226 - ILLUMINATED GREENHOUSE NEAR SAUVO, VARSINAIS-SUOMI REGION, FINLAND (60°18' N, 22°36' E).
Finland occupies the most northerly position in Europe, with one-quarter of its territory located above the Arctic Circle. At such high latitudes, agriculture faces natural challenges; in winter, night lasts uninterrupted for nearly two months in the north, while in the south the sun appears for no more than six hours daily. In this premature twilight the snow is scattered with gleaming greenhouses, where the daily duration of photosynthesis is extended by artificial lighting, as here near Sauvo, in the south-western part of the country. Using this method, Finland manages to produce 225,600 tonnes of fresh vegetables per year, including 34,600 tonnes of tomatoes; but its greatest field of exploitation remains timber. It exploits pine and birch forests that cover 70 percent of its land and which provide more than one third of export revenues. Residue from the timber industry and waste from cutting trees serve as fuel, an important source of renewable energy that covers 20 percent of the country’s energy consumption and 10 percent of its electricity consumption.