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Children
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| Finland
Capital
(and largest city) Helsinki
Official languages
Finnish, Swedish Demonym
Finns, Finnish
Population
2009 estimate
5,340,783
Currency
Euro |
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Helsinki Cathedral
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Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country
situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It borders
Sweden on the West, Russia on the East, and Norway on the North, while
Estonia lies to its South across the Gulf of Finland. The capital city
is Helsinki.
Around 5.3 million people reside in Finland, with the majority
concentrated in the Southern part of the country. It is the eighth
largest country in Europe in terms of area and the most sparsely
populated country in the European Union.
The native language for most of the population is Finnish, a member
of the Finno-Ugric language family most closely related to Estonian, and
is one of only four official EU languages not of Indo-European origin.
The second official language of Finland, Swedish, is the mother
tongue of 5.5 percent of the population. Finland is a democratic,
Parliamentary republic with a mostly Helsinki-based central government
and local governments in 348 municipalities.
A total of a million residents live in Greater Helsinki area
(including Helsinki, Espoo, Kauniainen and Vantaa) and a third of the
country’s GDP is produced there. Other major cities include Tampere,
Turku, Oulu, Jyvaskyla, Kuopio and Lahti.
Finland was historically a part of Sweden and from 1809 an autonomous
Grand Duchy within the Russian Empire. Finland’s declaration of
independence from Russia in 1917 was followed by a civil war, wars
against the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany, and a period of official
neutrality during the Cold War.
Finland joined the United Nations in 1955, the OECD in 1969, and the
European Union in 1995 and participates in the Eurozone. Finland has
been ranked the second most stable country in the world, in a survey
based on social, economic, political, and military indicators.
Finland has a good standing in many international comparisons of
national performance such as the share of high-technology manufacturing
and health care. However, Bank of Finland predicts that the Finnish
economy is to contract strongly between 2009-11 due to the global
crisis.
[Scout Camporee]
‘Living in Harmony’
Dear Children,
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Ananda Balika Kotte Scouts at the 46th annual Colombo Camporee
engaged in group activities. |
How many of you children are scouts and Girl Guides? The 46th Annual
Colombo Camporee organized by the Colombo District Scout Branch
Association of the Sri Lanka Scout Association was held from August 14
to 18 at the Viharamahadevi Park, Colombo.
‘Living in Harmony’ was the theme of the Camporee to go with the ‘Be
Prepared’, motto of the scouts.
Various events and activities promoting team spirit and sharing would
pave the way for children of various ethnic groups to meet and share
their views with one another and will immensely help to cultivate the
harmony and friendship among the communities.
Scouts, cubs and adventure minded girl guides engaged in variety of
educative and enjoyable activities, talent shows and cultural shows help
to mould the characters and talents of the youth.
It is reported that over 3,000 scouts from Colombo and outstation
schools and another batch of about 3,500 cub scouts with girl guides and
about 40 disabled scouts participated at this Camporee.
A large number of scouts from leading schools in the Northern and
Eastern districts also participated in this year’s Camporee.
So, if you participated in this Camporee why not share your
experiences with us. I am sure you must be having a lot of interesting
information that you would like to share with other children. Please
free to do so. Enjoy your holidays. Have fun. Bye for now.
Aunt Anji
‘August Chimes’ English Day Program
The students of the English Study Centre will stage an English Day
Program ‘August Chimes’ on August 29 at the NYSC, Maharagama. This will
be the 14th successive English Day program.
Former principal of Visakha Vidyalaya M. N. Edussuriya will grace the
occasion as chief guest.
The story so far...
The ultimate humiliation - Part 50
By Uncle Sachi and Aunt Ruwi
 Pramodaka, Nalaka, Champika and Chinthaka go on a trip to the woods
with their parents for their school holidays. In the middle of the
night, the children are awakened by a strange noise. On following their
dog, Scooby, Chinthaka is snared by the age old spell of the ‘luring
stones’.
Pramodaka departs with Ruwi, a pixie, to recall a book of spell to
cast off the spell while Nalaka, Champika and the dog remain behind with
Sachi, a gnome who updates them on the life of mythical creatures.
Shamilka, a friend of the mythical creatures joins in and they begin
hunting for Pramodaka and Ruwi as there is no sign of their return.
Just as they were coming to terms with the fact that they were lost,
six rabbits scamper along the way. The rabbits take pity upon the
children and agree to guide them part of the way.
Meanwhile Sulo, the goblin who is always trying to make trouble for
the mythical creatures, grabs a basket of goodies from a gnome named
Russell and makes off. Scooby scents her and attacks. Ruwi senses that
Russell is in danger but she also gets the strange feeling that there is
a mysterious link between Pramodaka. Suddenly a storm breaks out and
Pramodaka, Nalaka and Champika are blown away with the wind.
 As they make their way back to their friends Sulo notices them and
comes up with a nasty plan. She rushes off gang up the rest of her pack.
There she reveals a secret that could hold the key to all the
goblin’s troubles. There is sudden break of trouble in the pixie camp as
one of the pixies, Dina, develops weird symptoms...
Naks to his feet, almost knocking off his spectacles in the process.
Lakshi, a plump pixie with kind brown eyes and bright smile, paled.
“Dina, stop that! What is wrong with you?” Donnie whispered but it
was too late. The damage was done. A wailing Bonnie ran to hide behind
her mother’s skirts. “I - I have no idea... I - I have been feeling a
bit strange lately...” Dina stammered going red on the face with
embarrassment.
“This kind of behaviour is not acceptable, Dina. I even heard what
happened with Emmy, the hedgehog. You nearly scared the spikes off him
with your temper. He thought you were one of the goblins in disguise!”
Naks crossed his arms in front of his chest and gave her a stare.
Dina tried to avoid his look, tears of frustration stinging at her eyes.
To be compared with those no-good goblins was the ultimate humiliation.
“I wish I could go back home...” she whispered and thought, “They
would not dare bully me there. I thought it was fun here with my friends
but now I have my doubts. Ruwi and Sachi had been made guardians of the
safety in the woods and have run off somewhere. Daisy has taken to
gardening and does not have any time for me. Nobody cares about me or
what I do...”
“Chief Jay will have to be notified...” Lakshi whispered to a rather
grim looking Naks. She cast the younger pixie a pitiful look and then
started.
“My dear... What are those greenish spots you have developed?” she
cried.
Dina grazed at her arms and terror gripped her. She had dismissed a
tiny green spot which had been on her nose in the morning as a fleck of
moss which might have landed on her during her pursuits in the woods but
now there were bigger green patches all over her arms.
Sweating and shaking she took a quick look at her nose. The patch was
thrice the size it had been that morning and expanding rapidly. She
almost felt faint with horror.
(To be continued)
The sixth International Child Art exhibition - 2008 was held
recently. Here Venura Santhush Hettiarachchi receiving his
certificate from Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka at
the awards ceremony held at the Prime Minister’s office
recently. |
Seated: Mevni de Silva, Chadishya Ubesiri, Lasanya
Singarachchi, Samanthi Siriwardena (Teacher), Rashmi
Gunawardena, Shavinki Ubesiri, Ramindu Liyanage. Standing:
Ranupa Singarachchi, Yasith Hennadige, Achinie Gunawardena,
Lorreta Alwis, Shalini Liyanage, Damien De Silva, Nipuni
Hennadige. |
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