Finnish

Finnish is spoken by about 5 million people in Finland, where it is the official language. It is officially recognised in Sweden and Norway. It is also spoken in Canada, Estonia, Russia, and USA. The total Finnish-speaking population of all countries is estimated to be around 6 million people (Ethnologue).

The first written documents in Finnish were created by bishop Mikael Agricola who wrote an ABC book in 1542 and a catechism in 1544. Agricola's writing system was based on Swedish, then the official language of Finland, as well as on German and Latin. The writing system he devised was revised over time.

There are two main varieties of Finnish:

• Yleiskieli is the formal variety used in church sermons, political speeches, and newscasts. Its written form, kirjakieli is used for most formal writing. Finnish children learn kirjakieli in school.

• Puhekieli is the informal variety used in everyday life and in most informal situations.

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