From a paper I'm writing for Social Geography:

The Society and Environment of Finland
Finland is located far enough north of mainstream Europe that it generally remains exempt from political, economic, and military activities of Europe. Unlike the Mediterranean, north-west coastlands, and central Europe, the customs and happenings of European life historically bypassed Finland, allowing for its own culture and customs to form. In A Short History of Finland, historian Fred Singleton provides that an example that illustrates Finland’s isolation from the rest of Europe is that Christianity did not develop here until the beginning of the thirteenth century, at least a millennium after it seeped into the British Isles (Singleton 4). Because of the geographic location of Finland, the history of this unique country can be found in legends and folklore, and is rich in ambiguity and obscurity. Furthermore, historians rely on tradition rather than evidence to explain such aspects such as the religious conversion that took place in Finland, which they argue increase with the help of Sweden in the twelfth century (Singleton 5). The lack of evidence considering Finland’s history reveals its evident geographic isolation from the rest of Europe; although the stark climate consisting of mere lakes and forests barely attracted traders and conquerors, but affected the lifestyle and migration patterns of the Finns (Singleton 5). The society and environment of Finland influences the structure and growth of its economy, and considerably the agricultural practices of this inimitable region.