Finland became Independent In 1917 and is the only one of the Nordic countries to use Euro as its currency. Aaland is a province in Finland with self-governance. Finland is bilingual and Finnish and Swedish have the same legal status. Three quarters of Finland is covered by forests. One tenth consists of lakes and rivers. It's easy to understand why the unique nature has always been an inspiration to designers and it can be seen in themes, shapes, colours and materials. Finnish design is world renown for its minimalistic purity of style.