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The music was composed by the German Fredrik Pacius, with ( Swedish) words by the Finland-Swede Johan Ludvig Runeberg, and was performed for the first time on 13 May 1848. The original poem, written in 1846 but not printed until 1848, had 11 stanzas and formed the prologue to the great verse cycle The Tales of Ensign Stål, a masterpiece of Romantic nationalism.

The Tales of Ensign Stål were much appreciated throughout all of Scandinavia. Up until the time of Finland's independence in 1917Events January 2 The Royal Bank of Canada takes over Quebec Bank. January 22 World War I: President Woodrow Wilson calls for "peace without victory" in Europe. January 25 The Danish West Indies is sold to the United States for $25 million January 25 Anti-– 18Events January January 8 President Woodrow Wilson announces his " Fourteen Points" for the aftermath of World War I. February February 3 The Twin Peaks Tunnel begins service in San Francisco as the longest streetcar tunnel in the world (11,920 feet long)., when the song began to be recognized as specifically applying to Finland, Pacius's tune and Runeberg's text were often also sung in DenmarkKongeriget Danmark ( In Detail) Motto of the Queen: Guds hjaelp, Folkets kaerlighed, Danmarks styrke (English: God's help, the love of the people, Denmark's strength) Official language Danish Capital Copenhagen Kobenhavn Monarch Margrethe II Prime Ministe, NorwayThe Kingdom of Norway is a Nordic country west of Sweden on the Scandinavian Peninsula. It has a very elongated form and has an extensive coastline along the North Atlantic Ocean, where Norway's famous fjords are found. In addition to Sweden, it borders R, and SwedenThe Kingdom of Sweden Konungariket Sverige in Swedish) is a Nordic country in Scandinavia, in Northern Europe. It is bordered by Norway on the west, Finland on the northeast, the Skagerrak and the Kattegat on the southwest, and the Baltic Sea and the Gulf. The poem's theme is, furthermore, remarkably similar to that of the national anthems of Sweden ( Du gamla, Du friaDu gamla, Du fria ("Thou Ancient, Thou Free") is the national anthem of Sweden. Lyrics by Richard Dybeck, 1844. The first two verses are always used when sung in Sweden, but verses three and four are unused. In an international context, such as sporting e) and Norway ( Ja, vi elsker dette landetThe Norwegian national anthem is called Ja, vi elsker dette landet''. The lyrics were written by Bjornstjerne Bjornson between 1859 and 1868, and the melody was written by his cousin Rikard Nordraak in 1864. It was first performed publicly on 17 May 1864).

Some Finns would now like the Finnish national anthem to be changed to Finlandia by Jean Sibelius (also a Finland-Swede): partly because the original Vårt Land was written in Swedish, not Finnish; partly because Pacius's tune is also used for the national anthem of Estonia with a similarly themed text, Mu isamaa, My Fatherland ( 1869); and partly because Pacius was German. It is also said that he composed the tune in a mere fifteen minutes, with no idea that it would become so important to the people of Finland that they would eventually make it their national anthem. Jean Sibelius is Finland's national composer. Finlandia, however, was written as a purely instrumental piece and is difficult to sing (neverthless it briefly became the national anthem of Biafra). The Finns are also a very conservative people, attached to their traditions, and it is therefore unlikely the national anthem will be changed.

Here are the lyrics of the first verse in Finnish, in Swedish (as originally written), and in an English-language version: