Official Status
Finnish is one of two official languages of Finland (the other being Swedish, spoken by 5.42% of the population as of 2010) and an official language of the European Union. It enjoys the status of an official minority language in Sweden. Under the Nordic Language Convention, citizens of the Nordic countries speaking Finnish have the opportunity to use their native language when interacting with official bodies in other Nordic countries without being liable to any interpretation or translation costs.
Read more about this topic: Finnish Language
Famous quotes containing the words official and/or status:
“In a country where offices are created solely for the benefit of the people no one man has any more intrinsic right to official station than another.”
—Andrew Jackson (1767–1845)
“What is clear is that Christianity directed increased attention to childhood. For the first time in history it seemed important to decide what the moral status of children was. In the midst of this sometimes excessive concern, a new sympathy for children was promoted. Sometimes this meant criticizing adults. . . . So far as parents were put on the defensive in this way, the beginning of the Christian era marks a revolution in the child’s status.”
—C. John Sommerville (20th century)