ÅA Survival Guide 2015-2016

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5
F i n l and and Åbo Ak ademi Un i ve r s i t y
1. Finland and
Åbo Akademi
University
1.1 Fast facts about Finland
Population: 5.4 million
Area: 338,424 km² (the fifth-largest country in
Western Europe)
Capital: Helsinki (1.25 million inhabitants in
metropolitan area)
Languages: Official languages are Finnish
(spoken by 91%) and Swedish (5.4%). Sámi is
an official regional language and the mother
tongue of about 1,700 people, members of the
indigenous Sámi people of northern Lapland
Form of government: Republic, parliamentary
democracy
Head of State: President of the Republic,
currently Mr Sauli Niinistö
International cooperation : Member of the
United Nations since 1955 and the European
Union since 1995
Currency unit: Euro
Climate: Great contrasts – cold winters and fairly
warm summers (2014 extremes: coldest day
in Kevajärvi -40,7 C/-41,3 F, warmest day in Pori
32,8 C/91 F)
1.2 Åbo Akademi University
Åbo Akademi Univers i ty i s the only
multidisciplinary Swedish-language university
in Finland. The university was founded in 1918
in order to provide higher education for the
Swedish-speaking minority in Finland. The main
language of teaching and administration is
Swedish, but an increasing number of courses
are taught in English.
Åbo Akademi University has a strong
international profile. Out of our total student
population (7 000 students) about 1 000
students are international students and out
of these some 300 are international exchange
students. Åbo Akademi University is one of
the most international universities in Finland
when looking at the student population and we
are happy to be able to offer an international
environment for both our international and our
domestic students.
Åbo Akademi University has been going through
a structural reform. Since 1.1.2015 the university is
divided into four faculties:
• Faculty of Arts, Psychology and Theology
• Faculty of Education andWelfare Studies
(located in Vasa)
• Faculty of Social Sciences, Business and
Economics
• Faculty of Science and Engineering
For more information about this reform, please
see
Åbo Akademi University has two main
campuses, Åbo/Turku and Vasa/Vaasa, as well as
two smaller campuses in Jakobstad/Pietarsaari
and Helsingfors/Helsinki.