7.3 A Bilingual Country

Finland's special richness lies in bilingualism - both Finnish and Swedish are official languages. Around 6 % of the population speak Swedish as their native language. The Lapps also account for a language minority with some 5,700 Sami speakers. English is currently the most popular language in schools. Along with the compulsory Swedish, other languages widely studied are German, French and Russian. It is possible to take care of most of one's official business in English.