Language

Most Finns (92%) speak Finnish as their mother tongue, while the largest minority language is Swedish (5.5%). To the north, in Lapland, are found the Sami, numbering less than 7,000, who like the Finns speak a Finno-Ugric language. There are three Sami languages that are spoken in Finland: Northern Sami, Inari Sami and Skolt Sami.

The majority of Finns also speak proficient English. Other common secondary languages are German, French and Swedish; knowledge in Estonian, Russian or Norwegian is rare.

Swedish has an official language status in Finland, and the right of other minority groups (in particular Sami people) to cherish their culture and language is protected by law. Finland-Swedes are considered to represent a common ethnicity with the Finnish speaking majority. Culturally, the Finland-Swedes represent a combination of Swedish and Finnish cultures and have more coastal-oriented traditions.

Immigrants represent 2% of the population. Largest immigrant groups are Russians, Estonians, Swedish, Somali and various Yugoslavs. A small population of Finland also speak English as their secondary native language.

There is a Tatar-speaking minority, about one thousand speakers of the language, whose ancestors came to the country during the Russian rule. They are the most assimilated of the Muslim minorities in the country. All are fluent speakers of Finnish, and their mosques serve rather as centers of community life than as places of worship. Interethnic marriages to ethnic Finns are common, and it is possible that the minority will disappear entirely after a couple of generations.