Some facts about Finnish

THE FINNISH LANGUAGE a language of Finland.
Population: 4,700,000 in Finland, 93.5% of population (1993), including 30,000 speakers of Tornedalen Finnish. Population total all countries 6,000,000 (1999 WA).
Region: Also spoken in Canada, Estonia, Norway, Russia (Europe), Sweden, USA.
Alternate names: SUOMI, SUOMEA
Dialects: SOUTHWESTERN FINNISH, HAME (TAVAST), SOUTH POHJANMAA, CENTRAL AND NORTH POHJANMAA, PERAPOHJA, SAVO (SAVOLAX), SOUTHEASTERN FINNISH (FINNISH KARJALA, FINNISH KARELIAN).
Classification: Uralic, Finno-Ugric, Finno-Permic, Finno-Cheremisic, Finno-Mordvinic, Finno-Lappic, Baltic-Finnic, Finnic.
Comments: Southeastern dialects called 'Karelian' in colloquial Finnish are distinct from true Karelian (T. Salminen). Finnish is closely related to Karelian and Olonetsian. About 300,000 are bilingual in Swedish. National language. Grammar. SVO. Christian. Bible 1642-1991.

Also spoken in:
Russia (Europe)
Population: 31,570 speakers out of 77,000 in the ethnic group in Russia (1979 census). 41% speak it as mother tongue.
Comments: Eastern dialects merge gradually into Karelian. Bilingualism in Russian. Christian. Bible 1642-1991. See main entry under Finland.

Sweden
Population: 200,000 in Sweden (1997 Birger Winsa). 'Swedish-Finns' were 446,134 in 1999, which counts those born in Finland and first generation born in Sweden, but not others, even if the mother tongue is Finnish.
Alternate names: SUOMI, SUOMEA
Comments: 1st to 3rd generation immigrants, apart from speakers of Tornedalen Finnish. Christian. Bible 1642-1991.

Finland