourists, education, public libraries and the publishing business, j care of health, disease and crime boun- > daries, judicial and ecclesiastical organisation, finances and elections. A volume accompanies the atlas, ; giving a full explanation of every subject in English. It is the work of j the most distinguished men in Finland, j who have dope their duty with the j utmost thoroughness. An example of j this is shown in the maps dealing with J health, disease, and crime. There are 15 small maps and one diagram show- j ing the positions of the following: Provincial doctors, doctors in towns j and urban districts, T.B. sanatoria and , mental hospitals, district nurses and nursing sisterhoods, district and com- , munal doctors and communal hospitals. dentists, lying-in hospitals and public baths, and unrecognised medical practitioners. The following are given in percentage to the population: Trachoma, insane and mentally defective, crimes against property, crime in the country as a whole, deaf mutes, j mortality from T. 8., crimes against persons, and prisons and lock-ups. j This department is characteristic oi the thoroughness of the others. It is all a marvellous record of one country. Tho third volume has been devoted j entirely to photographs, and has been splendidly printed, as are the other two volumes. Occasionally the English text has confused the authors. ! Under one picture of fishermen are the words: "On the sea shores are caught much fishes, which fit well as i The Sun has received the three volumes through the courtesy of the consul for Finland, Mr. Robert Burns.