Maanmittauslaitos Pieni

National Land Survey

The National Land Survey of Finland (NLS) has a long tradition in the maintenance of cadastral registers and geographical information.

The NLS is responsible for Finland’s cadastral system, cadastral registers and general mapping assignments. The NLS collects information on real estate, topography and the environment and promotes the shared use of geographical information.

History in names and numbers

Land survey begins in Finland with a written order issued on 19 June 1633 by the Chamber Collegral Body in Stockholm. Olof Gangius was the first land surveyor to antre in Finland in August 1634.

The history of Finnish land survey administration began during the time of Finnish autonomy, when the Tsar of Russia confirmed the establishment of a Head Survey Office in the Grand Duchy of Finland in 1812.

As of 1848, land survey assignments were overseen by the National Board of Land Survey (Maanmittauksen ylihallitus), which became the Board of Land Survey (Maanmittaushallitus) in 1916. In 1994 the name was changed to the National Land Survey of Finland.

The main mission remains unchanged

The main mission of the NLS has remained unchanged ever since its establishment. The guiding principle is to provide reliable, impartial geographical information following the independent third-party principle.

Our values

  • Customer satisfactionn
  • Job satisfaction
  • Work under control
  • Solid finance

Our message

  • National Land Survey of Finland – Down to earth
  • Impartial and reliable information
  • Expert organisation
  • Builder of the information society

The Measure of Land online exhibition

What is the measure of land? The Earth's circumference is 40 000 kilometres and its mass is 5.9737×1024 kg. But how can we measure land without using such units of measurement? What is the meaning of land? Why is land important? What is the cultural measure of land?

Image bank

Are you looking for illustrations? The NLS image bank contains images shown on the Mapscroll.fi website.

Measure of Land

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The Measure of Land is an online exhibition on the history of land survey which takes you on a journey through the multifaceted world of land survey. It illustrates the role land survey has played in Finnish society and strives to answer the question: what is the measure of land?

Visit the image bank on this page to view the images shown on the Mapscroll.fi website, including historical photos and maps.

World Heritage

The fascinating Struve Geodetic Arc – a tour de force in land surveying before the satellite era – is the sixth Finnish site accepted to the UNESCO World Heritage List. What makes the Struve Geodetic Arc particularly interesting as a World Heritage site is that it is not actually visible. The significance of the Arc lies in the effort put into its creation.

This page will tell you how the Struve Geodetic Arc came to be created. You can also follow its route, which nowadays runs through ten states. Six of the station points selected for protection are located in Finland.

Exercises for schools

What is land? Is it just the foundation on which everything else is built?

Tips for teachers

Tips for teaching and an invitation to contribute to the development of the material

Importance of Land

An esoteric science, or just dull fiddling with numbers? Land surveying may seem like an obscure branch of science, but it is actually very much present in our daily lives. We use land survey information and geographical data every day without paying much attention to the fact. The examples found on this page were designed as tools for teachers and to provide insightful learning experiences.

Maanmerkitys 18

This page contains learning material designed to help you consider what land means for all of us. Teachers of various subjects can use the exercises to demonstrate the practical relevance of the topic at hand.